Tub Tim Thai, Skokie

My partner and I made a sort of resolution: after years and years of adding things to our lives (Italian lessons once a week, additional newspapers, 5-hour bike rides), it was time to downsize a little. And so in addition to cancelling the Tribune and keeping the other 3 papers, and chucking a few magazines, we also decided we needed to free up some time from our usual evening dinner-a-thons. A typical evening: open the wine, start prepping the whatever, chat, sip wine, argue its merit, more prep, cooking, olives/salami/cheese/wine while food cooks, dinner, clean up, etc.

So one of our decisions was to go out to eat inexpensively at least once a week nearby. I really like to cook, so it really has been a bit of a struggle to get out each time, but we've enjoyed 2 favorites of this board (and the others'), Larsa's and Kabul House on Dempster in Skokie.

But tonight we went to a new place, Tub Tim Thai on Oakton. Their website, http://www.tubtimthai.com/, is charming, but we were really taken with their food.

The menu is mostly in English, and relatively small, but all the flavors were much more fresh and bright than I'm used to having at our usual haunts (Roseded, Spoon, Thai Aree). They do mention on their site that they make their own sauces. Authentic? I have no idea, but will you enjoy it, yes.

We had:
Tod Mun ("Fish Cakes")- softer and with less lemongrass than I am used to, but tasty.

The woman who waited on us was very friendly and recommended a dish whose name I will not remember, but involved chikoo (sp?) leaves with toasted fresh coconut, lime, dried shrimp, peppers, fresh ginger and a plum sugar sauce. This is apparently a popular snack item, and a real treat in terms of experiencing different textures - the crunchy, dry coconut, the spicy, soft ginger, the tart lime, the chewy shrimp.

Larb ("Chicken Salad") was the brightest tasting I've had - very vivid flavors of the meat, as well as fresh shallots and ginger. The spiciness level was good for us. We asked for "spicy", but I truly doubt it would have satisfied a true Thai palate, as I remember the papaya salad at Thai Aree burnt a hole through our tongues in the past.

Speaking of which, they had a nice papaya salad as well. Pleasant, well-executed. Finally, we had a beef green curry, whose sauce I liked a lot. I'm not a big beef fan, but this was soft and tender, so I guess this is a good thing. I could have had the sauce on anything and been happy, though.

Bill was $40, and the service was great. The place was impeccably clean, and I'll definitely return. Now, someone else visit who knows Thai better and let me know what you think!

Tub Tim Thai Restaurant
4927 Oakton Street
Skokie, IL 60077
847-675-8424
www.tubtimthai.com

Michael M. wrote:The woman who waited on us was very friendly and recommended a dish whose name I will not remember, but involved chikoo (sp?) leaves with toasted fresh coconut, lime, dried shrimp, peppers, fresh ginger and a plum sugar sauce. This is apparently a popular snack item, and a real treat in terms of experiencing different textures - the crunchy, dry coconut, the spicy, soft ginger, the tart lime, the chewy shrimp.

Meang kum, according to the menu on their Web site, where there's a nice picture. Does one roll them up, eating the leaves, or are the leaves a garnish?

Thanks for the appealing report.

I had never seen this dish before I had it at Tub Tim - I asked the server how to eat it and she said to "roll it up (she also recommended adding a few pieces of peppers and a spoonful of the sauce that comes with the dish) and eat the whole thing at once". I agree with Michael M, the different textures and flavors were very interesting.

On the menu it says the leaves are "fresh green leaves" - I asked the server what they were but I didn't understand the name she gave me. Does anyone know what kind of leaves these are?

I too had a great experience there recently (first visit). Thanks for your review, Michael M - it reminds me how much I liked it and reminds that I need to go back. Let me add a few comments:

1) The food appeared to be fresher than other Thai places I have been to lately.
2) The place was REALLY clean, including the bathroom.
3) They put chopsticks on the table along with the silverware --- If I am not mistaken, Thais don't use chopsticks. I can't remmeber, do other Thai places in the Chicago area also put chopsticks on their tables?
4) It is BYOB and there was no corkage charge. The wine glasses were better than most places at this price level.
5) I was asked how hot I wanted my dishes and I said, "very hot" - it was very hot. It was about as hot as my food was at Thai Aree when I asked for it to be very hot. So if you can't handle very hot, don't ask for it that way.

I plan on going back soon and will try to remember to post my experience on this forum.

