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Azha
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
960 W Belmont Ave(between Wilton Ave & Sheffield Ave)
Chicago, IL 60657
Neighborhood: Lakeview
(773) 525-0555
- Nearest Transit:
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Belmont (Brown Line, Purple Line, Red Line)
Wellington (Brown Line, Purple Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Sun 4 pm - 10 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
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 »
49 reviews for Azha
Review Highlights
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"I absolutely LOVE their fried rice and could eat it forever..." In 6 reviews -
"And that damn craving for the bubble tea was there." In 3 reviews -
"I also love their crab rangoon and their pineapple fried..." In 3 reviews
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49 reviews in English
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Review from Brandon L.
Chicago, IL
2/26/2010
I love this place. The owners are very nice, friendly people, and always happy to please. The husband runs the front of house, and the wife cooks.
The food here is very good. You should really try the Red Curry or the Prik Khing. Get them HOT!
Their crab rangoons are pretty amazing, as well.
I've brought several friends here, out-of-towners and locals, and everyone has had a wonderful experience.
It's BYOB, too, and there is, conveniently, a liquor store across the street.
Check Azha out, you won't regret it. -
Review from Anna K.
Chicago, IL
12/30/2011
I ordered before reading reviews. Then I got worried. But then I continued to read reviews of other Thai restaurants I like and saw same amount of stars for ratings and stopped worrying, then my food arrived.
I ordered their Jade Vegetable Dumplings steamed, which were OK.
I also ordered the Tropical Fried Rice with vegetables. That is a disaster. How can anyone screw up vegetable fried rice? It is the most horrible thing I have tasted. I can't stand Chinese food and the rice tastes like something I would get at a Chinese restaurant. The smell is foul and the taste just horrible. I can't figure out that flavor. What the heck is it?
Let me assure you- it is not Thai. I traveled in Thailand for two months and have been in almost every corner and I always liked Thai Pineapple Fried Rice and nowhere in Thailand did it taste as bad as what I have eaten today.
Skip, don't bother. Find another place to eat Tha.
My favorite so far is Joy's Noodles, Pho & I, Duck Walk and Taste of Asia and in the same order.
That was a waste of money and only because I wanted to try a different restaurant.
Yikes! -
Review from R W.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 3/31/2012
Looks like it has gone out of business.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/22/2011
Been here twice, ordered the panang curry with chicken both times. Love it. The restaurant never… Read more »
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Review from Adam M.
11/30/2011
I hate writing bad reviews, especially for small family owned places but I must say this place was just plain bad. If you plan on ordering anything with seafood (such as crabmeat) please be prepared to get cold imitation meat that doesn't mix well with your meal. The Pad See Ew was very bland and uneventful. There are so many other Asian options nearby to waste your time on this one.
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Review from Alan K.
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Azha is located adjacent to the Belmont Red Line stop. I decided to stop here because I was craving some Thai food. The server that I had was really nice. I ordered some combo with soup and a chicken entree. The soup and the chicken entree were nothing spectacular, just alright. Enough said.
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Review from Ali L.
10/6/2011
There are so many restaurants within walking distance of Azha that serve more authentic, fresher, better-tasting Thai food. I couldn't finish my pad thai, it had this strange quality to it that I can't quite put my finger on, but it was just not...good. Maybe it wasn't fresh either. I don't know. I will not be back to find out.
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Review from Nikki Y.
Chicago, IL
12/13/2010 1 Check-in Here
Living close to the Belmont El stop, I find it hard to go grocery shopping and cook after work when there are so many restaurants near me. Walking home, I pass by Azha frequently and one day decide to stop by to order take out.
It was early on a weeknight so the restaurant wasn't busy at all. Upon walking in, the environment seemed nice for a local Thai restaurant--simple. I walked up to the counter and waited a bit longer than I wanted (like I said, it was early on a weeknight and I could see at least two people working a few feet by me). I tried not to hold a grudge as I just expecting they had phone orders and whatnot. But, so far, I wasn't overly impressed by the service.
