Temecula is booming with lots of shops and restaurants. 7 years ago when I was looking to buy a rental property, I actually fell in love with the town. I am in Temecula quite often, but I seldom venture out of the casinos to dine. After finding a few restaurants on Yelp, Aiyara Thai Cuisine was one of them I wanted to try when I had the chance.
It is located in one of the buildings within a huge promenade. It took me a few minutes to find it. The exterior looked somewhat deserted between the adjacent spaces which were not occupied. But I was pleasantly surprised at how beautifully decorated the interior is. I love the rich dark wood furnishing and the dark floor. .jpg "Aiyara_JPEG2")
The elephant fountain right in the middle of the restaurant was very impressive. Too bad the water was not turned on. Allen actually had been here once when he photographed Temecula for OC Tourism last year. (He featured it here http://allentaylorphotography.com/?p=1125) He and his models came here during lunch time and all enjoyed the food quite well.
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Basil (Ga-Pow) with Chicken (Sautéed with minced garlic, fresh chili, basil leaves, bell peppers & bamboo shoots)
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Pad See-You (Thai classic pan fried flat rice noodles with eggs & Chinese broccoli, seasoned with sweet dark soy sauce)
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Yellow Curry with Chicken (Simmered in mild yellow curry paste in coconut milk with potatoes & onions)
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My dinner started with Crispy Tofu (Deep fried to perfection, crispy skin. Served with sweet sauce & topped with ground peanuts) and Tom Kha (The aromatic, mild & delicious creamy coconut soup with the elusive flavored of galanga, lemongrass, mushroom, kaffir lime leaves, garnished with cilantro).
I loved how crispy the tofu was but the sweet sauce made of honey was all too sweet. The Tom Kha soup was rich and creamy with a perfect balance of flavor. The chicken was very tender. I thought it was wonderful!
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We also order the the Drunken Noodles with Tofu (Flat rice noodles stir fried with fresh chili & minced garlic, tomatoes, basil leaves, seasoned with dark soy sauce) , Seafood Delight (Assorted seafood: shrimps, calamari, scallops, Thai catfish filet, mussels sautéed in minced garlic, fresh chili, basil leaves, bell peppers & gingers), and Eggplant with Tofu (Sautéed with eggplants, fresh chili, minced garlic, bell peppers & sweet basil).
All I can say was that the chef must have spilled salt all over the food or something. All 3 dishes were so salty (and on the sweeter side) that for the first time in my life, I could not eat (them). I tried to convince my parents not to eat them but being the frugal people they are, they could not let them go to waste. Luckily the portion was not big.
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Service was very prompt and friendly. I was really disappointed with the food. I think if it weren’t so salty, I would have liked it much better. I am not sure I would return to take another chance though.
Aiyara Thai Cuisine
41533 Margarita Rd
Ste M102
Temecula, CA 92591
(951) 296-5758
