What’s in a name? Plenty. For one, a name could get someone bullied in grade school. And it’s interesting to note that apparently there’s a happy and positive correlation between a name and success. This is, of course, a matter ripe for debate. When it comes to food, the name of a restaurant has absolutely nothing to do with how it tastes (but the taste definitely has a happy and positive correlation with the restaurant’s success). Let’s take a look at a restaurant simply named BASIL.

Basil is located right in the intersection of Katipunan Extension, Temple Drive and White Plains Avenue. Clueless? Let’s make it simple. Simply look for the People Power Monument along EDSA, walk to the other end of the road intersecting EDSA (that’s White Plains Avenue), and you’ll hit the intersection. Once you get to the intersection, you’ll notice the Church of the Latter Day Saints to the right, with its spires that resemble spaceship laser canons. You’ll also notice a row of gardens and gardening stores on the left side of the intersection. Right at the intersection, right where horrendous traffic makes drivers wish for superpowers like parting a Red Sea of cars, is a simple sign board that proclaims Basil.

In front of Basil is a parking space that could accommodate 4 or 5 cars. A single car maneuvering during peak hours, especially at an intersection where Basil is found, has really serious unwanted effects on the flow of traffic. It’s the same story along the entire stretch of Katipunan Avenue, a busy major highway that forms part of the circumferential road called C5, where cars are allowed to double park and maneuver in front of the restaurants/establishments along the road, leaving only one lane (out of 4 lanes) for passing cars. We’re almost certain that the problems of traffic and parking are hurting the business of Basil. We had the whole of 2013 to check out the place but, as parking luck would have it, we could not get a parking slot. Two years passed since Basil opened its doors, in February 2012, before we decided to drop by again and, as the culinary gods smiled on us, found parking.

Absolutely nothing about the structure gives any indication that it is a restaurant. In fact, we wouldn’t know that it’s a restaurant until a friend pointed it out. One side of this road is occupied by restaurants and shops, while the other side — where Basil is quietly tucked — is occupied by an army of neatly arranged plants and flowers showcased by garden and landscaping outfits. The Basil location most likely was a garden shop before its reincarnation as a restaurant that serves Thai food.

The ambiance is a bit sober and really dark. This works sometimes, but it could also backfire. Lighting is crucial in the modern world wherein digital cameras, especially in cellphones, are ubiquitous and social networking is a powerful tool that restaurant owners cannot avoid. And even if we retain the traditional function of a restaurant, which is serving food to be consumed — and not photographed — we would have loved a little overhead warm lights, even candlelight, just to help us better appreciate the food. In another world, we would certainly love the dark ambiance, allowing natural light to playfully throw shadows inside the restaurant, but we like to see our food.

From the pool of food orders first arrived the Fresh Spring Roll. We assumed, after reading the menu, that it’s called Por Pie Koong Sod in Thailand. Of course, we bet you won’t remember the Thai name of the dish, just like in our case, but it’s always good to have a ready reference. Just say Spring Roll and the staff will get it. The vegetables used in the Spring Roll are fresh, no doubt about that. The taste, well, let’s just say that it’s not above a few Philippine restaurants that serve fresh spring rolls.

And here lies the problem of reading too much praises heaped upon this restaurant. A very positive body of reviews is both a blessing and a curse. Always. It’s a blessing because it encourages people to seek out the place and try the food. It’s also a curse because the high praises tend to set the standard high. Really, really high.

So with those lofty praises, it’s hard to swallow the average taste of the Crispy Garlic and Pepper Pork Chop (Moo Gratiem Prik Thai). Or maybe this is how a Crispy Garlic and Pepper Pork Chop tastes like in Thailand (we’ll look for this dish the next time we visit Thailand), giving justice to the reviews that Basil serves AUTHENTIC Thai food.

So IF we’re coming back and bring some friends along, we’ll stick with the four dishes we ordered — the Crispy Fish with Three Flavored Sauce (Pla Kao Rad Prik), the Chicken Green Curry (Kaeng Kiew Wan Kai), the Grilled Pork Ribs with Honey (Moo Yang Nam Poung) and the Thai Bagoong Rice (Khao Kluk Gapi). We’d probably add the Wagyu Beef with Holy Basil, which was out of stock when we ordered it.

So, what’s in a name? We initially assumed that the restaurant’s name, Basil, is taken from the name of the owners (people close them). We even considered the possibility that it’s named after the most famous of the Filipino Basil, Basil Valdez (that may be a dead giveaway to our age, but can anyone point to any other Basil who has gained popularity?). We’ve noticed, however, a leaf as part of the logo. We subsequently discovered that Basil is derived from the name of the herb native to Southeast Asia, the Thai Basil, and used for cuisines in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. But you don’t care about that, do you? The taste, after all, is more important than the name.