Thai

[mb7o]

Seattle has about 10000 Thai restaurants. (96 according to Citysearch).

Some are generally good, others not so great. Others are good with certain dishes and not others.

Anyone have favorites for particular things?

Example: Tom Yum Gai: Siam on Broadway.

Pad Thai: Definately not Siam on Broadway.

Pad See-Uw: ???

Larp: ???. Many places do serve it.

Emerald Curry: Chantanee in Bellevue.

I haven't been there since I was in Thailand, I should try it again. (Though I also stay away due to multiple upset stomachs.)

Green Curry: ?

Red Curry: ?

Pinecone fish: Typhoon.

Does anyone else serve weird fried fish?

Roti: Malay Satay Hut.

Yellow Curry: Malay Satay Hut. (at least the curry part of the Roti Canai)

[col klink]

For swimming rama, there's only once place to go: Thai Tom's on the Ave. Tom has a rich peanut butter sauce which can be spicy if you want it and he sautes the fresh spinach to perfection whereas everyone else in town steams it, bleah.

[Blue Heron]

I love everything I've ever had at Thai Tom on " the Ave.", including the Swimming Rama. I love the theater of the place too, sitting at the counter watching the cooks at work with flames shooting to the ceiling.

Considering there are so many Thai places in town, many of them are mediocre and not recommendable. I can't really recommend either Thai place in W. Seattle that I've tried. They are ok for some things (like Sate), but the Phad Thai is too sweet for me, a common problem.

My Thai friend from Bangkok doesn't eat at any of Seattle/Eastside Thai restaurants since she says they don't taste the same as in Thailand. Does anyone know of a place I could take her to, that she might like? I haven't taken her to Thai Tom since it's so small, I never know if there will be an extra seat available. But maybe we should just go and take our chances.

[Schielke]

Thai Tom is always great, except for the bastardly side of some of the workers.

Tai-ger Room further south on the Ave is not as good as Thai Tom, but it is close. They have a bigger and nicer dining room, but I have also had problems with their bastardly nature too.

Royal Palm on Roosevelt and 65th is pretty nice too, they have really good appetizers. It is more upscale of a place, but still very tasty.

Also I have had good expereinces at Chantanee in Bellevue, good Panang Curry.

There is another place in Bellevue on Main (within walking distance of Chantanee) in a two or three shop strip mall that we called Purple Thai because that was the color of the sign. They were pretty tasty too.

Ben

[girl chow]

I'm loving reading this thread, thanks for sharing your recs :)

A good friend from college who grew up in Thailand, but came here for college and stayed, introduced me to Racha Noodles on Queen Anne several years ago. I love that place. I know that they recently got a new chef from Thailand (her name is Chef Daeng) and they recently added a bunch more seating and some new dishes. They do noodles very well, but I also really like some of the more unusual menu items like the duck with the ginger sauce and the Thai catfish (sounds weird, tastes good).

I used to really like the mieng kahm appetizer at the Fremont Noodle House, but that place is gone, right? I think I've read they moved and renamed (to Ballard?), but I haven't gone looking yet. Anyone know where mieng kahm is served (besides Typhoon, which I like, but not a whole lot)? Mieng kahm is the app with the little bits of coconut, ginger, onion, chilis, lime, peanuts, dried shrimp and other little bits that you wrap up in leaves yourself and pop into your mouth. I love to balance the flavors to get a perfect combination of hot, sour, salty and sweet -- the foundation of pretty much all Thai cooking (or at least the stuff I like :)

I know a lot of people rave about Bai Tong near SeaTac airport and call it "authentic," but I've found that place to be pretty average when it comes to what you can get everywhere else at the countless neighborhood Thai joints and for cheaper. The story is famous: Thai Airlines sets up kitchen to feed hungry Thai pilots. But when it comes down to it, their phad thai is pretty average and their swimming rama is just as soggy and steamed as everywhere else (except for that place on the Ave I will now be trying!).

Oh, and there's a neat Thai grocery store and video place in North Auburn across the street from the Valley Drive-In that sells all kinds of cool stuff. Just wanted to give a heads up about this place... especially if you are looking for Thai videos or know someone who is :) It's called Khon Khaen and it's at 5001 Auburn Way N.; 253-813-9768

edit: I am the typo queen. Also, wanted to add something about my favorite Thai grocery in Auburn.

