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Dining Out At Brainerd Road's Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine And Sushi Bar

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Dining Out

I’m a huge sushi fan. When I moved to Chattanooga, five years ago, one of the first searches I did was to find out where all the sushi places were in the city.

I’ve got a few that are my favorites, one being Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar on Brainerd Road. 

Come to think of it, I think that was the first sushi restaurant I dined at in the Scenic City.

I love their pork gyozas as an appetizer. They are steamed and slightly pan-fried, giving the edges a crispy crunch while the beefy middle is soft and succulent. Their dipping sauce is savory.

I’m a nigiri sushi lover. That’s the sushi that has fish on top of the rice ball. Although I have ordered it sashimi style (no rice) on occasion.

They have extremely fresh sushi. One of my favorites is their rainbow rolls because they’re topped with a variety of fish like tuna, salmon, white fish and shrimp. One thing I’ve noticed is that their wasabi isn’t as spicy as other places.

They offer a variety of specialty rolls as well as the typical ones like the California roll, tuna roll, salmon roll and eel roll.

I like their salmon, white fish and eel nigiri and that is what I usually get. I’ll get a little wasabi on the tip of my chop sticks, grab a piece of sushi, dip in the soy sauce and down it goes.

Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine has a variety of appetizers I enjoy. Their spring rolls are cut into pieces, with a crispy exterior and a luscious filling. It’s served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce that’s fantastic. I love their edamame and their seaweed salad. I also enjoy their miso soup. It’s always hot, with plenty of tofu and seaweed in the savory broth.

In addition to having great sushi, they have authentic Thai Cuisine.

Recently I tried the yellow curry chicken. It had a touch of heat. Enough to dance across the roof of my mouth and tickle the back of my throat. It was a gentle balance of heat, sweetness and tang. It was loaded with chicken, carrots, mushrooms, green peppers and onions. Taking a spoonful of sticky rice and dipping it in the curry sauce was a glorious way to enjoy the curry sauce without making a spectacle of myself by drinking it right out the bowl.

There is a reason this place has been around for 25 years. Their customer service is impeccable. They are constantly checking on you, filling your water, greeting you as you enter the restaurant and just making sure you have an exceptional dining experience.

The interior is spacious, and every inch of the restaurant is clean and polished. The food is prepared to order, and the chef is meticulous in making your food taste great. You eat with your eyes and every plate that comes out of the kitchen is designed like a work of art.

At the entrance they post their daily lunch box specials so be sure to give that a look before you’re seated. It typically includes soup, side, and entrée for $10.95.

They also offer a variety of lunch specials, my favorite being their Pad Thai Noodles with protein of your choice or their chicken (or another protein of your choice) with cashew nuts.

Everything on the menu is reasonably priced and there is plenty of parking outside. Come hungry and trust me you’ll be going home with leftovers.

Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar