First time trying Royal Thai. Chose to order take-out in person so I could ask what could be made vegan-friendly. Man running front of house directed me to their printed menu and suggested I pick what I want and then ask about modifications. After sifting through their large menu, I landed on a few items I thought I'd ask about. Thankfully, he was very knowledgeable about each item and what would need to be changed about it to make it vegan. I ordered the Crispy Pad Thai with Veggies, Pad Cashew with Tofu, and the Vegetable Dumplings (which he said are made in house). All were really delicious and good size portions. The in-restaurant dining room wasn't very busy but there was a steady stream of delivery drivers picking up orders, during my 15-20 minutes there. It's a modest, fairly casual restaurant with not a lot of "bells and whistles". The menus are very informal printed copies of what's listed online. But my experience included really good food, a knowledgeable staff, and confirmation of a great local spot for solid take-out. Looking forward to trying more of the menu. read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - 14. Vegetable Dumplings 74. Pad Cashew 48. Crispy Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We walked in here randomly on a weekday for lunch. Seems like most ppl order take out, but we had a lovely time dining in. We each got a Thai iced tea, they were splendid. Then we started w peanut sauce spring rolls and crab Rangoons. They do not skimp on the peanut sauce and as a peanut sauce lover, i was very happy w the amount of sauce they put on the rolls. The crab Rangoons were also excellent. We got beef pad see iew and tofu pad Thai. I will be back for both these dishes, esp the pad Thai. Delicious! This was actually my first time trying sticky rice w mango, it was insane lol soooo good. What have I been doin my whole life without this dessert??! The mango was ripe AF. Wow so good. I will definitely be back! There's some easy parking right out front. read more

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My dad and I had a few hours to kill before our return flights, so we spent a lot of time doing random things on the North Side, including eating an early dinner at Royal Thai. We both had pad see ew; he had chicken, I had tofu. The noodles and sauce were delicious, and my dad said that the chicken was tender and fresh, some of the best chicken he's had in pad see ew--and he should know, since the only thing he and my mom ever order at Thai restaurants is pad see ew with chicken, pork, or both. So the food is four or four-point-five stars. It's delicious. The service? Not so much. As I said, we were early, so we were the only ones in the (tiny) restaurant. The person who seated us also served us, and while he definitely went through the motions and didn't leave us stranded or looking for him at any point, his eagerness was somewhere between court-ordered roadside garbage cleanup and waiting in line at the DMV. He didn't smile and didn't say much. When he thanked us as we left, it was in such a monotone voice that he could have been reading off license-plate numbers or a three-month-old shopping list. The space itself is cute, although the tables are arranged in a clunky way. I can't tell whether they make it look smaller or larger. Like the server's attempt at human warmth, they've put exactly zero effort into their menus. They literally printed their menus off their website on an inkjet printer that was running out of colored ink. And because it's printed from a website, it's something like twenty pages long when it could be three or four. And did I mention that the printout is tattered? Have some self-respect, Royal Thai! You have a tiny restaurant; pay a professional printer for twenty menus. You don't need more than that. The restaurant is located right across the street from a cute park in Lincoln Square. We weren't in the picnicking mood, but if you happen to be, your best bet might be a to-go order and a picnic at Welles Park. Parking was a cinch right across the street. I would attribute it to my dad's otherworldly parking karma, but there were plenty of spots in front of us as well, so parking isn't bad, at least for a very early Monday dinner. read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had such a nice time at Royal Thai. The food was absolutely delicious -- fresh, flavorful, and really well made. They are very family oriented! The staff were kind and attentive, checking in just enough to make sure we had everything we needed. It created a very easy, welcoming atmosphere that made the meal even better. Between the great service and the wonderful food, Royal Thai is a spot I'll definitely return to and recommend to friends read more

