LTHForum.com

I am one of those who just can't get enough of Tac Quick. My husband and I eat there about 6/month. We'd been out of town for a while and when we went back to Tac on Monday night what a change! The small coffee shop that occupied the space next door is gone along with the separating wall. Tac has taken over the entire space. There is a lot more seating now, a bar (no alcohol behind it...yet) that has been extended with more seating too, and all of the chairs and tables have been redone. Looks great.

But, it's not the decor that I am trying to post about. It's the changes to the menu. There have been additions to the "regular" menu- some tofu items, a beef/basil roll, nothing that we actually ordered on Monday. My dispair came when we tried to order the "stuffed omelet" (khai yat sai) off of the Thai Menu. No more omelet! What???? That is absolutely our favorite. The other omelet (kai jeaw muu sab) is gone too.

Can anyone tell me why?

The chalk specials board was also missing. We asked if they had specials and were told no, but did that mean no specials that night or no more specials board ever.

Does that mean no more pork neck? No more Nam Prick Clam? No more Roti? No more Crying Tiger? I could go on and on, but it's making me hungry.

I know there are other Tac lovers out there - does anyone have any insite on these changes? And, please, tell me it's going to stay BYOB.

An indirect reply.

Bangkok, on Halsted, was originally across the street where the Mexican restaurant is now, but in an old building that is no longer there. It was much smaller and, though still good, much better then. They had these incredible little sausages that didn't make the trip across the street.

Ditto Pasteurs, Soul Kitchen, and a tiny Chinese place I liked in Louisville 20 years ago. I understand why restaurants need to grow, but has any place gotten better in the process?

As for TAC Quick, alas it's probably time to savor the memories and start looking for the next, new place.

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Chuck Cowdery

Oh dear, please tell me the pork neck is still there! I will go Friday night and see what's up.

was there on Sunday Oct 2nd, 1 day after they re-opened. I won't evoke the "downhill alert" just yet, but they didn't even have thai ice team.. :wtf:?

I'm going back w/ a party of 8+ ish tonite.. Will report back. All i know is the papaya salad didn't taste the same and the raad nah empire was kinda funked too (as well as a smaller portion)...

The new space is certainly much more open. THe food was good but not amazing. I had moo ping and rice noodles with ground and BBQ pork :kuay teuw muu sab IIRC. It was nice but the moo ping seemed a bit blander than I recall and the noodles were good but the tom yum broth was overpowering.

The service was horrible, if I didn't have a history with the place I would have walked out. There was one waitress and one waiter in training it appeared for about 20 tables. I was seated at a high stool by the window and it took over ten minutes to get a menu or water. I asked for specials and the waiter said there weren't any. Later I found the specials board which wasn't visible from my seat.

The amazing thing which almost became funny is I was never given any silverware or napkins. The appetizer took ~20 minutes to arrive, the entree took 50 minutes. THis for a bowl of noodles with some veggies and BBQ pork thrown in. My first rationalization was that they were making the broth but it was pretty standard tom yum with perhaps a bit more star anise and salt. The chairs were extremely uncomfortable, I will not sit there again, it's the tables for me.

Not once was I asked how the food was, the moo ping was dumped on my table as the waitress rushed by, thankfully it came with skewers, the noodles came with a spoon but the first time the waitress asked if the food ws ok/did I want anything, I was 2/3 done with the meal. I asked for napkins and got them just as I took my last bite.

So I guess I will be back but not on a weekend evening. I spent the meal thinking " I HAVE to start trrying more of Thompsons' recipes at home"

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I used to think the brain was the most important part of the body. Then I realized who was telling me that.

wow.. all i can say is "Growing Pains". Echoing above:
i had a party of 7, and the entire dinner took 2 hrs. sat down at 8:30, got up well after closing. got my own plates/napkins/utensils... the busperson cleared our table half way thru thinking we were done because we sat for so long waiting in between dishes ...

the nam sod on the specials menu was packing good heat and lotso ginger. wish i brought some beers to go with this minced pork/lime/ginger salad. the basil leaf/preserved egg/minced chicken dish was tasty as always, but the rest of the meal was off all the way from the thai ice tea w/ too much half-n-half to the soggy rice of the 'mixed-in' shrimp paste rice. also, i believe green mangos was used in the "khao khluk ka pi naa" (as per Erik's first round of translations), but this time around, we found green apple slices...

we knew another party of 6 at the restaurant dining at the same time. we were served first, and apparently the newbies just had a horrific meal: "i waited an hour for some chicken wings". that said, will give this 1 more shot in a month... if situation remains...

