Hot-N-Spicy is one of my all time favorite restaurants which remains a cultural culinary gem! Madison, WI is beyond blessed to have Hot-N-Spicy which is the most authentic SouthEast Asian restaurant in the Madison area that shares the culture of countries like Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam with the community through their incredible delicious food/cuisine! They truly live up to their name "Hot-N-Spicy". The cultural significance of the chili pepper often represents hospitality, warmth, and resilience! They bring all the spice and don't hold back! If you are not used to spice/spicy hot dishes, I suggest you start at level one spice and work your way up. They will ask you on dishes made with chili peppers what spice level you want 1-4 and can even make it hotter also! Hot-N-Spicy is genuinely unique because they offer Issan food dishes and flavors that is uniquely from the Issan/Isan Northeast region of Thailand that is heavily influenced by Lao and Cambodian flavors with the use of heat, fresh herbs, and use of fish sauce that brings different flavors different from other regions of Thailand. Hot-N-Spicy used to be located in the back of the Viet Hoa Market. It is now located next door from the market in a larger space in the same strip mall that allows for a more comfortable sit-down seating experience of a full restaurant. I have tried almost everything on their menu and have never been disappointed! For appetizers, I love their angel wings which are deboned chicken wings stuffed with chicken, carrot, and bean thread noodles fried to pure crispy perfection! Their most popular selling appetizers are their amazingly addictively delicious crab rangoons! Their chicken satay is also a must try! I also recommend trying their beef jerky which is so delicious, it often sells out quickly during the day! Their main entrees are so outstanding, it is hard to order one entree! My absolute favorite that I recommend is their steak Laab which is the best Laab I have had in Madison! It is heavily influenced with Isaan flavors/culture with minced beef, tripe, red onion, cilantro, mint, fresh lime juice, rice powder, fish sauce and scallions. I love the beef steak Laab because it is unlike anything you will ever taste with so much flavor from a combination of flavors with hint of sour with the lime, salty/umami/pungence from the fish sauce, balanced with refreshing different herbs, texture with the tripe, while the toasted rice powder gives this dish a tiny bit of crunch/texture that gives a subtle nutty flavor! This dish is a minced meat salad traditionally eaten with your hands and sticky rice/vegetables like cucumber. I also really enjoy their Pad Thai, Pho, and Crispy Noodle Lad Na! Your visit wouldn't be complete without quenching your thirst with either their Thai iced coffee/tea! Hot-N-Spicy remains at the top of my list for Thai/Lao cuisine! If you are looking for true authentic flavors/traditionally prepared dishes, definitely try Hot-N-Spicy! read more

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I recently visited Hot N Spicy again, and it was just as good as I remembered! The Summer Rolls with pork nem nuong were incredibly fresh and packed with flavor. The combination of romaine, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, mint, homemade daikon, and the crispy fried egg roll wrapper created the perfect balance of freshness and crunch. The nem nuong dipping sauce was so good that I ordered extra. I also tried the Panang Red Curry, and it was outstanding. The curry was rich, creamy, slightly sweet, and packed with flavor. I ordered level 1 spice, and it was the perfect amount of heat without overwhelming the dish. The homemade curry paste, coconut milk, basil, peppers, and jasmine rice came together beautifully. It's also been great to see this local business grow. What started as a takeout spot inside Viet Hoa Market has expanded into a larger space on Monona Drive, and it's easy to see why. The food is consistently delicious, the portions are generous, and the new location offers plenty of seating. If you're craving fresh spring rolls, flavorful curry, or simply a great meal, Hot N Spicy is absolutely worth a visit. Added bonus the service was AMAZING!!! read more

Food was amazing! Large portions and full of favor. They are no longer inside Viet Hoa grocery - they are now next door. They still have some growing pains as they go from counter service to table service - the young man who waited on us was friendly but you could def tell he was new to waiting on tables lol. We would 1000% recommend and plan to return soon, and this is coming from my Thai husband and his mom! Aroi mak mak! read more

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New location with a new dining area for eat in. Wonderful selection of Thai dishes. If you ask for spicy be ready for the heat! Very friendly staff great service! read more

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The food at Hot-N-Spicy is amazing! We got the Angel wings, crispy lad na noodles, and the pho. This might be the best pho in Madison. I also really enjoyed the crispy noodles. I highly recommend everything we ordered. read more

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Definitely a 5 star to this restaurant... soo pleased!! Food, service and atmosphere...!

