Wow! I will essentially address the post from "Brotine." Brotine said that Andy was not in the restaurant that night. That would mean that the cook Domingo was in charge, unless Itti, the owner was there, and it sounds like he wasn't there either. If it was only Domingo in charge, and preparing all the food that night, and if he is not comfortable dealing with people/customers even under the best of circumstances, and may not even have the authority to deal with customers, then you may encounter what Brotine experienced. Sorry to hear, but it happens.

Honestly, I think most people here have drank way too much Kool-aid. Have any of you been to Tac lately? This place lives on reputation alone-that's it. It's now not even close to the best Thai place in the area (see Thai Aroma). I live two blocks away and had three bad experiences in a row, all similar to Brotine's, before I wrote this place off. The two ditzy servers pretend not to speak English and there has NEVER been a manager on duty when I've had the head to complain.

I'm appalled that people here say that 7 out of 8 isn't bad and say that the food is so good that Brotine should overlook this. Have you read your other posts? None of you would accept that kind of abysmal service from any where else. Plus, to think that Brotine had to pay an automatic gratuity for 8 people when only 7 were served would render a restaurant on a black list on this board. Why are all of you purported foodies defending this crappy place? It's like listening to my grandparents say that Lawry's is the best restaurant for steak. Put down your perceptions that you've gleamed from others or kept in your head since you were served there six years ago and re-visit. Six years ago I based my life on Atkins, but now my cardiologist and I regret those boastful years! Life and restaurants change, sometimes for better, but as in Atkins and Tac-for the worst.

I'm ashamed to come to this website for recommendations based on that responses to Brotine - especially when he's right. So here are my thoughts, (1) either most of you posters live in the burbs and think the sun rises and sets in Tac's clay pot curry (which someone increased $2 over the past year while lessening the quality and quantity offered) and have paid no mind to the dozens of other good Thai places in the area or (2) most of you haven't been back there since they expanded, which my wife and I call the Tac-downfall, and experienced first hand how lousy the service and food has become. I implore you to go there on a Sunday/Tuesday evening and see how half-assed this place has become.

And finally, riddle me this, why does Tac have a bar when they don't have a liquor license? Hmmm, yeah, point being that most of you haven't been there in years!

Kennyz wrote:I too appreciate the detailed account of the service "problems", as it helps me put the poster's opinion into context. I have been given all the information I need to realize that what is a big deal to Brent is virtually meaningless to me. It's not that either of us is right or wrong, just that we have drastically different expectations regarding the service at a place like TAC. I happen to think that Brent's expectations are completely unreasonable, and have the unfortunate consequence of depriving him of wonderful food. I discourage others from entering places like TAC with similar expectations regarding service. That said, the service I've had in 7-8 visits has always been fine. Once they brought the wrong item - something I didn't order, but it turned out to be delicious.

I think Kenny's right on here. Expectations vary, and small family-run restaurants aren't choreographed three-stars. I also value Brent's data point and perspective, which has been quite useful to me in other places. TAC and Laschet's are two of the more scatterbrained (I've used the word "goofy") of GNRs that I love to eat at, but the food at TAC is just too artful for me to care about what else is going on in the restaurant (with staff and patrons) at the time.

But back to substantive matters: since Sticky Rice is on an imposed vacation (along with a few other places), the Isaan sausage for the LTH 5th anniversary party will come from TAC. They have been gracious and ready to help, and the food will rock. You'll have the LTH party planners to kick around for any service issues on Sunday.

Thai Aroma McClane? You may want to look at this report.
http://chicago.everyblock.com/restauran ... 0/1076421/
Or maybe you prefer Jitlada, which is also in the area.
http://chicago.everyblock.com/restauran ... /2/823926/
Yes, I do live near TAC Quick and have been there recently. The owners had hoped that they would get a liquor license when they expanded, and thus built the bar. It is not easy to get a liquor license in Chicago, so the bar sits idle.
Service? Yes, maybe not the best all the time, but you go there for the food not the service. BTW, McClane, you will get no service there on a Tuesday night because they are closed on Tuesdays and have been for many years. When was the last time you ate at TAC Quick?

(1) either most of you posters live in the burbs and think the sun rises and sets in Tac's clay pot curry (which someone increased $2 over the past year while lessening the quality and quantity offered) and have paid no mind to the dozens of other good Thai places in the area or (2) most of you haven't been back there since they expanded, which my wife and I call the Tac-downfall, and experienced first hand how lousy the service and food has become.

As far as I know Thai Aroma is Ameri-Thai. If that is what you are looking for, TAC is not the place for you. I doubt many here think TAC's "Clay pot curry" (or whatever) is the cat's meow as that isn't what most of us that like the place go for. TAC is about grilled meats like pork neck, rich soups with offal - boat noodles, and spicy tangy foods - shrimp and on-choy. I don't think I have ever ordered a curry there... it isn't what they specialize in.