I ordered what I think should be good at every Thai restaurant--tofu pad thai. I mean, you can't not have good pad thai at a Thai restaurant. Isn't it a pretty standard dish? Anyhow, the food came out in average time and I took it and headed back to my apartment.
When I got home, I started eating. I don't know exactly what was wrong with the taste, but it just wasn't good. The noodles were too thin and too long. The taste was off. After awhile, I just got tired of eating subpar food and decided to just save it for later.
I ended up letting my roommate eat my leftovers and asked her what she thought. Was I being too picky? Was it just a little better than average? Was it even average? Sadly, she disagreed and I will likely never return to this restaurant again. Must find a good staple Thai restaurant that I can take out from. -
Review from Dave S.
1/11/2009
This place is conveniently located right off of the Belmont stop. We were n the area somewhat late and needed a place for dinner. This place saved us from starvation!
This is a little storefront restaurant and the atmosphere was nothing to write home about. It seemed rather chilly inside. The service was fine but once again, nothing to write home about.
They started out giving us what our waiter called "rice krispies". They were pretty much light fried rice cakes with some sweet dipping sauce. These things were not good at all but I was so hungry I had to eat some. We started out with crab rangoon which were very disappointing. The were very skimpy on the filling and they were extremely greasy. I was starting to worry about what my beef Pad Thai was going to be like. When they brought out the main course, they completely redeemed themselves as the Pad Thai was excellent.
i am thinking that this place is never going to be a destination for us. I am sure that if we are in the area, and we are craving Thai, then this place will do the trick. -
Review from Amanda Z.
7/27/2009
Another day, another craving for bubble tea. Having just gotten my hair did (thanks to Holly, I was feeling tres fabu) and my ride being stuck in traffic, I decided to hoof it to my next destination. Well, it appears that summer has finally arrived in Chicago...it was quite hot.
Sun and heat meant I got thirsty. And that damn craving for the bubble tea was there...so I hit Belmont and walked east. Sure enough, right before I hit the el, I saw Azha, a Thai place I had NEVER noticed before, but they have was boba, my desire.
A pleasant man took my order and I was able to sit in the a/c, watch a little Armageddon, and wait for my order. One green tea boba and a strawberry boba later, I instantly refreshed. Yeah, not as creamy and wonderful as Nhu Lan, but still...it cured my craving and calmed my fire-y thirst.
All was well on a beautiful Saturday. -
Review from Skazoo M.
Northbrook, IL
4/22/2007
I've eaten here twice - once in early '06 and the second time in April '07 and didn't notice any differences between my two visits.
Atmosphere: In a word, plain. Both times I went was on a Saturday evening (~ 7 pm) and had no problem walking in and immediately sitting (even with a group of 6).
Service: One server - I think he's the owner. Quiet, pleasant and got our orders right. He appears to assume you want your food "mild" so if you want it spicier you have to tell him when you order. Brought our check right away when asked.
Food: I ordered the Panang Curry w/ Beef both times, but my dining companions ordered a range of dishes and appetizers. Across the board, everyone seemed to enjoy their food, but no one was blown away. The panang curry was flavored well but I understand the previous reviewer's comment about it being "runny" -- it has less coconut milk than I've seen at other restaurants. Nothing wrong with it, just a tiny bit off the norm.
Value: The prices are very reasonable -- I think most entrees are between $6 - 8. Our entire bill for 6 people was $51. Portion sizes are appropriate and filling. -
Review from Leigh K.
Chicago, IL
9/25/2006
You know those stores that you just walk by without ever really looking at, kind of like in Harry Potter, Book 5 how all the Muggles walk past Purge and Dowse Ltd. which is really the entrance to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries? That's Azha, an undiscovered gem that you may not have noticed. Being addicted to food, I don't know how I never saw it especially since I love Thai food. It's got a red awning and yellow letters but it's situated right behind the Belmont bus stop.