Visited Hot-N-Spicy for the first time for dinner Saturday night. The venue has decent seating and we didn't have to wait long for a table for 2. The staff were friendly and helpful. We tried the angel wings, pad see ewe, and pho. The wings were delicious - very crispy and flavorful. The pho had a lot of beef and was flavorful. The pad see ewe was also packed with flavor and tasted really fresh. I had spice level 3 (out of 4) which was definitely spicy (would recommend spice level 1 or 2 for those who are not used to spice). Overall, food was great - would recommend. read more

Hot-N-Spicy - Pad See Ewe - Laotian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Uhhhh, this place is freaking amazing. I've lived in Madison for about 10 years and this is probably the best meal I've had. Best spring rolls I've ever eaten in my life. They have this fried noodle dish which was honestly mind-blowing. And the sesame balls at then end are worth the drive alone. If it hasn't already, this place is about to blow up. read more

This was the first time we visited Hot n' Spicy, since they moved out of the Viet Hoa Market, in Monona, and established their own restaurant. We always loved their food, and this visit didn't disappoint. We ordered the spring rolls, with shrimp, and they were huge! The sauce was delicious. I didn't taste any mint in these, or daikon radish, so probably wasn't in there, but they were still good. We both ordered the pad woon sen, mine was with tofu, and my husband ordered the combination, which included chicken, beef and shrimp. The meal was very large, and we did bring some home, as the meal is so filling. I did think my tofu was cooked longer than it should have, and it was a bit tough, but I still enjoyed it. A few down sides, not related to food, was that is warm and humid in the restaurant, probably because the kitchen was opened in the backside of the restaurant, or poor air conditioning installation. The food delivery was slow, the décor in the main area, is bland, and the refrigerator contraption by the cash register needs to go, as there is nothing in it, besides giving a blockade by the register, and it didn't look that clean. Sometimes we go there for the food, and don't care about extraneous things. read more

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A little pricey for what it is, a tiny kitchen in the back of a grocery store, but they are expanding this month to the connected building next door so if they keep their prices similar this would likely be more aligned to the new space. Until that is open, I recommend ordering to go. There are a couple of tables and chairs in the back of you do feel like dining in, which may be useful if you order something like pho. The menu is small, and they do every they do well. The angel wings and curries are absolutely fantastic, and the staff are so kind. I always call in my order and the time estimate the give me is always right on, plus everything is packaged up nicely to take away. I've never had an issue with parking, though exiting left onto Monona drive often takes patience. Excited to see what they do with the new space! read more

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Love this spot. It's a true hole in the wall gem. Their pho is tasty and the crab ragoons are delicious. I frequently visit just for those to enjoy at home. They have three tables so you could be waiting a while if you choose to stay and wait. Otherwise their food is packaged well for a journey home. The menu is very limited which I think adds to the quality in taste as they only need to focus on a few items. They also have a spicy scale so you can adjust the meal to your preference. read more

We came to their new location next to their old location which was next to Viet Hoa Market. The restaurant had a great vibe and nice decor. Our servers were very nice and attentive! The food was great and is one of the most authentic Thai-Lao cuisine in the Madison area! Will come back again! read more

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I've been to Viet Hoa before but this was my first time trying the restaurant in the back. Since I was in the area, I finally got to stop by for lunch and try it! I wanted to eat in since pho take out is never as good as in person, and they said it would be about 15 min wait for one of the tables to open up. There are only two (and a half?) tables used for dining in as most people tend to come in for take out. Being tucked in the back of the grocery store with people standing around for takeout can be a little awkward, and you definitely can't sit more than 1-3 people per table. This was some of the best pho I've had in Madison, the broth was super flavorful! I've tried a lot of places on the west side closer to where I live but they were just okay. I wasn't sure exactly what cuts of beef I'd be getting in this bowl, typically I order the Pho Thai. read more

Hot-N-Spicy - pho with beef - Laotian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