LAZ wrote:Meang kum, according to the menu on their Web site, where there's a nice picture. Does one roll them up, eating the leaves, or are the leaves a garnish?

they also serve this appetizer at Thai Pastry. Such a tasty dish...savory and sweet in each bite. The leaves are a little thick (sturdy), and crunchy/chewy.

Thai Pastry
4925 N BROADWAY ST
CHICAGO, IL 60640
(773) 784-5399

Great find, Mike M.!

I understand Tub Tim Thai (Thai Ruby) has been open about six months. This fact inspires regret for the six months I missed, but also rejoicing that this little gem wasn't sitting there undiscovered right under my nose for years and years. I will defer to more experienced palates to judge its authenticity, but I loved it, and my dinner companion was in full rapture mode throughout the evening.

Pam, the owner, was very welcoming and informative. Her attention to detail was clear throughout the experience, from the first course through the crunchy little cylinder fortune cookies (thong tham nai) reminiscent of Carlsbader Oblaten that came with the check. Pam said the meang kum is made with "chapoo" leaves (her spelling), whose price has shot up to $15/lb. "since the hurricane." She added that at that price they may not be on the menu for long. My advice: ACT NOW for a taste of these beauties!

I'd have to concur with impressions of those who posted above that the preparations are outstandingly fresh, with quality ingredients carefully handled. For instance, the tiny Thai eggplants retained a bit of crunch, the green beans were emerald in color, and the impeccable shrimp with basil came with a simple bit of unsauced, steamed Japanese pumpkin on the side- a nice autumn touch, I thought. The sauces seemed to me well-balanced, and thankfully lacking the throat-parching saltiness that I have come to view as a special kind of curse on the culinarily adventurous.

The place is indeed BYOB, and, while I can't vouch for their wine selection, Eurostyle Deli is located half a block east on the same side of Oakton. (Pilsner Urquell liters run about $3 there.)

Desserts include ice creams from Village Creamery, the Phillipino-owned shop just east Skokie Boulevard. Mango, taro, green tea, lychee, red bean, and jackfruit are among the flavors that are available.

Thanks again to Mike M. for his recommendation. I will be back this week for their $7 Lunch special (11AM-3PM Monday-Saturday). They also have delivery "as far east as McCormick," but call for further clarification.

My sister lives just down the block from Tub Tim Thai. I walk her dog past it all the time, but I didn't stop in for dinner until the other night. I think I'm less enamored with this place than previous posters. I didn't read this thread before going, but my sister and I also ordered the meang kum for our appetizer.

(Photos are from my phone, not the best quality)


This was very enjoyable. I especially liked the very small pieces of lime. (I didn't ask how to eat it; I just stuffed one in my mouth, so I'm assuming I was supposed to eat the lime with the rind.) To answer unknowndiner's question:

unknowndiner wrote:On the menu it says the leaves are "fresh green leaves" - I asked the server what they were but I didn't understand the name she gave me. Does anyone know what kind of leaves these are?

They are chaploo leaves.

For our entrees, I ordered the "Basil" with tofu with level 3 heat (on a 1-4 scale). This dish wasn't bad, but it was unexceptional. The basil was too wilted and overcooked for my liking. I thought the rectangular dishes made for messy plating, and I was pretty dismayed by the over-steamed broccoli and carrots that accompanied my tofu. The dish was made to the appropriate heat level though.



My sister ordered the chicken pad thai (what she always gets at Thai restaurants). I took a small bite. Granted, I typically don't care for pad thai, but the version she had struck me as sweeter than usual (not a good thing).



We rounded out the meal with an order of "sweet rice with banana." This too was fine, but it was clear it had been nuked.

As already stated, the prices at Tub Tim Thai are very reasonable. The space is bright and open while still being intimate. Given its proximity to my sister's, I'll probably end up there again, but in my ranking of Chicago area Thai options, I place it toward the bottom.

Thanks happy_stomach --- I got an lth email alert this morning that there was a post on this topic - it has been almost two years since i posted the question on the leaves..so long that i had forgotten i ever asked it. btw, i just did a search and turned up this link to a recipe for "Miang Kum" which uses chaploo leaves : http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/bin ... +recipe173

I live fairly close to the restaurant - about a 5 minute drive - and we have been there probably 8 times since the last time I reviewed the restaurant 2 years ago. I have continued to be pleased each time. One thing that surprised me about your post was your comment on the "over-steamed broccoli and carrots"--- that would bother me (a lot) too; however, i never experienced that there - it does look over-steamed in your picture though.

