From Time Out Abu Dhabi Eating Out 2010
Thai food in Abu Dhabi (apart from the excellent Talay) can often be a disappointing experience, low on flavour and devoid of authenticity. On this score alone, Asian Garden is a surprising little backstreet revelation. A welcome point of calm amid the frenzy of downtown, it lies on a busy side street in Al Markaziyah and dishes up some of the best Siamese nosh in the capital at bargain prices. The friendly waiters are on first name terms with most of the clientele and the interior is that of a clean, efficient cafeteria, but it is the food which excels. The pad kee mao is an explosion of flavour, loaded with Thai basil, garlic, and tiny (but deadly) chilli peppers, all concealed in a bed of rice noodles.
The Thai-style salads are all equally impressive, while the chef whips up a mean larb gai, whittled together from ground chicken, mint and kaffir lime leaves. Only the daring will want to order it spicy, but it’s a wonderful dish minus the heat. The menu doesn’t stop at Thai and there are plenty of Filipino and Chinese dishes available as well. They’re plenty tasty, too, but the curries, noodles, and other Thai treats are the principal reasons customers keep returning to this tiny slice of Bangkok time and again. It’s certainly well worth a visit.
