Saladang Song
(626) 793-5200
363 S Fair Oaks Ave
(at W Bellevue Drive)
Pasadena,
CA
91105
34.1388
-118.1504
Neighborhood: South Pasadena
What People Are Saying About Saladang Song
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Sister to neighboring Saladang, this second (song) restaurant aspires to be even more authentic. Behind monumental courtyard walls, two palms tower over a sleek indoor/outdoor setting where the waitstaff glides among inquisitive patrons.
The Food
Lively flavors start with appetizers like fish cakes and frittery corn cakes, both lightened with cucumber salad. Dishes pack sharp Thai contrasts--savory fish balls smoothed by milky curry, silky rock-cod with resilient shiitakes, and crunchy green papaya salad with spicy lemon dressing. For advanced tastes, there's a perfumy yen-ta-foh soup brimming with an eye-opening sweet-sour broth that's chock-full of seafood. Another rarity: Boiled rice for breakfast, topped with savory meat and vegetables. A dish to die for: Nam-prik Saladang Song, a platter of deep-fried fish, vegetables and rice, served with a dipping sauce ground from kiwis, garlic and chilies.
User Reviews
askaroundtravel
August 23, 2008
I'm amazed at one of the reviewers who wrote such a horrible and untruthful review of this restaurant. We go here at least once a week and the service is always fantastic. I've NEVER been upcharged for a meal--the prices are extremely reasonable. You do need to ask for water as they're conserving water for the environment (there are signs clearly posted) but they are NEVER rude and the manager is always amazingly attentive. We haven't had any issues so I'm not sure what it would be like if we needed something fixed, etc. but I figure about 50 trips a year (at least) without incident or complaint makes it pretty unlikely that anyone new will have a problem (unless you're unreasonable-I'm guessing??). We hardly ever try anything new because we have our "favorites" but love taking friends here so we can taste what they order and develop new ones! Great dishes are Kao Pad Ka Na (broccoli and cashew nut), Pad See Iew (rice noodles with broccoli and egg), yellow curry, spicy beef salad, rice cups with tofu (appetizers) and the apple salad (unusual but fantastic!). And great Thai iced tea. The outside dining area with huge iron walls makes it a beautiful place for an evening meal, too!
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Katarina9
July 31, 2008
Each time I dine at Saladang Song or Saladang, I am amazed at how flavorful the dishes are and how creative the chef is. I regularly go to both locations, often for birthday celebrations. I went last week to Saladang Song and my friend and I shared a wonderful deep fried sea bass with a savory chile sauce, a sweet, sour & tangy Granny Smith apple salad, and a pink noodle dish that was to die for. We ate so heartily that there was no room left for dessert -- and it was her birthday. I am taking another girlfriend there tonight for her birthday celebration. She can hardly wait to go there again and it was the choice she uttered as soon as I asked her out to celebrate. I have never had anything to eat there that wasn't excellent. Certainly I like some dishes better than others, but that's normal. As far as the pricing goes, I am not a wealthy person, and this is a place I can afford to take a friend for a birthday dinner. Last week, including my friend's ice tea and our rice, in addition to the food mentioned above, our total including tax and tip was in the low $50s -- and I gave a 20% tip. I have never had any problem getting service there or having my water refilled--in fact, last week I had to stop the server from refilling my glass for the fourth time as I couldn't drink any more and am not a wasteful person. Saladang Song and Saladang are my favorite Thai restaurants. I highly recommend them both and will continue driving to them as long as I live in Southern California.
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lizwombocker
July 24, 2008
I can not explain the horrible service I received at Saladang. How this place has 5 stars I will never know. Their service was distasteful, rude, and insulting. They do not state the prices up front, be careful for upgrades. They commonly will ask you if you'd like either chicken/meat/vegetables/combination dishes without telling you that there is an upgrade price when they are all bracketed together. A simple dish of curry/rice/or pad thai will jump from the price of 7.50 to 39.50. You must be careful, they will not fix their errors. They will not let you speak to a manager. They will insult you. Their food was awful. When you ask them to fix your food and correct your order if you ordered it spicy, they will go and make it unbearably spicy just to mock you. I have never been treated so poorly in all my life, my friends have never been treated so poorly in all their lives, do NOT be their next victim. DO NOT dine here. I also found hair in my food. They don't let you even talk to a manger. Save your money, your time, your spirit, your heart, and your wallet. Do not contribute to a place that does not care about customer service. One member started to choke from spicyness of the food and asked for water, instead of bringing water, the water person loitered around for many minutes talking to various people instead of bringing water. Do not dine here ever! It's awful!!
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