Pam's Real Thai Food

[tommy]

My entree was some sort of "jungle curry" if I recall correctly. It' was a sort of peasant dish that is native to a highlands region of Thailand.

that's a f*cked up curry. it should be called "pile of burning tires in the jungle curry". i love it.

[mascarpone]

The only Thai places I have been to besides Sripraphai have not come close--Wondee Siam and Topaz Thai, both in midtown. I have been to Wondee several times after Lincoln Center/Carnegie Hall events and usually get Salmon, which is solid, but not great and have tasted the Green Curry dishes that others have ordered. I went to Topaz on one occasion a year ago and had a Red Curry that was not memorable.

Somewhat off the subject... I also went to a rather dismal Malaysian yesterday in Sunset Park. The name of the place is Nyonya at 54th Street and 8th Avenue. Despite the fact that I am not an authority on Malaysian I would still say this place was either bad or was having a real off-day. The servers were downright rude. I would not recommend the Spicy Thai Chicken or the Curry with Young Tao Foo. My girlfriend was somewhat luckier in ordering Roti Canai and Prawn Mee.

[ilovenycfood]

The fish dish in question here is known in the South of Thailand as Gaeng Kee Plah or Gaeng Tai Plah, and you can either do it yourself by gutting the inexpensive Plah Too, I believe a type of mackeral (which is the same kind of fish you sometimes find in bamboo baskets ready to steam in the freezer section of good SE Asian markets) or you can get it in a little plastic jar already to go in Thailand (not sure about in the USA?).

After it is removed from the fish - it is the stomach actually, not the kidney - it is salted with sea salt and kept in jar for 4-5 days (or longer).

The curry is prepared by making a curry paste similar to jungle curry, which is lemongrass, garlic, sea salt, prik haeng (dried chilies), tumeric (fresh) and kapee (shrimp paste, but not very much because kee plah is strong in flavor already).

This is added to the fish in boiling water just to cover; add makeau (small round green thai eggplant), pumpkin (thai is like kabocha squash) or potato (for you westerners); long beans and bai horapah (thai basil). Also you can add bamboo shoots if you like but get the ones from Thailand because for whatever reason they are far better then the Chinese ones that you typically get!

Kee means droppings, Plah means fish. You can read more about that on Kasma's website:

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/kee.html

Also YummyTaste is a very good looking Thai food website which mentions this curry: http://www.yummytaste.com/ingeneral/region...isine_south.htm

Maybe I can talk my Southern Thai husband into cooking this for dinner tonight? I don't remember him ever making it as it a little fussy; but we have a Thai woman friend who can make it from scratch.

The most famous place to try this dish is perhaps Nakhon Si Thammarat - an ancient city of the South - if you plan to travel to Thailand, a very interesting place. Lonely Planet's book World Food Thailand says "Don't miss the pungent and spicy kaeng tai plaa" regarding traveling in the South.

Here is also one more interesting alternative way to make it:

http://www.thaifolk.com/doc/cuisine/kaengt...ngtaiplah_e.htm

[Pan]

The fish dish in question here is known in the South of Thailand as Gaeng Kee Plah or Gaeng Tai Plah, and you can either do it yourself by gutting the inexpensive Plah Too, I believe a type of mackeral (which is the same kind of fish you sometimes find in bamboo baskets ready to steam in the freezer section of good SE Asian markets)

Good to have you here, Karla!

Type of mackeral from that region - could that be what was called Ikan Selayang in East Coast Malaysian states like Terengganu and Kelantan? I never liked it - too bony! - but my father did, and it's apparently gone from the waters of Terengganu and was unavailable where my father looked for it in markets last summer.

Or could you be talking about what's called Ikan Kembung in Malaysia, a fish I always liked? Does your husband speak Yawi, as well as Thai?

[ilovenycfood]

Hello Pan,

I don't know exactly what type of fish; but if you are in the USA the only way to do this would be to try to find the 'tai plah' in a jar I believe; or perhaps it is even available frozen now adays? Maybe Eric can persuade Pam Real Thai Food to tell their secret? I will also check if anyone is interested...

Also I wonder where the restauranteers are from?? Most Thais residing in the USA are from Bangkok and Northern parts of the country (Chiang Mai and Issan); I think the South may be one of the least represented in America. So to find the Southern dishes on a menu is a pleasant suprise.

Regarding language, only Thai speakers for the most part in the South of Thailand. Yawi is the Muslim dialect and is in the deep South on the Malay border, which last I heard is about 2% of the population of Thailand? The Southern dialect is known as 'Pahk Thai' and is distinctive from Bangkok Thai which is the official language of the country. Fast and clipped and somewhat lyrical perhaps....

My Thai husband later explained that the reason he does not make this curry is that he and his family don't really like it! In fact they have yet another version- they use Nohm Gahtee (Coconut milk) and cook the Kee Plah (after it has fermented only 2-3 days) in it - I am forgetting now the other ingredients he said they used....coconuts are a daily part of the diet of islanders! A day without coconut curry is a day that never should have happened!

