I've had mediocre pad thai before but this was one of the worst I've ever tried, possibly THE worst! I ordered mine with beef, and my friend ordered one with chicken. We both agreed that it was completely inauthentic rubbish, but after a long hike during the day we were famished, so it's edible enough to keep you from dying of starvation, but far from an enjoyable experience.
The beef pieces looked like the type that you find in microwave meals (and even those are better!). Theirs had an odd texture and taste. I expect more from a restaurant charging $17 for a dish that would be cheaper everywhere else in Melbourne, or at the very least I'd expect freshly cooked beef and not some artificial crap. San Remo is not that far from civilisation that real beef would be a scarce commodity.
I'm almost certain the pad thai 'flavour' came from a home-brand ready made sauce purchased from the supermarket. And I'd know this coz I've bought one or two to try, and gave up on making it at home using these sauces as they tasted so bad. My friend requested no beanshoots in her dish, but they also left it out on mine wtf?! I almost cried. Finally, pad thai is normally served with a lemon or lime wedge, but it was nowhere to be found, so I had to ask for it. At least they had fresh lemons and not the pre-squeezed lemon bottles.
If I was able to turn back the clock, and had been given a choice between starving for another hour until I got home (where a $5 microwave meal was awaiting), or taking up an offer to eat here for free, I'd choose the former. read more