Aroy Thai has been nominated as a Great Neighborhood Restaurant. Please discuss the nomination in this thread. Discussion closes on March 7.


-for the GNRs

I had my first meal at Aroy recently and loved it. I don't remember the names of the dishes that I had, but all were from the traditional Thai menu. All were as good as dishes I've had at the other traditional favorites (Spoon Thai, Stick Rice), and some were among the best Thai dishes I've ever had. I heartily support this nomination.

I strongly support the nomination of Aroy Thai. At one time, I lived walking distance away from Aroy's location, but it was a fairly mediocre Vietnamese restaurant back then. Aroy opened just as we were moving out of the neighborhood, so I never really got a chance to be a regular. Timing is everything. Like jazzfood, my first exposure to Aroy came when Eric M. hosted a dinner there back in '05. Aroy has been able to maintain the excellent level of its cuisine all that time and has not lost a beat.

I definitely endorse this nomination. It's been a while since I've been to Aroy Thai, but from what I remember their food is just as good as the other Thai GNR winners. This is actually one of those where I'm surprised it's not a GNR already.

Out of my rotation for too long. Won't let that happen again. I forgot how good it was, besides having so many new dishes (to me). Very much enjoyed a few meals here recently. The type of ma and pa place I love to support when they deserve it. Yes on GNR.

Jazzfood wrote:Out of my rotation for too long. Won't let that happen again. I forgot how good it was, besides having so many new dishes (to me). Very much enjoyed a few meals here recently. The type of ma and pa place I love to support when they deserve it. Yes on GNR.

What ^ he ^ said.

A great nomination, IMO.

=R=

I am not for or against this nomination as I have never been here.

I am just curious about the long spans of no comments(at least on this thread) about this place. eg. 7/16/2006 - 6/2/2009, then a little traffic, then dead again from 11/24/2009 - 1/30/2011. Were people going and not commenting, or something else?

jimswside wrote:I am just curious about the long spans of no comments(at least on this thread) about this place.

With few exceptions that seems to be the nature of this discussion board, spurts of activity followed by a lull, in particular places that have been around as long as Aroy.

I am of the opinion Aroy is a tremendous GNR candidate, I very much enjoyed my recent lunch and am eager to return to further explore the menu.

Aroy Thai, count me a fan.

jimswside wrote:Were people going and not commenting, or something else?

I was indeed going and ordering (A LOT) during that time period, and grew to love the place more and more every time.

Kennyz wrote:

jimswside wrote:Were people going and not commenting, or something else?

I was indeed going and ordering (A LOT) during that time period, and grew to love the place more and more every time.

I was just curious, while reading the thread the lapses caught my eye.

its all good.

jimswside wrote:I am not for or against this nomination as I have never been here.

I am just curious about the long spans of no comments(at least on this thread) about this place. eg. 7/16/2006 - 6/2/2009, then a little traffic, then dead again from 11/24/2009 - 1/30/2011. Were people going and not commenting, or something else?

Hi, Jim. When selecting Aroy for a GNR nomination, I thought about the fact that although the posts that existed were glowing, LTHers weren't consistently posting about Aroy. I knew that Rich and I had been eating there frequently. Once I started talking to LTH friends about Aroy, I learned that many of them were eating there, too, and some had even thought Aroy already was a GNR. Plus, I dined at Aroy several times with LTHers who just happened to not post about the meal afterward. In other words, while there are many glowing posts about Aroy, I don't think the thread accurately reflects the enthusiasm and support for this restaurant. It was my hope that nominating Aroy for a GNR would lead to more folks posting their experiences - - and so far, it has.

Ronna

REB wrote: It was my hope that nominating Aroy for a GNR would lead to more folks posting their experiences - - and so far, it has.

Ronna

right on.

Im glad you shared/nomintaed a place that you really like, it wasnt even on my radar until I read about it this past weekend.

Went there for lunch today and found the items on the standard menu fine but a bit undistinguished. But....I did have the Issan sausage (didn't see it on the menu but read someone on this thread had it) and it was absolutely superb! Exploring off the menu is the way to go, it seems.

DutchMuse wrote:Went there for lunch today and found the items on the standard menu fine but a bit undistinguished. But....I did have the Issan sausage (didn't see it on the menu but read someone on this thread had it) and it was absolutely superb! Exploring off the menu is the way to go, it seems.