The idea that people here are some sort of rubes that live in the burbs and don't know anything about the Thai places in the city is laughable so I'm going to assume that you were going for a comedy routine and not point out that my post on the last page mentions Spoon, Sticky Rice, and Aroy in addition to TAC and that my location is in the city. This being the inter web and all, I know it is easy to make negative assumptions about other people that you haven't met so I'm going to go ahead and assume you are intending to make valid points and not just be insulting to the other members on the board.

McClane wrote:Honestly, I think most people here have drank way too much Kool-aid. Have any of you been to Tac lately? This place lives on reputation alone-that's it. It's now not even close to the best Thai place in the area (see Thai Aroma).

I left two town years ago and it's been about a year since my last visit. So they may have completely fallen off the table since then. But unless Thai Aroma has an unpublished menu and makes stuff like this:



or this:



or this:



or this:



How can you even compare the two? Or are you just ordering off the Ameri-Thai menu at TAC? (And if you are, do you need help removing your foot from your mouth?)

Dmnkly wrote:(And if you are, do you need help removing your foot from your mouth?)

What do you mean? Isn't that fine "New American" dining?

miesplz - I'm glad at least one person has been there recently on this post

Dmnkly - those pictures are visually stunning...as was the food and service four years ago when those pics were posted.

McClane wrote:I'm ashamed to come to this website for recommendations based on that responses to Brotine - especially when he's right.

Clearly, this web site's not for everyone and no one's forcing you to come here. If opinions that differ from yours cause you to feel ashamed, probably best to find another venue, since differing viewpoints are the very nature of this place.

=R=

McClane wrote:Dmnkly - those pictures are visually stunning...as was the food and service four years ago when those pics were posted.

To be clear, McClane, it wasn't the suggestion that TAC has slipped that I took issue with. I'm not addressing current quality as I'm in no position to do so. I just don't understand -- unless Thai Aroma has a menu that's unpublished -- your choice of comparison.

(Also, for all I know Thai Aroma is fantastic. I just don't see how comparing an Ameri-Thai place to Erik's menu at TAC is in any way meaningful.)

Do a search for "TAC roti" and you find plenty of favorable posts from February and March, including in this very thread.

I don't believe in sacred cows, if TAC was going downhill foodwise I'd be happy to see people post about it forthrightly (as they have about, say, Ed's Potsticker House), but this is a case where the evidence disproving your notion is easy enough to find. If the service situation puts you off, that's your right, but it simply isn't the case that the people defending it haven't been there lately.

McClane wrote: It's now not even close to the best Thai place in the area (see Thai Aroma). I live two blocks away and had three bad experiences in a row, all similar to Brotine's, before I wrote this place off.

I love TAC, but I certainly don't mind reading opinions from people who don't. Why not also start a new thread extolling the virtues of your favorite dishes at Thai Aroma? I think that would be even more useful than the TAC bashing. I've never been to Thai Aroma, so I'd love to hear what you think is so good about it.

McClane wrote:
I'm ashamed to come to this website for recommendations based on that responses to Brotine - especially when he's right. So here are my thoughts, (1) either most of you posters live in the burbs and think the sun rises and sets in Tac's clay pot curry (which someone increased $2 over the past year while lessening the quality and quantity offered) and have paid no mind to the dozens of other good Thai places in the area or (2) most of you haven't been back there since they expanded, which my wife and I call the Tac-downfall, and experienced first hand how lousy the service and food has become. I implore you to go there on a Sunday/Tuesday evening and see how half-assed this place has become.

Ashamed?? Really? How odd.

But I certainly agree with you on one thing - the service on Tuesdays is simply dreadful.

Kman wrote:But I certainly agree with you on one thing - the service on Tuesdays is simply dreadful.

Practically nonexistent, really.

Santander wrote:

Kennyz wrote:I too appreciate the detailed account of the service "problems", as it helps me put the poster's opinion into context. I have been given all the information I need to realize that what is a big deal to Brent is virtually meaningless to me. It's not that either of us is right or wrong, just that we have drastically different expectations regarding the service at a place like TAC. I happen to think that Brent's expectations are completely unreasonable, and have the unfortunate consequence of depriving him of wonderful food. I discourage others from entering places like TAC with similar expectations regarding service. That said, the service I've had in 7-8 visits has always been fine. Once they brought the wrong item - something I didn't order, but it turned out to be delicious.