I haven't eaten at TAC Quick since late May, but I don't have any doubt that the Korean-owned liquor store, three doors to the north, is still rockin' and rollin'. The last time that I checked, they carried Sapporo, Kirin, Sierra Nevada, Grolsch, etc.

It sure sounds like you had plenty of time to hit 'em up.

E.M.

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"Don't even touch my gold, I'm good."

Tony,

Had a late dinner last night at TAC, no "growing pains" last night. For our party of 6 service was very good, food even better.

I quite like the new interior both from an aesthetic and comfort standpoint.

Recently Expanded TAC Quick (10.19.05)



Enjoy,
Gary

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

HI,

I see a few people I recognize, however I don't see any other customers. Were you there that early or rather late into the evening? Otherwise their new addition has quite an attractive interior.

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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Cathy,

Rather late, as in they turned the open sign to closed as soon as we walked out the door.


Enjoy,
Gary

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

I ate at TAC the week they opened and the service was friendly but terrible (45 minutes for food! I felt like I was waiting for a Chicago-style pizza in the loop's tourist slum).

But I've been back three times since and it's been packed every time. The service was fast (with no qualms about me ordering off of Eric's translated menu). While I don't like the club music, it's my default for Thai when I'm too lazy to take the bus to Sticky Rice (their kao soy is cheaper and closer to what I've eaten in Chiang Mai).

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eat, drink, repeat.

I stopped in the other day for the first time since the expansion for the fried fish maw salad. I saw that pork neck was back on the special board and got that too. I'm happy to report that two of my favorite TAC dishes were as delicious as always. I didn't time them but the wait didn't seem any longer than normal, although it wasn't crowded at the time. Good to know that TAC still never disappoints.

The food was fantastic! My friend and I had papaya salad(som tum), fish cakes(tod mun), nam nuang(roll yourself spring rolls which I still can't roll but have fun trying), catfish soup(so amazing) and khao mun gai. I loved it all.

Actually, I think it's about time we change the title of this thread to TAC Quick -- Not Changed. Terrific meal last night; the Wild Boar Pad Ped and the Raw Shrimp With Garlic were both spot on -- as were our appetizers. And very good service; especially as to refilling our hot tea.
>>Brent

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"Yankee bean soup, cole slaw and tuna surprise."

I had lunch with a friend there about a month ago.

I was glad to see they are still using a "larger gauge" dried shrimp in their papaya salad.

The basil chicken (pad krapow) was very tasty, as was the sausage dish with the distinctive ginger chunks.

Overall no complaints, would have liked to try a larger spread but there were just 2 of us.

Still think I might slightly favor going up Broadway a few minutes to Thai Avenue but TAC is excellent food IMO.

The original post must have been written duirng a brief bump while going through their growth spurt. The food, service, and overall experience is as good or better than ever. Still miss the omelette- so sad that's off the menu. The things that are coming out of TAC's kitchen are great. The new style is working well for them- it's had a big crowd and take out business every time I've been in.

Hi Ashley,

You are free to revisit your original post and edit the subject title. Maybe something like: " TAC Changed - Not!" or whatever you feel is suitable.

Regards,

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Some massive work upheaval has kept me from posting this in a timely manner, but last Wednesday I was invited out for a TAC Quick feast in honor of Dave Feldman's visit. With Erik M. as our gracious guide, I was in precisely zero position to refuse such an offer. Here is where it is worth noting... to put my thoughts in context... that I am a child of P.S. Bangkok. I have, quite literally, been dining there regularly since it was a brand new joint, I was into Milli Vanilli, and most people with whom I discussed Thai cuisine thought I was referring to the food of Taiwan. So while I adore Sue and will be a regular visitor to P.S. Bangkok for, hopefully, the rest of my life, I've known for some time now that I needed to broaden my horizons. This seemed the perfect opportunity.

