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Amarind's
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sun 3 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
About This Business:
Experience the best in traditional Thai at the new Opart Thai House on State Street. From the same family that brought you the original Opart Thai… read more »
55 reviews for Amarind's
Review Highlights
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"the Pad Thai is great, the Pad Woon Sen is great, too." In 3 reviews -
"Amarind is the best Thai restaurant in Oak Park." In 13 reviews -
"Appetizers: Have never been disappointed." In 4 reviews
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55 reviews in English
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Review from Jaci Y.
4/21/2012
Amarind restaurant was a good experience. Now, since I am in my first trimester of pregnancy, almost any food makes me feel nauseous. However, with Amarind's food despite my nauseousness I was able to take their good food.
I liked their Amarind Noodles with the spinach noodles and the crab meat. I felt their pad see ew althought tasty was pricey and it wasn't enough on the plate to share with more than two people. I would return this restaurant once I am feeling better, so that to enjoy their food at a full capacity. -
Review from Janeen W.
Chicago, IL
3/28/2012
I work down the street from here and I would eat lunch here alllllll the time!! Great Pad See Ewe I would just ask for extra sauce. Good spring rolls. Very Clean. Try this place!
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Review from Jie S.
Updated - 2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you just started a diet plan like I did, I recommend a few veggi dishes here. My favorite is Basil vegetable with steam rice. Or mixed vegetables if you don't like basil. Cucumber salad is also delicious.
Listed in: Lunch Places around Melrose…, Never too much Thai
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/13/2011
I have had my lunch there once or twice per month for past year or so.
As others reviewed, They have… Read more »
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Review from Melissa T.
Oak Park, IL
3/6/2011
I'm hovering between 3 and 4 stars here but am going to stick with an A-Ok until my next visit can raise my opinion.
This is good thai food tucked inside a quaint building with a darling interior - it's neither too ornate nor too plane. I've only done carryout on my two visits, but with both service was prompt and friendly. Out of many of the thai restaurants in the area, this is Amarind's is high on my list on the "I want to dine in" scale.
Now onto my favorite: food assessment! Caveat: I have a lot to assess, so this'll be a long review. Happy Reading.
APPETIZERS:
Chicken Satay: Least favorite - I'd say it's simply ok. The peanut sauce was definitely good, but the chicken was like a chicken cutlet on a stick. A little too "I could have gotten this at TGI Fridays" for me when it comes to satay.
Chive Dumpling: These tasted fresh - always a good thing, I'd admit. I wish the tapioca dumpling had been fried a bit (not like deep fried but like how they'll be slightly fried like a potsticker at some places) to add a new level of texture. Otherwise, the filing tasted incredibly fresh and delicious. Also, they serve this with sweet soy (I like to add extra chili peppers to my soy), which is the way I like these served.
Crispy Egg Batter (Thai style omelet): Delicious and worth the $9. The chili sauce accompanies the dish perfectly.
Crab Rangoon: (We know by now that I'm a girl who loves her crab rangoon, and being from St Louis - the "crab rangoon is rumored to have been created in STL and therefore is the" crab rangoon capital of the world - I'm very picky about my rangoon.) In any case, these were very good - cream cheese mixture was creamier than some other places, the flavor was krab-ier than other places, and the pieces of krab and celery were clearly visible in the mix. I love the way they fry these crab rangoon too - they're not overly fried like some places; in fact, the wonton skin is a little bit undone around the center's corners. Whether or not intended, it adds an extra richness to the appetizer.
Entrees:
Pad Kee Mao with beef: Although not like the kee mao from LOS that I am always chasing the dragon for when I try it at other restaurants, this was good. They delivered on spice, but I also asked for extra spicy, so I'll definitely remember to ask them to add the heat if I choose to order this again. The different vegetables were good; it just didn't really seem like the kee mao as I would expect it. The thick noodles were good though, perfect thickness with a little bit of crispness from the stir-frying.
