I'm a huge fan of Thai food, so when it was suggested that we check out this place on Lakeshore, I didn't have to think about it for more than a second.
We arrived around noon on a recent Sunday and the place was empty. We ordered a couple of items to share, and I was pleasantly surprised when our server brought us out a complimentary order of the Vegetable Spring Rolls ("Glass noodles, Taro, mung bean and vegetables in a crispy rice paper wrap") as a starter. The arrived to the table piping hot and are definitely a cut above most similar fare. The included dipping sauce really took them over the top, too.
We also got:
Pla Tod Rad Namchim ("De-Boned Whole Fried Red Snapper Topped with Thammada special seafood sauce"): This is a decent dish. The fish is prepared very well and the available pieces of fish are delicious and perfectly fried. I loved the included sauce as well, as it's spicy and tangy and an ideal complement to the fish. I will say, however, that for a $25 dish, I was expecting more bang for my buck (i.e. there's not a ton of actual fish to eat, ultimately).
Pad Thai ("Rice noodles, tamarind sauce, beansprouts, tofu, egg,chives, salted radish, peanuts and onion"): I'm a sucker for Pad Thai, so this was a complete no-brainer. And I have to admit, this is easily one of the best versions of this venerable dish I've had in quite some time. The sauce contains the right balance of sweet and savory, and all the components are perfectly incorporated. The noodles were a touch overcooked, but that's a minor complaint for what's otherwise a fantastic dish.
Thammada seems like a big winner, and I'm excited to sample more of their dishes in the future. read more