Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Ban Thai

My mouth is still tingling...mmm

I was excited to try Ban Thai in White Bear Lake. I've seen very mixed reviews on the restaurant; positive from Lazy Lightning and negative from Twin Cities Restaurant Blog. I also tried to go there once already, to find it closed due to a death in the family.

Based on their cute website, the restaurant was what I expected- a small, family owned business. I was eager to see if the owner (who is Thai) would be our server, but instead we got her husband! His knowledge of the menu and different dishes was impressive.

When I arrived, my dining companion had already ordered Fried Wontons with cream cheese (Deep-fried wonton stuffed with cream cheese, pork or shrimp. Served with Ban Thai's own homemade sweet and sour sauce) and Veggie Egg Rolls (For the veggie lover. Stuffed with fresh cabbage, mushrooms, carrots,eggs, onions and mungbean thread noodles. Lightly deep-fried). Both of these dishes were fine, but nothing super memorable. I don't think Ban Thai's sweet and sour sauce tasted any different than normal sweet and sour. We were off to a slow start, but not for long!

My dining companion decided to order Gang Panang Curry with chicken (A thicker variety of red curry with ground peanut and sweet basil) since we've been to Big Bowl together several times and I regularly order Panang Curry. I was absolutely blown away. This was definitely the best Panang Curry I've ever tasted...I had several bites of hers and could have easily eaten the whole thing...what a surprise!

I've had Thai food the last two days, so I was yearning for something a little different. I decided to try Laab Moo (A favorite in Northern Thailand. Coarsely ground pork marinated in a spicy combination of Thai peppers, limejuice, onion, fresh mint, green onion, cilantro and roasted rice powder. Served on a bed of lettuce and cucumbers. Served with an order of sticky rice to complete the experience) based on the interesting description and the server's suggestion. I ordered a spice level 3 (out of 4) and he seemed nervous for me. This was one of the best meals I've had since I started this blog- absolutely perfect! He was right about the spice level- I might not have been able to eat the meal if it was a 4! The 3 had me with a bit of a runny nose, burning mouth and tingly lips- LOVE IT!!

Overall, the experience at Ban Thai was thrilling and memorable...I can't wait to visit the cute couple who own this place again soon!

Decor: fine
Price: normal ($10-15)
Spice level: HOT!!!

For more information:

Ban Thai
2186 3rd Street
White Bear Lake, MN 55110

www.banthaionline.com

Ban Thai on Urbanspoon

Monday, December 28, 2009

Answers to FAQs

I've been getting a lot of questions lately about my quest to try all that the Twin Cities has to offer for Thai Cuisine.

Here are some answers:
  • I've gone to over 30 places, which is about half of the list (I think)
  • Urbanspoon definitely has the most accurate information on Thai restaurants, but I'm still making changes and updates regularly. For a while I submitted updates all over town, but now I'm only updating information for Urbanspoon. I love their website!!
  • I'm going to try and go every place on my list 2-3 times. With three experiences, I can try a curry, a noodle or rice and something else. Anywhere that was horrible will only get me to come back one more time.
  • I don't foresee doing a follow-up blog when I'm done with this research; I can't eat any other cuisine this often.
  • I read other bloggers' posts on Thai food- it's quite fun!
  • If I could blog as a profession, I probably wouldn't. I love my day job :)
  • My goal is to go two places a week whenever possible
  • I try and get dessert and/or appetizers to try more items at a restaurant
  • I love feedback from my friends.
  • I have a dream that Andrew Zimmerman will want to grab a bite with me sometime!
  • I'm trying to come up with a rating scale...something similar to Coldstone's "like it, love it, gotta have it"
If you have any other questions....let me know!!

1st of Thai Restaurant

Today, I had the opportunity to grab some take-out over the lunch hour. I arrived at 1st of Thai Restaurant in Plymouth to a sizable crowd for a Monday lunch. I arrived really hungry (why do I always do that?!) so I ordered an egg roll as an appetizer for the car ride back. Although the egg roll had good flavor, the insides were not connected to the wrapper, so they kept sliding out...it weirded me out a little!

After looking over their menu, I was feeling indecisive, so I ordered Pad Thai with chicken (Rice stick noodle, stir fried with eggs, bean sprouts, green onions, garlic and topped with roasted grounded peanuts). The packaging and appearance of the food was pretty standard, but oh my gosh was it delicious!! I was really impressed with the sauce and the chicken was perfect- it feels like I've had more weird chicken than ever lately!

