A Binghamton staple, Thai Time has been serving the community fusion and Thai cuisine for over 10 years. With the restaurant’s signature deep red interior, decor and artwork, the establishment brings a pop of authentic vibrancy to the bustling nightlife on Front Street.

Upon arriving at the restaurant on a crisp fall afternoon, my photographer, Anna, described to me her sweet interaction with the owner. He introduced himself to her while slicing peppers at a table by the front window, mentioning how he grows them himself.

He kindly showed us to our server, who seated us toward the back of the restaurant, which overlooks the Susquehanna River. Luscious plants decorated the walls and windows, beautifully contrasting the predominant red decor.

As our server poured us water, Anna and I quickly got to picking out our choices from the Restaurant Week lunch menu. For Restaurant Week this season, Thai Time offers a three-course lunch menu for the price of $18 and a three-course dinner menu for the price of $35.

With a robust selection of various authentic dishes, it was hard for us to narrow down what we’d like to have, but we eventually came to a decision. I went with the crispy rolls for the first course, a sweet potato and a yellowtail roll for the second course and a cheesecake egg roll for the third course. Anna, on the other hand, went for curry puffs for the first course, green curry with vegetables for the second course and a cheesecake egg roll for the third course.

While waiting for the first course to come out, Anna and I discussed the beauty of the changing seasons and our productive semester as soon-to-be graduated seniors. Soon enough, our lovely server brought out the first course — both dishes came in pairs and sat atop a bed of lettuce, beside a ramekin of sweet chili sauce.

The crispy roll was perfectly toasted, providing a satisfying crunch as the shell was fairly thin, with soft veggies. The curry puffs were perfectly flaky with a fluffiness that dissolves into your mouth, while the sweet, spice-filled filling left a slight twang on your tongue. Both appetizers were a lovely introduction to the second, and main, course.

My two sushi rolls and Anna’s green curry came out promptly. Arranged side by side with a piped dollop of wasabi and some ginger, the sweet potato roll and the yellowtail roll were incredibly fresh and well-tempered.

The tempura of the sweet potato roll was crunchy, and the sesame seeds added a uniquely nutty flavor to the dish. The sweetness of the potato was prominent among the other ingredients but interacted nicely with the acidity of the sushi rice. On the other hand, the yellowtail roll was much more simple and traditional, but equally as enjoyable, as the fresh fish itself was at the forefront of both dishes’ flavors.

The green curry with vegetables that Anna ordered was incredibly comforting with its warmth and sweet and savory notes. The broth was spicy, with coconut undertones, wrapping the plentiful veggies in creamy goodness. There was a nice variety of vegetables, ranging from broccoli and peppers to bamboo shoots. All were tender, but still able to retain their shape.

Our attentive server checked in on us, ensuring that the meals were well prepared and that we enjoyed them. We took a short break before diving into our third and final course, of which we both ordered the cheesecake egg roll.

The dessert was beautifully plated, with the egg roll itself placed on a drizzle of ruby red raspberry sauce and sifted confectioner’s sugar. Falling in line with what seemed to be a theme within our meals today, the dessert was very crisp and adequately stuffed with cheesecake filling. Paired with the raspberry sauce and the more than decorative sugar, the dessert resembled the flavor profile of a cheese danish, which was quite pleasant and felt like a nostalgic nod to the dessert.

As we finished up our final course, we thanked our wonderful server and then soon headed out. As usual, Thai Time made for an excellent and atmospheric lunch experience, blending authentic Thai cuisine with fusion elements for this fall’s Restaurant Week.