yes, shrimp.

i should probably just get over it and eat the stuff. i used to like it. other foods have made me sick and i still eat them. i tried a bite of it two years ago and could almost taste the puke. no other food makes me so ill just thinking about it.

Not Crap. Thai food is good, always $1.80 overpriced, and portions too small for people my size.

Still, It's officially crack.

BTW, Green Curry chicken is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO....

NOT CRAP

alpha80 wrote:BTW, Green Curry chicken is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO....

NOT CRAP

I had this last night. Yum yum yum.

Thai places in wicker/ukrainian suck with the exception of Roong. I especially dislike Thai Village on Division--bland noodles every time. Other good places in Chicago are sister restaurant Roong Petch, PS Bangkok (it's good), Noodles in the Pot (LP) and sister Joy's Noodles (LV), and Thai Linda (roscoe) and its sister Charley Thai Place (L7).

At Penny's, the Egg Noodles with barbequed Pork is delicious. But I would not go there for real Thai food.

Pad Thai is FAR from the best that Thai cuisine offers - something like the chop suey of Thai food. I suggest trying some of the off-the-beaten-path tastes of Thai sausages, curries, and vegetables to really discover the fullest extent of the Thai palette.

That said, this poll is about Pad Thai, and frankly, standing on its own, you just can't argue with it. I enjoy it with shrimp, a bit of cilantro, lime, and I like to request that my bean sprouts remain UNCOOKED. Try this for some added snap and freshness.

NOT CRAP.


EDIT: for some terrific pad Thai and some other great, if not too adventurous concoctions, check out Thai Bowl on Taylor St in Little Italy (right near UIC). Their jade noodles are exquisite as well.

I just noticed today my old Thai place is being torn down... Thai Star on State... so sad... but the place on Illinois east of State near the Reader (edit: Star of Siam) does this crazy 'crunchy' pad thai that will surely fill your arteries faster than a week of Hot Doug's.... but of course is quite delicious.

circusking wrote:I voted CRAP because I prefer pad se el. it's also called pad se yu. Flat broad noodles, broccoli, eggs, chicken = awesome.

PAD SE EW (how they spell it at my local thai shop) is NOT CRAP!

I'm not sure if I like it better than Pad Thai, but it certainly competes. I don't think either of them are crap though.

Don't forget to mention that it's in a black bean sauce!

Scott wrote:There are so many places in Chicago that do great, great Thai food. Penny's is so not one of them.

Scott,

You are not the first I've heard dis the Penny's. I happen to like Penny's: particularly the Hot Pepper Noodle w/ Tofu, but the Pad Thai w/ Tofu is also quite good. But still, I can see how people wouldn't like them (is it cuz they're the Chi-Chi's of Thai food?

I will now ask you to recommend the BEST Thai place in Chicago -- money is no object, but I'll award bonus points for one entry that is in the 'affordable' range of Penny's as well.

It will be an experiment.

Godspeed,
Mr. King

Mr. King,

Yes, I too want to know the best in town. My current fave has more to do with how fast they deliver to my home... so that does not really count. A real world class Thai place is in Boston... Brown Sugar. Man, oh man! Any Bostonians here?

Superking wrote:You are not the first I've heard dis the Penny's. I happen to like Penny's: particularly the Hot Pepper Noodle w/ Tofu, but the Pad Thai w/ Tofu is also quite good. But still, I can see how people wouldn't like them (is it cuz they're the Chi-Chi's of Thai food?

No, the "Chi-Chi's" aspect is not in their favor of course, but it is not the reason I can't stand the place. I've had their Pad Thai and found it to be whack. And I tried it again months later because I thought it may well have been a bad night or a fluke or something. But it wasn't. I won't go there again though.

Superking wrote:I will now ask you to recommend the BEST Thai place in Chicago -- money is no object, but I'll award bonus points for one entry that is in the 'affordable' range of Penny's as well.

I can't say "the best", because for me it's more like a CRAP / NOT CRAP kinda thing. NOT CRAP places, to me, include PS Bangkok, Opart, Spoon Thai, and a place I can't remember the name of (or exact location either, sorry) that I wanna say is on Lawrence, fairly close to Lake Shore Drive. I know it's on the south side of the street, has a parking lot, and may or may not even be around anymore. But I used to go there every once in a while when I lived in Uptown/Andersonville, and enjoyed it. They have wood panelling on the walls, and how can you go wrong with that?

If I had to pick my "number one" Thai place, it would be Thai Eatery, on Western, just south of Fullerton, on the west side of the road. It's tiny, and it's sometimes full of cops (who are there for the food), but I love the place. For the vibe, the staff, and definitely the food, including the presentation thereof and the portion sizes, which I find to be perfect. I just had their Panang Curry (w/ chicken) this weekend, and loved it. I haven't had their Pad Thai in a few years, but remember it being good.

Another joint that I would highly recommend for taste, atmosphere and *especially* quality of ingredients is Dharma Garden, on Irving Park.

Indie Cafe, at 5951 N. Broadway, is up there with Opart and the others on Scott's list.