The main attraction here is the outdoor area for which Sansabai Garden is named, although there’s a large gazebo for rainy days and sun-shy diners (along with a few air-conditioned private rooms). We wouldn’t go so far as to call it “rural,” but the garden-patio atmosphere is quiet and comfortable, blissfully free of traffic noise or other aural nuisances (unless you count the commercial Thai pop music they play). When there aren’t natural breezes, the eager and happy-looking staff is quick to set up fans to help keep you cool. There are more than 900 items listed on the menu, although many of them have been listed multiple times in different sections of the menu. Even so, there still are plenty of options to go around when you go with a big group of friends or your extended family. It’s a popular place for drinkers—there’s draft beer, as well as bottles of 100 Pipers and Johnnie Walker Black, and the food is better than most Thai-style drinking restaurants. We sampled three common kap klaem items: the grilled pork neck was tender and tangy; the chicken “knuckles” were crunchy and made from bigger joints than what you get in most places; and the kung chae nam pla (raw shrimp marinated with fish sauce) looked like a small portion at first glance, but the fresh taste of the shrimp more than made up for it. Our only complaint was with the som tum with blue crab, which was fresh and crisp, but far too sweet. On the other hand, the stir-fried river prawns with black pepper was terrific: devilishly spicy and perfectly cooked—not overcooked, as is so often the case. Another memorable item was their kai yiew ma “1,000-year-old eggs” pad krapao (fried with basil, garlic and chili), which turned out to be addictively delicious. There was another dish on the menu that we ordered, against our better judgment (but we felt that we just had to try): their deep-fried fresh fruits and salad cream. While we probably wouldn’t order it again, we were impressed by how well executed it was. It actually turned out to be a combination of fruits and vegetables (so it wasn’t as sweet as we feared it might be) that had been conscientiously diced and served as the filling inside breaded and deep-fried nuggets. They were light and crispy and artfully decorated with (but thankfully not drowning in) a creamy sauce. Obviously, the cooks have received some serious instruction; we’re looking forward to returning to see what else they can do. No corkage charge.