There's not much more I can ask for when visiting a restaurant for the first time in over three and a half years, which was my favorite restaurant when I used to live in the area, and having an experience that was just as amazing and consistent as what I had all those years back! The workers and owners here at Hot 'n Spicy are very friendly and the larb siin, thum mak hoong, siin savanh, sai oua (medium), combo crispy lard nar, and sesame balls are the bomb! The larb's bitter and sour, with the beef tasting tender and juicy, just like how I like it and how I make it. The thum has the same fishy, pungent taste that I love, with super fresh papaya and tomatoes. These were the two dishes I ordered when I first checked out this restaurant in April 2022, and both taste just like how I remembered them. The siin savanh's flavorful (with hints of fish sauce and soy sauce), crisp, and tender. The sai oua's super juicy and tender, with spices, and is of the sweet variety (not the sour variety). The jeow som that comes with it is super garlicky and fishy, with a slight hint of spice, just as I'd want it like and how I'd make it myself. The lard nar has crispy noodles that were just right in terms of crisp and flavor (you can feel the crispy while still tasting the flavor of the wide rice noodles) and the protein's also the right level of tenderness (not tough at all)! I think the sauce uses more soy sauce than I'd like, as it's a bit heavier than what I make and see at most other restaurants, but that's no big deal. The sesame balls are warm, the perfect level of chewy, and generously filled. The bean filling's so tasty. They also aren't oily in the slightest! The (regular) sticky rice, purple, is fresh and is a generous option for the price. I wish the food were spicier, as I used to order this same spice level (their spiciest level) years back and found myself sweating and having a runny nose. I hope I might be able to order spicier than their spiciest level next time! I ordered a lot and they were in the middle of a lunch rush during my visit, but all my dishes came at a reasonable time. Also, my waitress, Alyssa (not sure if I spelled her name correctly since I didn't ask her how she spells it), made sure to check on me and other tables every few minutes to see how we were doing! After my meal, I love how Alyssa gave me some stickers, just as I love how I got to speak a little bit with the kitchen staff (as they were less busy by the time I was leaving)! I found it funny how some of them thought I was Kevin, a family friend of theirs. It was this amazing combination of food and service, which reminded me of my family and simpler times, that was the reason this restaurant was my go-to restaurant when I was a law school student at UW-Madison years back (even though this restaurant was out of my way and there were so many other Lao/Southeast Asian restaurants closer to where I was living). My visits here back then helped more than I could ever describe with combating all the stress I had (because law school was so difficult) and the loneliness I had (because I had no luck making friends at the time). Sadly, they didn't have Thai iced tea during my visit, so that'll be a reason for me to come back! I'll have to get their pho next time, as that's also a dish I ordered years ago and loved! Btw, this restaurant will soon be moving from inside of Viet Hoa Market to Mishqui Peruvian Bistro (same plaza), which will allow them to have more tables/seating and more hours, so I'll definitely be back after they've moved! read more

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going there tonight for dinner heard that this is very good food and I plan on having the mild spicy sauce

I stopped in for lunch with a couple buddies. I had the Crispy noodle Lad Na and Beef Jerky appetizer. The spice level was no joke, I'm glad I opted for the medium. The flavor of the dish was great, I am looking forward to the left overs for a reheated dinner tonight. The jerky was not gas station jerky. I will definitely get that again. Both of my buddies were also happy with their orders. We will definitely visit again. read more

The people that work here are so nice. It really seems like they care about the food they make. It seems like everything is homemade (even the curry paste) and let me tell you it paid off because wow. The curry squash is the best curry squash I've ever had. Their curry is unlike any other I've had in Madison. Their pad Thai, may look different from other pad thais but let me tell you, it's not dry. Even after you microwave it, it doesn't dry out which is definitely a con of leftover pad Thai but no this one was amazing and it's got such a nice sauce. The pad see ew, fantastic as well. I've been looking for spring rolls like the ones they make because they put inside what seems to be crispy egg roll wrappers which give it such a nice texture to the roll. Their angel wings are very good, it's like the meat and noodles in the inside of lumpia, but inside of a chicken wing?? So fun! The meatballs are really fun too. I genuinely feel like whatever you get here is going to be good and quality made. Oh and if you feel like other restaurants have been skimping on the noodles, look no further because you will have leftovers. I'm always looking forward to coming back. Thank you to the kind people of hot n spicy for making delicious food that honestly can't be replicated anywhere else. read more

