Should I have known better than to order a Thai dish in a Chinese
restaurant! I did it anyway and am I sorry.

I've never had Pad Thai before, and I couldn't resist it.
The ingredients in the recipes I've read have the things I really
like, so how could I not like the completed dish.

My first observation was that is was non-de script except for the
level of spice. It was spicy enough without being overdone.
The flavors under the spicy-ness were muddied, that's the only word I
can think of.
Nothing seemed to be blended well and I couldn't even distinguish any
of the ingredients. And there definitely, positively, absolutely was
not one iota of peanut in that dish, they didn't even wave a peanut
over it.

I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.

This photo is what I brought home for the raccoons
http://i9.tinypic.com/4ua7kax.jpg

koko
---
http://www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 8/23

"There is no love more sincere than the love of food"
George Bernard Shaw

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:41:06 -0700, koko wrote:


>I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
>and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.

This is the infamous recipe from one of the 4th of July cook-ins that
Ray Bruman had. I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...

Christine

Pad Thai:


6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb meat (shrimp, chicken, pork, beef...in usefully small bits)
6 eggs.
1 cup chopped green onion
1 lb rice noodles
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup ground roasted peanuts. (No shells of course)
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups beansprouts
2 tblspoons chile powder,
1 tblspoons chile paste in soybean oil.
vegetable oil.
8 oz. sliced salted turnip/radish.
1/4 cup fish sauce.


Ok, make sure you have just about all of this ready before you start.
First of all, soak the noodles in lukewarm water for 40 mins to an
hour.
(Good time to get some of the other ingredients ready)
When finished soaking, just pour off the water.
Soak the radish in water for a few minutes, and pour off the water
and squeeze dry. repeat 2-3 times or so.
Heat up your wok with a bit of vegetable oil.
Mix the eggs as in for scrambled eggs, and toss them in the wok.
Cook until they are fairly 'hard', moving them around as need be
(but as little as possible). Remove them from the wok and
chop into slices, and set them aside.

Heat up some more oil (maybe 1/4 cup or a bit less) and add the
garlic.
When it is getting fragrant, before it starts to turn brown, add
the meat.
When the meat is about halfway done, add the
radish. When the meat is done, add the noodles and the vinegar
and cook until the noodles are soft. From here on out you have
to toss it a _lot_. Tongs might be useful. Dont step away for more
than about 20-30 seconds, cause you dont want it to burn.
Once the noodles start to get soft, add the eggs, the peanuts, the
fish
sauce, the sugar, the chile powder, and the chile paste. Continue
stirring and tossing, until the mixture is all evenly coated.
This usually takes about 5 mins or so, maybe a bit longer.
Remove this mixture from the wok and to another container.
Stirfry the beansprouts in the wok for maybe
1 minute, maybe 1.5, then add beansprouts, green onions, and
cilantro to the dish, and toss. Keep some unchopped cilantro
and green onions for garnishes if you want (you can take bits of
green onion, maybe 2 inches long, and cut one end (1-1.25 inches) into
very
thin strips while leaving the other end intact to get a very nice
garnish).

koko wrote:
> Should I have known better than to order a Thai dish in a Chinese
> restaurant! I did it anyway and am I sorry.
>
> I've never had Pad Thai before, and I couldn't resist it.
> The ingredients in the recipes I've read have the things I really
> like, so how could I not like the completed dish.
>
> My first observation was that is was non-de script except for the
> level of spice. It was spicy enough without being overdone.
> The flavors under the spicy-ness were muddied, that's the only word I
> can think of.
> Nothing seemed to be blended well and I couldn't even distinguish any
> of the ingredients. And there definitely, positively, absolutely was
> not one iota of peanut in that dish, they didn't even wave a peanut
> over it.
>
> I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
> and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.
>


I suggest you try again. Most pad thai I've had was quite tasty, but I
agree that a Chinese restaurant probably isn't the best example of Thai
food.

