This place lives up to its reputation, so I’m really glad we had the chance to try it after years of wanting to go. The problem is that they don’t take reservations, the place is pretty small, and it’s very popular, so even if you go for an early or late dinner, you’re likely to wait. But we happened to be in the area close to dinner time, the weather was nice, and it was on the earlier side, so we took the chance. They take down your phone number and text you 5 minutes before your table is ready, so you’re not confined to waiting at the restaurant. You can walk around, sit at a park, go to a bar, get some shopping done, whatever you want while you wait. They initially told us it would be a 45 minute wait, but it ended up being only 15 minutes, so we received a text about 10 minutes after we put our names down saying our table would be ready in a few minutes. It worked out really well!
The inside is long and narrow. There’s one round table that can seat 6-8 right by the front door, but otherwise, when you go further inside, it’s mostly picnic bench style tables (for 4 people) and bar style seating (suited for individuals or couples). This set-up is very fitting for the spirit of the restaurant, which is meant to invoke the outdoor street food culture in Thailand, but it also means that the seats have no backs (all benches and stools), which is never ideal. Though, actually, this backless seating concept is such a huge trend these days that perhaps it’s just not our ideal, but is other people’s ideal! I can’t imagine how or why, though.
Anyway, not a big problem to sit backless for a while. This place has some of the most authentic Thai food in the city. There are so very many Thai restaurants here and they run the spectrum of inedible to unbelievably delicious. This one is right at the top. Though they do have all of the classic dishes you’d find at a Thai restaurant (curries, stir-fries, noodles), they also have more unique items on the menu such as the Chili Turmeric stir-fry, which I’ve never seen on any Thai menu before. It’s a stir-fry made with your choice of meat (beef, shrimp, pork, chicken) or all vegetable and the sauce is made with kaffir lime leaf, thai chili, and a turmeric chili puree. It certainly tastes like turmeric, but is incredibly delicious, nuanced, and complex in flavor. I’d suggest trying it even if you’re not a big fan of turmeric because the sauce is very aromatic and unique – it’s much more complex than just the taste of turmeric. That dish, and all stir-fry dishes, come with jasmine rice.
There’s also a huge focus on noodle dishes here, which is rare given that the focus tends to be more on stir-fry and curry dishes with rice. There are flat rice noodles (including, of course, the classic Pad Thai), thin rice noodles, vermicelli, egg noodles, and noodle soup dishes.
If you’re looking for an appetizer, go for the steamed vegetable dumplings, which have rave reviews. They are not traditional pot-sticker dumplings found in Chinese cuisine, but big green dough balls with tofu, spinach, garlic chips, and ground peanuts inside, giving them a little sweetness, which is balanced with a salty ginger soy dip. But be prepared because these are soft and mushy, not firm and chewy like what you may be used to.
And given my adoration of sticky rice, I can’t resist ordering it when a savory version appears on the menu. I’m not at all a fan of the dessert sticky rice made with coconut milk and often mango, but the simple, savory version I just can’t get enough of. It came wrapped in banana leaves and was super sticky and glutinous as it should be without being too dry, which is an all too common and major offense.
All dishes are served with four staple condiments – chili paste, chili flakes, green chilies in vinegar, and fish sauce. You can add them to your dish if you want extra heat or flavor, but it is completely unnecessary in my opinion, and I say this as someone who generally adds condiments to everything for extra flavor. Their food is already so flavorful, you really don’t need to change it. I’m convinced that almost anything on the menu would be great as is, no tweaking or extra spice needed. Go here if you get the chance. It’s truly one of the best Thai restaurants in the city.