Your comment on the sweetness of the Pad Thai reminds me how much i hate thai food when it is over sweetened and the heat is turned way down (very common) - I don't know how Tub Tim Thai serves their dishes when the customers don't make a request (possibly they have to make it sweet and mild to appeal to most of their patrons) but they have been very good about my heat/sweetness requests... most, if not all, times the server (and the last time the cook) came to the table to ask if it was too spicy or not spicy enough.

I'm in no way saying that this is one of the top Thai restaurants in Chicago - but for its price, the quality or the food, the cleanliness of the restaurant and the attentiveness and friendliness of the servers is top notch. For me it remains high on my list of convenient byob restaurants and i would recommend it as such to anyone who lives in the area.

I will say that Tub Tim Thai is very high on my list of Thai cuisine, certainly right up there in the north suburbs. As an earlier post stated, this place is incredibly clean. And when speaking of 'traditional Thai', what is that anyway? How many different versions of Pad Thai have we all tasted?

Whatever region (or no region), Tub Tim Thai's fare is very light, almost Vietnamese in its approach. Their lunch special for $7.00 is a great deal--I generally opt for the lard nar with beef, which consists of homemade wide noodles, sauteed and somewhat charred, in a light gravy with strips of steak and Chinese broccoli, called tong ho. Just magnificent.

On Friday I tried their charbroiled half-chicken which was hacked into just-larger-than bite size pieces (kind of like Sun Wah's duck), marinated with curry and coconut milk, then grilled and served with Thai sticky rice, which I had never tasted--interesting consistency, and a little goes a long way! Paid nine bucks for that lunch, and I'll be ordering that again soon.

I visited Tub Tim recently and agree 100%. Presentation was beautiful and unexpected at such an affordable place. What I really enjoyed was the relaxing atmosphere and service that was efficient but slow enough to let you have a conversation. One of my readers suggested Tub Tim about 3 months ago and I finally had a chance to visit last month. If you want to read my full review, click on the link below.
http://www.hungryz.com/tubtim

After seeing that Tub Tim Thai was the first GNR nominee of the Fall 2008 season, a few of us decided to have lunch there on Saturday. It was a delicious meal, in which the care and details that were put into its preparation really came through. Through unusual circumstances of hurricane Ike-related weather, we were the only customers in the place. Due to spotty areas of flooding, Skokie police had the block on which the restaurant is located closed to automobiles. But after parking around the corner and walking down the block, we were happy to learn that the restaurant was open. However, shortly after our party of 7 gathered, the restaurant lost their 220v power (vent hoods and a/c) and decided to close . . . but not before serving us a terrific lunch . . .



Coconut Juice
One of the kids in our group ordered this but in spite of the nifty vessel, he didn't really care for it.



Spring Roll
Very nice rendition; fresh and crisp.



Curry Puffs
Almost samosa-like, these contained potato and delivered a strong cumin hit.



Fried Tofu
These tender nuggets were piping hot and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.



One Bite Salad (Meang Kum)
Very nice dish, served on chapoo leaves, in which the components -- roasted coconut, sun-dried shrimp, diced ginger, shallot, lime and peanut -- worked well together. Thai bird chiles, which are grown on premises, also accompany this dish.



Papaya Salad
Solid rendition, which was spicy enough for me (3 on a 1-4 scale) but maybe a little mild for some at the table.



Charcoal Broiled Chicken
Fantastic dish. Deeply marinated chicken was juicy and had a wonderful charcoal-cooked aroma.



Tom Kha Kai
Not my favorite rendition but very a respectable take which contained keffir lime leaves that are grown at the restaurant, on a 20-year-old tree.



Crispy Fish Salad
This unusual (to me, anyway) salad, incorporated canned, fried white scale fish, which was especially funky and delicious.



Chicken Salad (Larb)
On the 1-4 scale, we ordered this as a "9." What was served, was probably closer to a "5," which was plenty spicy for me. I thought the flavors here were intense and very well-balanced.



Thai Fried Chicken
Unusual boneless version, which was tasty and very crispy. I prefer my Thai Fried chicken on the bone but this version was still very yummy.



Basil Pork
Probably my biggest disappointment of the meal. I wasn't crazy about the sliced pork because this dish typically contains ground meat. The sauce was a little too much and the flavor was just okay.



Red Curry with Pork
Very nice flavor and textures here; nice heat too.