[MsRamsey]

They are doing mieng kahm at the new place on Capitol Hill, Simply Paradise, but they're using lettuce leaves instead of the cha plu leaves (which I say is a pity). I haven't had it there, though.

I have to second Royal Palm. It seems to be far better at dinner; a recent lunch was really disappointing.

[girl chow]

Wow, lettuce leaves for the mieng kahm doesn't really sound like it would work. Maybe it does, I'll have to see. I just think the texture of a lettuce leaf wouldn't really match the texture of a bai cha plu leaf, which I might compare to maybe spinach, but with a bit more texture and aroma? (the perfect descriptor escapes me).

I had the chance to go to Simply Paradise on Saturday, but after reading the mixed posts, I decided to skip it. Instead, we went to the ol' standard Broadway Grill. They royally screwed up my order, but they made it right. The manager actually came over and apologized (and this is without me even complaining one bit.. I simply sent the dish back to the kitchen and asked them to make me what they had described on the menu)... and the manager asked if he could buy dessert .. and said if I didn't like the order after they fixed it, it would be free. It had been eons since I've had this great of service. He also gave us all coupons for free breakfast.

Sorry, getting totally off topic, but I really wanted to share that experience. :)

[tsquare]

I used to really like the mieng kahm appetizer at the Fremont Noodle House, but that place is gone, right? I think I've read they moved and renamed (to Ballard?), but I haven't gone looking yet.

Called Thaiku. Next to the "park" on Ballard Avenue, south of Market. (Was Julia's Park Place some incarnation ago.) Pretty place, can have a long wait. Great flavors, though sometimes it seems like a lot of money for a bowl of noodles.

[MsRamsey]

Instead, we went to the ol' standard Broadway Grill. They royally screwed up my order, but they made it right.

HOW did you manage that? You are so lucky. The service is always just absolute shit when I go there. So bad that it makes me angry.

Oh, and I tried to tried to take my husband to Simply Paradise on Sunday at 11:30 AM. They weren't open. By the time we walked by at 12:30, they were open. I suggest they get with the program and open their doors by 11:00, fer chrissakes.

[girl chow]

I have no idea how I got that kind of royal treatment at Broadway Grill because I've always had pretty crappy service there too ... although some pretty tasty cocktails. The place was dead on a Saturday night, and the manager was new. My guess: they're in trouble and trying to fix the crappy things they've always done wrong. I really don't like that place or the food much, but it's an alternative when you're dining with people who are afraid of Thai food or pretty much anything that has an ounce of flavor (errr).

Tsquare, thanks for the explanation of what happened to the Fremont Noodle House. It's good to know. :)

[mb7o]

Hmmm... only been to Bai Tong once and it was mediocre.

I wouldn't be surprised if the quality of food drops if you order something like swimming rama, which to my understanding is about as authentic as egg foo young. Does the quality of food go up if you speak the tones right when ordering dishes, or complement the food in Thai, especially in a place with an open kitchen?

[tighe]

A couple of women from Thailand that I went to grad school with said they thought that Noodle Boat in Issaquah served the most authentic Thai food in the Seattle area. I still haven't made it out there to give it a try. Has anyone here ever been there?

[girl chow]

Swimming rama may or may not be authentic, but I'm in heaven when a peanut sauce achieves the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you meant by your post Mb70, but are you suggesting Thai chefs have a menu for Thai diners and a menu for Americans from which they cook? What has been your experience in getting the secret ingredients unleashed?

To take the topic into home cooking, Thai cooking for me is all about learning to balance flavors (whether or not the dishes are actually Americanized or whatever). I think Thai chefs have taught diners like me much about the balancing of flavor principles, whether or not the dish is authentic. And when I learn something from Kasma Loha Unchit's cookbooks (who we've discussed at length in other threads here), I really feel I'm discovering an amazing approach to flavor. And I've heard her critics say she cooks too "American," whatever that means.

[girl chow]

Wanted to add that the best peanut sauce I've had was at a Thai restaurant in Port Townsend.

[mamster]

I'd speak up for the noodle soups at Orrapin Noodle Experience on QA. I would not speak up for the new Thai Kitchen a couple doors down; it's a really pretty space serving amazingly bland food.