I fear that my dish descriptions will be a little vague, but it was a lot to absorb all at once. At one point, I jokingly said I felt as though I were cheating on Sue, but in some ways this was rather apropos as a metaphor. Our dinner was how I imagine the first rendezvous with the other woman would be, something of a hazy sensory blur punctuated by vague yet powerful impressions rather than detailed analyses. As such, here are my blurry thoughts (and blurry photos, owing to an unfortunate camera mishap) for the evening. As usual, all photos are of the click to enlarge variety.


sômtam puu mãa
papaya salad with fresh blue crab

First dish, a familiar start, as tart, citrusy and fishy as I've come to love, with the crab as a nice inclusion to which I'm unaccustomed. What miniscule morsels I managed to suck out of the limbs that landed on my plate were quite wonderful. The somtam I grew up on was always much, much more tender than any I got elsewhere, I believe due to extensive pounding in a mortar. I've never been certain which texture I preferred, but I know I enjoyed the tougher, chewier texture at TAC quite a bit, and much more than I have at other establishments.



sâi kràwk isãan
grilled Isaan-style pork and rice sausage, served with chile, ginger, and peanuts

I'm a sucker for sausage, so this one was going to be a winner no matter what. This was another familiar dish for me, as it was a favorite from one of my rare non-PS excursions, in this case to Lotus of Siam in Vegas. You can't go wrong with grilled pork and lemongrass. I enjoyed it quite a bit.



kài thâwt
Thai-style fried chicken served with a spicy tamarind dipping sauce

This was the first dish that was technically new to me, inasmuch as fried chicken with a tart, spicy tamarind dipping sauce can be unfamiliar. The chicken was clearly marinated before frying, which gave it a really nice depth of flavor. Aggressive frying made for a nice crispy/chewy texture. Very enjoyable.



tôm sâep
Isaan-style sour, light, and spicy soup with beef offal

Sadly, this is where my camera started to misbehave, but I've done my best to salvage the photos. On the upside, this was the first dish that I adored. Not to imply that the previous dishes weren't excellent, they all were. But this soup was really fantastic, an opinion that seemed to be generally shared by the table. What impressed me was its ability to be as tart and explosive as it was without losing subtlety. In my experiences, dishes that are as tart as this one are usually overly aggressive, but this one remained grounded. One of my big favorited of the evening.



plaa sãmlii tàet dìaw
crisply-fried butterfish with chile diiping sauce

Aaaaand here's where my camera really started misbehaving... but hopefully you get the idea. I made the mistake of not getting to this dish the moment it hit the table, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. The fish was split lengthwise down the middle and crisp-fried to make the entire beast edible. I partook of the head, myself, which I rather enjoyed... but I suspect I really needed to hit this one hot from the fryer instead of 15-20 minutes later, as I did.



phàt phèt plaa dùk
catfish stir-fried with green curry paste, chile, Thai eggplants and green peppercorns

I love Thai fried catfish, and this was no exception. Crisply fried, a little chewy, still flaky on the inside... great stuff. The curry was considerably more restrained than I expected, and I think I need a second dip to decide whether I consider that a good or a bad thing. To be clear, it's a second dip I'll enjoy no matter what. It was undoubtedly delicious, I'm just trying to determine where my preferences lie.



khâo khãa mũu
red-braised pork hock in a sweet and savoury sauce with pickled cabbage

This is the kind of pork dish I love... a very slow-cooked, moist, fatty, intensely porky fellow with lots of fat and skin that was very, very similar to the kinds of dishes I get in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. In fact, I believe Erik mentioned that these types of dishes were brought to Thailand by Chinese traders, but don't quote me on any of that. I'm sure he can elaborate. It was a little drier than the Chinese pork I'm used to, but quite delicious in any respect.



náam phrík kà-pì plaa thuu
shrimp paste “dip,” served with grilled mackerel and crudités