I am excited to try this place again...hopefully for a sit down meal!

Decor: nice, nothing out of the ordinary
Price: normal ($10-15)
Spice level: good! She seemed very suspicious when I ordered a 4 out of 5!

For more information:

1st of Thai
10100 6th Avenue North
Plymouth, MN 55441
(For GPS, use Minneapolis)

First of Thai on Urbanspoon

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Taste of Thailand- St. Paul

Va-va voom!!

After a so-so experience at Taste of Thailand- Downtown Minneapolis, I warned my dining companion that I wasn't sure how this would be (she is one of my regulars, so I wasn't worried about her feelings!). This Taste of Thailand was WAY different from the one in downtown Minneapolis. We had an awesome dinner! We started with Special Spring Rolls (The best spring roll in the Twin Cities made even better with lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, cilantro, shrimp, pork, rice noodles and three different types of fresh mint wrapped in rice paper and served with a delicious sauce- and always fresh!) I was definitely skeptical about these being the best spring rolls (I've seen that tag line once or twice...) but I have to say these were the best I've had to date. You could definitely taste the mint and we loved the rolls and the delicious peanut sauce.

For dinner, my dining companion strayed from her regular Pad Thai and ordered Pra Ram Long Song with chicken (Another Twin Cities favorite, this traditional Thai dish feautres a mild peanut curry sauce over steamed spinach). I was so proud of her for trying something new, especially since she was unsure of the spinach. She loved the dish and I also thought it was excellent. The peanut sauce was perfection!!

I ordered Vegetarian Red Curry (Tofu and red curry in coconut milk with broccoli, carrots, green beans, napa cabbage, potatoes, pea pods and jumbo onions) because I was really feeling like some vegetables after all of the delicious (but unhealthy) holiday food. This dish was absolutely perfect. I have a rule that I only take leftovers when it is just about the best thing I've ever tasted...and I took leftovers! The flavor was rich, but not overpowering and the vegetables were delicious!!! (the carrots and green beans could have used one more minute cooking!)

For dessert, we had to try Buttercup Squash with Custard. I love Thai custard and had ever seen butternut squash on any menu so obviously I was intrigued. Even though my dining companion and I were full, we enjoyed the dessert a lot. What is it about Thai custard that makes me weak in the knees?!

Overall, I am so excited to have tried another Taste of Thailand!!! So far St. Paul is shaping up to have the best Thai food...

Decor: strip mall-ish
Prices: average ($10-15)
Spice level: absolutely perfect

More information:

Taste of Thailand
1671 Selby Ave
St Paul, MN 55104


Taste of Thailand on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine

HOT!!

Tonight, I ventured out to Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine in Brooklyn Park for some take-out. I was absolutely starving by the time I got there, so I ordered Egg Rolls (Shredded carrots, onions, and glass noodles wrapped and lightly fried. Choose from - vegetarian or pork) for the car ride home. They were absolutely delicious and made my aching stomach feel better immediately. They must have been really hot when they packaged them today, since they basically melted through the styrofoam...hopefully I didn't eat any of it?!

When I got home, I pulled out my Yellow Curry with chicken (Coconut milk, yellow curry paste, potatoes , basil, and green onions). I was interested to see if it was actually spicy since I'd asked for EXTRA spicy. Um...yeah! I could barely eat the deliciousness. I'm sweating and my nose is running...so it was AWESOME! It also helped me eat a little less since I could barely breathe...ha!

The little restaurant was cute and had ample seating. I will definitely dine in next time I go, which will be soon since they have such great spicy-ness!

Decor: cutesy
Prices: average ($10-15)
Spice level: I'm still on fire

More information:

Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine
8600 Edinburgh Center Drive
Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
(GPS says it is in Minneapolis)

http://lemongrassthaicuisine.net/

Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Ginger Hop

Yawn…

I was excited to try Ginger Hop, which recently opened in Northeast Minneapolis, after hearing rave reviews from one of my favorite dining companions. Although the overall presentation of food was good, the meal was quite boring.