I got chicken potstickers which were just as tasty as Duck Walk's and I'm pretty sure they were cheaper. I have been trying to make it a point to ask servers what their favorite menu items are and when our waiter said honey chicken, Zachary ordered that and I ordered Thai Duck Curry Rice. We were both happy with what we ordered. The honey chicken had a good amount of sauce, but it wasn't swimming in it. My rice was spiced, but not spicy and the duck was flavorful but a tiny bit dry. The portion sizes are good and I had a small serving of leftovers which I ate for lunch today. Don't be a muggle - check Azha out! -
Review from Rebecca K.
Peoria, IL
7/10/2011
With so many good Thai restaurants in Chicago - hell, within ten minutes of walking - there's no reason to go here. The prices, I'll grant you, are totally reasonable, but the portions are pretty skimpy, both in overall size and the inclusion of anything other than noodles/rice. I shouldn't be able to tell you exactly how many pieces of broccoli are in my dish just by glancing at it (four. four? yeah). It wasn't bad. It just wasn't good.
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Review from Annie H.
Chicago, IL
11/15/2007
I wait for the bus right by here after work all the time and I couldn't stop thinking about going in for a bite to eat and I am really glad I did. Both times I've been to Azha the food was great and it was totally empty (both times on a Saturday night) so it's nice to just sit and enjoy a meal in a quiet place. Also, the prices are quite affordable.
The first time I ordered the spicy noodle with tofu and it was good but the other reviewers are right, if you want a spicy dish, ask for it to be spicy. The second time I ordered the Teriyaki Tofu and it was awesome, the tofu was crispy and not at all mushy like tofu can sometimes get, which I can't stand. I've also eaten the spicy fried rice that a friend gave me as left overs and it had a great flavor but again, not very spicy!
Also, order the fried spring rolls! SO GOOD. -
Review from Elisabeth N.
Denver, CO
11/25/2007
Better than Duck Walk...
...And that's all that really matters.
I'd still prefer to eat at Siam Noodle and Rice or Pot Pan, but this place does the job if I'm in Lakeview. The owner is really nice and everything I've had there has been pretty good (and if you ask for spicy, they make it REALLY spicy which is great in my book). -
Review from Kristina K.
Chicago, IL
11/21/2006
The BF and I went here one night after gallivanting downtown and were too tired to cook. The Thai Iced Tea was considerably sweeter than I'm used to, but it came in this cool glass. I swear it was about a foot tall. Our dishes had nice flavor, but both sauces were on the runny side. I also forgot to ask for mine a little spicier. Dur.
All in all, a nice little spot. -
Review from Lindsay N.
Chicago, IL
6/16/2007
The only place in town where I will order Thai Iced Tea or Thai Iced Coffee. The real deal, none of that powdered junk.
Their food is excellent, the restaurant is comfortable and the staff is friendly and attentive but pretty disinterested and they're always busy doing their own thing behind the counter, not that that is a bad thing.
If this place were nearer to my apartment I'd come here a lot more often. -
Review from Hauwei L.
Chicago, IL
2/7/2009
I've walked by this place a million times on the way back from the train, but finally dropped by the other day. The food is good, the prices are cheap, and the servers are friendly. Wouldn't bring a date here, but it's good for everyday food.
Also, to the idiot reviewer who mentions "weird puffy fried things... which were basically pale pork rinds": these are actually shrimp chips and are common in many authentic Asian restaurants. And yes, they are supposed to be greasy, they're fried fresh. -
Review from Carl W.
Santa Clara, CA
10/17/2010
I stumbled on this place on the way back from Chicago Comics and decided to try the duck fried rice. I was totally blown away by the overall flavor of the rice and duck, and become obssessed, I stopped there in the middle of my brown line return trip, just about a week later, and wasn't as impressed, but still enjoyed it (I probably wasn't hungry enough).