This was the second huge winner of the night for me, perhaps because the dip reminded me so much of the Italian anchovy concoctions that I love so dearly. The dip was spicy, fermented and sour, very complex and potent. I loved it. The mackerel certainly wasn't for those who don't like fishy fish, but I thought it was great. Very nice fried eggplant and random crudites. But the best pair, in my mind, was the thin egg crepe. I don't recall the exact composition, but it was eggy and slightly crisp, with some kind of vegetable and seasoning cooked in. Really, really fantastic. Incidentally, Erik informs me that the dip is colored so because the shimp used are so tiny that the black eyes comprise a significant portion of the beast. Of course, this only makes the dish as cool as it is tasty.



krà-phrao kràwp khài yiaw mûa
deep-fried holy basil with minced chicken, stir-fried and served over preserved eggs

This certainly wasn't one of the flashier dishes, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. Hooray for fried basil. Incidentally, I've never understood the aversion fo preserved eggs that seems quite common. I see how the color might be off-putting to some, but the flavor is really quite gentle.



kũay tĩaw reua
spicy rice noodle soup with tender beef, beef balls, beansprouts and Chinese broccoli

Yowza, what a finish. After the planned menu was completed, we ended up with one additional dish by special request of the guest of honor, and I'm glad he wasn't shy. This soup is so complex that I don't even know how to begin describing it. There were about 62 different things going on, all of them incredibly potent. It had a deep, dark intensity that immediately brought liver to mind, though I have no idea if any liver was involved in its composition. In typical Thai fashion, however, it was simultaneously punched up with very bright herbal and vinegary accents. I wish I could speak about this one more intelligently, because there's a lot to dissect, but I was mostly busy being blown away. Potent stuff, and my third big winner for the evening.

This really was a new experience for me. In some ways, I feel like it's going to take another trip or two before I can get over the initial sensory wash enough to gather my thoughts and speak more intelligently. It'll also be easier when I can tear into a good chunk of a dish rather than having a small taste of everything. I really, really enjoyed the evening, both for food and company. Many thanks to Erik for putting together a great menu, and to all else present for a lovely evening. It's a great starting point for me, and I look forward to digging deeper in the future.

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-Dom
www.skilletdoux.com

First trip of mine to TAC Quick, and I was looking for the right place to put my comments. This seemed like as good a spot as any.

Forgive me for saying it, LTHForum, but this restaurant was not my cup of tea. Or at least, I haven't found the right set of dishes yet. My experience was, for lack of a better word: disjointed. The most authentic Thai restaurant I'll ever eat at is located under the 'L' tracks one stop north of Wrigley? The crowd that was there was overwhelmingly not-Thai and ordering standard American dishes off the standard American menu.

I started out with the Thai beef jerkey. The dish was well composed. In particular, I thought all the components of the dish went exceptionally well together. I wouldn't call it the life-changing experience some on the board have had with it. The meat, in quality and texture, resembled the beef teriyaki at my local teriyaki joint back home in Seattle. A little bit of charring on the outside, some flavor marinated in, but nothing to write home about.

My second dish was the deep fried holy basil with minced chicken served over preserved eggs.


I think I can explain. In addition to the color, which is a real turn-off, the mouthfeel to me is very unpleasant. I'd pretty much describe it as gelatinous, somewhere uncharted between jello and meat jello. I'd be interested to know the process of preserving eggs, but it'll still be a while before I order anything with them again.

The rest of the dish was pretty good, but too spicy for my taste. I was about halfway through the dish, mouth on fire and tears running down my face, and I said to myself "Why did I sign up for this again?".

Well, to each his own, LTHForum. To each his own.

To each his own, indeed. It is not my place to convince you that you should have enjoyed what you ordered. However, I do find a couple of your criticisms, for lack of a better word, disjointed. You can either question the restaurant's authenticity or complain about the heat level of the dishes, but not, it seems to me, both.

I haven't tried the neau taet diaw at TAC (although I really love Spoon's version), so I won't comment on that, but I greatly enjoy the thousand-year-old eggs with basil and minced chicken. And here's how you can make them at home!

If you do decide to give this place another chance and try other dishes, I hope you realize that you can request that the heat be toned down.

