Thai One On : sushi and more

Thai One On

10 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Towson

Phone: 410-825-0907

Price: $15-$18

Location: Towson

Hours: Mon.-Thur.: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Fri.-Sat.: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sun.: 4 p.m.-10 p.m.

Boasting a combined Japanese and Thai food menu, Thai One On makes for a great place for quality food that's not your typical college fare. Actually two restaurants, Thai One On and San Sushi, occupying three restaurant spaces, with shared menus and staff, the restaurant has an atmosphere of charm and comfortable living. Which of the three areas you sit in does not affect the meal or the atmosphere. There is a bar located at the back of the Thai One On area, and a sushi bar at the rear of San Sushi.

Thai One On's Thai menu provides an assortment of usual Thai food. The Pad Thai is excellent, and my friend who had the Pad Pik King enjoyed it immensely, as did my other friend who had the lemon grass soup. The food is spicy, but can be made much more mild if requested. Asking for extra spicy means just that, and be prepared to make frequent orders of water when making such a request.

On the Japanese side, there's an extensive sushi menu, including a la carte and cooked Japanese entrees, such as Chicken Teriyaki or Tempura. On the sushi side, the menu has a few exotic items, but contains mostly standard sushi. Sushi dinners are available as combinations with soup or salad.

The cost is slightly higher than a typical meal, at around $15 to $18 a person. Most of the Thai food is priced from $9 to $14, and the sushi dinners go for $9 to $18 without any a la carte selections. The Japanese food also ranges around $9 to $14.

Wait times can be, but often are not, long. I have experienced both the hour to hour and a half wait as well as a 10 minute wait at peak dinner times. One uncomfortable fact is a lack of waiting area except in the bar, and seats at the bar are limited. While waiting, one gets the feeling of constantly being in the way, as the entrance to the bar is located right along the main path connecting all three sections of the restaurant, giving the feeling of standing in the middle of a fast-moving highway. Taking the bar option makes the waiting process less adventuresome only if you sit at the bar, otherwise the narrow space between the chairs and the back wall lies directly along everyone's path to the bathrooms.

Once seated, service was prompt, with knowledgeable staff. Our food was brought to us in a reasonable amount of time for the type and quality of food, though ordering an appetizer or a meal that comes with soup helps.

Overall, Thai One On/ San Sushi makes for a wonderful dinner with friends who enjoy Thai or Japanese food, and makes a great place to introduce non-Thai or non-sushi eaters to some of the best in the area.