A couple of my friends and I went here for lunch and this was the BEST thai food we've EVER had. It was all so delicious, the portions are large, you definitely get what you paid for and more. The owner was so sweet. And the mango sticky rice is perfect. I had never had a mango this soft and sweet in my life. We all even went back a SECOND TIME later in the day to order more mango sticky rice, because it was just that good. Highly recommend this place, I never leave reviews and I just had to!! read more

The food was okay, it was the profiling I could have done without. I have a very Anglo name, and since I ordered online, they wouldn't know what to expect. So when I walked in to pickup my order, I didn't expect the interrogation that I received. Clearly, the gentleman there was not expecting my African American self to be ordering Thai food. Needless to say, I will not be back. read more

Stopped after lunch time. The chef made me awesome curry ! Delish! I'll be back !!! Nice small restaurant and very good!

Came by for lunch. Service was acceptable, ambiance relaxed/casual and food was great. Highlight was the basil eggplant, curry was pleasant not overly sweet and the fried rice was delicious. Certainly a repeat type of establishment. FYI you are in a rush use an alternative. read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - Fish curry, 67. Thai Fried Rice, 88. Pad Eggplant with Basil - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I like it! We've ordered different items from here in the past, and we always liked what we've gotten. I always order Pad Kee Mao, Pad See Ew, or Kow Soy Noodle Soup, but this time, I tried the Panang Noodle- flavorful curry dish with crispy wide noodles. We really like the Crab Rangoon from here (better than most!) read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - 63. Panang Noodle 6. Crab Rangoon 47. Pad Thai Plate 81. Rama Chicken with Wide Noodle - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been coming to Royal Thai for several years and they have always been consistent with their dishes. Even when I lived a bit further away, whenever I had a craving for Thai food, I would make the drive to Royal Thai. All the dishes I've ordered here are always packed with flavor and very authentic. Some of my highlights and favorite dishes include the fresh spring rolls (the tamarind sauce did it for me), Duck & Masumun Curry, Crispy Pad Thai, Pad Woon Sen, and the Royal Catfish. You can always find something solid on their menu. The service is also fast and they get a lot of takeout orders. The staff is always nice and accommodating. Another plus, they are BYOB! read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - 65. Duck Curry - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've been going to this restaurant for about 20 years off and on and the food is the tops but I am crushed by the treatment I got last night from the person (not sure if he is owner but I think so). I ordered my dish to go which was garlic chicken and when I tasted it found that it lacked the savory garlic favor that it usually has. I hesitated to take it back because since the pandemic the man I have dealt with seems unapproachable and almost angry at times. I went back anyway because this dish is usually so good. When I told the owner he replied that is just how we make it. I said I've been coming for years and it tastes different. He says they took over business 10 years ago and that's how they make it. He said something barely audible under his breath and when I asked him what he said he replied 'I know you. You always complain. You said the food was too expensive. I had made a comment once when the prices went up as they did all over but that was just it. I have never returned my food or complained in any way to him which I told him. He made some other nasty comment and walked away. Wow! I have never been treated this way. This man has no business being in the food industry acting this way. Unbelievable! read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - The storefront. - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I hate writing poor reviews, but I feel like it's important to share my experience. I called to place an order for pick up 10 minutes prior to arriving on a Monday night (5/10/21) and spoke to the nice lady who I ended up receiving my food from later (honestly the only reason I didn't give this place a 1 star). We ordered a Pad Kee Mao dish with beef, and a Seafood Royal Thai Noodle plate. The food was basically ready as soon as I arrived. Payment was quick, and was on my way home. Food was still warm and ready to be eaten 10-15 minutes later which was nice. They didn't ask us or provide any utensils or napkins which is important to note considering we could've have simply not even gone somewhere where there were utensils such as a park for example. Also, the grease/liquid was spilling everywhere inside the bag which got on my car seat, and was all over the outside of the plastic food containers. Overall, it was just messy. On to the food. I came here from reading a Reddit post about where to find the best Thai food in Chicago. I'm from LA originally, so finding good Thai is my goal here in my new city. Wow, I seriously hate to write this but this is probably the worst Thai food I've ever had (and I've been to many places). The noodles were extremely bland, and I didn't even taste the little sweet taste you get from the ride noodles (in Pad Kee Mao dishes)... nor was there really any spice that I'm used to. Even the few tomatoes slices that were in my meal did not take fresh. My friend's order was also very bland as well. Maybe we just came on a bad night or something, but I was very disappointed since I haven't had a Thai dinner in a while. I didn't even finish half of my meal, and ended throwing it up away. I should have just gone with Sticky Rice down the street like last time... *smh* read more