Edited July 20, 2004 by ilovenycfood (log)

[jogoode]

I ONe of the curries had almost zero curry flavor. It wasn't just lacking spiciness - it was almost like thin yellow gravy. There were plenty of potato chunks and almost no chicken at all.  Disappointing and have not been back but it may have been an off night for them - many other people have raved about it.

yellow curry and massamun curry have never done anything for me. both contain potatoes. it always sounds like a good idea, hearty and all. and i keep trying them in places where i like everything else, hoping that i'll like it. but it's always rather flavorless.

←

Not all yellow curries contain potatoes. This one sounds like kaeng karii, perhaps the only Thai curry made with curry powder. A good massaman curry, I've heard, can be tremendously delicious, though I've never encountered one. Then again, I've never been to Thailand. Massaman is one of the most complicated curries to make--some versions require twenty ingredients for the paste alone--so I'd guess restaurants in the US rarely take a stab at it.

My entree was  some sort of "jungle curry" if I recall correctly. It' was a sort of peasant dish that is native to a highlands region of Thailand. It was okay but not great. Again....  I admit that I may just have been there on an off night but that makes two visits for me, neither of which was overly impressive.

←

I love jungle curry. About three weeks ago I decided to try Pam's for dinner, as I was craving Thai food, in the area, and in too much of a rush to hit Sri. (This last bit is rare. ) I can't judge Pam's based on one dish, especially since I've yet to try the dishes you guys recommend, but the jungle curry was weak. It had one note: salty. It was spicy, but not the wonderful kind that fills your whole mouth with heat. It was the uninteresting type that burns the top of your tongue.

[Daniel]

I love jungle curry. About three weeks ago I decided to try Pam's for dinner, as I was craving Thai food, in the area, and in too much of a rush to hit Sri. (This last bit is rare. ) I can't judge Pam's based on one dish, especially since I've yet to try the dishes you guys recommend, but the jungle curry was weak. It had one note: salty. It was spicy, but not the wonderful kind that fills your whole mouth with heat. It was the uninteresting type that burns the top of your tongue.

←

Went there this evening.. Had a couple of really interesting dishes.. One was fried mackerals, another was a salad where you wrapped a mixture of coconut,lime wedge, chiles, peanuts,and other items in a leaf.. Really spicy, great flavors, and a lot of fun..

I must say the jungle curry was very disappointing.. The sauce was weak and thin. Sitting at a two person table, after trying a little, i just gave the dish to the waitress to make room on the table..

The menu provided by menu pages omits portions of the menu..There are some pretty interesting options I will go back to try.. This blue fish dish in particular will annoy me until i go back.

[Pumpkin Lover]

The last time I was at Pam Real, they had stopped their BYOB policy due to a violation of some health regulation (there were letters from various city departments in the menus). Daniel, do you know if that's still the case there?

[Daniel]

It certainly still is.. Very weird, they told me that cant serve liquor yet but they just got approved, but also said i couldnt bring beers either... A couple walked in with a six pack and were not allowed to drink...

[Daniel]

I ate tonight before an 8 oclock showing playing at the O'Neal two blocks away.. We sat down by 615 and were well fed and on the street at 730.. Its a great pre-theater dinner if you are looking for really good thai in a relaxed setinng.

We started with Yum Woon Sen: Bean threads mixed with lime dressing, cilantro, pork bits, and some squid, scallion and chili.. It was refreshing and really limey..The bean threads were delicate refreshing..

Next dish I dont remember its name.. Basically its dried shrimp, chicken, coconut, onions, hot chiles and lime wedges that are all to be wrapped around a certain leaf and then eaten with a coconut chutney.. Tonight there were out of the shiso like leaf and decided to use lettuce instead.. We were surprised they didnt tell us before hand and give us the chance to re-order.. But it was still good.. This wrap has three bites to it and there are very different bites.. One where you get the lime wedge and rind with crunch coconut, another is the blinding heat from biting in to 1/3rd of a thai chile and the last is a refreshing coconut chutney peanut bite to end.. Its such a fun neat dish even with them using lettuce leafs..I was given one of these dishes at a fancy thai place in Chicago, Aruns, and was given just one tiny leaf arrangement and was charged a lot of money for something half as good as Pam's.

We then ordered three things.. Pad Key Mao, a double cooked crispy pork with basil, and this super hot fish kidney soup.. Which they refused to sell me, until another waitress came out.. Supposedly it was too hot.. After promising not to return the dish, she gave in...

The double cooked pork was really good.. Not the best, but crunchy, a little chewy, and full of flavor.. The sauce worked well with it.. I would love to get this again..

Pad Key Mao,

As good as any I have had recently.. Spicy, great noodles. Solid version..

So this was the dish that all the to do was about.. Its served in a bowl and the color is a scary brownish red.. Not bright red, but like a rich brown red with teams of peppers swimming in packs.. The smell is a strong fermented fish and pepper smell.. I dug right in.. As hot as it is, its more tastey.. Had a few shrimp, but the vegetables and green were the best part.. I served the rich broth over rice and it was awesome..

Still forgot my bluefish dish!!!!

