P.S. Bangkok

Greetings, all!

I'm a total newcomer here, and in browsing around I've been impressed by the level of Thai knowledge represented on the board. I like to think I know food, but Thai, specifically, is definitely NOT within my realm of expertise. I adore it, I've eaten plenty of it, but I'm by no means an authority. As such, I was wondering what the crowd's general opinion is of P.S. Bangkok? I've gotten a sense of some of the joints LTHers consider the Thai benchmarks in Chicago, but I was surprised, in the course of searching, to find almost nothing about my favorite joint.

To be clear, I ask because I am completely unable to judge this restaurant objectively. I (quite literally) grew up on P.S. Bangkok and the number of times I have eaten there is undoubtedly in the multiple hundreds. So while there's nothing in the world that could tear me away from Sue (sweetheart and fine chef that she is), I'm rather curious as to how traditional/non-traditional P.S. Bangkok is, and if those around here who are Thai experts consider it worthy, passable, or unimpressive.

I have not been there in a several months, but I've always liked it, especially their weekend brunch which I've always thought is fantastic and one of the best brunches in the city. At their buffet brunch (Saturday and Sunday), they offer so many items, all freshly prepared, and many less ordinary dishes than you'd typically find at a Thai restaurant. Their dessert section has always been particularly impressive, although in my last few visits, I noticed they had reduced their selection dramatically. Now that I've moved up to Lincoln Square, Spoon Thai is my place of choice but I certainly will return to PS Bangkok, probably soon and almost certainly for the weekend buffet.

I personally love PS Bangkok. No matter how much delivery I get from TAC or Spoon, I still come back to PS Bangkok. Their Tom Kha, basil chicken, tangy beef, and rama curry are some of my absolute favorite Thai dishes in this city.

It may be sacrilege to some, but I often prefer them to the favorites around these parts.

The only downside is that they are sometimes inconsistent. For every four times PS is exceptional, they're average the fifth.

HI
HERE I AM ON THIS SITE FOR THE FISRT TIME AND YOUR TALKING ABOUT PS BANGKOK... GUESS WHAT I JUST GOT DELIVERED 5 MINUTES AGO? YEP! TRY TONS OF THAI PLACES AND LOVE PS THE MOST. RAMA CURRY ROCKS AND THE CRISPY PAD THAI ONLY PLACE I KNOW THAT MAKES IT CRISPY DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!

Used to love it, during a period from approximately 1991-1999.

Had a series of ridiculously bad experiences around '00-01 and vowed never to return. But I remembered it fondly last year, after exploring lots of great Thai thanks to Erik and others here, and decided to see how it held up. Asked if they could make one "real Thai" dish, but nothing too tricky. Pad kra praw, or whatever. Also ordered old standby's penang curry and the coconut grilled chicken. Sorry to say the entire meal was simply vile. Not "not as good as StickyTACSpoonAvenue" bad and not even "not as good as before" bad. Way, way, below that. The kitchen used to be objectively able to cook well, even if it was Americanized Thai food. But this stuff was all old, limp and greasy. Devoid of flavor and freshness. The vegetables were from the bad-Chinese school of clumsily chopped hunks of stuff you might see an a salad bar in central Indiana (hey, no offense 'Napolis). If my formative experience with Thai food had been with food like that (as opposed to Hyde Park Thai and the PS Bangkok/Bangkok I had in the early 90's), I would have never eaten it again.

A limited one-off experience, maybe. But so bad, for the love of God, I can't take another chance.

I love P.S. Bangkok--I've been eating there since I was about 10 years old (a longer time than I care to admit). The menu is much more extensive than your average Thai place. They feature some of the harder-to-find dishes including one-bite salad, banana blossom salad, several langostine dishes and some good versions of the classics (I love their crispy pad see ew). It's not as authentic as Spoon or T.A.C but if the owner, Su, is cooking, she will accomodate any requests for special dishes. The restaurant was owned by a couple that split up (I think about 5 years ago)--the consistency of the food definitely suffered for a few years, but I get delivery from there fairly often and I try to hit the brunch when I can. I think the quality and consistency have been much improved during recent visits.

I forgot to add that P.S. Bangkok 2 on Halstead is owned separately (the owners are siblings but the businesses are completely separate). I go to the original on Clark--I think #2 is far inferior.

Thaiobsessed,

Thanks for the update. Maybe I will give it another try. I think the parking valet was cooking the last time I went to PS Bangkok. It is a place I always liked. Even some of my very favorites have been known to serve complete crap during transitional periods. Silver Seafood is a good example, having had a short (and now, long past) period of serving nearly unrecognizable food. It's been consistently very good again for a long time.