Pad See-Ewe with Pork
Terrfic, toothsome noodles and nicely charred bits throughout. This dish was very tasty and even though it's supposed to be somewhat sweet, that note was not overplayed here at all.

Our experience at TTT highlights one of the best things about the GNRs. I vaguely knew of this restaurant beforehand but if not for the nomination, I'm not sure when or if I ever would have ever tried it. However, after learning about it here, I was excited to try it and my efforts (navigating to Skokie via all sorts of closed off streets) were rewarded. Not only did we come across a real jewel of a restaurant which is run by nice people who genuinely care about their food (some of which they actually grow themselves) but I also got to taste a few wonderful items that were new to me. I'm so glad I was made aware of Tub Tim Thai and look forward to returning to try more of their creations.

=R=

jnm123 wrote:Although there are many traditional Thai aspects to Tub Tim Thai, it is the spotless environment, attention to detail, and Pam, the owner, that make the difference. . . As stated, Pam is the driving force here. Always in motion, filling water glasses, making everyone feel at home, and most important she cares & appreciates your business. That really comes through.

I heartily agree, jnm123. Pam is the epitome of graciousness and polish. One New Year's Eve, I dined early with some friends and their active preschool daughter. Pam could not have been nicer or more welcoming.

I am far from the first to note this, but, in some ways, the welcome is what distinguishes a GNR from any other good spot. What makes a restaurant a place you want to come back to is the sense that you belong there. What can be felt in a no-frills "regulars-are-our-stock-in-trade" setting can also be achieved in a place as hot as Schwa or as much of an institution as Manny's.

The welcome makes the place, along with a signature dish. In the case of Tub Tim Thai, I'd vote for the meang kum with chaploo leaves. (I LOVE Spoon's meang kam, but they use lettuce leaves.)

Tub Tim Thai is not Spoon, Sticky Rice, or TAC Quick. They don't make their own Isaan sausage, for instance. They don't offer crickets or ant eggs. Spice levels are modulated, not "WOW!". Plating is European style, and done with finesse. The room is simple, calm and pretty. The charm of the Tub Tim Thai is in the total package. In every instance, I have felt better, calmer, and more satisfied leaving Tub Tim Thai than when I came in.

(In spite of Ron's experience with the storm and closed streets, one of the points Tub Tim Thai has in its favor is that it is well-located for getting together with a group of friends who live in far-flung locations. I used to eat there with friends who came from the North Side, Deerfield, Evanston, and Glenview.)

I've somehow gotten out of the emails that update me about this post. I'm glad to see TTT has gotten some notice; more than anything else I'm glad it's near Evanston and closer than Spoon and Thai Aree, which can be long jaunts in hunger-inspired rush hour drives!

ronnie_suburban wrote:After seeing that Tub Tim Thai was the first GNR nominee of the Fall 2008 season, a few of us decided to have lunch there on Saturday. It was a delicious meal, in which the care and details that were put into its preparation really came through.

First GNR nomination out of the box and it turns out there is a quality Thai restaurant 20-minutes, at least when there isn't torrential rain and flooding, from my house. Friendly confident staff, spacious spotless interior, clear clean flavors, aggressively spiced, especially in relation to how most Thai restaurants treat first time customers, and a spectrum of dishes from mild spring rolls to fishy funky crispy fish salad.

I'm already planning my next meal at TTT a classic combo of Thai Grilled Chicken (Kai Yaang), sticky rice and Papaya Salad (Som Tum). In particular I appreciated the fact the som tum ingredients were, as is traditional, pounded together to blend flavor.

Friendly interaction can't be stressed enough with TTT, when Mhays inquired about the lime leaves in the Tom Kha they asked if we would like to see TTT's 20-year old Kaffir Lime plant. Of course the answer was a resounding yes.

Kaffir Lime growing in back of TTT



Enjoy,
Gary

I have to say, THAT was a lightning moment for me - God bless the FOH guy, we were asking questions in such rapid succession he could barely answer them (fortunately, this is a place where they like people who get excited about food.) I'd noticed an extra lobe on the leaves in the Tom kha gai, which were a lot smaller and more tender than the Kaffir lime I'm used to getting, so I mentioned it, and he said they grow them "out back" - in an all-cement walkup backyard, along with chili peppers and some of their other seasonings, like drawing water from a desert.

Going out through the kitchen to take a look, I also noted it was neat as a pin, the prep fridge (which has a window) filled to brimming with bright fresh veg - and it shows in the meal. I'll be glad to get back there soon.

