Most Thai restaurants in the US tone down the spices in their food to satisfy American taste. I usually ask for medium hot and get exactly what I ordered.

Spot on! Unfortunately my experience has been that "spicy" on the menu means a little more red pepper or hot sauce...barely above bland (for me that is). We have a new local Thai restaurant and I consciously asked for medium hot and loved the flavors the first three times I ate there. I made the mistake of not asking for "medium hot" on my last visit and got a clean, but somewhat bland Thai dish. On the other hand, my wife who is not a fan of spicier food might give the place a try since their "normal" presentation is muted when it comes to spices.

I don't recall ever having Thai food before, but thanks to this thread we decided to try it for dinner yesterday. We did not go there but rather ordered through The Villages Dining Delivery. Not being familiar with the food, I specified that we want anything we ordered prepared mild. Don't care for real spicy food. I have to say I was more than surprised and pleased with what we ordered. That included:

Thai Ruby Sampler
Vegetables Coconut Soup
Crabmeat Soup
Thai Donuts
Pad Thai Beef
Combination Fried Rice
Shrimp with garlic & black pepper
(Surprised that they also had frog legs, but we didn't order any for fear we'd just make another TV resident mobility challenged if we did)

We intentionally ordered more food than we normally would so we could experience a wider range of the food. Besides we figured there would be enough for a second meal, but... wrong! The portions were so generous that there is enough left over for more than two meals!

I plan on definitely ordering from there again, especially the Combination Fried Rice. For my taste and it's contents, it was at least equal to the best I've ever had!

For anyone interested, here is the link for their menu: Thai Ruby menu - Lady Lake, FL 32162 - (352) 205-8288

We always eat here at least twice a visit. We love it. Staff are super friendly !

We love the atmosphere and service, but the food we found to be mediocre Thai. It has been very bland. We may give it another try and ask for medium spicy. Our favorite Thai restaurant is in Orlando, near Millenia Mall - NaraDeva.

I posted the original opinion on Thai Ruby and again the replies are mixed and the last reply pretty much goes along with opinion.

Nothing has changed at this restaurant, the meals are as bland and uninteresting as ever. The atmosphere is nice, the staff try hard, " But " going out to dinner should be and expected to be a pleasant experience not a regret.

Again some establishments have their loyal followers and no matter what they will return regardless. I happen to be a huge fan of Thai food and this restaurant does not even come remotely close to Thai Cuisine.

If you ask for the food to be prepared "medium hot" or " hot", you will not be calling it bland. You could always ask for " Thai Hot" but that is super-hot.

The coconut ice cream over the hot sticky rice is a perfect way to end the meal.

Here is some information on Thai food. Asking for Medium Hot or Hot or whatever is not Thai food. It is all about blending various spices to a variety of dishes.

To ask for this is basically what I am trying to get thru to those who believe this is " Thai " food...it is not and not even close. To ask for M/Hot...or Hot is off the charts and the sad part the owners know this..however as I correctly stated they cater to the Villages (In there opinion). Thai Ruby has their faithful followers which is good, but to go there thinking for a second that you will be getting Thai food is a real Stretch .

We really like it
 

We have eaten there a few times and really like the food and find it a very nice place to eat.

That is exactly true. I too believe they cater to what they think Villagers are looking for. The restaurant has been there for awhile, so it appears to be successful. If you are looking for authentic Thai, however, you'll need to go elsewhere.

Explain that please

And where might that be?

We had friends steer us to NaraDeva near Millenia Mall in Orlando. It has become our favorite Thai restaurant although we don't go there that often because of the travel distance..

If you poke around on the internet and read the reviews for NaraDeva, it would appear the winner between Thai Ruby and NaraDeva would be a "Thai". :smiley:

Some of the reviewers of NaraDeva were nonplussed by the food and liked other Thai restaurants in Orlando much more. Bottom line regarding food flavoring is that it all boils down to individual tastes. Bon Appetit!

If a given market is large and diverse enough, a restaurant could specialize in "green hotdogs" and thrive. However, in a niche market, restaurants quickly learn that even ethnic recipes must appeal to the masses if they want to survive.

It is always great to have an expert's comments on a topic. Thank you.