Amazing fresh and delicious. Very impressed with this restaurant. Be careful it's VERY hot and spicy as in the name. A 1-5 scale and even a one has kick to it. A winner as the vegetables were fresh and cooked perfectly. The chef knows what they are doing here. Pad Thai was huge and perfect with vermicelli rice noodles. I ordered a level three spicy and it was more than I could take. But I still ate it all. It's that good. read more

I had the pho. The bottom line is that it was very overpriced for a true hole in the wall experience with Pho that is "fine." First the hole in the wall -- I ate when it was located inside the grocery store. I faced a beat-up wall. It wasn't dirty, but otherwise is a 1 of 5 on aesthetics. Second, the pho - it was fine. It was notably sweet, which I don't care for. It tasted real. The sensation of szechuan pepper lingered after the meal in a good way. The meatballs were delicious, with a distinct garlic flavor that was very nice. They had good texture, too. There was also two kinds of beef plus two shrimp and two pieces of squid. And the price? Definitely not worth $20. I would expect to pay more like $12, hardly half of what they charged, and expected it to taste better. The service was excellent. The gal at the front of the house greeted many people as regulars while I ate. Clearly they have a loyal following, and more power to them for it. I just wasn't impressed. read more

Best Pad Thai I've ever had in all my foodie travels all over this country. Everything else on their menu is also excellent. I'm addicted to this place and pick it up at least once or twice a week on the way home from work. Excellent spice to it as well! Also all their staff is incredibly nice especially the young lady upfront. This place is a must for any foodie lover. Thank you! read more

I took out lunch from here. This place is inside Viet Hoa Market, with no board outside the shop. I had to roam around the complex couple of times before finally go inside the market to find this place. I took out a pad thai and made it very spicy. It was super spicy, though I loved it that way. Pad thai was made well and had a lot of veggies and flavor punch. read more

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I have pad Thai for the first time and it was absolutely wonderful, don't miss this place hidden inside the Asian market, you don't wanna sleep on it... Absolutely amazing food I can't wait to try it again read more

I've ordered from here a few times and have had a great consistent experience! Their pad Thai is amazing. Arguably better than Ha Long Bay; however, I've only tried there once. Service is always super friendly and I appreciate that. It's always ready on time when I call ahead for pick up. Would definitely also recommend the spring rolls. We had the pork and it was really good. The crab Rangoon is even better!! Definitely give this place a try :) read more

Hot-N-Spicy - Tofu Pad Thai - Laotian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Usually I don't write reviews but man is this my go to spot for pho. A really nice mom/pops shop that always hits the spot no matter what. Always happy to support! read more

This place is a hidden gem! It's delicious and my new go-to & standard for Asian food!! While it's not technically a sit-down restaurant, they do have a a couple small tables you could eat at. It's located in the back of an Asian grocery store. We called ahead to pick up an order, the gal on the phone was very friendly and helpful; and our order was ready right on time. We tried chicken pad Thai, fried rice with chicken, beef & shrimp, crab Rangoon, egg rolls, chicken satay with peanut sauce & their purple sticky rice...everything was delicious and fresh, and not drenched in grease as sometimes fried food can be. I am a very picky person when it comes to fried rice - I like that smoky authentic flavor which to my surprise this had!! I really liked that you could select the spice level from 0-5 for the main dishes. We chose "2" for our pad Thai and there definitely was a kick! I don't think I could do more than 3 haha....All of the sauces were also delicious, especially the peanut sauce which I think is homemade. Another pleasant surprise was that for the fried apps they cut the side of the styrofoam container to keep the food crispy and prevent the steam from making it soggy- bravo! We will 100% most definitely order from Hot-n-Spicy again, and looking forward to trying other items from the menu - including pho! read more

