I don't go out to eat that often, but when I do, Rainbow Thai has been a favorite for some time. Despite the torrential downpour, four of us made the trip to Rainbow last night. We ordered fried chicken, hor mok (catfish custard), NKT, kanom buang (crispy pancake), yum hed (mushroom salad), ground chicken basil Thai style, pad ped pla (fish in red curry) and pad see ew extra crispy (wide rice noodles) with beef. I find that two dishes per person works best at Rainbow, even if there are a few things left on the table at the end of the evening. I'm happy to report that there wasn't a clunker in the bunch. None of the dishes individually were the best that I have had at Rainbow. Sure, I'd like the hor mok in the banana leaf instead of the tiny aluminum pie tin. I'm still going to order it every time I go to Rainbow. None of the dishes were blazing hot but, when called for, were well seasoned.

The food, coupled with the warmth and hospitality of the owners will keep me coming back for more. Yes, there are other excellent Thai restaurants in Chicago but I am hard pressed to think of one that does so many things so well.

Had a very good dinner last night, except the Som Tum was a bit weak and tired. They also need to lose the large, pale pink, out of season tomatoes. How about Mighty Vine cherry tomatoes? After having Som Tum at several spots recently, I think the version at Silom 12 in Bucktown may be my current favorite. Extremely fresh ingredients and awesome heat.

We were sad to see so few people on a Saturday night. When we left at 7:45 there was only one other couple. Hope they get some LTH love.

Al Ehrhardt wrote:After having Som Tum at several spots recently, I think the version at Silom 12 in Bucktown may be my current favorite. Extremely fresh ingredients and awesome heat.

Hmm, interesting. I’ve long been of the opinion that the best in town is at Andy’s. Must investigate further.

Sorry to hear that Rainbow’s business continues to struggle. I’ll stop by soon, but I think they really need some exposure again.

Al Ehrhardt wrote:We were sad to see so few people on a Saturday night. When we left at 7:45 there was only one other couple. Hope they get some LTH love.

We've also been there when the dining room was fairly empty, during which time there was a steady stream of orders going out via delivery services and customer pick-ups. So it may not be exactly as it initially appears.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Al Ehrhardt wrote:We were sad to see so few people on a Saturday night. When we left at 7:45 there was only one other couple. Hope they get some LTH love.

We've also been there when the dining room was fairly empty, during which time there was a steady stream of orders going out via delivery services and customer pick-ups. So it may not be exactly as it initially appears.

=R=

Good call out. We were deep into the dining room side and didn't notice the pick up traffic.

I've seen Mote a couple of times delivering to my building over the last few months. Not that that will pay the rent, and wonder of the wisdom of his expanding if the seats are often empty.

cilantro wrote:

Al Ehrhardt wrote:After having Som Tum at several spots recently, I think the version at Silom 12 in Bucktown may be my current favorite. Extremely fresh ingredients and awesome heat.

Hmm, interesting. I’ve long been of the opinion that the best in town is at Andy’s. Must investigate further.

Sorry to hear that Rainbow’s business continues to struggle. I’ll stop by soon, but I think they really need some exposure again.

For perspective, we do really enjoy Andy's Som Tom also. It is also right up there with our favorite versions.

Rainbow does a brisk delivery and pickup biz, the dining room not so much and I agree they could use some LTH love. Far as Thai goes Rainbow is as good as always and, along with, TAC and Aroy are my top three. I also like Elephant Thai but they know me and they tend to amp up my food, either delivery or in-house, beyond the ameri/thai the general neighborhood loves them for.

I got carry-out last Sunday night and the Basil Chicken and Pad Ped Pla were both better than anything I've had in the 7 days since.

If the Som Tum is off, that's practically a third strike when it comes to their salad offerings. I tried ordering their Banana Blossom Salad to be told it was unavailable. I now see that both that, and their Bamboo Salad are off the online menu. I'm not going to hold the pathetic Tod Mun against them. I only got it because I try it at every Thai place and was trying to replace the Banana Blossom on the fly.

G Wiv wrote:Far as Thai goes Rainbow is as good as always and, along with, TAC and Aroy are my top three.

I agree with this near-exactly. If you order right at Tom Yum Cafe though, it's just as good as the other three. All are a pain in the ass trek from north Evanston, a reality to the benefit of Thai Inbox (very good Tod Mun, solid Tom Yum noodle soup).

bweiny wrote:I got carry-out last Sunday night and the Basil Chicken and Pad Ped Pla were both better than anything I've had in the 7 days since.

You are talking about Rainbow, right?

G Wiv wrote:

bweiny wrote:I got carry-out last Sunday night and the Basil Chicken and Pad Ped Pla were both better than anything I've had in the 7 days since.

You are talking about Rainbow, right?

Yes.
- Ground Basil Chicken Thai Style (w/ egg). I just noticed there's another basil chicken entree on their menu.

Per a note on my delivery bag tonight, Rainbow will be closed for an emergency trip to Thailand from May 20-June 27.

Has anyone been recently?

Haven't been since winter (whoops) and wondering if there are any new menu additions I should potentially be on the lookout for. Always enjoy seeing the new dishes recommended at Rainbow from this thread.

Behavioral wrote:Has anyone been recently?

Haven't been since winter (whoops) and wondering if there are any new menu additions I should potentially be on the lookout for. Always enjoy seeing the new dishes recommended at Rainbow from this thread.

We were in for a birthday dinner a few weeks ago—all the greatest hits for a party of 15 and they knocked it out of the park. I don’t think Rainbow usually does much in the way of specials and they’ve actually pared the menu back a bit, to eliminate slower selling items. But the great dishes are still great, and that’s why they’re still one of my top destinations for Thai food.

Our menu included: Apps—Thai beef jerky, fried chicken, Issan Sausage, vegetable egg rolls. Salads—Naem Khao Tod, Yum Woon Sen, Som Tom & Cucumber Salad. Mains—Red Curry with Duck, Catfish with Green Beans, Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork, Penang Beef & Veggie Fried Rice.

Did a dine in visit to Rainbow over the weekend.
We got there, my 4yo (and I) were concerned about the low guest count. By the time we left I think every table was full.
Standouts were all the hits, and I was glad for it.

My pics didnt turn out, but all was beautiful and delicious.