Reasonably authentic Thai food in a laid back, casual and crowded setting.
I can't really think of many better Thai places, but, still, this one leaves me a wanting a better option. In the States, London or any other major metropolis outside of Thailand, I'd consider this "meh". For Vienna, it's relatively bangin'. So give it one more star if you want to see the rank for Thai in Vienna
My first confusion comes from the fact that, for a place called Isaan, I didn't see much Isaan cooking on the menu. Maybe I missed it. For the most part, the menu ranges the entire Thai kitchen. I will have to hunt for some Isaan delights, although they do have spicy papaya salad, which is a famous Isaan dish that is now eaten all over Thailand. Also: I am slow sometimes and probably missed the "Isaan" section of the menu.
I have been here a few times. First visit, we stuck to some of the things we know from our travels in Thailand and a nearly life-long love of the cuisine. It was awesome to see something *very* similar to Pad Prikh King on the menu and, when I asked the waiter if it was, indeed, Pad Prikh King, he said it was. Well, it wasn't, actually, because the curry paste used was all wrong for PPK. Regardless, the dish was still pretty tasty. We tried a basic stir-fry which lacked much zip or depth, and the Lad Na looks like cornstarch soup instead of the nicely-seared noodles with a thickened gravy one would see at a street stall in Thailand.
On subsequent visits, we've had several other dishes. None are really worth avoiding (other than the Lad Na), nor are they worth seeking out.
The pad thai is actually nicely done, both the shrimp and chicken version. I might give this place the "number two" slot for pad thai in Vienna.
I still haven't tried any of the curries, but I can't imagine they are the best in town based on visuals alone. However, I think they will be solid.
The way it works is that you order at the counter, then they bring your food to you. You pay at the end of your meal by going back up to the counter, so it is basically self-service. I like that for the ease and the fact that your'e not at the mercy of a waiter or waitress to handle everything for you.
The kitchen can get backed up, so be prepared to wait. However, it won't be interminable: those women back there are *cranking*.
My favorite part about this place, though, is the fact that they crank out the food as fast as they can. Unlike a lot of places in Vienna, they seem to focus on getting the people in-and-out as quickly as possible. This can be A Very Good Thing. Sometimes -- every meal doesn't have to involve endless dicking around at the table, reading, smoking... You're only paying 10EUR and you're not renting the table: down your dish and move on to let some other people eat! read more