Just yesterday, I tried the lunch special (they've extended it to Saturday) and enjoyed the crab ragoons but thought the BBQ pork fried rice was just okay; there wasn't enough meet and the rice didn't have much flavor. I guess it's a Cantonese thing and I probably shouldn't be ordering it at a Thai joint; in fact the only reason I got fried rice again yesterday (instead of something more uniquely Thai) was because I'd been so impressed with it before. All fried rice there is not created equal, let's just put it that way.
So you probably would've seen a 5 star rating if I'd been Yelping back when I first tried the place. Shows the hazard of snap judgments, I suppose. Other notes... the place have always been empty (perhaps I've never been there in rush periods) so the wait is minimal, and they don't mind if you want to sit and read after eating. It's right next to the L station, so the location is certainly convenient. I'd say, give it a try if in the area. -
Review from leslie p.
Chicago, IL
8/24/2008
I enjoyed my time here and got a lot of food for our money especially since we grabbed a coupon outside of the restaurant that we brought in that saved us half price on one of our entrees.
The food was okay, there wasn't a lot of flavor to the pad thai but if you spiced it up with sauce it was good. They were willing to substitute tofu in any of their entrees so we got "orange tofu" that was good and the masaman curry was pretty good although peeled potatoes always throw me off a bit.
Overall, I'd say come here to give it a try.
Just a heads up: there's a beeping sound in the bathroom, there's strange subtitled science fiction movies on a television and you get tic tacs at the end of the meal. -
Review from Jade T.
3/27/2008
3.5 Stars
My boyfriend and I came here on a whim. I had a massive craving for Thai food, and we were in the neighborhood. We missed Azha passing by on such a busy street. There's no doubt that it used to be a Japanese restaurant (there's kanji written on the tables and minimalistic wood decor). My boyfriend and I only ordered Masaman Curry and Pad Thai Jae. I didn't find my Pad Thai all that flavorful, but the Masaman sauce was a bit too peanut-y. I'm just being picky though. The service was good enough. so no complaints there. I particularly enjoyed the lycee in syrup served with ice. It's simple, yet very refreshing.
You can't really go wrong at Azha. They offer all the classic Thai dishes, from Fish Cake (Tod Mun) to Drunken Noodle's (Pad Khee Mao) to Sticky Rice with Mango (bah, forgot the Thai name). I forgot that they had Yen Ta Fo (noodles in red broth) on the menu, and I'll come back just to try that dish (which is not often served in Thai restaurants). -
Review from Kyung P.
Chicago, IL
10/22/2007
I guess I don't understand people's obsessions with Duck Walk.
I think the food at Azha is more flavorful that Duck Walk.
Whenever I try a new thai restaurant, I always order the Pad Thai to gauge their food, and it was pretty good.
Their fresh rolls were good. I thought about ordering their fried spring rolls to compare with Duck Walk, but I think Duck Walk's spring rolls are the worst I have ever had (super greasy), so I didn't feel a need to compare.
My boyfriend had the "grass" noodles (supposed to be glass), and those were tasty too.
I forgot to ask for hot sauce and chopsticks (I just assumed both were a standard), so remember to ask for them when you're carrying out! -
Review from Adam M.
Chicago, IL
9/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Decent food, but nothing spectacular. The service and location though are great.
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Review from Neal P.
Chicago, IL
4/15/2008
Very good thai food, great prices, and very close to the Belmont red/brown line stop.
The chicken pad thai and the spicy noodles were great. For dessert the mango and sticky rice was awesome as well.
The place is definitely not the most stylish, but if you are looking for a nice quiet meal, this place fits the bill. -
Review from Colleen M.
Somerville, MA
5/8/2009
Duck Walk is usually my go-to around the corner thai joint, but I have noticed this place lately across the street so I decided to give it a shot yesterday. We started off with the "fresh rolls", which were basically their version of a vietnamese summer roll. The avocado in it was delicious, and the portion size was huge for the price. Then, I had the pad thai. I'm happy to report that I've FINALLY found pad thai that I like in this city. It was perfect.