Pad See Ewe with beef: Meh - definitely not the best. I loved the addition of the bok choy but was disappointed by the use of american broccoli. Further, the bok choy wasn't completely cleaned at the stems, so I would encounter a dirt taste that would overpower the thai flavors from time to time. I probably wouldn't order it again.
Kaosoy with chicken: I will admit that I don't like thin noodles. I thought this dish might have thick noodles b/c it's known as a northern thai dish (and they have other northern thai dishes on the menu), but it didn't. Despite the thinner noodles, it was still good, but the curry was actually kind of bland.
Panang with Chicken: The panang was good - you definitely need to ask for it extra spicy if you want the heat - although as another yelper pointed out, it has no veggies in it. I'd order it again; it fits in with that, "I want something comforting after a long day" type curry, of which I'm a HUGE fan. Oh and the steamed rice that accompanied the curry: some of the best I've had in the area.
In any case, Amarind's is good; I just haven't had a knock-me-out delicious dish that I would crave as I have had with some other places. Hopefully, my next visit will lead to a boost in ratings. Right now, I'd say it's a solid 3.5. -
Review from Erin S.
Oak Park, IL
8/27/2011
One of my favorite Thai places. Delicious food. Beautiful presentation. Friendly wait staff.
Only thing I wouldn't recommend is the spring rolls. They're just not that great here. -
Review from C T.
Naperville, IL
11/11/2011
Nice place. Very friendly woman at the counter. I ordered pick-up which was ready in 15 minutes. I had Crab Rangoon which, after living in St Louis for a year myself, was nothing to write home about. Mini Eggrolls were ok. The Pad Thai was pretty bland but okay. Chicken was a little dry. And finally the Pad See Ewe- it was Ewwww! Didn't have more than a few bites and didn't care for the smell. I was excited to try this restaurant but I don't think I'll be back. Bummed.
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Review from Brian F.
I've been coming here for lunch for many years now and this is my favorite Thai restaurant period. The lunch special menu is very inexpensive less than $10 for soup, appetizer, and entree. The Thai iced coffee here is delicious but the main reason I come time and time again is the Pad Woon Sen. With yummy noodles, plenty of fresh veggies, and just the right amount of oil and spice, this dish is my idea of the perfect comfort food.
Many negative reviews complain of the lack of heat in the food. That is most definitely true. The chef here relies on subtle flavors to entertain the palate. I had a Tom Kha Gai today which is a dish, in my opinion, that must have some heat to offset the sweetness of the coconut milk. When it arrived, though, there was only a hint of heat. After adding about 5 spoonfuls of hot pepper paste, though, I got it up to temperature and the perfect melding of flavors.
My only real criticism is that on very crowded days the noise level becomes unnacceptable. There's something about the acoustics in the dining room that seems to amplify the conversations of others. -
Review from Jerome H.
Oak Park, IL
3/4/2011
Really good Thai food, one of my favorites in the Oak Park area. If I recall, it's slightly more expensive than other Thai food, but it's very solid stuff.
Appetizers: Have never been disappointed. Crab rangoon are very good (they add more crab and vegetables like scallions or something on the inside), the pancake/crepe things are totally unique and delicious. Don't think I've ever had the shumai or spring rolls here, but I have had the chive dumplings and they're also a unique treat - not really fried at all, more of a gelatinous dough on the outside, but interesting and good nonetheless.
Entrees: Curry is okay, not outstanding, short on the vegetables compared to other places and slightly bland. Other stuff is fairly good, but nothing Earth-shattering. Noodle dishes are the same way. The noodles are good quality and they have that cravable taste of whatever dish it is (the whole point of ordering Thai, IMO), but it's nothing that you're going to make you shout for joy from the mountaintops.
Service: Service here is very quick and friendly, never had a problem. Interior of the place is very nice for a Thai restaurant and parking is about as easy as it gets off North Avenue. It's always a hassle to go to places like New Pot or Chang Thai because parking can be a mess; not at Amarind's.
High 4-star place overall. Very solid food and no drawbacks that I've found. -
Review from Inbalsp S.
