Baitong Thai Sushi Restaurant

By Irene Merenda

3915 A1A, St. Augustine 3208. 904-461-9488

A friend and I had lunch at Baitong Thai Sushi Restaurant, which is located in the little strip center around the corner from Winn-Dixie on Anastasia Island. I have had very few above-average experiences in the area when looking for good Asian food. So when my friend suggested Baitong Thai Sushi Restaurant, I must say that my expectations weren’t too high. However, what I found was an unassuming little restaurant which turned out to be a surprising delight.

There were only two other tables with diners at noon on a Tuesday afternoon. We were greeted immediately by an adorable and friendly hostess, who was also our server. The restaurant has a few booths and several tables. The interior was able to accommodate more tables than I would have expected by the appearance of the outside of the restaurant.

The menu is huge and includes Thai stir fried entrees, noodle and curry dishes and a large variety of specialty Thai dishes. Their sushi options are many and varied. Bento boxes can also be ordered. They have recently added Vietnamese dishes including Pho. There is a children’s menu which includes kid-friendly Asian options as well as the more typical chicken nuggets.

The fish sushi looked wonderfully fresh and I observed it served to one of the diners at the other table. Although I don’t eat raw fish, I wanted to try some form of sushi, so as an appetizer, I chose the California roll. It was delicious, beautifully prepared with served with sides of pickled ginger and wasabi. It was tightly rolled so that it stayed together even with my very poor skill with chopsticks.

My friend’s entree of seared tuna over salad was fresh and perfectly seared and spiced. My chicken with ginger sauce had a strong ginger flavor and was spiced perfectly for me. The ginger might have been too strong for some, but I enjoyed it. In addition to lots of tender chicken slices, it was full of fresh, crunchy vegetables all served over rice. The portions were perfect for a lunch-time meal and were priced very reasonably. Lunch entrees are in the $9-$10 range. Traditional dinner entrees are around $12 with specialties mostly under $20.

Additional good news about this restaurant is that they take and encourage reservations, which I find rare on the island and welcome. They offer take-out and delivery is available on Anastasia Island.

Baitong Thai Sushi Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

I award 5 spoonbills out of 5 for this gem of a restaurant serving wonderfully fresh fish, super variety of Asian fare and lovely service.