gloria p

koko wrote:

> Should I have known better than to order a Thai dish in a Chinese
> restaurant! I did it anyway and am I sorry.
>
> I've never had Pad Thai before, and I couldn't resist it.
> The ingredients in the recipes I've read have the things I really
> like, so how could I not like the completed dish.
>
> My first observation was that is was non-de script except for the
> level of spice. It was spicy enough without being overdone.
> The flavors under the spicy-ness were muddied, that's the only word I
> can think of.
> Nothing seemed to be blended well and I couldn't even distinguish any
> of the ingredients. And there definitely, positively, absolutely was
> not one iota of peanut in that dish, they didn't even wave a peanut
> over it.
>
> I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
> and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.
>
> This photo is what I brought home for the raccoons
> http://i9.tinypic.com/4ua7kax.jpg


I've found that even Thai restaurants can screw up Pad Thai; the worst I
ever had was at a so-called Thai restaurant in San Diego. It was on
University; I think its name might have been "Kitima Thai". What they called
"Pad Thai" turned out to be rice noodles with catsup and scallions. Ugh!

I've heard that Celadon might have gone downhill a bit, but it's a good bet
the Pad Thai there would still be better than what you got at the Chinese
place! According to recent reviews, the Pad Thai at Rama is "amazing." If
you live in the North County, Siam Basil in Encinitas is supposed to be
consistently good, and Thai Table in Oceanside was praised as "the most
authentic tasting Thai food" in San Diego, but then the reviewer goes on to
say, "If you're looking for ambiance, go someplace else, but if you're
looking for food that takes you back to Bangkok, give this place a shot."


Bob

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:50:22 -0600, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

>On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:41:06 -0700, koko wrote:
>
>
>>I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
>>and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.
>
>This is the infamous recipe from one of the 4th of July cook-ins that
>Ray Bruman had. I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
>this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...
>
>Christine
>
>Pad Thai:
>
snip to my lou

Thank you Christine, I saved this

koko
---
http://www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 8/23

"There is no love more sincere than the love of food"
George Bernard Shaw

On 25 Aug 2007 22:09:02 -0500, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

>koko wrote:
>
>> Should I have known better than to order a Thai dish in a Chinese
>> restaurant! I did it anyway and am I sorry.

snippage
>
>I've found that even Thai restaurants can screw up Pad Thai; the worst I
>ever had was at a so-called Thai restaurant in San Diego. It was on
>University; I think its name might have been "Kitima Thai". What they called
>"Pad Thai" turned out to be rice noodles with catsup and scallions. Ugh!
>
>I've heard that Celadon might have gone downhill a bit, but it's a good bet
>the Pad Thai there would still be better than what you got at the Chinese
>place! According to recent reviews, the Pad Thai at Rama is "amazing." If
>you live in the North County, Siam Basil in Encinitas is supposed to be
>consistently good, and Thai Table in Oceanside was praised as "the most
>authentic tasting Thai food" in San Diego, but then the reviewer goes on to
>say, "If you're looking for ambiance, go someplace else, but if you're
>looking for food that takes you back to Bangkok, give this place a shot."
>
>
>Bob

Thanks Bob. That'll give me someplace to start.
I'm very far from North County but I drove 150 something miles for a
Philly Cheesesteak, this should be worth a trip to North County.
A good excuse to ride the Coaster.

koko
---
http://www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 8/23

"There is no love more sincere than the love of food"
George Bernard Shaw

On Sun, 26 Aug 2007 02:06:26 GMT, Puester >
wrote:

>koko wrote:
>> Should I have known better than to order a Thai dish in a Chinese
>> restaurant! I did it anyway and am I sorry.
snippage

>
>
>I suggest you try again. Most pad thai I've had was quite tasty, but I
>agree that a Chinese restaurant probably isn't the best example of Thai
>food.
>
>gloria p

