Saeng's Orient
19 Lasso Rd. (Take Ranchvale Road north from Cannon AFB)Clovis, NM
(575) 791-6791
Saeng's is a small, rustic-looking restaurant located on Ranchvale Road just north of the Cannon Air Force Base
entrance (several miles west of the city of Clovis). When I pulled into the "parking lot" (actually a dirt area with spaces
for four vehicles) on my first visit to the restaurant I had to wait for a jackrabbit to move before I could pull in. Actually the
jackrabbit may have been a sign of what the inhabitants of this area would look like if Cannon AFB had closed as proposed
by the BRAC (this stands for something like "base realignment commission") in 2005. Fortunately this did not happen
because I doubt that this true Asian food treasure could have survived the loss of a great part of its customer base.
Although Saeng's may serve as a destination for travelers looking for good food in Clovis, as it does for me, I doubt that
it is as well known as it should be around New Mexico and west Texas.
Many Air Force personnel and their families seem to be accustomed to the spicy Thai food served here, having
traveled to Southeast Asia and other areas of the world where the heat level is much higher than in America.
I think because of this, Saeng the co-owner and cook, takes it seriously when you order something "Thai spicy."
My only warning would be that even if you order something "medium," it might have more spice than is
normally served in American Thai restaurants.
On my initial visit I tried the Ginger Stir Fry (known as pad king at most restaurants), and it had
all the Thai flavors, spiciness, and deliciousness I find at many of the best Thai restaurants throughout the country.
I asked Saeng to add fish sauce, and she agreed that this is the way she would prepare it if she were eating it, but
the default method is without the fish sauce since "many customers do not like it." The rice had a nice flavor, and
overall I would rate this as excellent Thai food.
The waitress served me green tea, but then found some jasmine which I had originally requested. It turned
out, though, that the green tea was my favorite of the two (Thai ice tea is also available).
My later experiences confirmed that Saeng's had survived the rumors of the base closing, and also provided
additional information about the food. Pad Prik Khing is another of my favorite Thai dishes, and is a little
different than most curries because it is made without coconut milk. The one here had a flavor that was among
the top ones I had tried throughout the country. Unfortunately, it was way too spicy for me, I think through the
order being taken down wrong. The restaurant admitted that it was cooked spicier than I had ordered it, but did not
prepare another order (and it is probably debatable whether they should do so in such circumstances). All I can
say is that this would have been one of the most delicious Thai dishes I had eaten if it had been less spicy, but
even as it was I got quite a bit of enjoyment out of the portion of the food I could eat before my mouth went numb.
The Larb Nua, or Thai beef salad, was another example of the rich flavors served at Saeng's. This was
quite a good dish that in my case was served at a more moderate spice level (although all dishes can be ordered
with a heat level according to taste). In the case of Thai salads it may be a good idea to start of fairly mild, and
add your own chiles as desired. I certainly think the flavor will not suffer if this dish is served with a low spice
level.
I did not expect much out of a Sweet and Sour Chicken dish that was meant to provide a cool contrast
to the fiery hot foods that were served, but this dish also provided the type of rich flavors that are seldom found in
Americanized versions of this dish. I find most Thai sweet and sour dishes to be very good, as this one was,
as opposed to the Chinese-American sweet and sour that tends mostly to be sweet.
Saeng's has a Chinese menu, but probably some of the dishes, such as the sweet and sour, are really
Thai versions of what had started out to be Chinese dishes before gaining their own traditions in Thailand.
I don't know if some of Saeng's food is actually Chinese, but it does not seem to suffer the same Americanization
that is common in U.S. Chinese restaurants.
Saeng's is a small restaurant a few miles west of the main part of Clovis with home-cooked Thai food. It
takes a while for orders to be prepared, so don't stop if you are looking for "fast food" (although things may be
speedier when the lunch buffet is served). I doubt, though, if many people simply driving through town would even find
Saeng's, since it is located a couple of blocks off the main highway. Instead, this is more of a "destination
restaurant" for Thai food, and for me it was certainly in an unexpected location.
My best experience at Saeng's was on the first visit, when the food and the spice level were both perfect.
I have related my problems with the spice level on a later visit to advise others about how to order, not to discourage
anyone from visiting the restaurant. Even with the food being too spicy, it was some of the best Thai food I have
found in the Southwest. The non-spicy sweet and sour was an unexpected treat, and I really think probably
everything served here is good. One thing about stopping at Saeng's is that you will probably not forget the
experience.
One of two dining rooms
Pad prik khing
Larb nua
Thai sweet and sour
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RESTAURANT DETAILS
RATING: 22
Cuisine: Thai
Cost: $$
Hours: Closed Sun.
Accessible: No marked handicapped spaces
Tea: Jasmine (bags)/ Thai Tea
MSG: Yes
Smoking: No Smoking
Buffet: Lunch
Most Recent Visit
Apr. 9, 2009
Number of Visits: 2
Best Item
Ginger Stir Fry
Special Ratings
Ginger Stir Fry:
Pad Prik Khing:
Larb Nua:
Thai Sweet and Sour:
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