Restaurant Review: TONG'S

Hearing about this place a few weeks ago from my bosses, I finally was given the chance to try Tong's this weekend with my beau. We both enjoy Thai food, and so it made sense to try a new place out.

Honestly, if you weren't aware that the restaurant existed, you might not even know to look for it. But if you're reading this, you are in for a treat. This is a gem of a restaurant, hidden away in a shopping center in the southern part of the city off Campbell. If you are familiar with the South Campbell Starbucks, head 4 blocks north to find Tong's. They are on the same side of the road.

We arrived about 7 p.m. on a Saturday evening to a nearly-empty parking lot. Walking in, we were seated immediately at a quiet table for two near the back.

This restaurant is extremely accessible. We were seated in an upper section, and ramps were our only way to get there. If you tend to be clumsy (like I occasionally can be), you don't have to worry about stairs...or rumpled carpeting. Just your own feet!

While I can't say much for the waitress's knowledge of the menu itself, I will say that it turned out to be a really great dining experience. To whet our appetites, the man and I enjoyed Chinese beer, reasonably priced bottles for foreign lager, as we thumbed through the menu.

Clearly marked in the menu was something I was glad to see; the chef had gone to great lengths to explain his style of cooking, and his willingness to help those who are attempting to dine healthy. This had been one of the reasons I was interested in trying Tong's originally. My bosses are both on Weight Watchers, and spoke highly of the staff's willingness to alter the dishes to taste, as well as to fit one's dietary needs. (The example my boss offered was that she didn't want beef, but the rest of the dish sounded great; the waitress offered to change out the beef for shrimp.)

My boyfriend went with a basic beef, noodle, and broccoli dish. I decided to be the seafood eater this time, opting for Grouper with a Basil Garlic Sauce. My dish was served with seasonable steamed vegetables, as well as steamed rice. The fish was breaded, but it was light. Although I asked for mild, it was a little more spicy than I regularly desire. Still, it was delicious...and overly filling. I had to request a box.

While our particular waitress wasn't knowledgeable about specific menu items, I was impressed with the staff overall. Our plates were brought to us when ready by another member of the serving staff. Our water glasses were kept appropriately full (one of my pet peeves, especially when eating spicy foods). We were even asked if we wanted a second beer before our glasses reached the halfway mark.

The prices were reasonable, overall. For two to dine at dinner, we spent what I would consider a reasonable "date" price (i.e., under $50, including tip). Keeping in mind that I had seafood, and we each had beer, that was really more than reasonable. There were, however, much less expensive options available.

Please support this local restaurant! I want to be sure that we keep good, reasonably priced, and healthy options available to us in Springfield. I would feel comfortable bringing friends here, but be sure you create your own dish if you plan to bring children (yes, there's a menu option for that!), since even "mild" can be more than a little spicy.