Oh, I'm not giving up. I'm adding this to my food quest list.
I have only just begun to search, or something like that ;-)

koko
---
http://www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 8/23

"There is no love more sincere than the love of food"
George Bernard Shaw

<koko> wrote in message news
>
> Should I have known better than to order a Thai dish in a Chinese
> restaurant! I did it anyway and am I sorry.
>
> I've never had Pad Thai before, and I couldn't resist it.
> The ingredients in the recipes I've read have the things I really
> like, so how could I not like the completed dish.
>
> My first observation was that is was non-de script except for the
> level of spice. It was spicy enough without being overdone.
> The flavors under the spicy-ness were muddied, that's the only word I
> can think of.
> Nothing seemed to be blended well and I couldn't even distinguish any
> of the ingredients. And there definitely, positively, absolutely was
> not one iota of peanut in that dish, they didn't even wave a peanut
> over it.
>
> I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
> and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.
>
> This photo is what I brought home for the raccoons
> http://i9.tinypic.com/4ua7kax.jpg


First, many Chinese restaurants can't even cook Chinese food well. Often it
is incredibly terrible and more often still, it sucks and people don't even
know it because they never tasted anything better. Chinese food is not
supposed to be drowning in oil and full of so much MSG you have to get CPR
at an emergency room after eating it.

You found a bad restaurant. Phad Thai done properly is gastronomic heaven.
It is easily one of my all-time favorites and whenever I visit a Thai place
I always sample the Phad Thai. Thai cooking is difficult, it requires a
delicate touch and a fine sense of balance. A little too much of an
ingredient and the dish is just no good. I am still getting the hang of
Phad Thai. One day I'll get it right, it's not an easy dish to make. IMHO,
it is harder to cook Thai than a lot of Chinese cooking.

Paul

This looks good. I have a few comments, though:

- Instead of vinegar, use lime juice

- Make sure the peanuts are unsalted. Fish sauce is very salty.

- I like to use dried shrimp, since I really like the "fishy" taste. You
can sometimes find really small dried shrimp at Oriental stores. If not
pulverize the larger dried shrimp that you can get at Mexican or
Oriental stores.

- Serve with condiments of fish sauce, sugar, lime wedges, and fresh
chopped chilies.

- Instead of the radish/turnip, you can use sweet pickle relish. You
will probably have to reduce the sugar, though.

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:41:06 -0700, koko wrote:
>
>
>> I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
>> and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.
>
> This is the infamous recipe from one of the 4th of July cook-ins that
> Ray Bruman had. I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
> this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...
>
> Christine
>
> Pad Thai:
>
>
> 6 garlic cloves, chopped
> 1 lb meat (shrimp, chicken, pork, beef...in usefully small bits)
> 6 eggs.
> 1 cup chopped green onion
> 1 lb rice noodles
> 1/4 cup white vinegar
> 1 cup chopped cilantro
> 1 cup ground roasted peanuts. (No shells of course)
> 1/4 cup sugar
> 2 cups beansprouts
> 2 tblspoons chile powder,
> 1 tblspoons chile paste in soybean oil.
> vegetable oil.
> 8 oz. sliced salted turnip/radish.
> 1/4 cup fish sauce.
>
>
> Ok, make sure you have just about all of this ready before you start.
> First of all, soak the noodles in lukewarm water for 40 mins to an
> hour.
> (Good time to get some of the other ingredients ready)
> When finished soaking, just pour off the water.
> Soak the radish in water for a few minutes, and pour off the water
> and squeeze dry. repeat 2-3 times or so.
> Heat up your wok with a bit of vegetable oil.
> Mix the eggs as in for scrambled eggs, and toss them in the wok.
> Cook until they are fairly 'hard', moving them around as need be
> (but as little as possible). Remove them from the wok and
> chop into slices, and set them aside.
>
> Heat up some more oil (maybe 1/4 cup or a bit less) and add the
> garlic.
> When it is getting fragrant, before it starts to turn brown, add
> the meat.
> When the meat is about halfway done, add the
> radish. When the meat is done, add the noodles and the vinegar
> and cook until the noodles are soft. From here on out you have
> to toss it a _lot_. Tongs might be useful. Dont step away for more
> than about 20-30 seconds, cause you dont want it to burn.
> Once the noodles start to get soft, add the eggs, the peanuts, the
> fish
> sauce, the sugar, the chile powder, and the chile paste. Continue
> stirring and tossing, until the mixture is all evenly coated.
> This usually takes about 5 mins or so, maybe a bit longer.
> Remove this mixture from the wok and to another container.
> Stirfry the beansprouts in the wok for maybe
> 1 minute, maybe 1.5, then add beansprouts, green onions, and
> cilantro to the dish, and toss. Keep some unchopped cilantro
> and green onions for garnishes if you want (you can take bits of
> green onion, maybe 2 inches long, and cut one end (1-1.25 inches) into
> very
> thin strips while leaving the other end intact to get a very nice
> garnish).
>
>