To start, we ordered Shrimp Spring Rolls (fresh spring rolls with shrimp, mint and basil, served with peanut dipping sauce), which were by far the most boring spring rolls I’ve ever had in my life (check the blog- I eat spring rolls often!). I thought they would be saved by peanut dipping sauce, but alas the sauce was basically oil with pieces of peanut and had no flavor. We also ordered Walleye Satay (beer battered and deep fried, served with wasabi tartar sauce), which was awesome. This was the true winner of our meal! The wasabi tartar sauce….sooo good!

One of my dining companions ordered Basil Stir Fry with chicken (Broccoli, red pepper, shitake mushrooms, onion, garlic and Thai basil in a flavorful oyster sauce with your choice of chicken or tofu). Although the presentation was good, the dish was pretty bland. I guess that’s all I have to say about that…


Two of us ordered Sweet Green Curry with chicken (Green curry and coconut milk with red pepper, eggplant, peas and your choice of chicken or tofu). We chose to order this because it was highly recommended by the waitress. I was a little skeptical from the start because I couldn’t choose a spice level…I have NEVER been somewhere that said the dish comes one spice level…that REALLY annoyed me! I asked for a spice tray and she seemed to think we wouldn’t need it, but we both did! Although we both ate most of the dish, the chicken was SUPER weird and we both barely touched it. YUCK! Overall, the curry was nice and creamy, but was definitely lacking in flavor. Luckily, we were starving and willing to eat just about anything (but the chicken!!!)

All in all, I was pretty disappointed AND bored. I’ll go back, but I’m skeptical of this whole “East meets Northeast” thing.

Decor: chic
Prices: average ($10-15)
Spice level: BOO!

More information:

Ginger Hop
201 E Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55414

www.gingerhop.com

Ginger Hop on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Eastside Thai

What a treat! I drove through the snow and traffic to try Eastside Thai in St. Paul. With no website and no posted reviews...I wasn't sure what to expect. This 10-table restaurant put me at ease immediately- it's clear that it's family run and local. The menu is small with under 30 items and no desserts.

I decided to have some comfort food- Pad Thai with tofu (we bring the taste of this famous noodle dish from the street vendors in Thailand just for you). It was absolutely delicious! From what I read, it was prepared quite traditionally (next time I'm in Bangkok, I really need to pay closer attention!). Unlike my dining companion's noodles on Saturday, these noodles were prepared to perfection and had a ton of flavor without being very greasy. The fried tofu wasn't the best I've ever tasted, but overall the meal really impressed me.

I am excited to return...hopefully to dine-in next time!

Decor: comforting
Prices: cheap! under $10
Spice level: nail on head

More information:

Eastside Thai
879 Payne Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55101

Eastside Thai on Urbanspoon

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Bahn Thai Cuisine

Dinner should never take that long...

With some of my favorite dining companions in town, we decided to venture out to Bahn Thai Cuisine in Plymouth. Although Plymouth is a nice area, this restaurant was tucked away in a mostly-abandoned mall...the place had some nice decor, but the tables and chair made us think of a rec center, so the night was immediately off to sort of a weird start. After waiting for about 35 minutes without having a waiter stop over, I approached the host stand and asked for some service. One of the two waiters came over and said "I can take your order quickly" like we were inconveniencing him. We ordered a few appetizers (we were starving!) and entrees. The appetizers took 40 minutes...we ordered fried meat balls, chicken satay and spring rolls. All items were pretty darn mediocre.

While waiting for the appetizers, many people came to the restaurant and due to the lack of service, they gave up and left. We saw 3 or 4 tables abandon their hopes of dinner...it almost became funny!

The main dishes had mixed reviews. One dining companion ordered Pad Thai with Chicken (rice noodles, eggs, bean sprouts, green onion topped with crushed peanuts). Although it was tasty, the noodles were pretty gummy and seemed overcooked.

Another friend ordered Gaeng Khiao Waan Gai- Chicken Green Curry ( chicken, coconut milk, green curry paste, zucchini, peas and basil leaves). The chicken was extremely weird and thus she barely ate her meal. I tried the curry and it wasn't horrible, but it was a little high on salt and low on flavor. She ended up munching on some of the Pad Thai.


For a break from curry, one dining companion chose Pad Pak with chicken (broccoli, celery, onions, pea pods, carrots, fresh mushrooms and bell peppers). This had great overall flavor, but definitely could have been a bit spicier. This dish had chicken that looked and tasted delicious...not totally sure why some chicken was good and the other wasn't?