Well, I'm glad to hear there's some love for P.S. Bangkok. But I definitely understand the complaints about inconsistency. Through the years, there have clearly been stretches of time where one out of every five visits would be a clunker, though as thaiobsessed mentioned, I think it's been a while since we caught one. It's one of the reasons I've always worried about sending people there for the first time unescorted. The other reason I worry is because the menu is so extensive and there are a number of items that are merely okay. We've had friends who went on their own and were underwhelmed, but quickly changed their tune when we brought them back and did the ordering. I'll have to give the Rama Curry a try next time, since it was mentioned here a couple of times and I don't think I've had it in eons, but here's our standard list of faves, if this is useful to anybody:

Steamed Dumplings
Charcoal Beef Salad
Green Papaya Salad
Pad See Eiw, Crispy with Pork
Tangy Beef
Green Curry
Sweet Sour Whole Fish

Update: Buffet now is only offered on Sunday and is $10.95. Have yet to try as we called on Sat and ended up going to Thai Classic instead.

I am also a PS Bangkok junkie. My dad knew Sue's ex from decades ago, and I've enjoyed eating there for what seems like forever. I've had Thai food at many places but the quality of food and ingredients Sue uses has always left me well fed and happy about my meal. Incidently, a few years ago a friend of mine from school who had never had Thai food went to Thailand. When she came back, our group went to PS and I was surprised to hear her say that this was much, much better than anything she had in Thailand, and we hadn't even gotten to the desserts yet!

I've tried it one last time since my prior comment. I'm letting go.

This comment is interesting:

"this was much, much better than anything she had in Thailand"

I don't have any idea what the subject ate in Thailand, but I can't help guessing that the things (s)he didn't like about Thai food in Thailand are the robust/funky elements I most enjoy (and don't get from PSB).

I'm not sure on any specific foods, but my friend (who has moved to Canada and left me short on the foodie dining partners) loves about anything, as long as it is good food. She's pretty adventuresome - her last vacation was to Morocco traveling by camel. On our food jaunts we've had everything from subtle to very spicy or strong flavors. From what I remember, she just didn't think what she had tasted very good, and that's from the perspective of someone who has eaten globally.

Then again, it is entirely possible that they managed to hit restaurants that were just lousy. I have a friend who has managed to always try substandard Cuban dishes despite some of the good Cuban places here. Bad food karma?

Greetings strawberrycupcake! Welcome aboard.

We seem to be in a bit-of-a-snit around here about Thai food and other things. Nobody should take it personally. We're all just anxious for spring, which is coming soon, I hope.

-ramon

Thanks, Ramon!

In the past I've infrequently lurked on this board. I like the participation here, and well, today I thought I should just register.

I also pray that I do not gain 200 pounds from any increased dining activites as a result of learning of new places for my favorite foods.

Ramon, we weren't intending to be snitty, but we meant to add contour to a discussion about a place that we used dearly to love, but has disappointed us for some time, in our limited experience.

If there were no contrary opinion on this Board, the content would be as bland as the food at.. never mind.

And, again, welcome SSC.

Thanks for the welcomes both online and PM.

No offense taken - we all have our different perspectives on food and service and, well, life. That's our own little spice, yes?

Went to try their Sunday buffet today and found the place closed and completely GUTTED for renovation. So ended up across the street yet again at Thai Classic. After having dined for the 3rd time at Thai Classic's buffet, I am of the opinion that Baisi Thai on Michigan has the better lunch buffet which incidentally is cheaper too. More seafood and better salads in my estimation at Baisi Thai. Of course on this board both places don't quite cut it for the authentic fare available courtesy of Erik M.

I ordered delivery from P.S. Bangkok over the weekend. They were planning on finishing the remodeling (well, they said reflooring and bathroom improvements) over the weekend and opening back up today. Inf any case, the buffet should be back by Sunday.
Phew!

I'll have an update tonight - I moved a 14-top from TAC to PSB tonight because of closer access to ImprovOlympic, a less adventurous crowd than expected, and TAC either not having a highchair or not knowing what one was. Not a thrilling LTH-level night, I know, but at least some updated data for the Clark/Belmont location. If anyone else has had recent experiences, please post away.

P.S. Bangkok (Clark St.) last night was consistent with experiences I've been having there since 1996 - warmest possible service, excellent (if not flashy) preparation of solid ingredients. While with other posters on LTH and other sites I wish they would use one cut better of beef, or at least trim more carefully, the seafood and the tangy-hot sauces are on the whole beyond reproach. Our family party of 14 shared:

- one-bite delight salad
- chicken satay
- green papaya salad
- charcoal beef salad
- spring rolls

and then we ordered entrees separately, using the Karl Fogel (a friend) Memorial Rule of Asian Ordering, which is:

for n=3:6, let e=(n-1) [max e/n=.83]
for n=7:10, let e=(n-2) [max e/n=.80]
for n=11:14, let e=(n-3) [max e/n = .79]
for n>14, dividing the bill and having meaningful conversation with everyone is impossible, so don't eat out

So we ordered 11 entrees for 14 people and had roughly 4/5 of an entree each, except for the vegetarians and the people like me who ordered and ate an entire platter of Tangy Beef. I'm not saying I completely buy in to the KFMRAO, but that's what happened. Our 11 entrees included some duplicates, and featured:

- vegetarian pad thai crispy with dried chiles
- vegetarian pad see ew crispy with tofu
- Love Me Tender Duck
- Singapore Pork
- Heavenly Chicken
- coconut-orange fried shrimp
- Rama curry chicken
- Tangy Beef
- stir-fried pork with Chinese broccoli

My favorite dishes there are the one-bite salad (fantastic, generous portions, delicious coconut sauce, lots of sliced thai chiles in the center of the plate), Love Me Tender Duck (Erik M. rolls in his grave at the naming convention, but it's fish sauce-braised duck breast with orange glaze over crispy noodles and scallions, plated not unlike "Jewish-American" Chinese Mongolian Beef), and the Tangy Beef. The latter is very citrusy with a decent amount of heat from sliced unseeded serrano, and very generously sprinkled with toasted peanuts. The Rama curry is also excellent, though I like their pork better than their chicken, which carries through to the unremarkable satay as well - when in Fleischzweifel, go pork at PSB.

If you haven't had Thai noodles crispy (read: deep fried), this is the place to try them. The pad see ew would be my candidate for tops in the city, perfectly sweet-sour with a crunchy give and lots of Chinese broccoli leaves. Crispy pad thai works as a side dish (especially when ordered with dry chiles) but is simply too crunchy as a full entree.

The as-is spice level of dishes, particularly the papaya salad, charcoal beef salad, and tangy beef, is pleasantly high. On request, they will do true Thai hot without a disclaimer. You're not going to readily find a specials board, offal, game meats, rarer fish, or isaan sausage at this old-school Colonial coastal Thai restaurant, but it never hurts to ask what the chefs have in stock back in the kitchen even if it's not on the menu. What they do have, they generally prepare well. I don't have much experience with their bartender - last night, a friend's margarita (wtf) had an olive in it (double wtf) - but they do stock Thai beers and a full cabinet.

A special mention should be made of the warm attention of Sue, the owner; you'll find consistent comments all over the 'net about her thoughtfulness (and omnipresence). She keeps high chairs, jars of peanut butter, Ritz crackers, and crayons behind the bar for her smallest guests, and understands all levels of vegetarianism, not something you'll easily find at some of the other spots in the area. When asked to make the one-bite salad without shrimp, she helpfully inquired "should I substitute soy for the fish sauce in the dressing as well?" Eager to please, and very good with groups, I highly recommend the P.S. Bangkok staff and table. It's not going to blow away the more regional-savvy LTHers, but I've never been disappointed when there are enough dishes to sample and pass in good company.

Thanks for posting about this Santander--I haven't been in a while and now you've motivated me to get back there. I went with a big party this past fall (about 16 people) which included a very diverse group of tastes/preferences/high-maintenance-ness and Su and her staff were really accomodating. One update (well, not sure if it's still true, but I'm guessing it is): when I was there last, they had stopped having the Sunday buffet.

I went to PS Bangkok on Clark a couple weekends ago. A family friend of ours used to love this place but I hadn't been back in years. Anyway, I went on a Saturday and the place was empty. We were the only ones eating. It was later (9:00) but I was surprised because the food there is delicious!

My boyfriend and I ordered Crispy Beef Pad See Ewe (I don't know other places that make it crispy - it's sweet and crunchy and delicious!) and Chicken Rama Curry.

I know the economy is hurting right now and less people are going to eat but I was shocked that this place was empty. I thought it had a great reputation and it definitely still has good food!

Anyone else go there?

PS Bangkok
3345 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-871-7777
http://www.psbangkok.com

chewonthat wrote:
Anyone else go there?

Once a month. Su deserves the attention - grab the tangy beef (rare) and an order of pad-sieu crispy, and get a totally different Thai experience than Spoon or TAC; American Thai done with creativity and expertise. There are probably a dozen menu items (straight off the one available menu) that appear at PSB and nowhere else in the city. But they'll also make just about any authentic, funky dish as well with some warning.

I've said it before but I love this place. This post is reminding me to get over there and snap some pics of the crispy pad see ew, tangy beef (amen Santander, I like it rare, too) steamed dumplings, banana blossom salad and Rama curry.

I think of P.S. Bangkok as home-cooking (since I grew up eating take-out from there. Although it occasionally suffers from some inconsistency, overall, I think it's a place that deserves a little more LTH love. Here's a picture of one of my favorites--their crispy pad see ew from a semi-recent takeout meal (note the nicely vented top to keep the noodles crispy )

I have always been a big fan of P.S. Bangkok, but I am very sad that they got rid of their weekend buffet. That was always my very favorite brunch in the city and I hope that they bring it back.

They offer internet ordering which I like and they deliver pretty fast. Count me as a fan.

As mentioned up-thread, they're my go to Thai delivery option. Count me in as a fan.

Does PS Bangkok serve alcohol? Are they BYOB? I'm trying to plan a birthday dinner for a friend and this place came up as a possibility.

Thanks.