text: hours to be an expert or grains of rice to be a regular I am not sure which I would prefer when talking about Thai Basil arguably the best Thai restaurant in Tempe Although the area around ASU is inundated with local independent Thai spots Thai Basil is the hottest Sorry rcha Thairama and Thai Elephant In fact there are more than five indie Thai spots in the square mile are Mill and University In a small sample and quite casual taste test with a few of my close colleagues we found that Thai Basil not only has the most flavorful yellow curry but it also has the freshest and best textured veggies to accompany their superlative sweet and spicy coconut base The atmosphere is always set to tame lounge covers of pop songs and mood lighting that settles the agitated or overwhelmed An order of fresh rolls with the perfect hint of mint accompanied by a mellow rendition of Katy Perrys I Kissed a Girl is enough to make the wrong day right Not only are they open until pm which makes that post nine of the clock where do we go purgatorial discussion of fast food options fade they also will carry your order over to Taste of Tops if you want to enjoy a your Thai dream in another seemingly moonlit establishment that offers the best in draft beers an absurd bottle selectionnThe close by Tempe Farmers Market adds to the convenience of the location as many post dinner trips home are made complete with grabbing a few of those household necessities you have been meaning to get while you are out or if you just want to sneak a quick vegan treat The service is impeccable I have never had a complaint let alone even heard a complaint about any of the staff or quality of the food The one lone soul who spoke out against getting a bite there a few weeks prior was advocating we get JackInTheBox on Mill so you know their taste buds cannot be trusted nThe only problem that has ever arisen has been finding a parking spot literally one time out of dozens which was quickly remedied by available street parking on Farmer I will say the neighborhood and location are above average in general cool feel and vibe but if the ambiance is not to your liking their takeout service is as convenient as any I have seen The neighborhood part mostly goes for the University location but the rest can be generalized to the other two which I have patronized both and they maintain the standard set by their University site nI am not sure how one would be an expert at Thai Basil as I previously suggested would be possible in my opening line but over the years as I have slowly made my way into the regulars club with my idiosyncratic fried rice order I know I would not trade that status for anything Maybe for some free entrees Wait nevermind