3 Thai observations

I'm always on the lookout for good Thai food. Having enjoyed Opart, Roseded, Spoon, Roong, etc. I formed a baseline typically involving a larb and that soup of soups Tom Ka Kai.

The recent bad: Garlic and Chili-1232 N. Lasalle

a tom kha kai consisting solely of water(it couldn't have been chicken stock), coconut milk, chicken, ginger,and cilantro---no galangal, no lemongrass, no bird's eye pepper, certainly no kaffir lime leaf

-it was real headscratcher and the entrees were more along the lines of
Chinese/Thai stirfry (bland) than what I expect of Thai cookery

AND am I the only one disapointed when a Thai restaurant uses jalapenos in place of Thai chilis?

The recent mediocre: Tiparos-1540 North Clark Street can be passable though their larb kai is overly sweet. However, they tend to use an overabundance of canned bamboo shoots in their curries. Ick. Nothing worse than mettalic, flaccid bamboo shoots.

the truly horrid: Thai Castle. Never again. Everything was so salty it puckered my cheeks.

Panang/Thai Noodles & Rice: 800 N. Clark St.

Dined there after attending the Straub/Crowley Humanities Festival panel at the Alliance Francaise.

Good crab rangoon(my dining companion hooked me on these tender abominations)

Chewy, though flavorful potstickers served with an actual dipping sauce(thick, sweet, soy redolent of sesame) not just a tub of soy sauce.

The tom kha kai was flavorful, though nothing spectacular, hitting all the right taste points. More herbiage than edibles and scenting oddly of american cheese, but pleasing none the less.

My dining companion had the Chicken Coconut Curry and appeared to enjoy it well enough. Oddly, the taste I had overflowed with bland, generic INDIAN curry powder. I'm well aware of Southern Thailand muslim influences, but this was a bit much. As far as I recollect there are no Indian curry dishes in David Thompson's ravishing Thai Food.

I had the better of the two entrees, Pad Pik Khing, which though delineated as spicy on the menu was, in that much-vaunted tradition of Pad Thai Palaces, anything but...

I coaxed an ever so reticent blush of Thai Red Curry from what was basically an unassuming green bean stirfry with a few chunks of chicken and a smattering of bell pepper.

not awful by any means, but life's too short for mediocre Thai food

and yet I'm forever tempted to try the always, already New Place.

I've had many mediocre entrees at Panang, but my husband and I keep coming back both because we lived nearby for years and because he is addicted to the Panang Curry. It is absolutely delicious. I also recommend their iced tea, which is random, but still it is unusually good. As I just mentioned on another post, their bubble tea is awesome on a hot summer day.

papua2001mk wrote:I also recommend their iced tea, which is random, but still it is unusually good.

It is not "random" by any means! It has grown increasingly difficult to find properly made Thai tea and coffee in Chicago.

I must admit, I haven't had much luck with the food at Panang in the past, but I'll be back to try the tea.

E.M.

Erik M. wrote:It has grown increasingly difficult to find properly made Thai tea and coffee in Chicago.

Do you consider the (hot) tea at Spoon properly made? I enjoy it, but it does often vary in strength.

What a goofy, old post...eh...I still stick with my observations.

Erik M. wrote:

papua2001mk wrote:I also recommend their iced tea, which is random, but still it is unusually good.

It is not "random" by any means! It has grown increasingly difficult to find properly made Thai tea and coffee in Chicago.

I must admit, I haven't had much luck with the food at Panang in the past, but I'll be back to try the tea.

E.M.

I might as well give it a shot too as I'm going by it every day now since my car was plowed in but good. Panang is at the corner where the 66 and 22 buses intersect so its convienet for me on my commute (if such a thing could be said about having to take the bus to work ). Besides, 11 degrees is perfect tea weather!

Sticky
Rice...the best Larb ever!