I was sitting at Beer Run’s bar about two weeks ago when some friends of mine wondered if I’d decided upon the next restaurant I wanted to review. After I told them, “No,” they said, “Well, have you been to the Thai place next door?”
“Sure,” I said. “A couple of times.”
“Then you’ve got to go back,” one of them said. “You’ve got to try the chicken wings.”
“Chicken wings?”
“Yeah, chicken wings,” the other said. “They’re not on the menu, but they’re awesome. Just tell Santi we sent you.”
Unable to refuse a secret off-menu dish, my wife and I went to Pad Thai the following week. My friends really must have been in on some kind of secret, because our young waiter had no idea what I was talking about. After he left with a puzzled expression, Santi, the head cook/owner, came over personally to double-check our order. I was worried for a second because he too didn’t seem to recognize the names I was told to drop. Soon, however, after a little shmoozing, he began to nod and smile proudly, and a few minutes later I understood why. The chicken wings, while maybe not traditionally Thai, were the biggest chicken wings I’d ever seen, and they were really frickin’ good. Plump, juicy, and deep fried in a light crunchy batter, they were served with a more-sweet-than-spicy sauce and a few bites of kim chee-esque pickled cabbage. If it were up to me, they’d definitely be on the regular menu.
For her main course, my wife ordered my favorite dish (and hers now as well): the drunken noodles. Made of rice noodles, Thai chiles, fried basil, and large chunks of stir-fried fresh vegetables, a plate of drunken noodles isn’t for anyone with a capsaicin-sensitive tongue, but oh was it good. The vegetables lent just enough sweetness to break through and compliment the spiciness, and the basil rounded out the dish nicely.
Having ordered the drunken noodles twice before, I chose the restaurant’s namesake for my dinner. It was a well put together dish; the noodles were soft, the lime a bit sour, and the bean sprouts and peanuts fresh and crunchy, but its combined flavors just couldn’t stand up to those of the drunken noodles. A little post-dinner research told me that traditional pad Thai is also supposed to contain tamarind, but I did not taste any. It was good though, so I would suggest this dish to those who wanted to try Thai food for the first time.
In contrast to the many flavors of traditional Thai fare, Pad Thai is a relatively simple place. It’s not hip, trendy, or high-end—quite the opposite really: it has a small dining room, few adornments, and a drink cooler near the door. I recently heard someone describe the ambiance there as “sterile,” but I think that’s missing the point. True, the inside doesn’t magically transport me to the back street cafés of Thailand, nor does it tempt me to linger through the evening, but I don’t think it means to. I think the magic lies in the food.
I’ll admit, I’ve never even been close to Thailand. Geographically, the nearest I’ve ever been is Las Vegas in one direction and St. George’s, Bermuda, in the other. Culinarily, however, I believe that Santi is as authentic an Asian cook as any in the area, and his drunken noodles make Thailand seem a whole lot closer, and that, plus the secret chicken wings, are reasons enough for me to keep going.
Note to self: Next time, save room for the mango sticky rice. It sounded awesome.
(Reviewer’s notes: We arrived at Pad Thai shortly after 7pm without reservations, though I’m not sure if they’re accepted. The final bill, including a 20% tip, was $36. Including the above-described visit, I have now eaten at Pad Thai three times.)
Related posts:
- Pad Thai Restaurant Review: Give Us the Real Deal!
- Lime Leaf Thai Restaurant Review
- Monsoon Restaurant Review: My Thoughts on BAD Thai
Excited to go back! And try the wings. Excellent tip. I wouldn’t say it misses the point to note that the ambience is sterile (which it is), only that it’s a different point. Your decision to go to a restaurant can be informed nearly as much by atmosphere as by food. I wouldn’t take a first date to Pad Thai, for example, no matter how good the food is…
I guess it depends on what kind of date you have…but I see your point. I’ll certainly admit it’s not the most exciting place. But between the wings, the drunken noodles, and the craft beers next door, I could see myself—and my date—having a excellent evening.
Personally speaking though, taste trumps ambiance anytime.
Best thai food in town… I am thai and our family opened the first thai restaurant in cville, which we then sold to Thai ‘99 in 2001. This is hands down the best because the owners still make the food, traditionally and by stretching outside of the box… They have many dishes one would not find in an American thai restaurant, dishes that would be considered real street food, but you might have to specify that’s indeed what you’re looking for. This is definitely the only one I will spend my $ on.
In my opinion, Pad Thai serves the best and most authentic Thai food in Charlottesville. I especially recommend the drunken noodle and the Thai spicy beef noodle bowl. These dishes highlight the chef’s mastery of texture, an often overlooked element of Thai cooking. Most professional Thai chefs can get the blend of Sweet, Spicy, Sour, Salty good enough, but delicate noodles that melt in your mouth are a differentiator, for me. The curries are good but not standout. The pad basil is also very good.
Funnily enough, I think Lime Leaf, my second favorite Cville Thai restaurant, actually has better pad thai.
Also, if had a first date with a person who liked Thai food but had not yet been to Pad Thai, I would absolutely take him/her to Pad Thai! Absolutely, no question. The friendliness of the owner and the high quality of the food outshine the minimalism of the ambiance.
I prefer a minimal decor over restaurants that are desperately trying to look cool. Let’s just all start going to Pad Thai every week, and maybe they’ll have enough funds to invest in expanding and hiring a professional designer.
Preach it, Al!
Did you know the owner is an artist an makes those sculptures out of left over styrofoam? Crazy!
That is crazy! I had no idea.
This place is really good. And I think I’d call the atmosphere “cozy” rather than sterile. I wanted to stay and linger over my meal at Pad Thai. I would say somewhere like Ariana Kabob has a sterile environment–lighting too bright, no comfortable seating, etc–their food is great but better enjoyed at home, whereas Pad Thai actually encourages you to stay.
Pad Thai + Drunken Noodles = Excellent
Thanks, John.
Trust me, it was my pleasure.
We had Pad Thai this weekend and I’m pleased to say that the atmosphere is not as bad as I remember it being. The kitchen light should be walled off somehow but, otherwise, good plants and candles on a couple of the tables. On the other hand, the food was NOT as good as I remembered it being. At least when it came to the dishes we ordered, the flavor was by no means bad, just shallow, with none of the complexity of the same dishes at Lime Leaf. More importantly, the chicken was a touch skeezy. Again, not terrible, but just gamey enough to give you pause. A disappointment after this review and our own memories of last time. Hopefully just an off-night!
Totally disagree. Cozy? Maybe Pad Thai has changed their atmosphere in the last few months but when I was there last it was brighter and less comfortable than Ariana by a mile. Fluorescent bright, too, which is the worst. Nothing like fluorescent bright to make you feel like you’re eating in a stairwell or hospital (hey, hospital, I guess I get the sterile thing) or something. As the reviewer said, if you linger it’s because of the food not the (lack of) atmosphere.