Thaiku in Ballard (the former Fremont Noodle House) is great. Best miang kham I've had in town, although they need to add dried shrimp, and also the best khao soi (Chiang Mai curry noodles).

[awbrig]

Big Bowl in Chicago

[jhlurie]

Big Bowl in Chicago

Yes, and its a real deal when combined with the cost of the 1700 mile drive from Seattle!

[awbrig]

its worth it when awbrig would join you and pick up the tab for dinner!

[MsRamsey]

its worth it when awbrig would join you and pick up the tab for dinner!

No, that's okay, really.

[mb7o]

I'd speak up for the noodle soups at Orrapin Noodle Experience on QA. 

Thaiku ... miang kham ... best khao soi

Cool, new places to try specific things. Everyplace seems to have a little speciality, though menus are often similar from one to another.

On the 'order in thai' experience, my Thai is too limited and I'm too embarassed to try. But some of the best chinese food I've had was when I was with people who spoke the dialect of the restaurant owners.

[malarkey]

I'd speak up for the noodle soups at Orrapin Noodle Experience on QA.

no kidding mamster? the one and only time I've eaten there I found it incredibly bland. What did you have? perhaps we chose the wrong things...

I *do* like Orrapin though. Their tod mun pla is great, and I really like their panang curry. For phad thai, I like Tup Tim Thai at the bottom of Q.A. Actually Tup Tim has a bunch of good stuff, IMO.

Bai Tong was my very first taste of Thai food, ~13 years ago. The quality of their food has changed considerably over the years. I still, though, cannot find a garlic shrimp as good as theirs was in the old days.

[Roger McShane]

Having spent a lot of time in Seattle over the past couple of years i would have to say that there are no restaurants that I have tried that have that authentic taste of Thai food.

You just have to go to Bangkok or Chiang Mai. There is nowhere that I have found in the US that has the authentic flavour of Thailand.

You have a Thai fanatic in Mamster who has tried the real deal at some of Thailand's most authentic restaurants so take his advice.

[LaurieA-B]

True, Roger, but we are fortunate to have restaurants serving delicious, if not authentic, Thai food.

Thaiku is my current favorite, and a restaurant that has a bit of Thailand feel to it. I like their gai yaang very much. Some time I want to go and have gai yaang all to myself, as it is served very nicely with a small portion of papaya salad and sticky rice. One of the world's perfect meals. The miang kham is very good, though missing dried shrimp (which Matthew loves but I don't). I was pleased to see it on the menu at Simply Paradise, but lettuce leaves do not bode well.

We had dinner once at Typhoon, at least two years ago. As I recall, the food was good but seemed very expensive compared to other Thai restaurants in town. That may or may not be accurate. Anyway, we have not gone back.

Siam on Broadway is a great place to go with a group (except when it's crowded). The extended Amster family is fond of their special fried rice, among other things. I like the spring rolls, chicken satay, and fish cakes, from the appetizers. I have eaten larp (chicken) at Siam, Simply Paradise, and other places in town, but nowhere was it outstanding.

I enjoyed dinner at Simply Paradise and want to return, especially as they have probably ironed out some of their opening kinks by now. The dishes mentioned by nightscotsman here were good, as was the Lao sausage.

Simply Paradise is from the same owners as Simply Thai, which was good and received a positive review from Matthew a while back. You can also find reviews of Viengthong, Chantanee, Mandalay Cafe (some of which is Thai), and Japan/Thai Restaurant Project at the grubshack. And also lots of restaurants in Bangkok, if anyone's heading that direction from Seattle.

[mamster]

no kidding mamster? the one and only time I've eaten there I found it incredibly bland. What did you have?

I usually get the tom yam with rice noodles, but actually I ate there last night and it was weak--too much sugar, not enough lime juice. Now I feel like I have to go back for further research.

[mb7o]

I'll add a dish from my 'simply paradise' review: their chicken kee mao. Based on a sample of one, it had the balance of flavors which makes 'normal' thai food so good.

Given that the quality of other dishes was uneven, anyone else have comments on this? It was much more of the 'with basil' style than the 'super spicy because it was made by (or for) a drunk person' style.