Great for take out! The pad Thai, Tom yum, and pot stickers were great. And the price was good.

This place has been around a while and in general, I've always considered it pretty good. However, my order on Friday left a lot to be desired. Not sure if management changed or what. My shu mai did not have any sauce with it and my Khoi soy came with what seriously looked and tasted like cheap packaged ramen noodles. The curry also had very little flavor. I hope this was just a fluke and they are able to turn it around. But based on this last visit I'll be waiting a bit before giving them another chance. read more

Not bad! I'm a fan. We stopped by Royal Thai for a late lunch this past weekend and I was pleased! Street parking is free in case you make the drive out and luckily we scored a spot just outside the entrance. Once in, I'll say that seating is pretty limited but being late in the lunch hour we were only one of three tables at the time. No issues grabbing a table. For food, we started with the fresh spring rolls. Not bad and reminded me of Filipino fresh lumpia weirdly with the sweet peanut sauce on top. For main entrees, boo boo did the pad kee mao or noodles with basil, bell pepper, bamboo shoots. Pretty delicious and a nice alternative to our usual pad see ew we normally go with. For myself, I did the curry noodles for a change up. I actually really enjoyed it. You don't typically see curry served with noodles but I'll say it was quite nice and warming for the snowy day we had visited. All in all, I'm a fan of this spot. Prices were also quite nice at just under $10 per dish. Also forgot to mention this spot is BYOB, so bring the party. 'Til next time, cheers! read more

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Consistently delicious Thai food. It's a bit far for us now and there are other places nearby but I just can't risk it not tasting like or being the quality of Royal Thai. Service is always nice and polite. We usually do takeout and it works great for us! Family favorites are Crispy Chicken Pad Thai, Nam Prik Pao, Red Curry, and Pad Thai! Their Crab Rangoon is also delicious. So good every time! read more

I ordered from Royal Thai based on all the glowing reviews! It was aiight but I've had much better in the city. Honestly, the flavors were just not on point. I will say though, they had one of the best crab rangoons I've ever had. $4.95 will get you a bag full of the little guys. They were just filled with all the gooey insides, really creamy, amazing flavor. I got to give Royal Thai that. But then...the main dishes. I tried the Crispy Pad Thai with chicken ($9.95) and just found it okay. There wasn't much flavor to it and I don't think I loved the crispness to the dish. I prefer a normal pad thai. I had the Pad See Ew ($8.95) also with chicken. Pad See Ew is one of my favorite dishes and this was sadly not one of the best versions I've had. Again, just not enough flavor. I don't want to go as far as saying it was bland but somewhere between bland and flavorful is where the Pad See Ew laid. The chicken in both dishes was good though - not dry and good amount in each dish. I'm not counting Royal Thai completely out just yet. I'd order from them again to try some different main entrees and those crab rangoons again! But I can't recommend the pad see ew or crispy pad thai. Nu uh. Take a pass on those. read more

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I got the panang Curry with tofu and crab ragoon. Both were great. It was pricy but I'd order from here again. The curry was a bit sweet and spicy and the peanut butter wasn't overwhelming. read more