As I was leaving the guy with the hat and sunglasses said to me while i am leaving.. I was watching you, you are a good eater.. I said thank you I guess if you meant it that way.. He smiled a little and we left.. Seems like an interesting fellow.. Like he is ready for the World Series of Poker or something with those sunglasses.. Is he the owner?

I would think to go to Pam before Wondee od Siam these days...

Edited October 12, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Todd36]

Still forgot my bluefish dish!!!!

As I was leaving the guy with the hat and sunglasses said to me while i am leaving.. I was watching you, you are a good eater..  I said thank you I guess if you meant it that way.. He smiled a little and we left.. Seems like an interesting fellow.. Like he is ready for the World Series of Poker or something with those sunglasses.. Is he the owner?

I would think to go to Pam before Wondee od Siam these days...

←

Most likely that is Pam's husband. He's in the HVAC business.

[gaf]

Real Pam New York City Entry #41

Chicagoans are inordinately proudful of our Thai cuisine (perhaps only Los Angeles can compete). On more than one occasion I have lobbied for Ritchie Daley to name larb Chicago's city dish. I have hesitated before trying Thai food in New York. Many New Yorkers find Sripraphai in Woodside, Queens to be city's premier Thai restaurant, but Pam Real Thai Food in Hell's Kitchen has received high marks for its authenticity and price. The restaurant has recently expanded its menu, and doesn't have the secret Thai menus that LTHforum diners have made famous in Chicago, but the waitress offered to ask the chef if we wished a special dish. The space, near the theater district, is cramped, even by the standards of ethnic restaurants although the decor is pleasant enough - this is not a down and dirty restaurant.

The seven of us ordered four appetizers, five main courses, and four desserts, ranging from excellent to exotic to ordinary. After drinks, our total, including tip, was $20.00 - a Manhattan bargain. Pam can not equal Chicago's Spoon Thai, Sticky Rice, TAC Quick, or Thai Aree - all mainstays of the Chicago dining scene, but the dishes were a step above suburban Pad Thai or Beef with Basil.

Of our appetizers, the best were Duck Noodle with Dark Soup, a hefty, spicy duck noodle soup with a deep rich flavor, and a One-Bite Salad (I believe it was named Miang Cone) with roasted coconut, peanuts, ginger, lime, red onion, chili, dried shrimp in a lettuce leaf with a dab of syrup. I found it as compelling as Spoon Thai's one-bite salad, which is high praise indeed. Less memorable were an adequate Steamed Thai Chicken and Mushroom Dumpling and Fried Tofu Squares which tasted no better - or worse - than fried tofu, but which had a nice chili-peanut sauce.

Pam Real is known in some Chowist circles for its Kaeng Tai Pla. This is described as a unique southern Thai dish, consisting of "fermented fish kidney with turmeric. Lime leaves, chili paste and vegetables." The menu screams "!!!Kaeng Tai Pla is the most hot and spicy Thai food." Our good waitress tried - in vain - to warn me away from this dish, alternately describing it as stinky and spicy. But her tears would not move me. Kaeng Tai Pla is hot, but not overly so, and no more than another dish we ordered. There is a tendency for foodhounds to assume that anything made with fermented fish kidney must be delicious! I was not sorry to have ordered it. I do like fishy tastes and offal textures, and I enjoyed the somewhat harsh, spiky and fiery flavors, but I wouldn't order the dish again. However, each reader will certainly wish to try Kaeng Tai Pla to discover if this is the perfect dish. (It isn't.)

The best entree was Pla Chili Sauce Khun Pam's [Chef Pam's] Style: a crispy whitefish topped with a hot - and rich - chili sauce. This was a main course worthy of a banquet. The other main courses were less memorable, but quite adequate: a smooth green curry with vegetables and tofu, crispy pork chunks with basil, and duck with ginger sauce. None of these were particularly remarkable, but each was enjoyed by our table.

Pam Real Thai Food has a more extensive dessert list than most Thai restaurants - eleven choices. We selected Rice Pudding with Durian, Golden Jackfruit Seeds, Thai Creme Brulee (taro custard with coconut), and a Fried Banana Crepe. It is nice to see durian on the menu. While my companions were mildly repulsed by durian's aroma, it was less overpowering than I expected, and was a cross between soothing honeyed custard and old onions. Of course, the rice pudding cut the aroma, leaving just a bit of the stink and much of the sweet.

Of the other desserts the best was the Fried Banana Crepe, a perfect cooked cigar with drizzles of chocolate and cherry sauce. It was a charming creation that seemed more French than Thai. The creme brulee was more of a pudding-cake than a crackly, crunchy brulee. The jackfruit "seeds" were small round doughy cakes that while amiable lacked a distinctive taste.

Pam's deserves credit for dishes that are not seen on less ambitious menus. The Dark Duck Soup and Whole Chili Fish were outstanding. The remainder should easily please any novice with the exception of Kaeng and Durian, dishes at home in Hell's Kitchen.

Pam Real Thai Food

404 West 49th Street (at Ninth Avenue)

Manhattan (Hell's Kitchen)

212-333-7500

My Webpage: Vealcheeks