Oak Park, IL
8/10/2011
Amarind is the best Thai restaurant in Oak Park.
As someone who spent 3 months traveling through Thailand, I love how authentic their flavors and dishes are. Fabulous Thom Yum and Thom Kha soups, great curries, and a nice smoky undertone to their Thai iced tea. We visit regularly and haven't been disappointed yet! -
Review from Sarah S.
Oak Park, IL
7/6/2011
Amarind's is my favorite place for thai food in Oak Park. The prices are reasonable and the food is excellent. I highly recommend the basil chicken and the spicy grilled pork. I eat a lot of thai food, and I am always happy when I find a place that consistently gets the flavors right. Amarind's also seems to try to incorporate more vegetables into it's dishes than many other thai restuarants, which is a plus in my book. My biggest complaint about Amarind's is the spice level. For just once I would like them to make it actually spicy! Frequently the servers won't even ask about the spice level, and bring you dishes that have little or no spiciness. I usually end up having to ask for chili and just spice it up myself.
Amarinds is easy to get to and parking is a cinch. They have a small cramped lot behind the store, but it is usually easier just to find a spot on the street. I have never had to wait to be seated, even though it is a small restaurant. The other thing I really like about Amarind's is how quiet it is. I feel like I can have a conversation at a normal level, rather than shouting like in some more bustling restaurants. Service can be hit or miss. Usually after placing my order it feels like forever before the food finally arrives. You may want to consider ordering an appetizer if you are really hungry. When the food does finally get to the table, however, I have never been disappointed! -
Review from Ron S.
1/18/2011
Amarind's prepares Thai food with a subtle flair. If you are looking for spices that will bowl you over or start your mouth on fire, this is the wrong place. On the other hand, the flavor of the fresh ingredients is what they specialize in.
I love the decor (and usually I couldn't give a crap about decor) and how clean the restaurant is.
I wish that we still lived in the neighborhood. I'm still looking for Thai food in the Western burbs that comes close to Amarind's. -
Review from Shannon P.
Chicago, IL
9/28/2010 2 photos
There are plenty of Thai restaurants in the Chicago area, and plenty even in an area as small as Oak Park. Having been to nearly all of them within a 5 mile radius nothing holds up against the flavor, freshness, and obvious home-made'ness of Amarind's.
Lunch is amazingly well priced and a nice combination of soup, appetizer and entree--any combination of which work nicely. The portion size is nice for lunch and the pricing scales well for dinner.
My favorite green curry by a landslide, we rarely skip it. It is drinkably delicious. Duck is luscious-(dinner menu). Pad thai, delicious but so are all the noodle dishes. Soups are fresh. Our favorite finish is the sticky rice with custard, a treat in the winter that brings cravings.
You can adjust the spice level and flavor, (not always joined). Just know that it's your own IQ that has either helped or hurt you. We have sat and listened to customers complain about how overly spicy it is when they ordered, Thai Spicy. Seek clarification or it will be obvious you couldn't even find Thailand on a map let alone tally the amount of capsaicin that will exit your rear in the WC.
As for service, we have always (2 years) had friendly and kind experiences. This is a place that has roots and cares. Check the flowers and artwork when you walk in, they love their place. So do we.
My wish is for them to ditch the Styrofoam take-aways. It's worth it to go eco! -
Review from Samantha C.
Chicago, IL
4/21/2011
I just finished my leftover Amarind's noodles SO GOOD! I got it earlier tonight and could not stop munching on it. I got takeout and everything was hot when I got home.
I got the crispy shrimp wonton app which comes with a sweet and sour apricot sauce. The sauce was great, something different from the regular sweet and sour sauce. And it wasn't too sweet either. I also liked that the wontons were actually bite sized and not big and messy. And the filling was great too haha.
As my entree I tried the Amarin'ds noodles. Best noodles dish
I've ever tried! The taste is like a combination of pad thai and fried rice. It comes with spinach noodles and shrimp, crab meat, bean sprouts and chives in a chili sauce. Seriously amazing and highly recommend this noodle dish to anyone!