I've only walked in here once, but have tried their food twice. I fell in love with their Crispy Pad Thai and come here when I have cravings for it. Food Crispy Pad Thai - good portion for the price, and very flavorful. It doesn't really remind me as much of Pad Thai (more of a sweet soy sauce based flavor). I love how they make their wide noodles soo crispy!! YUM Atmosphere The restaurant is small and more like a fast food Thai restaurant. Take the food to go if you're not a fan of heat and sweat a lot (no a/c). Good place to come if you want to be in and out. Parking I'm sure you can find a lot of free parking in the area if you look around. Otherwise, it's walking distance from the Brown/Red Line. :) read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - Crispy pad thai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have never in my 57 years of life known an Asian restaurant to overcook rice. But before I even got to eating it, I had to find a fork. I picked up my food on my way to class. I got to school, about 2.5 miles away, and had nothing to eat with. I called the restaurant to complain, and the young lady had the nerve to say to me, "I thought you were going home." I thought that that was the most absurd response I had ever heard. How are you figuring out where I am going? I do take as much blame about the fork; I should have asked. But the response as to why she didn't offer one was epic. Otherwise the Panang Curry was alright; not as good as my favorite Thai restaurant that recently closed. But because of the service and that gummy rice, I cannot give a better rating. read more

Royal Thai is my personal favorite Thai in the neighborhood (and the options are plentiful!!). The interior is warm and inviting. It's not over done like a few Thai places I've eaten at, but it's perfectly decorated with a few major pieces of art/sculptures here and there. The food is inexpensive and delicious. We've eaten there many times because it's just down the block, so we've tried a lot of things on the menu. My personal favorite is the chicken pad Thai and my boyfriend loves the curries. We also really enjoy the peanut sauce spring rolls and chicken egg rolls for appetizers! We typically pay about $30 with tax and tip for the two of us so it's place you want to frequent! read more

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Ordered delivery from here to mix it up. Combo fried rice was standard, nothing over the top. Kow soy lacked a bit of flavor and same with pad see ew. Honestly the whole meal was just average, but the panang curry was excellent. Honestly it was one of my favorites that I've had in Chicago. Slightly behind sticky rice. 3.5 stars solely because of that dish. Worth a try just for that read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - 72. Combination Fried Rice 52. Pad Si-ew Plate 62. Panang Curry 31. Kow Soy Noodle Soup 4. Vegetable Egg Roll - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We love this Thai restaurant because their food is so good. My son says it's perfect for people for like crunchy orange chicken and delicious golden fried noodles. I agree their orange chicken is one of the best in the city. The chicken is fried to perfection and the sauce consistency is enough so it's not too sticky and it doesn't make the chicken soggy. You have to eat it there as it comes out of the kitchen, so it's crispy and hot! I don't think you'll get the effect when you take out. However, I'll taste good. We have tried other items and they are all good. We love the Pad Thai, Panang Noodles and Royal Catfish. The Panang Noodles is a combination of crisp noodles with peppers and your choice of meat. The sauce is quite tasty and the whole dish is very flavorful. The royal catfish is spicy and has amazing Thai flavor. My mouth is simply watering thinking about it. Their Pad Thai is very good as well, quite addictive. We think it's one of the best Thai restaurants in the city. read more

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Consistently great food. Unbelievable flavors from every dish tried. Fast service. Chicken Satay, Crab Rangoon, Panang Curry, Sesame Chicken, Thai Pepper Steak all winners! read more

This place was a bit disappointing it was not one thing but everything just seemed a bit off. Service was slow and tables stayed dirty for a long time. All the food was ok but each had a concern. The pad Thai sauce was overpowering. The peanut sauce. Looked and tasted fake. Staff just seemed Mike they wanted to get out of there. read more

Waited forever for some of the worst Thai food I've ever had. The pad Thai was sweet and gucky . . . inedible. The seafood fishy. The sauces tasted as though they came from jars. I can't imagine what others are talking about. I feel bad for those who run the restaurant and hate to leave a bad review. But I've been to Thailand often and this is worse than anything I can possibly imagine. From some of the reviews, I can only imagine that at some point it was good, but I can assure you, it is not anymore. read more