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Stumbled onto this place at the back of Viet Hoa market. They are closed on Mon/Tue but the lady owner was preparing food on Tue and said we could order food but must pay in cash. Thank God I got enough cash on me. They have 3 small tables with a total of 10 seats but all very cramped together. I believe most people order take away instead of dining in. Ordered pho and pad see eww with steak; food came in around 10 minutes. Pho broth was hot in temperature but too salty. Plenty of protein and good portion size. There was a small paper plate with bean sprouts/basil/jalapeños/lime. The pad see eww came with Chinese broccoli, carrots, excessive onions and broccoli. I asked for 1 star spicy level as I have no idea about their standards. Turned out it was not spicy and too sweet. If I order thay again, I'd ask to cut down in half sugar. It was good after adding chili oil. For Madison's standards, $30 for these 2 dishes are acceptable. If I'm in the neighborhood again, I may give it another try! read more

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Hidden inside an Asian market, which itself is quite nice. The pho was really good, I don't know how it compares to others because it was my first time having it, but I really liked it. The pork spring rolls were absolutely delicious. Everything was so fresh and flavorful. Can't wait to go back! read more

I'm embarrassed to say I'm just discovering Hot-N-Spicy now, but better late than never! My husband and I had a craving for Pho and egg rolls today, and our search brought us to Hot-N-Spicy. Within three bites it quickly became our new favorite place in Madison. I had the red curry, my husband had the beef Pho, and we shared egg rolls with peanut and sweet and spicy sauce. All was better than we could have imagined. Staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, making sure our orders were to our particular liking. Be warned, they take spice seriously. I ordered my curry with level 2 spice and it had me questioning how one might even eat level 4 (I personally loved the level of spice in my dish, I just couldn't have tolerated higher). There is very little seating, so I would recommend take out if you live in the general area. We enjoyed looking around the grocery store while we waited for our food. We can't wait to visit again! read more

Loved it! The food was great - 1 was spicy enough for me! Service was super. Right now they are in the back of Viet Hoa market, but I believe they are moving next door. Hot-N-Spicy is a treasure. read more

My 500th review has got to to go a local gem! I love this place and could order every week if I lived on the east side! Such an unassuming place inside a grocery store, but each dish packs so much flavor, it's dynamite! If you enjoy southeast asian thai/laos/hmong cuisine, must stop here and order take-out. When you ask for extra spicy, they don't play around either, which is exactly what I like. I've tried so many dishes, so I pick a top three that I like to order: 1. Pad Thai -- I'm a little different and go for the pad thai sauce but with the thick noodles (like for pad c ew). The thick noodles grad onto the sauce so well. I get it with tofu (which they provide a generous portion of). 2. Steam rice rolls -- the rice roll is so thin and delicate, yet holds all the filling in quite nicely. It strongly resembles Vietnamese banh cuon. The filling is plentiful and it's served with fish sauce, one of the all time favorite sauces of all time. 3. Beef laab -- ground beef sauteed together with so many fresh herbs like thai basil, mint, and more. I usually get large lettuce and make them in wraps, but it's also great with white rice to absorb the juices. Other amazing dishes are the pho and for dessert get the sesame balls! I really don't think you can go wrong with any choices here. read more

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Just like my first review, HnS continues to deliver. Arguably the best Thai in the city-all magically prepared in a minuscule kitchen in the back of a grocery store. Love their angel wings, their pho, and the pad thai is absolutely phenomenal. A true Madison gem. read more

First time in, pho beef and pad Thai tofu were really, really great. Takeout was pretty quick, too!

Fantastic Pho. I had the Beef Pho and it had all of the taste components: savory, a little spicy, salty, and sour. I had to take half of it home and it was fantastic the next day. I will definitely be back here. Friendly and fast service too. While I was here, I also picked up a few of those instant Korean noodle bowls that you don't get at typical grocery stores. A bonus. read more

Hot-N-Spicy - Beef Pho - Laotian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Super friendly. I loved both the pho and the fried noodles. There wasn't a lot of seating available.