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:50:22 -0600, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

> I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
>this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...

Not only that, he had the entire newsgroup swooning.


--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for the chicken, a lifetime commitment for the pig.

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:41:06 -0700, koko wrote:

>This photo is what I brought home for the raccoons
>http://i9.tinypic.com/4ua7kax.jpg


Your photo of that dish makes it look like life forms higher than
raccoons would eat it willingly. Sorry it didn't live up to your
expectations. I'm like that too! I don't want to be dazzled by
presentation, give me good food!




--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for the chicken, a lifetime commitment for the pig.

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:47:06 -0700, sf wrote:

>On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:50:22 -0600, Christine Dabney
> wrote:
>
>> I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
>>this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...
>
>Not only that, he had the entire newsgroup swooning.

And not only that, but one of the proposals came from Kay Hartman.
That shows you how GOOD his Pad Thai was...LOL.

Christine

On Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:00:33 -0600, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

>On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:47:06 -0700, sf wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:50:22 -0600, Christine Dabney
> wrote:
>>
>>> I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
>>>this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...
>>
>>Not only that, he had the entire newsgroup swooning.
>
>And not only that, but one of the proposals came from Kay Hartman.
>That shows you how GOOD his Pad Thai was...LOL.
>
You're online now? Are you in chat???

In coming!!!! Gotta tell you about last night.



--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for the chicken, a lifetime commitment for the pig.

On Sun, 26 Aug 2007 04:13:47 GMT, "Paul M. Cook"
> wrote:

>
><koko> wrote in message news
>>
>> Should I have known better than to order a Thai dish in a Chinese
>> restaurant! I did it anyway and am I sorry.

snip to my lou

>
>
>First, many Chinese restaurants can't even cook Chinese food well. Often it
>is incredibly terrible and more often still, it sucks and people don't even
>know it because they never tasted anything better. Chinese food is not
>supposed to be drowning in oil and full of so much MSG you have to get CPR
>at an emergency room after eating it.
>
>You found a bad restaurant. Phad Thai done properly is gastronomic heaven.
>It is easily one of my all-time favorites and whenever I visit a Thai place
>I always sample the Phad Thai. Thai cooking is difficult, it requires a
>delicate touch and a fine sense of balance. A little too much of an
>ingredient and the dish is just no good. I am still getting the hang of
>Phad Thai. One day I'll get it right, it's not an easy dish to make. IMHO,
>it is harder to cook Thai than a lot of Chinese cooking.
>
>Paul
>

Thanks for you input Paul. I'll remember this when I start trying to
make it myself.

koko
---
http://www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 8/23

"There is no love more sincere than the love of food"
George Bernard Shaw

In article >,
Christine Dabney > wrote:

> This is the infamous recipe from one of the 4th of July cook-ins that
> Ray Bruman had. I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
> this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...

