With its quirky antique stores and edgy coffee shops, Petaluma's cool factor is delightfully surprising. So when I was told about a Thai restaurant in the Golden Eagle Shopping Center on East Washington Street — about as nondescript as suburban strip malls get — I was looking forward to checking it out.

Once inside Banyan Tree Thai, a sea of turquoise and brown hues, sheer white curtains and carved wooden chairs transports you. And if the seductive decor doesn't quite succeed in making you forget where you are, owner Nit Anderson will charm you with her tales of her early days of radio broadcasting in Bangkok and her travels to Nigeria and the Philippines.

Attractive decor and worldly travels aside, the food here is just mediocre.

A sampling of an order of fresh vegetarian spring rolls ($7) included a generous portion of what I thought would be rice paper rolled around cucumber, avocado and mint. Instead, there were bits of shrimp and fake crab (pollock). When I pointed this out to the server, he apologized and didn't charge me for the order.

We fared better with a Banyan salad ($13); a large mound of Romaine lettuce piled high with bite-sized pieces of grilled skirt steak. A spicy lime-chili vinaigrette gave the dish a delicious sweet-and-sour bite, and the crunch of the lettuce and hearty bits of meat were satisfying. This restaurant takes some interesting chances and strays from Thailand with its unusual curry puffs ($8), which included

puff pastry filled with potato, ground chicken and curry. The flavors worked well together, but they were dry and too starchy. Even the pad Thai ($11) missed with clumpy noodles and oily tofu.

Cryptically named dishes, such as Walking in the Field ($17) or West Coast melting pot ($18) that feature seafood dishes prepared with vegetable combinations and plenty of basil, typify the confusing and difficult to follow menu.

Though amusing, the menu — with its explanation of the

Banyan tree along with an entire page dedicated to the definition of Thai food — seems disjointed and literally all over the map.

Anderson and her brother opened Banyan Tree almost three years ago, and recently hired Lek Suvanasarn— the former longtime owner of Gulf of Siam, the popular downtown San Rafael Thai restaurant — as consultant. Suvanasarn hopes to rework the menu and add a selection of wines to the offerings. For now the charming owner and alluring decor outshine the food.

 

REVIEW

Banyan Tree Thai

Address: 20 E. Washington St., Petaluma

Phone: 707-778-8669

Web site: None

Cuisine: Thai and California

Service: Very good

Noise level: Fine

Recommended dishes: Banyan salad, green chicken curry

Liquor selection: Beer and wine

Corkage: N/A

Heart-healthy and vegetarian selections: Salads, soups

Parking: Golden Eagle Shopping Center lot

Wheelchair access: Yes

Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 5 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

Credit cards: All major

Summary: A charming owner and exotic decor give the Banyan Tree in Petaluma a certain allure. Many of the menu items are Thai with a California twist. A Banyan salad and chicken wings are favorites.