Greenville upped its Thai game in May 2017 with the new addition of Basil Thai. Located in the heart of downtown Greenville at ONE City Plaza, the restaurant is the first of the seven Basil locations to open in the Upstate.
Founded by brothers Chai and Henry Eang, Basil Thai serves up solid and flavorful takes on traditional Thai cuisine. Featuring classic Pad Thai, rice and noodle dishes, the restaurant also offers other crowd favorites like galangal and lemongrass soup, larb and basil rolls—to name a few. Of note is the chef’s signature dish—Crispy Red Curry Duck, a boneless half duck deep-fried and topped with bell peppers, basil, green peas, snow peas, tomatoes, pineapple and a red curry sauce.
With its extensive menu, entrees can be prepared according to customers’ spice preference. The restaurant also offers numerous vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options to accommodate dietary restrictions.
The Greenville restaurant also features a full bar of over ten beers available by bottle or can and three on tap, as well as an impressive cocktail menu, and a wine list wide in variety with more than 60 available by the glass.
The Eang brothers were attracted to Greenville because it mixed the city life of Charlotte with the culture of Charleston. The Greenville restaurant features a contemporary dining space designed with neutral tones, granite and sleek lines. The restaurant features table-style dining, along with a bar and a chef’s counter. The counter offers diners a unique view directly into the action of the kitchen. This kitchen-view dining originated from Basil’s first location that took over an old Huddle House, where the brothers had to figure out what to do with a long counter that stretched throughout most of the restaurant.
Basil’s roots originate in Cambodia, home of the Eang brothers who immigrated to the United States in the 1970s to escape political turbulence. They arrived in the United States, unable to speak a word of English. Over time, the two began working in restaurants. It was while attending the College of Charleston, when Henry worked at a popular Thai restaurant, when he discovered the art of blending fine dining with ethnic cuisine. The two brothers continued to move up the ranks of the restaurant field before opening their first Basil restaurant in 2002 in Charleston. Their success continued to grow, opening Chai’s Tapas and Lounge a few years later and then a Basil in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2009, before their franchise took off with other locations in the Carolinas in cities such as Columbia, Mount Pleasant, Ballantyne and now, Greenville.
Basil has earned numerous accolades for each of its locations as a consistent winner of “best of” awards such as “Best Thai Restaurant in Charleston in 2012” and a “Top 20 Restaurants Greater Charleston.”
Basil Thai is open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner seven days a week. The restaurant is located at ONE City Plaza, 9 North Laurens Street, Greenville, SC 29601. For more information and hours, visit http://www.eatatbasil.com/greenville/.