Can't wait to try more stuff! -
Review from Carolynne M.
Chicago, IL
4/14/2007
It's not the best Thai food I have ever had, but I was pleased with the varied menu options and the ambiance.
The exterior has an old castle-look about it. Theres an outside area in the back which you can see from the street, but it looked rather unused and run-down. Could just be that its all junky at the moment due to the time of year, but I thought it would be really spectacular if it was spruced up for outdoor dining in the summer. Would be very charming outdoor eating.
The interior is possibly the nicest looking for a Thai restaurant I have been in in Chicago. The decorations are not chintzy, the lighting is good and everything just sort of works very harmoniously. Our server was very prompt and efficient and we never felt like we were being ignored, even though it was a rather busy Friday night.
I had the Amarind Noodle, which, on closer inspection, was nothing more than a jazzed-up Pad Thai. Spinach noodles with shrimp, crab meat, scrambled egg, and bean sprouts had a mild tamarind and chili sauce. Tasty, but not terribly exciting as I'd hoped. The chive dumplings were unlike any I'd had before. Three pure white dough mounds glistened wetly on the plate enveloping steamed chives, accompanied by a rich soy sauce. They were on the bland side, but my opinion could have been skewed abit after my dining companion announced he thought they looked "like snot".
He had the Three Flavoured Beef, which I thought was done very well. It's Beef marinated with a three flavoured sauce, chili paste and sesame oil, accompained by sauteed vegetables. Beef was tender, vegetables were crisp, and the sauce added just enough flavour. He also ordered the chicken satay, which he loved, but I thought the chicken was too dry. But the peanut sauce that came with it was very tasty. -
Review from Suzanne B.
Chicago, IL
3/13/2011
Having lived in Thailand, I eat Thai food all the time. When I read Steve Dolinsky's Top 5 Thai restaurants list on WBEZ, I made it a goal to try all five. I had already been to Sticky Rice (see previous reviews-- Sticky Rice is STILL my favorite!) and to Spoon---pretty good, so it was time to try Amarind's.
So, my girlfriend, Jen, & I went on Friday & we enjoyed ourselves but didn't have anything that was "the best."
We ordered crab rolls & golden baskets to start. The crab rolls were not at all what we expected. They were more like Northern Style sausages...not that tasty--just not a lot of flavor. The golden baskets were not good--- mostly corn (which dominated the flavor) & some other veggies.
The Tom Kha soup, though, was delicious. Great flavor---exactly as it should be.
We ordered a three spice whole red snapper. That was actually delicious. It was very much like we've eaten in Thailand...
We also had Pad Kee Mow (one of my favorites) it was pretty yummy, but I did need to add some fish sauce, sugar & chilies so it would be just how I like it.
Jen ordered the Chicken Basil--it was just so-so.
The Pineapple Fried RIce was very tasty -- in Thailand we would eat this quite often --this version was almost as good.
Service was mediocre at best.
So- It was a decent restaurant, but not great. It is sort of close to our house, so we'll probably go back eventually, but not as a favorite. -
Review from Bee L.
Chicago, IL
12/21/2008
Ive tried pad thai in many trendy lil spots in the chi but none compare to the pad thai served here ! A++++++++ the cucumber salad is also very delicious. the lunch special is also an amazing price, they serve good portions the waitresses are always friendly and the place def has a good cozy small vibe.
the only con about this place is that it is pretty small and I always feel like i am in everyone elses conversations because there isnt much room for the tables to be spread out haha.
anyhow this is my fav thai joint :)
(EVEN THO THEY RAISED THE LUNCHSPECIAL PRICE :( like a dollar more) -
Review from Emily D.
Chicago, IL
1/30/2009
Go here if only for the lunch specials. It's an unbelievable deal. I usually have pad thai, but felt like an adventure (so rare for me) and got pad see ew and wasn't disappointed. For $7, I had a great soup, some wontons and a full plate of the yummy wide noodles, that had little charred bits on them and fresh broccoli.
