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Definitely some of the best Thai I've had in Portland.
Pad Thai, Drunken noodles and Pumpkin Curry are definitely my favorites.
The food is what makes this place truly great. The service is good, not great, but don't let that keep you from checking this place out.
I understand that people want the complete package: good food, good atmosphere, good customer service. Sometimes you have to just settle on ok service and atmosphere in order to get some great food.
Also, it's reasonably priced and i ALWAYS take home extra, no matter how hungry I am and how hard I try to eat it all.
Don't pass this diamond in the rough up!
Being a higher-rated Thai joint, I expected more out of this place than what we got, especially when it came to the service. "Pad Thai" kitchen was not a very clever name considering their specialty was not pad Thai itself. Many other dishes surpassed that of the pad Thai.
I went on a Tuesday night and by mid-evening, they were packed with both dine-in and carry-out patrons. Because of this, it took us about half an hour to leave once we got our check. Still, the food was good and reasonably priced. I personally like spicy Thai, and this was anything but. I actually asked for spicy and was expecting the worst but it ended up being quite mild compared to many places that will even let you gauge on 3-5 levels of spiciness.
So if you're looking for good-but-not-great Thai and nothing too complicated, this place might be for you--nothing special but solid nonetheless.
Someone once said never trust a clean kitchen when it comes to a restaurant. You can take what you will from that. But upon walking into the Pad Thai, on the left, you can feel the heat coming from the bustling kitchen and glimpse fresh vegetables strewn about the floor.
The sign says they close at 9 on weekdays, but patrons feel comfortable walking in and being seated at a quarter 'til. The hard-working staff don't seem to mind much. I'm sure they're used to not getting to go home until well after ten.
The service is fast and friendly. From the time we sat down, had our appetizer, and devoured our main course, until we slowly hobbled out of the restaurant in our own happy food comas, not more than a half hour had passed. Our water glasses were never more than half empty.
As were my other two dining friends, I was torn on what to order. Everything on the menu sounded inviting and delicious. I'd heard good things about the pumpkin curry. But Tom Kha tofu is one of my favorite foods EVER, so I veered on the side of the familiar. Their Tom Kha was a bit tangier and not as sweet as most others I've tried, but it was still tasty. The tofu was firm and filling, which most Tom Khas lack. The mixture of coconut milk, lemongrass, and two types of mushrooms was a superb combination.
The papaya (and cabbage) salad was enough for the three of us to share, also very tangy and refreshing, and served up nicely enough to where our out-of-town guest took a picture to take home to the family.
The rest of my party ordered a fried catfish dish and the drunken noodles. Both were equally blissful. The catfish was served with a large heap of rice, and was filling enough that half of it ended up in a to-go box.
I'd never had Thai iced tea before. It was defnitely interesting, if nothing more than very sugary. The Thai iced coffee was delicious.
The atmosphere was full of happy patrons, hard-working staff, and traditional Thai decor: asian paper umbrellas, "gold"-flecked elephant sculptures, bamboo lighting. Strangely, but not abhorrent, sixties shiny happy hippie ballads played on the overhead speakers.
It was enjoyable. And as I write this with a distended belly full of Tom Kha goodness, I graciously eye my leftovers, knowing I'll have a welcome midnight treat.
My friend noticed how flattering the lighting is in Pad Thai Kitchen. She was complementing my complexion in the light and I noticed that she looked magazine shoot worthy as well. Bam, we realized it's a great place for a date with someone that you spark with.
Oh holy goodness, the pumpkin curry is perfection, an addiction. Add a Thai iced tea and your toes… Read more »
This place is definitely one of the better Thai joints food wise in this neighborhood.
The food is consistently done well, and the portion sizes are always on the large side. (Order up fried rice to go, and you can get a good 2 to 3 meals out of it).
The service is good. Food times are above average - expect your meal within 10 to 15 minutes after ordering, even on a busy night. The beer selection consists of bland Asian Budweiser clones, and I don't believe that they have a bar.
Pad Thai Kitchen is my go-to place when it comes to Thai food. I've been there far too many times to recall; every time has been delicious & great! I'm big on Thai, & I'm very picky. This place is top-notch. ESPECIALLY FOR A VEG*N!!! They are super legit & it's awesome to be comfortable with what you're eating.
The thing about Pad Thai Kitchen is that I explore their menu most of the time. The first few times I went there I got my usual - drunken noodles with a curry (usually pumpkin). How could I go wrong? Their pumpkin curry is exquisite. The pumpkin is cooked to perfection. Their curries are all awesome - not too thick & not too thin... the perfect consistency. Their vegetables always taste & look fresh and that is very important to me.