I have not tried this recipe, but it looks tasty. Just an observation:
most of the recipes that I have seen (or tried) included tamarind in
place of, or in addition to, the vinegar.

--
Julian Vrieslander

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 23:50:00 -0700, Julian Vrieslander
> wrote:

>In article >,
> Christine Dabney > wrote:
>
>> This is the infamous recipe from one of the 4th of July cook-ins that
>> Ray Bruman had. I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
>> this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...
>
>I have not tried this recipe, but it looks tasty. Just an observation:
>most of the recipes that I have seen (or tried) included tamarind in
>place of, or in addition to, the vinegar.


Yes, I use tamarind paste and no vinegar.

But from what I gather, asking for a Pad Thai recipe is sort of like
asking someone for a spaghetti sauce recipe...you will find dozens of
variations.

It took me a couple of years of trial and error, a lot of "authentic"
Thai cookbooks and many hours of scouring the web and playing around
in the kitchen (as well as going to a lot of Thai restaurants!) to
find what I happen to think of as the best Pad Thai.

Boron

On Sun, 26 Aug 2007 13:32:39 GMT, "Michael \"DawgThree\""
> wrote:

>Christine Dabney > dropped this
: in rec.food.cooking

>>>> I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
>>>>this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...
>>>
>>>Not only that, he had the entire newsgroup swooning.
>>
>> And not only that, but one of the proposals came from Kay Hartman.
>> That shows you how GOOD his Pad Thai was...LOL.
>>
>> Christine
>
>Okay, so how is it I've never met Keith? Ya'll been keeping him prisoner
>in the kitchen or what...

He hasn't been active in rfc in years and years.....

Christine

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:41:06 -0700, koko wrote:
>
>
>> I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
>> and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.
>
> This is the infamous recipe from one of the 4th of July cook-ins that
> Ray Bruman had. I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
> this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...

I clipped this recipe back in 1996 also. I can attest that it is very,
very good when made exactly as written. Can somebody tell me what
"sliced salted radish" is? I assume it's some kind of daikon radish, but
I get a deer in the headlights look when I ask for sliced salted radish
in an Oriental grocery. I just used sliced fresh daikon.

"Whirled Peas" > wrote in message
news
> Christine Dabney wrote:
> > On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:41:06 -0700, koko wrote:
> >
> >
> >> I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
> >> and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.
> >
> > This is the infamous recipe from one of the 4th of July cook-ins that
> > Ray Bruman had. I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
> > this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...
>
> I clipped this recipe back in 1996 also. I can attest that it is very,
> very good when made exactly as written. Can somebody tell me what
> "sliced salted radish" is? I assume it's some kind of daikon radish, but
> I get a deer in the headlights look when I ask for sliced salted radish
> in an Oriental grocery. I just used sliced fresh daikon.

You'll need to mail order some of the ingredients. Tamarind paste is one,
and the salted radish is a common one, too. I'd also suggest the Thai fish
sauce. The stuff you can buy in stores is very weak compared to the real
thing. A whiff should fry the hairs in your nose, that's the good stuff.

http://importfood.com/spsr1401.html

Paul

Every time I see Pad Thigh I think of Hillary Clinton.

Sheldon

koko wrote in news

>
> I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
> and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.
>
> This photo is what I brought home for the raccoons
> http://i9.tinypic.com/4ua7kax.jpg
>


Looks like it might not have been cooked hot enough - charred bits are part
of the flavour.

Even allowing for regional variations, Pad Thai can be hard to get right.
I've had plenty of good ones and plenty of bad ones, even in Thai
restaurants. It's not just about getting the ingredients right, but also
the temperature and the timing. And tamarind is essential imo.

