They do serve alcohol--nothing fancy--Thai beer, a few domestic beers and maybe a couple wines by the glass, I believe

Some troubling news from P.S. Bangkok.

Before I delve into this, I need to note, once again, that short of having a financial or a familial interest in the place, I really couldn't be less impartial about P.S. Bangkok. Sue, the owner and head chef, basically watched my sister and I grow up. We've been going there since at least the late 80s -- possibly earlier -- and have celebrated too many life milestones there to count.

Which is why I was extremely distraught to learn this evening that Sue's struggling to keep the place afloat, and while I'm not sure if closure is imminent, it sounds like it's not far off if things don't turn around pretty quickly. I feel a little weird doing this, but if I were to learn at some point this winter that this restaurant had closed -- the one that had perhaps the most profound impact on my love of food as I was growing up -- if I hadn't at least put out the SOS, I'm not sure I'd be able to forgive myself.

It's hard for me to discuss Sue's food, because it's so much a part of my childhood that I'm completely unable to see it objectively. And that's why I've never posted about the food in detail, here or elsewhere. It's not like Spoon, TAC, Aroy and other LTH favorites. But it's not like the gaggle of typical Americanized Thai joints, either. I've never had Thai like it anywhere -- definitely explosive, big flavor, usually sweet, with the kind of sometimes silly non-Thai dish names that haven't changed since the 80s -- and I guess it could best be described as Sue's Thai. If you asked me to name another place like it, I couldn't. In any case, these are some of the dishes that always hit the table when I have a rare chance to visit. Most of these have actual Thai names, but it somehow seems wrong not to use the names that have been on the menu for decades.


Bite Size Delight
A long time ago, Sue used to sell this as an off-menu item she called "Seven Kinds," where she'd put out a platter with piles of components -- minced ginger, shallot, dried shrimp, peanuts, lemongrass, Thai chiles and slivers of fresh lime. You'd grab a little of each in your hand and pop them back like a little snack. When she finally put it on the menu, it arrived as Bite Size Delight, now individually assembled on leaves of Chinese broccoli, piled with toasted coconut and served with a sweet topping made with fish sauce. It's a great little starter.


Steamed Dumplings
A sweet and peanutty concoction with a ground chicken base, in a steamed rice wrapper and practically smothered with fried garlic, I don't think I've ever once ordered enough of them. They disappear... quickly.


Som Tum
Sue's som tum has always been a favorite, not long on subtlety. Hers is sweet, very spicy, and very, very garlicky.


Tangy Beef
The tangy beef is one that's always gotten mixed reviews from friends -- some love it, some hate it -- but it's another that's on the table every time my family goes. It's a sweet and spicy concoction, heavy with fish sauce, spiked with a mix of fresh and dried chiles, and fragranced with a lot of ginger and citrus.


Green Curry
Less polarizing is the green curry, which I've always thought was one of Sue's strengths. It's a thick and sweet rendition, but always a great blend of fresh herbs, and always fiery. This is the dish upon which I built my tolerance for chiles as a preteen.


Pad See Ew
The crown jewel for us, however, is the pad see ew, always ordered crispy. Best with pork, I think, P.S. Bangkok is the only place where I've ever encountered a crispy pad see ew. And "crisp" is almost misleading. The noodles are downright crunchy, bathed in a thick and dark sauce, with meat and greens. This is one that's universally beloved by everybody I've taken over the years.

Those are our old family favorites. No doubt there are plenty of others that are worthwhile (it's a big menu). These are just the ones that 20+ years of regular visits have slowly distilled down to. And living across the country, now I get there so infrequently that on the rare occasions when I visit, there's little incentive to explore.

In any case, I hope you'll forgive me for getting all sentimental, here. The prospect of potentially losing this place has just really hit me hard, and I felt compelled to write something about it. I know there's some love for P.S. Bangkok on the board, and if you're in that crowd, I guess I'd just urge you to get in there, or get it back in the rotation if it's fallen out. P.S. Bangkok has been around for such a long, long time -- since the days when we had to explain to people that Thai food was from Thailand, not Taiwan -- that it's easy, I think, to take it for granted. And I'm getting very worried that one day soon it's just going to be gone.

P.S. Bangkok
3345 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60657
773-871-7777

Really scary indeed - thanks for the heads up. PS Bangkok has always been a real treasure in my mind, just one I don't make it to as often now that I've moved a few miles away. But I plan to rectify that ... and maybe an LTH dinner there in January is warranted. I doubt we'd be let down.

That would be a shame. I used to live around the corner from P. S. Bangkok more than a couple decades ago and it was our go to Thai place, I can't count the number of times we went there. Then I moved to different neighborhoods and rarely got back but loved it each time. The only thing I miss about Chicago is the variety and quality of restaurants, and I would be sad to see P.S. Bangkok go. They've been on Clark Street what, 30 years? Thirty five years?

I agree about the Pad Se Eiw. Made crispy, it is my favorite ever version of the dish (which has always been a staple for me). I now live outside the delivery area, but will make a concerted effort to visit when I can. I would be pretty disappointed if they closed as well.

My history with this place is similar to Dmnkly's. I'll be so bummed if they close. I haven't been in a while.

BR wrote:maybe an LTH dinner there in January is warranted

Totally on board with this. I'll put something on the events board. I'm sure Su would do some off menu items as well (she has in the past)

No one else makes crispy pad see ew like PS Bangkok. I also have to give a shout out to the PS tacos, as I think they're called. I've been ordering there for years, but have seldom dined in...will have to get there this weekend. They really are an unappreciated gem in the city.

Dom: I know it's been oft discussed, but are PSB1 and PSB2 the same owners?

chgoeditor wrote:Dom: I know it's been oft discussed, but are PSB1 and PSB2 the same owners?

P.S. Bangkok 2 was run by another branch of the same family (I don't recall the relationship), but they were operated completely independently of each other. And it showed. Of course, I haven't set foot in P.S. Bangkok 2 in fifteen years (are they still around?), but at least back then, there was no comparison for me. I tried it once or twice and never went back.

Dom's post inspired us to head over to PSB tonight. It had been a few years since we'd been there and now I'm kicking myself. We ordered a few of Dom's favorites--Bite Size Delight, Som Tum, Crispy Pad See Ew, Green Curry--and a few other things. Dom hit it on the nose: PS Bangkok tends toward the sweet spectrum, but they can dial up the spice when called upon. For me, it's comfort food. They had a pretty decent carry out business going, but ours was the only occupied table for the duration of the meal. I echo the sentiment to get on over there and support this longtime Lake View staple.