I'm crossposting this from CH:

We had a fantastic time at TAC last night.
Like good geeks we brought our printouts and cross-referenced with the in-house translated menu and chalkboard specials.

started with muu ping: a hit...reminiscent of tiger cry, but with a thicker, very sweet sauce

somtam puu: I think I was the only one that...um...appreciated it...it didn't help that we thought we were ordering the raw blue crab prep...just a bit on the stinky side for dining companions and also way too hot for most at the table...I was fine with the heat...didn't find it all that spicy, really.

The salted crabs added an intriguing funk to the crisp papaya: it actually made me recall dining in Galveston or Kemah, TX as a kid gorging on fried oysters or shrimp with the pervasive perfume of the lifecycle of the gulf wafting up from the breakwaters. Almost as if someone pried up a morsel of rotten, gunky crustacean from between those same boulders, seasoned it, then said...hey! try it...you'll like it!

not to everyone's taste

I'm glad we took the plunge

naem nuong: a miang, I'm guessing...rice paper wrappers we were encouraged to fill with charred, flavorful pork meatballs, rat shit peppers, sawtooth herb, basil, and something else leafy and green that I couldn't identify...almost like a kind of grass...everything drizzled over with a hoisin sauce liberally-annointed with chile...a fun, messy, tasty plate

khao man kai: hawker food/Hainanese chicken/rice...another pleasurable moment...
the rice burst with flavor, the chicken, the platonic ideal of stewed poultry...it is what it is

phat thai kung sot haw khai: I'm not a fan of pad thai(so often it's the worst example of re-interpreted Thai for misapprehended farang)...this version...need I say it? Another hit. The delicate mung bean noodles, the tender omelet into which everything was infolded. The waitress forgot to bring the sauce until we were halfway done and...we were enjoying ourselves to such an extent that we hadn't noticed...

crispy on choy(blackboard special): wow! ...the height of tempura-y, crunchy, deliciousness...the accoutrement(shrimp, ground chicken, mint) were just gilding-the-deepfried-"lily"...

mango and sticky rice in coconut milk sauce(blackboard special): how we shoved more in...I dunno...but, we couldn't resist...and boy! I'm happy we found room. The warm, comforting, saltiness of the rice contrasting perfectly with the juicy, sugary-sweet mango

---

some quick asides: I forgot to specify the heat level for the table which led to one of the issues with the somtam puu...however...nothing(to my palate) was truly incendiary and only a couple three of our dishes were "spicy" anyway

I also neglected to order rice(duh)...but, we were so into our conversation and exploring these new dishes that by the time we realized our misstep we were already into the Hainen chicken/rice.

We, actually did, finally order some rice, there was a mixup in the kitchen so it never arrived(again...not a big deal) and our waitress did offer to put the order in again, but by then...eh...

a great meal all in all

and thank you to Erik M and his work putting these translations together and generally making it easier to explore aspects of Thai cuisines beyond the same ol' same ol'

at one point a couple plopped down at the table next to us, ordered pad thai for two, and once their noodles arrived, sure weren't shy about ogling the deliciousness of our own spread...

_________________
"Johnny thought when all purpose had been forgotten the world would end this way, with a dance. He slumped back in a corner, drew his knees up to his chin, and watched."-Derek Jarman

You certainly appeared to enjoy it.

Here are a couple of things to throw in the air...

1. I personally have never understood the appeal which nãem "nướng" has for so many Thais and non-Thais alike. And, as good as many find the version at TAC, it remains to me a woefully inadequate approximation of the genuine Vietnamese article, nem nuong.*

2. Khâo man kài is yet another Thai approximation of a foreign dish, but in this case one from the Southern Chinese province of Hainan. Unlike Thai naem "nướng," though, a good Thai version of Hainanese "chicken rice" can be a thing of beauty. At any rate, and as I've said here before, there is a vastly superior version to that of TAC in this town and you'll find it at Thai Avenue.**

At any rate, you should have strolled over and introduced yourself. I was seated at the bar, where I sat eating kũay tĩaw reua and chatting with my Thai friend, Waan.

Sawàt-dii pee mài Thai khráp.
E.M.

* Anecdotally, Thai nãem "nướng" is popular with noone moreso than carb-phobic Thai girls and young Thai women.