The best recipe I've found is Brian Kane's, at gumbopages. This is closest
to the ones I had in Thailand:

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/thai/pad-thai.html

Good luck with your search

K

Do you have to use Cilantro in this dish (I hate the stuff-tastes like
soap).......any alternative replacements or can it just be left out?
Thanks
Maureen

"Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 26 Aug 2007 13:32:39 GMT, "Michael \"DawgThree\""
> > wrote:
>
>>Christine Dabney > dropped this
m: in rec.food.cooking
>
>>>>> I heard that the person (Keith Rickert) that made
>>>>>this dish got several marriage proposals because of this dish...
>>>>
>>>>Not only that, he had the entire newsgroup swooning.
>>>
>>> And not only that, but one of the proposals came from Kay Hartman.
>>> That shows you how GOOD his Pad Thai was...LOL.
>>>
>>> Christine
>>
>>Okay, so how is it I've never met Keith? Ya'll been keeping him prisoner
>>in the kitchen or what...
>
> He hasn't been active in rfc in years and years.....
>
> Christine

On 27 Aug 2007 03:05:23 GMT, Amarantha
> wrote:

>koko wrote in news >
>
>>
>> I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
>> and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.
>>
>> This photo is what I brought home for the raccoons
>> http://i9.tinypic.com/4ua7kax.jpg
>>
>
>
>Looks like it might not have been cooked hot enough - charred bits are part
>of the flavour.

snip to my lou

>
>K

Now I know it wasn't made right. Not only did it not have any charred
bits, the shrimp was still translucent looking. I thought they were
forgotten and added too late to cook through.

koko
---
http://www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 8/26

"There is no love more sincere than the love of food"
George Bernard Shaw

On 2007-08-26, koko <> wrote:

> I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
> and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.

I have four Pad Thai recipes:

http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/...?thai+recipe59

I think the most authentic is the recipe from Colonel Ian F.
Khuntilanont-Philpott:

http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/...?thai+recipe59

The recipe from Samart Srijumnong also looks very good:

http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/...thai+recipe177

--
Clay Irving >
print rand rand rand 1, "\n"; # interesting distribution
-- Larry Wall in >

"Clay Irving" > wrote in message
...
> On 2007-08-26, koko <> wrote:
>
>> I'm going to try it other places and make it myself before I give up
>> and decide I just don't like Pad Thai.
>
> I have four Pad Thai recipes:
>
> http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/...?thai+recipe59
>
> I think the most authentic is the recipe from Colonel Ian F.
> Khuntilanont-Philpott:
>

Oh, man. I am using his name in a story. I can already SEE his face!

koko wrote:
>
> Should I have known better than to order a Thai dish in a Chinese
> restaurant! I did it anyway and am I sorry.
>
> I've never had Pad Thai before, and I couldn't resist it.
> The ingredients in the recipes I've read have the things I really
> like, so how could I not like the completed dish.


There are two Chinese restaurants in our town. One is not very good and the
other is worse. One of them recently diversifies and advertised that they
had Thai food. We ordered some one night. It turned out to be the usual
crappy stir fried fair with a slight Thai taste. It was better than some
of their Chinese dishes, but it sure wasn't Thai.

Puester wrote:

> I suggest you try again. Most pad thai I've had was quite tasty, but I
> agree that a Chinese restaurant probably isn't the best example of Thai
> food.

Pad Thai I have had in Thai restaurants was always delcious. Thai dishes I
had from the local Chinese restaurant was foul.

Dave Smith wrote:
> Puester wrote:
>
>> I suggest you try again. Most pad thai I've had was quite tasty, but I
>> agree that a Chinese restaurant probably isn't the best example of Thai
>> food.
>
> Pad Thai I have had in Thai restaurants was always delcious. Thai dishes I
> had from the local Chinese restaurant was foul.

I wouldn't say the pad Thai I've had in Thai restaurants is
always delicious, and I tend to use that as one of my tests of
new (to me) Thai eateries. I will say that Thai food
elsewhere tends to be not at all worthwhile (and that is being
kind. Depending on the chef(s), what you get at pan-Asian
places also tends to be bad.

--
Jean B.