Yeah, the atmosphere is nothing special...but it's byob, cheap, and delicious. -
Review from Ken L.
Chicago, IL
11/19/2009
I really tried hard to like this place based on the previous good reviews but had to say Im not impress with my order.
I ordered the green curry chicken and it is sadly mediocre. The curry is very watery its like soup and the vegetables are not well cooked. I could tolerate food dye but they used so much that the white chicken meat become green as well.
I am a big fan of green curry and this is truly gross. Very disappointing. -
Review from Leah P.
Chicago, IL
1/8/2009
One of my favorite Thai places in the city. They have the best egg rolls I've ever had. The egg rolls are thin, crispy and melt in your mouth. I also love their crab rangoon and their pineapple fried rice. Big chunks of pineapple, and green raisins add some sweetness to the dish.
My boyfriend usually gets the honey chicken and I've heard not one complaint about that dish, but when he got Kung Pao, which is usually spicy, he said it lacked flavor.
It's never busy at night and they have fast delivery. I've always thought it was weird that no one is ever eating in when we are. Maybe some people find eating in an empty restaurant eerie, but there's something personal and comforting about a quiet, reasonably priced restaurant, where you see the same owner and his family's faces over and over that keeps me coming back.
BYOB. -
Review from Kenneth A.
Chicago, IL
5/14/2008
Vile. Just downright... vile.
I imagine an elementary school cafeteria flunky making this food. A tiny ice cream scoop of rice (still in scoop shape) and some items covered in a yellow snotlike drizzle. Since when is Kung Pao yellow? NEVER!
After eating lunch here I was so sad that I had to eat a second lunch, even though I wasn't hungry. Seriously.
The bubble tea would have been good if the straw was actually big enough to accommodate the pearls. It was impossible to drink.
Food sadness. -
Review from X Icky X.
Chicago, IL
12/6/2009
My sister and I were out and about in the neighborhood and had a craving for something of the Asian persuasion. She suggested Duck Walk across the street, and since I had never been there I figured I would go and see what all the fuss was about. Well...Duck Walk was packed and so we walked on until we noticed Azha across the street.
It totally became love at first bite. Well...slurp. We ordered some Miso soup to start with. The thing that I love about their miso soup is they don't add soy sauce to it like most places do. The broth is clear and oh so delicious. We also had the village dumplings which were just so amazingly good.
I've returned a dozen times since then. Every time the food has been awesome. It's always hot and fresh. Whenever I eat there the food doesn't make me feel like I just gorged myself within an inch of my life which is also awesome. The only complaint I have is the one time I ordered to take home for a vegitarian friend of mine and so I substituted meat for tofu, and holy tofu! dude went nuts! There was so much tofu in everything that I was so sick of it by the time we were done with dinner.
The place is almost always empty (which is a shame) and very quiet. Every time my sister and I are in there we find ourselves almost whispering because we don't want to disturb the peace. I think it's a great place to go for a delightful quiet dinner. Oh, and have I mentioned the prices are soo reasonable? It's great because eating there as often as I want to doesn't break the bank. -
Review from Suzy B.
New York, NY
7/31/2009
I went to this place to grab a quick bite before heading to the vic for a show, I wish I had just gone for a slice of pizza at the place next door!
One of the worst places I have eaten, I think this place was even worst that Manee thai on chicago ave.
The fresh thai spring rolls came with raw egg drizzled over them, I'm pretty sure that wasn't mentioned on the menu, it looked nice but it was gross, I couldn't eat it. I ordered the vege pad thai, according to the menu the pad thai comes with tofu, this one did not have any tofu in it. Some of the noodles were hard and chewy, like they were old or left out. My bf ordered the orange chicken, he said it tasted like fish. -
Review from Nathan R.
Chicago, IL
4/18/2011
Horrible service, the chicken pad thai was the worst I've ever had. Looking for some Thai food? Make sure to skip this place
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Review from Clare K.