It was a pleasure, though FREEZING. Turn up the heat, folks. I can't get warm just on red pepper flakes. -
Review from Tanya S.
River Forest, IL
10/23/2010
Best thai in the area. Good portion, good flavor., nice dining area.
Panang Curry Rocks. Pad See Mao- YUM! -
Review from Angelina S.
Chicago, IL
4/18/2007
It seems like the best restaurants are in the most unlikely places. That is how I feel about Amarind's. Amarind's is located on the northwest side of Chicago, located near the suburb of Oak Park. Amarind's is a great restaurant. The service is great for both dining in and take out. The restaurant is cozy and extremely inviting to all diners. Their menu is extensive and extra yummy (try their chicken satay with the peanut sauce -- it's to die for!!). The entree prices are extremely affordable. So you won't feel guilty from enjoying the great food at this restaurant.
I am definitely a fan and will continue to visit this restaurant. -
Review from Lisa B.
Raleigh, NC
4/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
Ok, I would give this place 5 stars, but the service is pretty bad at times. I've been here about 4 times (now that I've found it) and love their pad thai with chicken.
They have an awesome deal for lunch. It is $7.95 for a soup/salad, eggroll/wonton, and then your main dish. There are a couple of other choices for the first two, but those are the best.
I love the cucumber salad. It is so simple. I wish I knew how they made the 'dressing' This is the first pad thai that I've had, so I can't compare, but it is so good.
Everything is always fresh, but be prepared for a long lunch. The service is usually slow. Since the food is so good, I can over look some of it. The place is also very small, so if you have a bigger group call ahead. -
Review from Kate P.
11/11/2008
If you go here and you like spicy dishes you must try their Jalapeno Red Snapper!
It was a whole Red Snapper Fillet grilled to perfection and stuffed with jalapeno peppers and other really great Thai spices. It tantalized my taste buds and was so spicy I didn't need to add the red sauce to it and if you know me, you know how HOT I like my Thai dishes to be!
Also, if you order this dish I highly recommend that you order a glass of plum wine and try the crab pot stickers as an appetizer. They both compliment the meal very nicely. -
Review from Parker L.
IL
2/28/2007
Amarind's is a really great place for Thai. Appetizers are prepared like little pieces of art. Love the Thai Iced Tea. But my favorite thing about Amarinds is that you feel like you are dining inside of your house. It is very small building, I think at one time it could have been someone's home. It is a bit pricey for thai, but definately worth the trip for a quiet sit down dinner. They also have several unque thai desserts, that we have tried and loved!
Week nights are not too crowded. -
Review from Sam S.
River Forest, IL
2/3/2008
One of the better Thai places I've been to.
Their stir-fried glass noodle (Pad Woon Sen) is super yummy, and Tom Yum soup flavorful. The fried rice isn't bad, either.
Make sure you leave room for the warm yucca potato custard for dessert. It's a must!
A bit more expensive than the other Thai restaurants in the area, but the quality is generally better.
There's a parking lot right next to it, and there's always room. -
Review from Bex M.
Oak Park, IL
3/11/2007
What a find! Moving to Chicago from the Detroit area, we were worried we'd never find a place to compete with Bangkok Cuisine! We were so wrong. This place is delish, friendly service, adorable castle-like exterior.
My husband and I have yet to have a bad meal there. Love it! All the apps are tasty and the Pad Thai is delish. -
Review from Davi d.
Brooklyn, NY
4/4/2007
Thai food exquisitely presented and matched in taste. Desserts here are unusual but good.
Too bad it's a drive out to the west side because this ranks near the top of my Thai restaurants.Listed in: O My Thai
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Review from Bess R.
2/21/2010
They had me at parking lot. Be still my lazy self.
Met a few friends up here on a Thursday for early dinner. I had a couple glasses of reasonably priced wine, and one of the curries for dinner. I don't remember the name of it, but it was awesome.
If only I lived closer...sigh. -
Review from seth p.
