How to go
What:
Arloi Dee Thai Bistro
When: Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday through the summer. Happy Hour at the bar is 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. No weekend lunch service.
Where: 4920 Socialville Fosters Road, Mason (at corner of Socialville Fosters and Mason-Montgomery Road)
Cost: Soups are $2.95-$4.95, Appetizers $1.95-$7.95. Thai stir-fries are $8.95-$14.95, depending on portion size and meat choice, Chinese dishes are $8.95-$14.95, and sushi-bar items range from $1-$12.95. There is a 10 percent discount on all carry-out orders, and a $2.50 delivery charge.
More info: (513) 229-3997 (for reservations and carry-out orders) or www.arloidee.com
Critic's choice: Thai Stir-Fried Drunken
MASON — “Arloi Dee!” means “delicious” in Chinese, and the phrase was heard so often by one local family, that they decided to name their restaurant in honor of the acclamations for their food.
“People like our food, and I can’t count how many times we’ve won awards at The Taste of Cincinnati,” said Chanioa Lumsun, who, along with her parents, co-owns Arloi Dee in Mason.
The restaurant features traditional Thai, and Chinese, as well as a full service Sushi Bar, and all food comes from Lumsun family recipes.
“Thai food has more spice than Chinese, and we use recipes from my wife’s mother, in honor of her family,” said Lumsun’s father, Preecha.
The Thai menu features a variety of stir-fries, including Stir-Fried Drunken, made from chicken, pork, shrimp and beef and tossed with bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, onions and bamboo. The basil and chili paste sauce is considered of medium spice; however, it has a kick that hot food lovers are sure to enjoy.
Traditional Chinese dishes such as Beef with Broccoli and Schezhuan Chicken are milder and feature brown sauces that are sweetened with honey and sesame.
The Sushi Bar offers a wide variety of raw fish and quail eggs as well as smoked salmon and tuna.
Soups, salads and appetizers round out the award-winning menu, with the Chicken Coconut Soup and Chicken Lettuce Wraps winning the best dish awards in 2005 and 2009. Currently, the mango with sticky rice is the featured summer dessert and is a customer favorite.
The tasteful ambiance is another feature that diners will enjoy at Arloi Dee. A large indoor seating area has a full service bar stocked with a variety of Asian beers and wines.
It overlooks a decorative outside patio with additional seating and a pond full of blooming lily pads.
Take-out and delivery within a five mile radius is available at the restaurant, and the owners will hold private parties on site, catering to the customer’s cultural and religious preferences and restrictions.
Reservations are also accepted.
C
ontact this writer at tlhrsly@cinci.rr.com
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