I ordered Pad Ped Puck Curry with chicken (coconut milk, red curry, napa, broccoli, carrots and bell peppers). This had absolutely amazing flavor and was probably worth the insane wait! The one issue was that I found a piece of chicken in my tofu dish! Had this been back in my vegetarian days, I would have been quite steamed!!

At the end of the night, we questioned one of the servers about the wait and he shared that they were down a cook and at least one server. Although that did add some perspective, why on earth didn't they tell us that earlier? OR stop over and say, "hey we are short staffed, but we will be back as soon as we can." Not that complicated.

I'll be back...but I'm not super thrilled about the idea of potentially suffering through bad service again...

Decor: mix and match
Prices: average ($10-15)
Spice level: right on

More information:

Bahn Thai Cuisine
4108 Lancaster Lane North
Plymouth, MN 55441

www.bahnthaitripod.com

Bahn Thai Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Magic Thai Cafe

What a riot! My dining companion and I enjoyed Magic Thai Cafe in Eagan, which included fun music and a quirky server....oh and great food!

My dining companion ordered Pa Nang with chicken- medium spice (strips of red and green bell peppers, onions, coconut milk, red curry, kaffir lead, topped with ground peanuts). It wasn't super spicy, but overall had good flavor. It definitely wasn't the best panang curry I've had, but it was okay! (In case you're thinking I can't spell "panang," you're wrong....I'm pretty sure there is no correct way of spelling it...."Pa Nang" is how this restaurant listed it!!)

I ordered Spicy Noodle with chicken- hot (stir fried rice noodles with onions, green onions, tomatoes, and basil). I didn't order "very hot," just "hot" because our server assured us that the spice scale was a Thai spice scale and not a Minnesota spice scale. He seemed very suspicious of us...it seemed like he was thinking "who are these chicks that have probably never had spicy food?" The dish was absolutely scrumptious and I was glad I ordered it "hot" because it made my lips tingle and my nose a touch sniffly (AWESOME!) I loved the flavor and didn't want the dish to end.

Our server quickly brought us our bill, but oh no, we wanted a sweet treat. We ordered Purple Rice with Custard and he immediately tried to get us to order Sweet Rice with Mango instead. Um, hello?! If I wanted Sweet Rice with Mango, wouldn't I have ordered it?! When he brought us the Purple Rice with Custard, he seemed very curious to see if we would like it. Well, we loved it!! My dining companion did some quick research and discovered purple rice is native to Eastern Thailand....hopefully I'll see it at some other restaurants in the future!

Decor: cutesy
Prices: average ($10-15)
Spice level: they can make it hot!

More information:

Magic Thai Cafe
1258 Lone Oak Road
Eagan, MN 55121

www.magicthaicafe.com

Magic Thai Cafe on Urbanspoon

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Boba Thai Lounge

After a journey to Brooklyn Center's Brookdale Mall I arrived at Boba Thai Lounge, which looked more like a bar and grill, but was still delicious.

My dining companion and I decided to share a salad to start- Yummy Noodle Eggroll salad (Vermicelli noodles on a bed of chopped lettuce, carrots, cucumber and cilantro with eggrolls, topped with crushed peanuts). While this sounded super bizarre, the picture on the menu looked awfully appetizing and this was definitely the favorite. Although it wasn't spicy, it had great flavor with the cilantro, peanut and sweet and sour sauce. I could have had this as a main course.

For a main course, my dining companion ordered Masamun Curry (chicken stewed in a masamun curry with coconut cream, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and peanuts). She thought it was okay, but compared to other curries she has had (red, yellow and green), she did not enjoy it as much. As a lover of masamun curry, I tried it and have to say it was quite good and definitely tasted as it should.



When we first arrived, we asked the waitress for suggestions and her favorites. She told us her favorite was Spicy Lemongrass Beef (thin tender slices of beef cooked medium well, then tossed with lime, lemongrass, Thai chilies, roasted rice powder, kaffir lime leaves, bean sprouts, yellow onions and tomatoes, topped with chopped green onion and cilantro), but that we wouldn't like it because it is spicy and sour. Well after that remark, I obviously chose to order it. She couldn't have been more wrong- it had great flavor and hit the mark on my personal spice scale! She claimed it was tingly (we assumed she meant spice?) but it definitely didn't burn my lips (a sensation I do enjoy).

Overall, it was a good dining experience and I look forward to returning....hopefully they will have pop next time (they were out!) and maybe I can go when the mall is open!