Brooklyn, NY
10/30/2009
Why do people like this place? Even Steve Dolinsky, who is always right, likes this place. But he's wrong this time. I've tried this place three times over the years to see what the fuss was about, and -- three strikes yer out. This time I tried the garlic pork -- cooked with scallions, black and white pepper, some other type of onion etc. etc. -- all those different types of flavorings and seasonings and it still didn't taste like shit! I mean this food is BLAND! I don't mean bland for Thai food, I mean bland for American food! That bland! How do you make pork tasteless?
When I'm hongry as hell, and I don't eat my food, to quote the great eighth grade teacher Mrs. Stein, "Something is radically wrong!"Listed in: The West Side
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Review from Leo I.
Oak Park, IL
10/19/2008
Definitely one of the best Thai restaurants in the region, Amarind serves imaginative dishes but lacks in consistency of service quality.
On a good night you'll get the best Thai food in Chicagoland. On a bad night you'll get ok good.
On quite nights the service tends to be less attentive.
This is not the place to order Pad Thai or any other plain dish that you can find even in the frozen section of your local grocery. Order the Amarind Noodles or another of the unique/signature dishes this restaurant offers. -
Review from Laura P.
Chicago, IL
1/15/2008
We went here over the weekend with a group of friends. We walked right in at 7:30 on a Saturday night. We ordered and the food came quickly. Service was good as our water glasses never went dry. The food was just ok. It was decent in terms of freshness, but everything we had was bland. My husband ordered the garlic chicken and asked for it to be extra spicy, but there was hardly any heat to it at all.
It was fine for what it was, but I think next time we will wait for a table at the Cuban restaurant next door.
On a side note, I think it should be illegal to play an instrumental version of "A Whole New World" (especially in a Thai restaurant). -
Review from Alissa G.
Brooklyn, NY
1/22/2008
Amarind's is one of the nicer thai restaurants I've been to--and to mixed effect. On one hand, the decor was lovely and inviting--but the prices were a bit steep. Say, $2 more than most places for equal sized portions. They do have a killer lunch special m-f, $6.95 for soup, salad, and entree. Alas, i don't work nearby, but if I did, I'd be a regular!
As for non-lunch times, if you're looking for good, fresh Thai(and maybe looking to wow that special someone, eh? eh?)) Almarind's is a great choice. But if you're just looking for some tasty thai to go, I'd have to guess(don't know the area super well) there are better options.
PS They have wine and beer now, but you can bring your own wine for a $7 corkage fee(kiiinda not worth it). -
Review from Yvonne O.
Chicago, IL
3/26/2008 1 Check-in Here
Fabulous food and all within about a five minute walk from my house! I love the shrimp rolls as appetizers and Pad Sie Eiw with Beef - light on the greens, heavy on the delicious noodle. The building is unusual, but once inside, the ambience is very calming and quiet. Unlike a lot of places in neighboring Oak Park, I have not had the screaming child problem here.
Also, take out is handled well- they package everything the right way and orders never take longer than 20 minutes. -
Review from Mischa D.
Oak Park, IL
11/11/2008
This is a great place to stop in for a quick dinner. I love their curry and noodle dishes. They even seem to keep reinventing their dishes and mixing things up (plating, presentation, etc.).
Everyone is really friendly and the service is prompt and consistent. -
Review from Melissa S.
Palos Hills, IL
11/5/2007
Just visited this est. last night with my sister and our friend.
It was Sunday night. The rest. closes at 9, and we arrived just around 7pm.
We didn't wait too too long, appox 10 minutes while 2 of the waitresses cleared tables.
We ordered drinks and appetizers.
The Shumai that came was acutally really good. The are shrimp, pork and vegetable mixed dumplings that are real farmers food in Thailand supposedly.
They were better then the Shumai that Ive had at 2 of my favorite Thai places, so that was a definite plus.
My sister and I waited over 20 minutes for iced tea, which I t thought was a little ridiculous. The waitresses did not check on us very often which was also a turn off.
