dansch wrote:ronnie_suburban wrote:
Pad See Ewe with Pork
My son loves this dish and for him, it's probably the standard by which he compares Thai restaurants. Even though this dish isn't exactly in TAC's wheelhouse, they do a great job with it. The noodles had a satisfying, delicate bite, the chicken was crispy and moist, the broccoli was tender but not mushy, and the sauce was balanced in its sweetness.
Ever since my first meal at TAC Quick, I've been a huge fan and frankly embarrassed that I hadn't been there before (given it's proximity to my abode), but I have to say that I really don't care for their Pad See Ewe. At my favorite Thai spot in Virginia they did a phenomenal version of the dish, and while TAC is far and away a better restaurant overall, their Pad See Ewe just doesn't measure up.
I think it's the lack of char of the fresh noodles and the use of American-style broccoli instead of the more bitter Chinese-style broccoli (or does TAC use a mix?) that I associate with the dish.
I still have no hesitation when I say that TAC is my favorite Thai in town (although there are a couple of dishes - Num Tok and Tom Kha Pla - at Opart have me hooked), I just wish I liked their Pad See Ewe better.
-Dan
ronnie_suburban wrote:It's interesting that you mentioned Opart because I've had -- and absolutely loved -- pad see ewe at their Wimette outpost in the past. But over the past year or so, their overall quality seems to have dipped dramatically and I've stopped going there.
=R=
G Wiv wrote:LTH,
Last year about this time I felt TAC was in a slump, batting average had slipped, even with old favorites, but a recent lunch, and Ronnie and KennyZ's glowing posts, have convinced me they are well back in stride.
deesher wrote:I was fortunate enough to have braised beef with carrot and potato in curry with roti. This is a special that appears from time to time when Erik M. delivers curry powder to Andy. The curry is very rich and complex. I have always ordered it whenever I was fortunate enough to find it on the specials board. It should be around for a while, but I would recommend calling the restaurant to make sure it would be on hand before making a trip for this item.
octarine wrote:I went with the karee beef and roti which was mindblowingly good.
chezbrad wrote:The roti noted above is indeed excellent, with an almost stew-like texture--albeit with a luxuriant mouth feel--deepened by the curry powder. Loved it.
octarine wrote:I went with the karee beef and roti which was mindblowingly good.
chezbrad wrote:The roti noted above is indeed excellent, with an almost stew-like texture--albeit with a luxuriant mouth feel--deepened by the curry powder. Loved it.
The vibrancy of the Roti Kaeng Karii Neau wouldn't have been possible had Erik not recently provided Andy the Curry (recipe taken from David Thompson's book, "Thai Food") made with super-fresh and recently ground spices. The Curry was beautifully alive on the palate and elevated this tender beef stew to a heavenly realm. If you love Thai cuisine, this is not a dish to take casually and wait for. I promise that if TAC makes this a specialty item, the batch of Curry powder Erik generously provided for them (and meticulously labored over to get just right) will be gone in no time.trixie-pea wrote:Roti Kaeng Karii Neau (Malay Muslim-Style Beef Curry w/ Roti Bread) was the honored guest at one of best meals I've had in quite a while.
cilantro wrote:Kao lao mu yaw?
Kennyz wrote: Thankfully, the rich, sweet star anise-flavored braising liquid in my main course (whatever that dish is called with the braised pork belly, tofu, and preserved eggs) settled me down quickly, and I left TAC feeling as satisfied as ever.
mtyf wrote:We had Crispy On Choy ($11), Pork Neck ($6), and Garlic Pork Ribs ($7) as recommended in this thread, and were very pleased. The pork neck was a good value, and we wondered if pigs really have that much neck?
Mike G wrote:Also a letdown: that every time I go to have the roti, they're out. Honestly, over the years I've probably tried 5 or 6 times, and had it exactly once.
Kennyz wrote:you missed it by a day. They had roti on Thursday night.
PIGMON wrote:The vibrancy of the Roti Kaeng Karii Neau wouldn't have been possible had Erik not recently provided Andy the Curry (recipe taken from David Thompson's book, "Thai Food") made with super-fresh and recently ground spices. The Curry was beautifully alive on the palate and elevated this tender beef stew to a heavenly realm. If you love Thai cuisine, this is not a dish to take casually and wait for. I promise that if TAC makes this a specialty item, the batch of Curry powder Erik generously provided for them (and meticulously labored over to get just right) will be gone in no time.
Another dish that blew my socks off was the Phat Phet Sa-Taw; a spicy Curry fry with sator beans (stinky beans) and minced shrimp & pork. I truly fell in love with this dish with its perfect balance between the shrimp/pork, curry, and beans. This dish gave me a newfound love in the stinky bean and will no doubt have me looking for it anywhere it might be found. Its subtle tanginess for me was highly alluring.
Phat Phet Sa-Taw is not presently offered at TAC but, hopefully, people will start requesting it from Andy and he will consider making it as a special at some point. I was trying real hard not to be a pain in the ass when I left, pleading with Andy and his partner to start carrying it there on a daily basis.
One other highlight was the Som Tam Puu Dawng or Papaya Salad with fresh blue crab. Most people who frequent TAC try their papaya salad at one point or another. But what really elevated this dish this time was Erik’s insistence that they “muddle” the papaya aggressively, which allowed the other ingredients to beautifully meld with the papaya itself and also elevate the spice level dramatically.
Everything we tried that evening was Southern Thai-based dishes and rarely found (if ever) in Chicago. I would strongly recommend requesting these dishes whenever you go with the hopes of enticing possible future preparations.
Thanks, Erik.