Bistro Thaibodia, located just off of highway 280 on Meridian in a renovated taqueria impresses with appetizers but leaves us wanting more flavor with our entrees.

We arrived shortly after 11 a.m., hoping to avoid the lunch rush. We were the only customers the entire hour we spent there.

We were greeted and seated immediately in the beautifully decorated, yet cozy dining room.

The eloquence of the decor was rapidly forgotten; however, as it became painfully obvious of how poorly insulated the room was. Before we were served our main dishes, we had put our jackets back on.

We started with a pair of appetizers, the Roti ($5.95) and Spring Rolls ($6.95). They were both fantastic, the Roti, a pastry-like fried tortilla, had a rich and buttery flavor that blended well with the curry dipping sauce; and the spring rolls were deep-fried, crisp, and flavorful.

We ordered Thai iced tea ($2.50 each) which had a rich coconut-milk flavor, which cuts spice better than any drink we know.

For the main course, we ordered the Pork Pad Thai lunch special ($6.99) and the Chicken Pad Khee Mow lunch special ($6.99). The Pad Khee Mow was peppery, but not spicy, and over-all seemed to be lacking flavor. The Pad Thai was similarly

unimpressive.

The service was delightful, and while we were the only people in the restaurant, we were not ignored by the server as can happen during a slow lunch.

While the food was not the quality we had hoped for, it had all arrived hot, and our drinks were always full.

Both of us are huge fans of Thai food and the lack of flavor and spice combin  the frigid atmosphere made this an underwhelming dining experience.

The drinks and appetizers were all that made the restaurant worth visiting, and while we might visit again to split some spring rolls or roti on a warm afternoon, there are a number of better places to go for a great Thai noodle dish.