As far as the meal went, I really enjoyed it - some things more than others. I have to say, I liked the one-bite salad even better than Spoon's version, there are some very minor differences; it's a bit more lime-y and the leaf has a little more flavor. Tom kha gai could have used a little more body for me, but was good nonetheless. I'd never had larb before, despite it being a bit high on my (admittedly wimpy) flame-o-meter, I liked it quite a lot, bright and soft flavors in harmony with the spice.

Sparky, not surprisingly, liked everything that was fried - fried chicken (I concur) fried tofu (fine, but not unusual) but not my favorite little crunchy fried fishes (hey, more for me.) He also nearly came to fisticuffs over the Spring Rolls. (Even in that afternoon's exceedingly crabby mood, he was unable to complain about the offerings, despite his best efforts.) As a Mom, I also appreciated that many of the fried foods came with a side of perfectly cooked broccoli and carrots - the boneless fried chicken with those sides will satisfy the most recalcitrant anti-foodie, but still make you happy you ordered them.

I think the salads really shone here, but I also liked the mild curry flavor of the broiled chicken, and the curry sauce on the pork with those beautiful little eggplants.

Fabulous, we loved it! Went tonight for the first time, have driven past it repeatedly but never knew it was worth stopping until I saw it here. Several people have commented that it is fresher than most Thai food, and that was exactly our experience, notably fresher.

We had the meung kam, very fun and delicious. (I am glad to hear that someone else ate the whole lime chunk, I gave a moment's thought to squeezing the juice out and not eating the rind, but it was quite good rind and all, very flavorful.)

Then Beef Salad, which is one of my favorite dishes, and I can say quite definitely, this was the freshest cooked beef I have had at a restaurant. I like my beef salad with a little more lime and peanut (and that's how I make it when I do it at home, which I often do, because the meat rarely seems very fresh in a restaurant), but that's personal preference, and this was definitely delicious and I would order it again.

The Fried Fish Three Flavors-- I have to say, I went along with my husband who wanted to order it, because he is trying to eat more fish, but I really didn't think I was in the mood for it. Well. It was the best, freshest, least greasy fried fish that I can remember eating, this side of a stand called Go Fish in Vancouver, Canada (which was the best fried fish ever, and I've eaten a good bit of fried fish). The sauce was yummy and plenty spicy ordered medium, and there were veggies on the plate, and I was completely converted.

Had a sip of my husband's Thai coffee, and would have drunk the whole thing if I could have gotten away with it-- excellent rendition.

We live close enough we will probably make this our go-to Thai restaurant. I'm eager to get back and try more menu items. Brought home a takeout menu so I can do some planning...

Since my first and only visit to Tub Tim Thai was 4 years ago, it seemed about time for a return visit. I met up with a friend for lunch earlier this week. Since there were only two of us, we only got to sample a few things but based on our small sample, I'd say that Tub Tim Thai was holding up pretty well.

Tub Tim Thai Meang Kum


We started out with Tub Tim Thai's version of One Bite Salad. Flavors were bright and poppin'. This was perhaps my favorite dish of the meal.

Tub Tim Thai Papaya Salad


Papaya salad was a decent rendition, with just the right amount of heat to accent the freshly pounded papaya. Is it the best version in town? Probably not, but it is well executed and fresh tasting.

Tub Tim Thai Chicken Pad Prik Khing


The chicken pad prik khing was decent. My only complaint was that they used chicken breast, which is my least favorite part of the chicken. The spice level was good as ordered. They offer a spice scale from 1 - 4 and this was ordered as a 3. I'd say this is a good spice level for the majority of diners who like some heat in their Thai food.

Tub Tim Thai Pad Kee Mao


I ordered this dish to check it out for The Chow Poodle. This is her standard order at just about any Thai restaurant. I ordered this one at the maximum spice level of 4, and it didn't disappoint. I broke a decent sweat eating this dish, in which despite the heat, the flavors were well balanced.

All in all, Tub Tim Thai delivered everything you would hope for in a neighborhood Thai restaurant. I wouldn't call it a destination (except for maybe the one bite salad), but it's a strong choice if you are in the area.

Love that place.....till I found one better. Please check out the elephant thai restaurant on Devon
In edgebrook. Better, cheaper, and byob!!!

stevez wrote:Tub Tim Thai Pad Kee Mao


I ordered this dish to check it out for The Chow Poodle. This is her standard order at just about any Thai restaurant. I ordered this one at the maximum spice level of 4, and it didn't disappoint. I broke a decent sweat eating this dish, in which despite the heat, the flavors were well balanced.