Not off menu, but on the Thai Classics menu, which is there for the asking.

stevez wrote:

DutchMuse wrote:Went there for lunch today and found the items on the standard menu fine but a bit undistinguished. But....I did have the Issan sausage (didn't see it on the menu but read someone on this thread had it) and it was absolutely superb! Exploring off the menu is the way to go, it seems.

Not off menu, but on the Thai Classics menu, which is there for the asking.

Yes. I thought I mentioned this upthread. All the items I posted pics of (with the exception of the Bamee Roasted Duck) are from the Thai Classics menu. As Kenny mentioned, the carry-out menu is essentially the standard menu and doesn't have any of the Thai Classic items listed.

=R=

Ahhhh, got it. (I skipped some of the thread, I admit). THAT'S what I was missing. OK, reason enough for trip #2 before long!!

DutchMuse wrote:Ahhhh, got it. (I skipped some of the thread, I admit). THAT'S what I was missing. OK, reason enough for trip #2 before long!!

Once you're there, you'll have access to it anyway but in case you want to peruse before then (or order carry-out/delivery), here are shots of Aroy's Thai Classics menu . . .















=R=

DutchMuse wrote:Went there for lunch today and found the items on the standard menu fine but a bit undistinguished. But....I did have the Issan sausage (didn't see it on the menu but read someone on this thread had it) and it was absolutely superb! Exploring off the menu is the way to go, it seems.

Which of their standard items did you try?

ronnie_suburban wrote:

DutchMuse wrote:Ahhhh, got it. (I skipped some of the thread, I admit). THAT'S what I was missing. OK, reason enough for trip #2 before long!!

Pork Libs! I love that game. What wacky pig-related word will be inserted next.

/do not taunt the menus
//great place, look forward to eating there again next week

Just tried the pra phat jar, a dish with a totally different flavor profile from anything else I've had at Aroy, on account of the heavy use of zippy green peppercorns. It's a deeply aromatic curry with catfish, lemongrass and other herbs and spices too - but the refreshing, simultaneously cooling and hot green peppercorns are clearly there to dominate.

Pra Phat Jar:

BR wrote:

DutchMuse wrote:Went there for lunch today and found the items on the standard menu fine but a bit undistinguished. But....I did have the Issan sausage (didn't see it on the menu but read someone on this thread had it) and it was absolutely superb! Exploring off the menu is the way to go, it seems.

Which of their standard items did you try?

One of the noodle dishes (I forget the name) but it was a spicy wide noodle dish with chicken and something like kale. It was fine, but undistinguished. But that Issan sausage...WOW.

Strategically, I chose to live at montrose/western, right between spoon and sticky rice, each of which i frequent on average weekly. I tried Aroy yesterday and I will absolutely be going out of my way to eat there often as well! I agree that this is a well deserved nomination.

This is a well-deserved nomination! I live right across the street and I eat at Aroy at least once if I am not travelling.

In addition to the fantastic dishes from the Thai classics menu that ronnie_suburban already posted on, ask them to make the Thai omelette with ground pork (it's not on any menu), Khai Jiao Mu Sab. It's as great as the one in TAC Quick and Spoon Thai (both also off the menu).

fusionfan wrote:This is a well-deserved nomination! I live right across the street and I eat at Aroy at least once if I am not travelling.

In addition to the fantastic dishes from the Thai classics menu that ronnie_suburban already posted on, ask them to make the Thai omelette with ground pork (it's not on any menu), Khai Jiao Mu Sab. It's as great as the one in TAC Quick and Spoon Thai (both also off the menu).

Thanks, for the tip. This is definitely information I can use.

=R=

Also, don't necessarily assume at Aroy (or any of the other Thai restaurants in town) that the dishes on the Thai language menu are the only items worth ordering. For instance, I recently enjoyed the red curry at Aroy, a dish not of Northern Thai origin (where the owners of Aroy are from), which was outstanding and as good as any version I've tasted in the Chicago area (if not the entire US as a whole). So you may occasionally order a dish that does not measure up to your expectations, but you may occasionally order a dish (as I did) that makes you extremely happy you took the chance.

My second trip to Aroy took place three days after my first visit--I couldn't wait to get back. If the only dish on the menu was the chou chi pork, I'd support the nomination (let alone the two excellent sausages, tom yum beef ball soup, bamboo shoots with green curry, green beans with crispy pork (?belly). Really deep, complex flavors. Terrific nomination.

thaiobsessed wrote:green beans with crispy pork (?belly).