The service and atmosphere are a little subpar but their outstanding food makes up for it. Everything we ordered was delicious, including the catfish, the orange chicken and the Panang curry. read more

This restaurant has very delicious food! We ordered the Kaw Soy and Wonton Shrimp and loved it. The food is well cooked, tastes authentic and has HUGE servings. I am a vegetarian and my partner is a carnivore and we can always eat here amicably together. The ambiance is cute and cozy, feels very at home. Also the Jasmine Tea is perfectly bitter and creates the perfect warm belly feeling read more

All of the food was fresh, spicy, and flavorful. I love tamarind and seafood, never knew I'd love them together!!! This will be my new Thai place!!! read more

We ended up here by accident because I could not be bothered to wait in line for K-bbq. I'm so glad I did! I had the best green curry with seafood and my bf had awesome shrimp pad thai. If I lived closer I would go every week. read more

This place is a new go to for us, we enjoy authentic Thai food and this place holds up well. We had chicken pad Thai and Thai boat noodle soup which is like a Thai pho with better quality meat. Service was attentive and timely, food was tasty, and the restaurant was full on a Monday. read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - Thai boat noodle soup $9 - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Gushing. That's how I left this place. It's BYOB, the pricing is very reasonable and the food...phenomenal. Let's start with my only real negative and then we can get into the nitty gritty. The satay was just ok. It has that same over flattened quality that you find in lesser Thai places and the flavors are not that pronounced, also.. there are only four of them on the plate. Peanut sauce is very good and the Cucumber salad was pretty good, certainly presented beautifully. Montri Thai in Warrenville, Banana Leaf in Dallas and the stalls in Singapore all have much superior Satay. We tried a second appetizer just for fun (we had been bike riding all day along the beach and we were seriously hungry) The Spring rolls with peanut sauce. These were excellent and different than others that we've had. What was cool is that they were cut into smaller pieces and easy to manage.. we ate them throughout the meal and they really seemed to compliment everything. So, we got kind of carried away with noodles.. in fact we accidentally ordered ALL noodle dishes... here's what happened: We ordered Pad See Ew with beef (we always do, it's a staple) it was excellent! Just enough of that slight tangy sweetness and crisp veggies....really, really good. As good as any of our other favorite places. We ordered Panang Curry with Chicken (we order this everywhere.. it's one of the ways we judge our Thai places) so... normally we would get rice.. and I looked at my wife and said "wait a minute" a Yelp reviewer said "don't think about it, just get the Panang Curry with noodles" So we did. It was awesome. We asked for it very hot and it was pleasantly spicy (we have a very high tolerance for spice) I highly recommend this dish although next time we will get it with rice.. just to break things up. They put the appropriate veggies in the curry (bell peppers are the ONLY appropriate veggies in Panang curry) Did I mention that it was delightful? Then came the third option.. This is where we usually experiment.. sometimes it's Pad Thai.. or sea food or whatever looks good.. this time we got the Crispy Pad Thai with Pork. OMG, what a delicious surprise! I took my life into my own hands when I reached for an extra taste of this.. my wife had chopsticks and she knows how to use them. Traditional Thai decor, not fancy and only one small bathroom. Very polite service. The food presentations are beautiful. If we lived closer.. we would be here all of the time. We are soooo going back here. Our bill was around $44.00 and we took home a few leftovers and fortunately for me, Lisa left the dangerous chopsticks at the restaurant. read more

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Another neighborhood gem. We started with the appetizer sampler which was a really nice way to try a little bit of everything. I had the seafood royal thai noodle plate which was absolutely delicious and the vegetables were cooked so perfectly crunchy that was the first time I picked around noodles to get to vegetables. (The noodles were also great.) My husband got red curry and loved it too. The menu is kind of overwhelming but everything we tried was great so I highly recommend those. read more