Decor: forgettable- like a bar and grill
Prices: average ($10-15)
Spice level: good

More information:

Boba Thai Lounge
1268 Brookdale Shopping Center
Brookyln Center, MN 55430

www.boba-cafe.com

Boba Cafe on Urbanspoon

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Thai Curry House

When I arrive at a new restaurant in a strip mall, I always think...this could be really good or really bad! Well, congrats Thai Curry House, you were really good! I met my dining companions for lunch in Burnsville (a touch past where I usually wander) and was immediately taken in by the decor- there were several different styled dining areas within the one restaurant, including a few tables where you could sit on the floor.

One of my dining companions ordered Yellow Curry with chicken- no spice, which arrived looking quite reddish. She loved it and my other dining companion and I both thought it had great flavor, despite the fact that there was absolutely no spice involved (she claimed to see small, red specks of spice...I beg to differ).




My other dining companion ordered Drunken Noodles with chicken- spice level 4. Why they don't have this dish at more restaurants is beyond me? It is so delicious. This was the real winner today. Even though it wasn't very spicy, it had a really rich and savory flavor. I was jealous!




I ordered Green Curry with pork- spice level 5 (that's for you, sis!), which was quite good, but definitely not spicy enough. (I have to admit that even though it was quite tasty....it wasn't jaw-dropping like the Green Curry at Bangkok Thai Deli). The pork was cooked well and tasted delicious. I also enjoyed that the bamboo shoots were sliced into fine pieces instead of larger chunks- it was quite conducive to having a bit of bamboo with every bite!


For dessert, we decided to get Mangoes and Sticky Rice (it's become a favorite of mine!) and a Fried Banana. They were both good, but we would have liked a higher sticky rice to mango ratio and the fried bananas came with vanilla ice cream with sprinkes....a touch bizarre!

Overall, it was worth the trek to Burnsville and I look forward to returning.

Decor: welcoming!
Prices: average ($10-15)
Spice level: they could go a lot hotter!

More information:

Thai Curry House
1916 Highway 13 East
Burnsville, MN 55337

Thai Curry House on Urbanspoon

Monday, November 16, 2009

Joy's Pattaya Thai Restaurant

To sum it up, I'd say that Joy's Pattaya Thai Restaurant wasn't especially memorable. Yes, the food was pretty good and the service was okay...but if I hadn't been able to share it with such an amazing dining companion, I probably would have forgotten I went there!

To start, we ordered Angel Wings (boneless chicken wing stuffed with minced water chestnuts, carrots, chicken and glass noodle) and Curry Puffs (puff pastry filled with avocado, chicken, potatoes, onion) because we were both starving!! The Angel Wings I recognized as I'd tried them at Bangkok Thai Deli. These were equally bizarre, but pretty tasty! We loved the sauce- it had a bit of a kick.


The Curry Puffs were definitely the best of the three places I've had them (King & I, Ruam Mit Thai and here). They were really light and flaky and anything with avocado is AMAZING (I haven't seen avocado at a Thai restaurant before....) We couldn't quite figure out what one of the sauces was...it might have had pickle in it? We stuck to the sweet and sour sauce instead.



He ordered Rama and chicken (a choice of meat with steamed spinach, sprouts and cauliflower topped with peanut sauce), which he loved. It really was quite an attractive dish and he said it had a fair amount of spice even though he hadn't indicated a preference. I was impressed he tried something new, but he admitted that peanut sauce is an easy choice.



I ordered Panang Curry with chicken (exotic panang curry paste with coconut milk, basil leaves and bell peppers. A choice of meat), which I hadn't had in ages (okay, weeks, but still!) It had a really rich and savory flavor, but it wasn't spicy enough for my taste...they had three options: mild, medium and hot, but hot was more of a medium- boo! It was still delicious and I really enjoyed their chicken.

All in all, everything was really good, but it just didn't stick out that much....and my dining companion agreed.

Decor: fine
Price: average ($10-15)
Spice: could have used a spice tray....

For More Information:
7545 Lyndale Avenue S
Richfield, MN 44523

www.joyspattayathai.com

Joy's Pattaya Thai Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Hong Thai

Oh the joys of shopping! As a break for some serious outlet mall shopping, my friend and I decided to try Hong Thai, a Thai restaurant in Albertville about 1 mile from the outlet malls. We were pleasantly surprised with our lunch.