Chicago, IL
12/6/2006
this was just generally a bad experience for me and very disappointing because i have ordered from them before and it was pretty good. it also seemed like the prices had gone up. i have to say that it was the most i have spent on thai food in a long time.
the crab rangoon was the worst that i have ever tasted, the green tea bubble tea was very watered down and the main dish that i ordered just lacked flavor overall. i believe that my boyfriend's curry came out ok though, but he had the same feelings about the crab rangoon.
all in all-there are too many thai places within a block of this place to order from again. i will stick to the tried and true-duck walk and cozy noodles & rice.Listed in: a fond farewell to lakeview
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Review from Sam H.
Chicago, IL
1/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was drunk when I went here but it's pretty good.
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Review from vanessa f.
Los Angeles, CA
3/8/2011
I forgot what I ordered! (shouldn't wait 2 months to write these reviews) but whatever it was, it was excellent. Pad Thai? Pad-Z-Ew? I remember the noodles were nice and chewy and the vegetables were really fresh. Down the street is a nifty little clothing place called Never Mind.
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Review from Bill M.
8/13/2006 2 photos
This modest Thai restaurant close to the Belmont L station is not bad, though my friend says she has had much better food here on previous occasions. The pad nar noodle dish I had included a tangy but far too soupy brown gravy, which covered the wide flat noodles, beef and broccoli with a decent flavor. Our server seemed to disappear when we wanted to pay for our meal, so we killed time by watching the numerous Belmont buses passing by the window.
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Review from Jenny R.
Chicago, IL
11/25/2008
there is no sugar-coating my experience here. the food was awful. i should have been tipped off the minute we stepped into the place with the overpowering aroma of oil and grease. the food was downright atrocious. there was no flavor to my pad see eiw, and after eating only half of it, i felt like my lips had been smothered in petroleum jelly...beyond oily. my friend's dish tasted like low-fat peanut butter.
will not be back. -
Review from K M.
Chicago, IL
9/30/2010
Overall, I can say that this is my new regular thai place. Its a small, family-owned establishment, and the food is really good for a decent and reasonable price. I absolutely LOVE their fried rice and could eat it forever, as well as their curry and mongolian beef. Their thai iced tea is good, but sometimes way too sweet for my taste (since I like it with less sweetener) and the boba is amazing. I love this place and plan to take all my friends. :)
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Review from Sara B.
Chicago, IL
3/21/2007
I love this place for a lot of reasons. Their pad Thai and fried rice have a distinct flavor I cannot find in other Thai places. Their crab fried rice uses real crab too and is something to remember. Also, the owner is just the nicest guy. Service can be slow but that is because he is usually running the tables by himself. The food is worth the wait though - I have never been disappointed here.
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Review from Stacy C.
7/23/2008
Monday I locked myself out of my apartment, and en route to get my keys from a friend I decided to cheer myself up with some chicken pad thai. I should have known not to trust any place within feet of the Belmont El stop. It was just plain bad. And it had shredded iceberg lettuce on top. Seriously. So of course, I had to get Thai Aroma the next day to get the memory of this excuse for Pad Thai out of my mouth.
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Review from Brett K.
10/19/2008
Service was a little slow but I'm only complaining because I was starving! The food made up for everything... The Jade veggie dumplings arent very filling but they were really good, I could have eaten like 20 of them. I had the Pad See Eiw with chicken and it was awesome on the cheap.
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Review from Elizabeth A.
Chicago, IL
7/19/2009
Ambiance in this place sorta kinda blows. The waiter, sorta kinda blows. The iced tea I ordered sorta kinda REALLY blew. I also had steamed veggie dumplings which could have been delicious but they stuff them with like freezer-burned peas and carrots and so those were subpar. The entree however, was DELICIOUS...except for some of those freezer-burned veggies. I guess I shouldn't really have expected some great organic fare from this place but the Pad Kee Mao was soooooo delicious, if only they used higher quality products (and weren't so skimpy on the tofu) it might have been some of the best thai I've had in a while.