Delicious, fresh, all the umami. Ordered delivery: pad Thai, extra chicken, pad see ew-tofu, extra veggies, shrimp spring rolls, egg rolls, wonton soup. At the time, won ton soup was not available for delivery...so I called and they happily added it to my delivery. hot tip. Veggies were cooked perfectly, everything was flavorful: ginger, garlic, onions, heat...all the right heavenly flavors. Wonton soup is hearty, meaty, and perfect for our cold winter!! The chili was smokey-yum! So glad we found this place, will return! read more

Hot-N-Spicy - Next day shrimp spring roll STILL crunchy. Yum! - Laotian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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This has definitely been one of my go to places in town for Thai/Laos food. They have been consistent every time. I love their spring rolls, pad see ew, and pho. But everything I've tried is always good! It's located inside of Viet Hoa Grocery store and can take a little longer but worth the wait for the freshness of the food. You can order ahead and take it home to eat. Still taste great. There are two tables there but limited seating. Definitely a must try place. read more

Hot-N-Spicy - Laotian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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What a great find! I was just Googling and Yelping for some good takeout places in the area, and came across Hot-N-Spicy. The reviews were good and I love me some Asian food, so decided to give it a try. I suppose I might be the only one that didn't realize it was actually inside in the back of the Viet Hoa Market, but after a lot of confusion I finally found my destination (there's a sign in the complex sign, but not on the actual building where it is). Pickup was easy, staff was super nice and appeared to be taking all the right safety precautions amidst the COVID pandemic. I struggled to actually make a decision on what I wanted to eat, but I eventually settled on the crab rangoon and pad thai (my go-to's, really). The crab rangoon was very good, but a majority of each piece was the fried dough/crust, and not the stuff that was actually inside. I ended up tearing off about half of each piece as extra. I wouldn't order this option again for that reason, but would totally try a different appetizer. If you really like the crust/dough stuff plain, then you'd love this. All about preference, I suppose. The pad thai was very good. It was slightly dry, but I don't think that detracted from the dish... it totally worked. The noodles were thinner than I usually find in a pad thai dish, and the flavoring was divine. I ate the entire order, even though I could have saved it for leftovers and had about 4 more servings (call it a fatty night.... totally worth it). It took me a week or two to write this review, and I kept stumbling across the pad thai pictures I took on my phone and it makes my mouth water every time just looking at it. This is a great, local place that is delicious and totally a worthwhile business to support. I will certainly be back during and after this pandemic, and cannot wait to try new things on the menu. I am particularly excited about trying the Angel Wings and the Pad See Ew. Order from here today!!!! read more

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Excellent Pad Thai. Better than any in the area. Generous portion of chicken. I usually request 2 for a spicy level (medium) This is a little spicier than other restaurants. Not a big deal. Next time, I'll order a 1 spice level (mild). I'll definitely be back read more

I'm obsessed with this hidden gem!! Who knew right here in Monona, in the back of a grocery store, they would serve some of the best Thai food around!? We got a Thai tea- perfect. An order of shrimp spring rolls- they have such great flavor, fresh shrimp, and little crunchies in there too. I've never had it prepared like that and liked it a lot. Then I got the pad thai which was very delicious. And my partner got the panang curry with tofu. Holy cow was his good. I will say this place gives the more popular places in Madison a run for their money. Everyone working there was super kind and while the ambiance is a little underwhelming, it feels very authentic. read more

Hot-N-Spicy - Pad Thai Panang Red Curry - Laotian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I learned about this place from our CM TD's first event, and the food was delicious! But I live on the far west side so I only finally got around to making it out here. The "restaurant" is pretty small, it's really just a place to order and 3 tables (in normal times, effectively just 1 right now) at the back of some food aisles in the grocery store. When I got there around 5:30 on a Saturday they were super busy - phone orders were looking at 45 min. Great to see they're doing good business right now. I ordered the pad see ewe with spice level 3 (out of 4) and Thai tea. Pad see ewe normally includes carrot, onion, broccoli, and Chinese broccoli but I skipped the broccolis. They generously subbed in snow peas for me. I was expecting to have to wait for my food based on the phone orders but it came out in maybe 10 min! The pad see ewe hit the spot for a late lunch/early dinner for me. Carrots still had a nice crisp to them, the noodles were maybe a tad too soft. Spice level 3 was about perfect for me with a nice little kick to the point of barely breaking a sweat. The condiment selection at the table is also excellent. Have you ever seen spicy chili crisp at other restaurants? Any place that has chili crisp is automatically a winner. Service was excellent, I was even given a complimentary refill on the Thai tea. It turned out the guy taking orders was at the Yelp event (it's been a while so I can't remember if he's the owner), and it was great to finally make a visit. The banh mi is made at the beginning of the day, not on demand, so you might have to test your luck if you're hoping to get some late in the day. read more

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