I think Kenny's right on here. Expectations vary, and small family-run restaurants aren't choreographed three-stars. I also value Brent's data point and perspective, which has been quite useful to me in other places. TAC and Laschet's are two of the more scatterbrained (I've used the word "goofy") of GNRs that I love to eat at, but the food at TAC is just too artful for me to care about what else is going on in the restaurant (with staff and patrons) at the time.

But back to substantive matters: since Sticky Rice is on an imposed vacation (along with a few other places), the Isaan sausage for the LTH 5th anniversary party will come from TAC. They have been gracious and ready to help, and the food will rock. You'll have the LTH party planners to kick around for any service issues on Sunday.

Please do not read anything in to the fact that the Isaan Sausage that was to be from Sticky Rice and then from TAC is now coming from Spoon Thai. This has been the Northern Sausage Announcement of the Day. Back to your regularly scheduled fisticuffs.

By they way, speaking of Thai sausage...

Aroy is serving a new style of sausage (yes... the mystical "Third Sausage"!!) that is neither Northern or Issan in style. It has a higher quotient of fermented rice than the Issan and a sweeter and more mild flavor than Northern sausage. Edit: translated as - mild pork-based sausage with rice and chopped bean thread noodles. (from Erik)

At a recent dinner that included nearly a dozen standout dishes it was probably the most pleasant surprise simply because I had no idea that this style existed. Something everyone should get over to try... as is nearly anything in a dry (no coconut milk) curry or with a high fish sauce concentration.

I posted a better description of these dishes and the meal that lead to my discovery of them in the Aroy Thai thread.

Stagger wrote: Something everyone should get over to try... as is nearly anything in a dry (no coconut milk) curry or with a high fish sauce concentration.

I think that there should be a standard convention for representing fish sauce concentration on menus. Kind of like IBUs for beer.

-Dan

Stagger,

That's really great news. I've always been surprised at the relative lack of coverage of Aroy Thai, even though I myself have tended to go there less than Spoon, TAC, and Sticky Rice, both when I lived there and on my return visits. I briefly investigated this recently, before making the point in a stand alone thread, but this post led me to believe the lack of coverage was because the restaurant was closed. The last post in this thread was nearly three years ago.

(Now, I believe I am partly to blame for this lapse, as on a recent tour of my hard drive, I found a slew of your pics, Stagger, from a March 2007 meal, which I will now add to that thread. Still dated info, but the meal was wonderful.)

As for TAC Quick, I have been there at least twice in the past year or so and noticed no drop-off, and in fact, make it a point to visit on my infrequent visits to town because I miss the food so much.

Edit: Pics now added to the rather brief Aroy Thai thread.

OK, let's get back to talking about good Thai food and stop bashing restaurants for their "lack of service." You posters know who you are. Good gawd. Enough said.
I ate at Rosded in Lincoln Square yesterday. I was very pleased that they serve moo ma now and mee krob, which many Thai restaurants in Chicago do not serve. I was happy with both, although I have had better moo ma now, in the defunct "Thai Me Up Noodle" restaurant which used to exist on Diversey, east of Broadway. It is a *shudder* asian fusion place now.
My friends also ordered som tum puu (papaya salad with crab). It was fine but I still think TAC Quick's papaya salad is the best. Another runner up for som tum would be Siam Noodle and Rice, but I think their recipe gets muddy. I like Andy's clear, crisp, fresh papaya salad the best. Thoughts?

miesplz wrote:I was happy with both, although I have had better moo ma now, in the defunct "Thai Me Up Noodle" restaurant which used to exist on Diversey, east of Broadway. It is a *shudder* asian fusion place now.

The restaurant in the old Thai Me Up space is Miss Asia. It's not Asian fusion, rather it is a restaurant that serves the cuisine of several Asian countries (and they're never blended to create "fusion"). It's actually very good, much better than Thai Me Up ever was. Same owners as Sticky Rice.

Miss Asia
http://www.missasiacuisine.com
434 W. Diversey Pkwy
(773) 248-3999

miesplz wrote: My friends also ordered som tum puu (papaya salad with crab). It was fine but I still think TAC Quick's papaya salad is the best. Another runner up for som tum would be Siam Noodle and Rice, but I think their recipe gets muddy. I like Andy's clear, crisp, fresh papaya salad the best. Thoughts?

You know, I am a papaya salad fan. I like it funky and fishy and with a good whack of heat - the simultaneous heating and cooling effect is a nice trick. But: I can barely eat TAC's papaya salad. Every time I've tried, I end up blowing my nose copiously between bites, and trying to counteract the pain with gulps of riesling (all of which makes for a pretty picture, I assure you). I love the flavor, but it's just too hot. It seems like most dishes here tend to err on the side of less spicy for the non-Thais, so I'm not sure why this one is invariably burning hot.

jesteinf wrote:The restaurant in the old Thai Me Up space is Miss Asia. It's not Asian fusion, rather it is a restaurant that serves the cuisine of several Asian countries (and they're never blended to create "fusion"). It's actually very good, much better than Thai Me Up ever was. Same owners as Sticky Rice.