** Just as it's done in Hainan, Singapore, and other parts of SEA, Thais often eat this dish at lunchtime, or on the go. And, wherever it is served and consumed, the chicken, rice, and accompanying soup form an immutable trinity, and are together considered a complete meal; they are rarely shared or served as part of a greater table array.

_________________
"Don't even touch my gold, I'm good."

You were in residence!?

Well...damn...(I guess the printouts gave us away?)

missed opportunities, etc.

yes...we did enjoy ourselves quite a bit: we hadn't seen our friends for months...and as a quasi-occasional restaurant get-together TAC suited us amicably...

(as an aside...our ordering process was one of intra-table compromise---not difficult with so many yummy things on offer---)

_________________
"Johnny thought when all purpose had been forgotten the world would end this way, with a dance. He slumped back in a corner, drew his knees up to his chin, and watched."-Derek Jarman

LTH,

A buddy's in town for the weekend asked for Thai, last time was Spoon so off we went to TAC. Six of us had a staggering array of dishes, from crunchy sweet/sour/salty bright flavor of Crispy on choy to the deep rich long simmered goodness of Boat noodle, which is one of my bride's favorites. Of the lineup last evening a specials board delight of Roasted Duck Curry was of particular note.

If you haven't been to TAC recently, or at all, I highly suggest a visit.

Enjoy,
Gary

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

funny how you can eat there and have as wonderful a meal as any restaurant in chicago (flavor wise) for about 1/3 of what it costs from the "alleged" big boys. course after course after course were excellent.

_________________
"In pursuit of joys untasted"
from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata

What vegetarian dishes do you recommend on the Thai menu? (Not me, a friend of mine.) Last time I went, I had exclusively meat based dishes, and I'm planning on brining a vegetarian foodie friend of mine on my next trip.

A buddy of mine and I ate at TAC Quick for the first time last night before the rained out Cubs game. We took in a couple cans of Sapporo we bought next door and ordered the spicy basil rolls and three entrees that were all on the specials board. I don't know the particulars of the dishes as I haven't eaten anywhere near as much Thai for as Chinese or Vietnamese, but everything was incredible. The dishes were a curry noodle, curry duck, and a wild boar dish. We both thought the duck was the highlight, but everything tasted really, really good, and the portions were very generous. We didn't finish everything, and since we were going to the game I couldn't take the leftovers. I hated to leave anything on the plate. The total bill was about $36. I'm not sure it's possible to get a better meal at that price. I can't wait to go back. Considering I ate at Spacca Napoli for lunch, I haven't had so much good food in one day for quite a while.

That's quite a trio of heavy dishes--not surprised that you didn't finish them. How was the curry noodle dish, though? I was there last week and inquired about it, but the waitress said it was merely pad thai with sauce on top of it, and then promptly steered me toward the hoy tod instead.

FWIW, the crispy en choy is now $11. Given that it couldn't have been more than $7 when I started coming to TAC (much later than anyone else), I think it's a sure sign that the dish is a hit.

I'd agree with that assessment of the curry noodles. I thought it was basically pad thai, so that explains it. It was still very, very good. Of course I'll qualify my opinion once again by saying I'm no where near as experienced with Thai as Chinese or Vietnamese, so I can't really say how the curry noodles would stack up against other similar dishes at other Thai restaurants, but I can say that I really enjoyed them. And I'd agree that all the dishes were fairly heavy, particularly compared to Vietnamese dishes. The walk to Wrigley was only about 2 blocks, and I probably needed to walk about 10 more blocks after the meal.

I had the opportunity to partake of the roasted duck curry from the specials board last night. Another fantastic dish from Andy and his kitchen staff. The curry base for this dish is the orange tamarind curry that I used to wax so poetic about and try to bribe Andy to fix for me with pork belly and water spinach a few years back when it was a non-menu item that he reserved almost exclusively for Kitchen staff meals and friends of Erik M.

This curry was studded with a generous addition of succulent moist roast duck breast, peeled green grapes, tomatoes and a bit of water spinach.

It was so wonderful, I woke up thinking bout the leftovers in my fridge and had them for breakfast this morning