Pretty sure yes to the belly question. I will say that while this dish is good at Aroy, the version at Sticky Rice blows it away with a much more fiery, bigger-flavored curry. Luckily, Aroy has any number of its own standouts that blow away other stuff around town, so we're all just very lucky to be blessed with so much good Thai food.

I was lucky enough to have back-to-back Thai dinners with some friendly LTH'ers. We started at TAC Quick, had some highlights and decided to drop in at Aroy. All I can say is my tastebuds didn't know what was coming. Since forum favorites such as TAC and Spoon have turned me on to some authentic Thai food, I have been annoying friends with descriptions of the differences between ameriThai and more fully flavored authentic-style Thai dishes. I explain that this other Thai food hits all the senses: sour, salty, funky, sweet, and spicy.

On the first night I tried Aroy, I needed a DeLorean and a lightning storm to lecture past-me about just how ignorant I was to assume I knew palate-bending Thai flavor. The dishes we tried had flavor profiles unlike anything I'd tried before. The intense sour and spicy of the Thai bamboo with green chile paste. The contrasting spice and ferment on *both* types of Northern Thai sausages. The funky earthiness of the larb khun. These flavors were seriously turned up to 11.

Recently, I was recommending this place to a friend and realized that I was naming about half the menu. In addition to those I mention above, I really enjoyed many of the pictured items. Specifically the grilled pork salad with toasted rice powder which somehow marries pork, sour, spicy, and salad like no one else can. The tom yam beef ball and tender soup was also a dish I could greedily eat by myself (despite the large portion). It was spicy and rich and tangy all at the same time. I think we agreed that the beef was brisket.

In any case, I am very happy that RAB and REB turned me onto this place. Aroy certainly is a Great Neighborhood Restaurant in my mind and I think it is a fitting addition to the local Thai scene LTH has already honored.

Of all the LTH dinners I've attended, this one may have been my favorite!! Kudo's to RAB and REB for organizing, the lovely folks at Aroy Thai for preparing and serving and my fellow LTH'ers for sharing a wonderful feast last night. I only wish I could add some unique perspective but there isn't one--this is one GREAT restaurant which has pretty much been the mantra over the last few weeks.

I think the consensus at the table was that while there may be transcendent dishes at the other thai food temples we all love, Aroy Thai offered the most diversity of flavors and consistency of choices. I literally tasted nothing that I wouldn't want to order again (ok, perhaps the dessert--kind of a sweet straciatella--that was fine but didn't do much for me ). Otherwise, from the lovely crisp and sour sausages, to the gorgeously rich and satisfying tom yam beef ball and tender soup, to the balance of heat, savory and crunchy that were the pork, shrimp and larb salads (ooooooohhhhh that offal!!!) to the tangy and slightly sweet "sloppy joe" on egg to the kickass funk of my favorite dish, the pickled (?) bamboo, I couldn't have enjoyed a meal more.

Can't wait to go back!! Definitely tastes like a GNR to me

I'm still full from our dinner last night, thank you REB and RAB for setting it up. I thought I knew thai food in Chicago, but this blew my socks off. How lucky are we to have such a wealth of of resources here?

For me the Larb Khun was a revelation, a deep rich mineral flavor with a hint of sweetness, eaten alongside the Thai bamboo with green chili paste this was an amazing combination, these were my two favorite dishes. The bamboo was wonderfully sour, they actually sent it out at the same time as one of the only sweeter dishes of the evening, "the tangy and slightly sweet "sloppy joe" on egg" as boudreaulicious referred to it, but I found it a better match to the offal. The raw shrimp salad was also amazing, great taste of chili's and lime, the tom yam beef ball and tender soup had a sour flavor that combined with the beef stock and curry almost had me licking the bowl. They bought out two types of fish (catfish?) custard, one ground and one with pieces which I like better, this was a much more savory flavor than Spoon's, while still rich, it was much more aggressively seasoned. I was crying uncle by the time the pork belly came out, I took one small bite, but I was too full to appreciate it so maybe someone else can do it justice. The Chinese broccoli with salted fish was also a winner, the salted fish gave it an anchovy flavor that I really liked. I liked the dessert, I found the mixture of coconut milk, ice and bean (or was that tapioca?) noodle combination very refreshing after the aggressively spiced food. I could just imagine eating it on a hot day and how refreshing those flavors would be.

I don't know which kind of sausage we had, could someone post that? It was like being at the circus when clowns just keep coming our of one small car, every time the kitchen door opened out came more food for our table.

To me this is the definition of what a GNR should be, good people proud of their food putting their love and pride into it.