They are the only place I have seen in Chicago that has Laksa on the menu (under the Singaporean and Indonesian section). I started a thread looking for Laksa a few years ago and have never found a proper version . This is one of my favorite dishes in the world when it is done properly. Looks like a trip is in order!

Thanks Josh!

Stagger wrote:

jesteinf wrote:The restaurant in the old Thai Me Up space is Miss Asia. It's not Asian fusion, rather it is a restaurant that serves the cuisine of several Asian countries (and they're never blended to create "fusion"). It's actually very good, much better than Thai Me Up ever was. Same owners as Sticky Rice.

They are the only place I have seen in Chicago that has Laksa on the menu (under the Singaporean and Indonesian section). I started a thread looking for Laksa a few years ago and have never found a proper version . This is one of my favorite dishes in the world when it is done properly. Looks like a trip is in order!

Thanks Josh!

I'm not sure how "proper" the Laksa is. The Wife ordered it one night and it looked nothing look a version that I had watched Bourdain eat on his show the night before, so proceed at your own risk (although, maybe inauthentic Laksa is better than no Laksa at all).

Anyway, some of my favorites there include the lumpia (from the Filipino menu), the grilled mackerel (from the Korean menu), and the cherry duck (from the Chinese menu).

jesteinf wrote:I'm not sure how "proper" the Laksa is. The Wife ordered it one night and it looked nothing look a version that I had watched Bourdain eat on his show the night before, so proceed at your own risk (although, maybe inauthentic Laksa is better than no Laksa at all).

There are a few different versions. In fact, there are actually a few different versions that are made with coconut milk in addition to those without. Laksa is a highly regional dish. While the version Bourdain had with coconut milk, chile and curry is my favorite, there are a few other types I enjoy. In any case, I do appreciate the warning Josh. In this case I'm willing to take the risk that it is even in the same orbit as real Laska which is a favorite meal I haven't had it 4 years.

My friend orders enchiladas. He then asks:
"Can I have sour cream on that?"

Our Spanish speaking waitress replied:
"Yes."

Did he get sour cream? No. He did not ask for sour cream, he only asked about the POSSIBILITY of sour cream.

Ok. I shouldn't disMiss Asia, *chortle* because I haven't been there. But, I tend to shy away from Asian restaurants that try to be everything to everybody. Are the owners/chef, Thai, Korean, Indonesian, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Lao?? Have some identity. No chef's knowledge is broad or skilled enough to span all those cultures. Asian fusion. Give me the dishes that they specialize in. "Anyone, anyone, Bueller?"

miesplz wrote:Ok. I shouldn't disMiss Asia, *chortle* because I haven't been there. But, I tend to shy away from Asian restaurants that try to be everything to everybody. Are the owners/chef, Thai, Korean, Indonesian, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Lao?? Have some identity. No chef's knowledge is broad or skilled enough to span all those cultures. Asian fusion. Give me the dishes that they specialize in. "Anyone, anyone, Bueller?"

Well, maybe try reading my post again. The owners of Miss Asia are also the owners of Sticky Rice (so I believe they are Thai). I have no idea what the nationalities are of the cooks, but I do know that they were trained in all of the styles represented on the menu. I know the broad range of cuisines listed on the menu reads like a recipe for disaster, but like I said, the food is really quite good. I would suggest trying it and forming your own opinion.

Thank you "jesteinf. I did read your post and I will give it a shot some time to form my opinion about the food. What is your affiliation with Miss Asia? Just wondering.
I'm looking for some direction about what to pick in their voluminous menu spanning the Asian world. Btw, The owners of Green Tea (a very yummy sushi restaurant on Clark IMHO) are Thai too. So what does that tell you about the owners of any kind of Asian restaurant and the food that they cook? Not much.

miesplz wrote:Thank you "jesteinf. I did read your post and I will give it a shot some time to form my opinion about the food. What is your affiliation with Miss Asia? Just wondering.
I'm looking for some direction about what to pick in their voluminous menu spanning the Asian world. Btw, The owners of Green Tea (a very yummy sushi restaurant on Clark IMHO) are Thai too. So what does that tell you about the owners of any kind of Asian restaurant and the food that they cook? Not much.

I have no affiliation with Miss Asia other than the fact that I live about 3 blocks away from the restaurant.

If you're that concerned about the nationality of the ownership I would suggest asking them yourself.

Oh my God yes! Someone has finally revealed that Jesteinf's 1000 posts about everywhere from L20 on down were just cover for his ultimate plan to shill for a modest neighborhood Asian joint!