Looks like a very respectable version of the dish you see Thai people eating at nearly every street corner in Bangkok, at all hours of the day. While in Bangkok I preferred phat Thai, I prefer Phat kee mao here because I find that too many local Thai places make phat Thai too sweet. I've never tried this place but will keep it in mind if in the area . . . I always enjoy a one bite salad too.

Armitage11 wrote:Love that place.....till I found one better. Please check out the elephant thai restaurant on Devon
In edgebrook. Better, cheaper, and byob!!!

Welcome to LTH Forum Armitage11! Funny you should mention that. Elephant is already a Great Neighborhood Restaurant (GNR) which, I'm proud to say, I nominated for the award. Still, Tub Tim Thai is a decent place if you're up north in Skokie.

Have always very much enjoyed the Meang Kum when at Tub Tim Thai.

Most every dish has been very enjoyable, there has only been one disappointment: My young nephew is a dumpling fan and we got those, once, they looked & tasted like cheap storebought frozen.

Tonight we went to Tub Tim Thai for the first time. We liked it, but we found that the things they do best are different from those at some of the other Thai places we like. We also learned how to order at TTT, for next time.

First, a note about spice (hotness) levels. Tub Tim Thai says that they can make almost anything on the menu whatever spice level you want, 0 to 4. Many of their dishes, that are traditionally at least somewhat hot elsewhere, don't have the little flame ("hot") icon next to them on the TTT menu, but they can make them hot. So I would suggest that first-timers be careful to mention preferred spice levels when ordering (see below). This contrasts with other Thai restaurants, where you expect the dishes that are normally spicy, to be served spicy without having to ask for them that way. Also, the amount of hot/spice in numbers 0 to 4 are not what I was expecting; as noted below, their 2 is fairly hot/spicy, and 3 is very very VERY hot/spicy.

We started with a good cha yen (Thai iced tea). We had the meang kum recommended in this topic, and it was very good, very fresh-tasting and crunchy. It is presented with some small pieces of chopped red pepper alongside, and be forewarned, those are very very hot. This was a very good dish. Also good were the shrimp rolls - a fairly conventional dish of whole shrimp wrapped in a thin filo type wrapper and quick fried. We had the larb chicken, which is called "chicken salad" on the TTT menu; it's ground chicken served cold in a thin citrus-y sauce. We did not specify a spice level, so unlike some other Thai places, it was served totally mild, no spice level whatsoever. It was okay, but next time we'll know to ask for it at spice level 2, so it comes as we've had it elsewhere. We also had the tom kha gai. Although the chicken and mushrooms in the soup were fresh and moist, we weren't crazy about the broth; it had a notably sour taste, and we prefer the more creamy, coconut-y broth served elsewhere. Also, we ordered this at spice level 3. Now we know what spice level 3 means - very very VERY hot, too hot for this lover of hot foods. I can't (and don't want to) imagine what spice level 4 is like.

We had two entrees. The chicken panang was very good, very moist and tasty, and a generous portion size too. We ordered this as space level 2, and it was nicely spicy/hot, not overwhelmingly so. Maybe not quite as spicy as I would prefer, but that's how I would order it again, rather than risk the way-too-hot level 3. Like many of the dishes here, the serving style was very attractive, with interesting plateware - in this case, served in a large ramekin (small casserole) dish. This was a standout. Our other entrée was a monthly special of crab pad thai. It was topped with two small but tasty crab claws; I'm not sure whether there was any other crab in it. Otherwise, it was okay, a bit more slimy and salty than pad thai we've had elsewhere.

We had two desserts. One was khanom tan (which they call toddy palm cake), a pleasant sponge cake served warm. The other was a favorite of ours, khao niaow ma muang, which most restaurants translate as mango with sticky rice, but which TTT calls mango with sweet rice, which IMHO is a more accurate description (because it's less likely to get misunderstood as savory rice of some sort). This was an excellent rendition.

The service was friendly and helpful.

We liked Tub Tim Thai, and will return in the future. Our future notes will remind us to make sure to ask for spice level 2 for any dish we want spicy. We'd skip the tom kha gai and the pad thai, and try some other dishes. And we'd re-order the panang and the khao niaow ma muang, and maybe the meang kum too.