[PDX] Thai Food...

[ExtraMSG]

Had a coupon in my entertainment book for Thai Place. Hadn't been there in over a year. They used to be the only place in my neighborhood of Vancouver, Cascade Park, but now there are three others, including Arawan outpost, which is probably the best of the lot, both in the quality of the food and the quality of the atmosphere. All three of these new restaurants replaced Thai Place, which made its pad thai with ketchup instead of tamarind and had a very narrow menu. The people there were supremely nice and the food cheap. So we decided to use our coupon for a cheap meal.

Well, to put it simply, they've greatly improved. First of all, the items are much more authentic, eg, using tamarind, not ketchup, for the pad thai. But they're also prepared much better overall. The flavors are fresher and better.

The menu is also greatly improved. eg, they've added larb, yum nuer, tod mun pla, manora, nam sod, chao phraya, and several items I'm not familiar with like khao yai and gaang jeut.

We got the pad thai with tofu, the tod mun pla, and the nam sod. All were good. The pad thai could have used a little more fish sauce and some lime, I think, but was decent. The tod mun pla (curried fish cakes) was tasty and nicely fried with a slightly spicy sweet and sour sauce. A little too green oniony for me, but I liked them. The nam sod (similar to larb, but with ginger and no toasted rice) was the best of the three. It was a little too gingery for me, but quite tasty.

Now I want to go back and see if they've improved their curries and try some of the other miscellaneous less common dishes.

[anchovy]

Next time you go to Chaba Thai, you must try the Kao Soi - I get it almost everytime I go there it's SO GOOD! As far as other Thai places in town, I find most to be mediocre. Vietnamese is my fave SE Asian cuisine.

[ExtraMSG]

Check out Sukhothai and see if they've got Kao Soi on their menu. Everyone, including people who've travelled to Thailand, really enjoyed theirs.

[hollis]

i am writing this under my boyfriend's user name (I am fierydrunk)--but have to mention that Cha-ba Thai is our fave for Thai by far...Hollis used to live behind it and says he ate there twice a day sometimes!

I really love their to-go portions for curries and Pad Ki Mao and they always are generous with the condiments whenever asked.

Right after the snowstorm, Hollis was sick and I picked him up some Tom Yum. The woman asked where he was and when i said he was ill, she looked so concerned and said, "This will make him better!" It was great to be remembered and cared for like that!!!!

Is Khun Pic the Thai place on division? That place is great too.

[ExtraMSG]

Khun Pic is in a house on Belmont. There are a few on Division, which do you mean? There's a new one I haven't heard anything about called Krua.

[hollis]

yes the new thai joint on division is callled Krua Thai. fierydrunk and i have enjoyed take out from there a couple o times. good portions and when you ask for it spicy they give it to you spicy. not saying it's chaba thai(my favorite) but as it's closer to home it's more convienent. sidenote: the atmosphere is fairly stark and diner like so if that's not your bag, i'd suggest takeout.

[fierydrunk]

Hollis, as you now know, the Krua Thai is now named (drum roll) "Appethaizing"

[trillium]

What is the cross street of this new place?

thanks

trillium

[ExtraMSG]

Isn't it just east of where New Seasons is going in, short of Pix and Lauro, maybe 25th-ish? It's a little place on the north side of the road. They used to advertise "home style" Thai food. Not that that means anything, really. These places turn over all the time. I see at least a couple for sale every Sunday in the business classifieds. I wonder if they've changed hands if they've changed names.

[fierydrunk]

could be...we haven't gone there in about a month and it was still Krua Thai then. It is right up the street from the Detour Cafe and Nature's...

[rachaelLK]

The cross street is closer to 31st or 32nd. It's across from the best sushi box-lunch place in the world - Sushi to Go. I've been eating there for lunch 2x a week since the mid-90's...the inari (fried beancurd stuffed with sushi rice) is better than any. I keep meaning to try the thai but can't drag myself away.

[trillium]

Oh yeah, I saw that place, we have friends who moved close by. Has anyone checked out the all vegetarian place on Hawthorne? There is a huge Buddhist vegetarian tradition in Thailand, but I think I'd miss the fish sauce. The owner is Thai, and his daughter is vegetarian. I think they do a lot with all those fake meats.

regards,

trillium

[ExtraMSG]

Went to the Vancouver Arawan tonight and they're expanding. Anyone who has waited too long at the best all-around Thai in Vancouver will be quite thankful.

I also had a dish I hadn't tried there before and usually don't like: yum nua (beef salad). So many Thai restaurants have the same failings as most other Asian restaurants. They just have boiled or mediocrely stir-fried meats. There's no crust and they're overcooked, often chewy.

Not at Arawan. There's a wonderful crust and the meats are cooked medium and are still juicy. Plus, they have a very nice dressing for the salad, similar to many other Thai salads, with a wonderful balance of sour, salty, spicy, and sweet. The emphasis is on sour first with this one. Very nice salad.