To start we had Spring Rolls (Rice noodles, crispy lettuce, bean sprouts, sautéed beefsteak, wrapped in rice paper, served with our own sauce), which were good, but the peanut sauce was the real winner- too bad we didn't have quite enough. Our waitress was slightly MIA, so we made it work.




For lunch, my dining companion ordered Spicy Noodle with Basil and vegetables (Stir-fried egg noodle, bamboo shoot, bean sprout, onion, tomato and carrot with spicy garlic sauce and basil), which had a surprisingly rich flavor. We also loved that the carrots were cut in cute shapes! She didn't intend to have a large lunch, but it was delish and she kept eating.



I ordered Pad Thai with chicken (Stir-fried rice noodles, egg, bean sprout, green onion and topped with roasted peanut), which was very savory and quite traditional since it was on the drier side. I enjoyed it a lot, but resisted taking leftovers (I am only taking leftovers when I can't resist because I'm trying to eat healthier).

Overall, it was a good experience, but they didn't have tofu, which is quite unusual. I guess the cool wooden chairs made up for that?! They looked like they might have even been from Thailand...some of them features elephants.

Decor: loooved the chairs
Price:Average ($10-15)
Spice: just fine

For more information:

Hong Thai
5600 La Centre Ave
Albertville, MN 55301

www.hongthairestaurant.com

Hong Thai on Urbanspoon

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Jasmine Orchid

Today I sat in traffic on the U of M campus ALL day because I accidentally decided to drop my sister off at the exact time that the Gopher game ended....yuck! Traffic did give me time to notice Jasmine Orchid, a Vietnamese and Thai restaurant in Stadium Village. After lots of errands (shopping!), I returned to campus (Gopher-free) to get take-out.

For dinner, I decided to try Tom Kha with steamed tofu (an exotic and spicy coconut soup with choice of meat or seafood, lemongrass, galanga and dry chili). I read an article about the health benefits of yellow curry today, but tonight really felt like tonight was a soup night! I was truly impressed. This place is a little bit of a dive, but the Tom Kha was savory and delicious. I asked for extra vegetables and they obliged thoroughly.

As I waited for take-out, I watched tons of delicious curry and noodle dishes go by- I can't wait to try something else!

Decor: It's in a strip mall...
Price: average ($10-15)
Spice: Good!

For more information:

Jasmine Orchid
304 Oak Street
Minneapolis, MN

www.jasmineorchid.org

Orchid Cafe on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Pad Thai Restaurant

What a gem!

No website and I'd never heard of it until I saw it on Urbanspoon....but wow, Pad Thai Restaurant in St. Paul rocked! The place was extremely busy for a Wednesday night, which made us excited to go in! My dining companion and I started with Fresh Spring Rolls (The best spring roll. Stuffed with fresh variety vegetables vermicelli noodle, with shrimp and roast pork. Served with delicious sauce). They definitely tasted fresh and the peanut sauce was scrumptious.

Even though my dining companion is obsessed with Pad Thai and the restaurant was called Pad Thai Restaurant, she decided to stray and tried Panang Curry with chicken (sauteed with basil and keffir leave with panang cocount curry sauce served with sweet pepper/broccoli), which was great. It had a really rich flavor and the vegetables looked amazing. She was very happy with her choice!


I ordered the first thing I read on the specials menu, Khao Pad Khiao Wan- Green Curry Fried Rice (combination shrimp, pork, chicken fried rice with pea, green bean, onion, sweet pepper, basil and coconut green curry sauce), which was absolutely delightful! It had endless flavor with a good amount of heat (I ordered a 3 of 4) and the three types of meat were all very tasty with the green curry. I was also impressed that the green beans were cooked to perfection- often they are overcooked at Thai restaurants.

After Sunday's dessert fiasco, I wanted to try again! Mango is back in season (thank the heavens) and so we ordered Mangoes with Sticky Rice, which is such an amazing combination of different types of "sweet" between sticky rice, mangoes and coconut milk. I could eat their Mangoes and Sticky Rice dessert every day!!

I cannot wait to go back here....I can't believe that I had never heard of it. It's right off of 94....oh and the service was PERFECT!!

Decor: comfortable and chic
Prices: average ($10-15)
Spice level: great!

More information:

Pad Thai Restaurant
1681 Grand Ave
St Paul, MN 55103
5

Pad Thai Grand Cafe on Urbanspoon