We also had miniature egg rolls as a starter, and those were sub par compared to the Thai egg rolls that Ive pretty much have had at any other Thai restaurants.
I ordered Pad Ke Mao, which is one of my favorite Thai dishes to order at a restaurant. In other places it can be called Drunken or Crazy noodles. I ordered it extra spicy, which they did not disappoint me with when it came out nearly too spicy to eat (though I asked for it and loved it like that anyway ha ha)
My problem with it were a few things:
First off, I believe that my pad ke mao was probably sitting waiting for my sisters Curry to come out for a few minutes, because when it got to the table, temp wise, it was luke warm.
Secondly, the dish is similar to Basil Chicken in the fact that it uses A LOT of Basil as well as a brown sauce that is basically infused with fish sauce, dark soy and oyster sauce. However, when it came to the table, the noodles were on the dry side and did not have nearly enough basil or savory sauce.
My sister had the curry and I had a taste and honestly I can say the Red Curry was better then Ive had at many places, so there...there were no complaints. I can recommend the curry.
The bill came to almost $60 for the 3 of us, which for the slow service, and so so Thai, I thought was sort of a rip off.
All in all, if we are up in that area again (my friend lives up there) I wouldn't HATE going there, but I am sure there are plenty good Thai places in the area that would Trump this place. -
Review from Tara L.
Chicago, IL
10/16/2007
I love this place. we live in oak park and it's so convenient for us. You can also order for take out which often comes in handy. Last time i had three flavor beef, which was so tasty and the mushrooms were so fresh i wanted to order a second plate full! Lucky for my waistline, I did not. It's so cozy and comfortable and a great neighborhood place.
Listed in: Top Restaurants, My Neighborhood
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Review from Dina D.
Downers Grove, IL
3/16/2007
Excellent food with tasty vegetarian options! Flavor is added from use of fresh variety of vegetables and appropriate spices and NOT from dumping in extra cocunut milk to each dish. We order out from Amarind's weekly, its awesome! Their vegetable red curry with tofu is a mainstay for us! Even our meat-eating family and friends request to be taken there during repeat visits.
The place itself has average decor and is family-friendly in nature...depends what you are looking for...Regardless, the food and service makes Amarind's a place worth visiting/ordering from...I love it. Great food is hard to find. -
Review from Colt E.
Pasadena, CA
12/10/2010
I haven't eaten at dozens of Thai restaurants in Chicago, but when I heard Amarind's was one of the best in the city we decided to drive out to Oak Park and try it out. We were hoping to not be disappointed when we walked in on Saturday night and noticed the mostly empty restaurant. However, the food was fresh and good and the service was nice. The food definitely had the homemade feel to it and wasn't weighed down by oils and coloring that some of the lesser Thai places can be. We weren't however blown away by the flavors of the food. It seems like Amarind's is playing it a bit too safe to be considered the best in my opinion. Good food though, you can't go wrong with almost anything on their menu. Everything is done well and sometimes that's enough.
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Review from Nessie V.
9/11/2009
This place was OK. The prices were a little more than what an OK place usually charges. I guess upkeep is high on a castle. Service was nice though.
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Review from Jason G.
Chicago, IL
8/13/2011
forget arun. amarind is simply the best thai food outside of bangkok. authentic and meticulously prepared. a very disappointing wine list, but everything else is top-notch. don't miss the stuffed wings, mini spring rolls, three flavored beef and the incredible curries! opt for a thai beer or the thai iced tea or iced coffee, rather than wine... :(
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Review from Tiara Lynn A.
Brookfield, IL
10/23/2007
Consistently outstanding every time we've been there. It's easy to overlook, but the food is just incredible. The Pad Siew is sweet and a little spicy, and the curries are to die for. Everything always tastes very fresh. After venturing out to a couple other places in the area and being disappointed, this is now the place we go when we crave Thai.
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Review from Arlene G.
10/3/2009
Food is good, but have had better. The service could be improved because it took a while before a waitress came to our table to even give us water. They have good lunch specials though.
