Jasmine Thai Serves up Excellent Food in Destin

I have a passion for great food and Thai is one of my favorites. With the help of my best-buddy chef, and another friend who is half Thai and who also loves Thai cuisine, I've learned to make a couple of authentic and delicious Thai dishes over the years.

However there is so much variety (and no clean up) when dining out, so I set out in search of a great authentic Thai restaurant in our area.

When I ask friends, many say that Jasmine Thai in Destin is the best. A quick Google search to confirm address, and I see five stars and only positive reviews, which adds even more credibility to my friends’ recommendation. 

Rather than making a special trip to Destin to only eat dinner, it was easy to pair dining with watching a movie afterwards at Destin Commons, located directly across the street from Jasmine Thai. If you aren’t familiar with the restaurant, it is next door to Chan’s Wine World and Pier 1 Imports.

We opted to dine inside rather than under the canopy on the patio, and upon entering, were greeted by two very friendly smiles from our servers. There is nothing unique or fancy about the décor, but the service was excellent and the food was as authentic as it gets, and delicious!

Pad Thai, rice noodles with chicken, beef or pork, and crushed peanuts with a slightly sweet but hot sauce, is always a favorite of Americans wanting to venture into Thai cuisine. It was fantastic but I ordered the “Thai hot” version with chicken, which was too hot for this wimpy American. “Thai hot” is for people who like serious heat in their food.

Much more palatable for me was the Noodle Curry, which I ordered with beef, “regular hot.”  I’m not sure if that is an actual category of hot, but the server understood. Noodle Curry is a delicious bowl of rice noodles, potatoes and onions, served in a slightly sweet but flavorfully spicy coconut milk. The coconut milk helps temper the heat of the green curry while adding a silkiness and sweet taste. This is one of my favorite Thai dishes, and it was the best I’ve tried.

The dinner portions are generous enough for two people to share an entrée, or for one person to eat some now with leftovers to take home for eating later. The full menu for Jasmine Thai includes many choices of appetizers, soups, salads, noodles, Thai curries, entrees, and desserts. Most of their menu items have a vegetarian option, and Jasmine Thai also has a couple of selections for children.  A limited selection of beer and wine is also available. Prices for entrees are very affordable with most ranging from $8 - $11, which is a little less than a bag of popcorn and a coke at the movies!

Jasmine Thai is family owned and operated and a great example of authentic Thai cuisine, with excellent service. The helpful servers will assist you menu selection and the menu is fairly self-explanatory from the descriptions. Give yourself an excuse to go into Destin and while there enjoy lunch or dinner at Jasmine Thai Restaurant.