Sunday, July 8, 2007

The Quest for Pad Thai


Pad Thai is the “it” dish of Thai cuisine in our hometown. And we have lots of restaurants that serve it: My Thai, Thai Rice, Hunan Gourmet, Fuzasion, Café Kyoko. The list goes on… But where to go for a dish of that perfect pad thai. Those tender noodles redolent with garlic and shallots , perked up by a squeeze of lime and tamarind . Mmm hmmmmm! Soft and sweet and salt and crunch all in one bite! It is a fabulous little dish – simple to prepare and easy on the wallet.

But if this is what you expect to find at our local Frederick eateries – time to lower your expectations! I found a heck of a lot more Bad Thai than Pad Thai! Most of the offerings were great big gummy globs of coagulated noodles. Overcooked , over-sweetened and over-priced. But, if you insist on ordering the Sad Thai anyway – choose the version at Thai Rice on the Golden Mile. Though not quite perfect, it at least didn’t send my pour soul into insulin shock.

That’s it for this week’s Dining Diva.

6 comments:

Cara, Rich, & Colin said...

I miss Fuzasion...it's just not the same now that it's changed names/hands!!

Dining Diva of Boca said...

It's a shame. I guess more people wanted straight up Thai than a blend of multiple countries. I haven't been to the new place. Is it any good?

I'm not a huge fan of fusion-style cooking. In general, I have found that when an Asian restaurant tries to appeal to too many tastes, everything ends up tasting Polynesian rather than cuisine specific.

Anonymous said...

The green curry at Thai Rice is to die for! Any version -- my fav: veggie with a little tofu!

GoodbyeLyme said...

My asian friends look at Pad Sie Ewe (street noodles) as the acid test of a Thai restaurant.

We've decided that My Thai has the best Pad Sie Ewe in Frederick.

We also enjoy how we are always warmly greeted by My Thai's owner Sam. Introduce yourself to Sam and he will make you your favorite dish to your liking.

Dining Diva of Boca said...

Sounds like I will have to order the Pad Si Ewe on my next visit to My Thai.

FWIW, my kids (lovers of sugar that they are) adore the peanut sauce from Thai Rice. The combination of lots of peanut taste and lots of sugar make it a favorite after-school snack. I but a quart of it at a time - the kids dip cucumbers and red bell peppers in it and also like to pour it over coooked rice.

Hey..I'm not saying it's the healthiest snack out there- but it does encourage my teens to eat some veggies

DM said...

Acacia had a good version on their menu....