Not all Thai restaurants are created equal ... Royal Thai stands out like a king among men. I had the most elegantly presented green curry with chicken. It was served in a square bowl/plate with a dip in the middle and a side of jasmine rice. The best part about this is the curry tasted even better than it looked! Creamy coconut milk mixed with broth, soft pieces of chicken, bright basil, sweet and savory ... mmmm. I also tried my buddy's pad see ew which was pretty great, too! It had an interesting smokiness to it in addition to the expected flavors. Oh! And the crab rangoon was also great. Some places don't do much with the cream cheese filling, but Royal Thai seasons the filling and adds a few minced vegetables. Opart Thai, I believe you've met your match. read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - Green Curry with Chicken (change it up, try it if you like basil) - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best Thai food in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. PERIOD. My favs are the spinach soup, chicken potstickers, royal Thai noodle, pad woonsen and pad see ewe. Oh yea and the mango with sticky rice and the Thai iced tea. read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - Pad woonsen with shrimp - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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How else can I describe the food here besides memorable! Servers are always kind, fast and efficient at their work. The chef I imagine has 4 or 5 arms, mainly because the food my wife and I always order comes out together and taste hot fresh made. Every employee genuinely seems happy to be there, (I've never seen a sad/bored face while dining in). The lighting, decor music all blended so well together. Nothing too noisy or too bright. What can I say about my experience here besides I love it every time. read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A gem hide in ravenwood I said tacos or thai The best tacos in town is next door el asadero So we decide try the royal thai Glad see ppl just talking no vary w/the device's is Byob We order apetizer sampler for 2 Chicken satay Pad thai w/tofu Good flavor Great porcions Nice staff No waiting The also have a fish tank w/beutiful fish The prices are very good cozy place read more

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This place got a lot of good reviews compared to the other Thai places in the area so when I went I was kinda disappointed. I went during lunch alone and the place was empty. It's a nice, small place. Nice decorations. My food took about 15 minutes to make. I ordered Pad Si Ew with chicken. When the plate came out, it was the smallest portion I have ever had at a Thai restaurant. Usually, I get such big portions - I have enough to take home for a second meal. This was the first time I actually finished all of my meal at the restaurant. On top of that, the Pad Si Ew was not that different than any other place. I liked that they use Chinese broccoli. The grease from the plate upset my stomach for the rest of the day. I don't know if it's just me, but I used to love Thai, but everywhere I go, it all seems too greasy for me. Maybe a non-greasy Thai place is non-existent! Overall, I would not go back because the food was average and the portions are very small. I like leftover's when I order Thai. One More Note: Now that I'm reading through the reviews, the waitress failed to mention the Lunch menu to me! read more

Royal Thai Restaurant - Pad Si Ew Chicken - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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So glad no one else knows about this place because it's my favorite Thai in town. Glad to have it all to myself. Well, I guess I'll share it with my girlfriend though since she introduced me to it. Stay away from the stuffed chicken appetizer if "bone-in" chicken annoys you. But the spring rolls are as awesome as the rest of the main dish menu. read more

Great place for the price! Ordered: Num tok (beef salad), panang curry Ambiance: Very nice clean restaurant with dark furniture and sturdy tables. This place certainly has a nice dinner feel although we came here for dinner. Service was friendly and prompt although we were only one out of 3 couples here. Food: The beef salad was pretty enjoyable, the beef was not over-cooked and drenched a lime dressing that was slightly sweet. If you don't like tons of red onion though you might want to steer away from the Num tok because that forms the bulk of the dish. The panang curry was very simple having chicken and bellpeppers but the flavor was spot-on. It was sweet and savory but really could have used some heat, i'll make sure to order it extra-spicy next time. Portion-size wise everything decent and I finished my meal comfortably full. Overall this place gets 4-stars for food as it was unimaginative but well-executed and beating out most run-of-the-mill thai places. At ~8 bucks a dish, though, this place is a steal for the portion-size and quality. Combined with a nice setting and the friendly service, this place gets bumped up to 5-stars. I'd highly recommend this place if your craving some thai but aren't looking for something mind-blowing. read more