Anyway, back to my exploration. Everything I have gotten from there has been very, very good. I've never not finished something. Their portions are super generous! I love having curry for breakfast. :)
Their soups, noodles, curries, wraps... it's all awesome.
Their pad thai is exceptional (one of the best I've ever had... actually I can't remember anywhere better), pumpkin curry destroys all others, their drunken noodles are sticky & spicy... that's how all of their meals (that I've seen or tasted) come out.
The service is always kind and considerate, and frankly, they keep it real. If they say your take out is going to be ready in 15 - they really mean it's going to be ready in 15, yadda mean?!
I always have room in my stomach for Pad Thai Kitchen. Always.
I'm not a Pad Thai kind of girl, but the reviews beckoned me to this place with a deceiving name & huge menu. The interior has a much better ambience than you'd expect from the street.
We had excellent Pad Kee Mao and Green Curry (both with chicken) which came out in the time it took me to use the restroom-wow! The portions were the size I'd expect.
YAY! A satisfying Thai place in Portland.
pad thai kitchen outdoes every other establishment in one, sometimes very important, aspect: WEIGHT. one typical dish will run about three pounds. seriously. i challenge you to weigh your takeout.
good thai cuisine, tends to be a little over-spiced, so if you like it kill-your-taste buds spicy, i'd order it hot, otherwise medium has plenty of kick. nothing unusual on the menu, though the
the thai iced tea - i don't know what it is, but i can almost liken it to extra strong sweet tea - it's not so great. i think they pre-sweeten the ingredients, and use half and half. that's just not my thing.
the service is decent, though usually a bit slow. the best way to appreciate pad thai kitchen, in my opinion, is sprawled out on the couch with some scalding hot pad thai. and that's a serious warning: food to go is always extremely hot. watch out.
if you're looking for the best thai restaurant around, keep going. if you're looking for above average food and a BIG bang for your buck, give pad thai kitchen a shot.
Best thai I have had in Portland. The curries are really tasty as well as their soups and the bbq chicken is num num. I am a huge fan of their crab fired rice. Just can't get enough of that stuff.
For the price, I've not had better thai food. The portions (especially with takeout) are enormous.
I don't even know why people say it looks sketchy or dingy. It's just a parking lot (which is great for takeout) with picnic tables. Nothing fancy but nothing sketchy, they're just picnic tables!
Seriously, I had to edit this because I wanted to add that my wife and I just shared our 2nd (seriously!) meal together off of one order of take-out Drunken Noodles. It was delicious!
The food did not taste right and the service was bad. That sums up the rating.
When your food is too salty or too sugary sweet, most of the time it is an indication of bad cuisine because cooking properly takes time and when it is done in a hurry the salt and sugar are not absorbed in the food properly and the food doesn't taste right. The tom ka gai didn't have galanga either. The pad thai was the only dish that was okay. The manager was super rude and insisted on taking my menu away when i wanted to keep it! Not going back there.
My friends took me here to celebrate my new job and it was quite tasty. The duck curry was top notch. The pad thai was good, as were the salad rolls.
The sizzling beef was probably my favorite dish of the night, though it's unlikely that I'd order it very often. I kind of think that the lighting your food on fire at your table thing is a little too flashy for me. Food that is served in some ridiculous way that draws attention to me is sort of a pet peeve of mine.
But all in all, I'm a fan. Though honestly, I feel that most Thai places I go to are all kind of the same. Americanized Thai food tends to follow the same formula, just use a lot of sugar or ketchup and it will please the masses. But I don't really mind. It tastes good.
While visiting Portland from San Diego we had a friend take us here after vising a few local spots and dive bars.
It was quite delicious. I have no complaints. The beer came fast. The lemongrass soup was to die for, tofu pad thai was perfect and every one loved the flaming beef.
I hope to visit again when I'm in the area.
Last Known Report from Field Agent Thomas W:
Portand, OR - 01-08-2009, 17:00:00 HRS
Can I tell you guys a secret?
I love Thai curry more than I do Japanese curry. Shhh! There are...elements...who would do me bodily harm were I to make such knowledge public. Even so, it has been hard to engage in my covert actions in search of the best spicy red curry, especially with so many eyes on me.. As far as Portland goes, PTK (acronym used to protect the innocent) is hands down the best I have ever had.
Spicy, rich, creamy, savory and HOT, served with drool-worthy jasmine rice...it's as close to perfect as I have been able to find. Score one for the good guys! Not only that, but the service was lightening fast - no sooner had I placed my order than I was staring at a steaming bowl of magical deliciousness. Good thing, too! I can't stay in any one Thai restaurant for too long...
...though if I did, I could hardly do better than PTK - it was spacious yet cozy, and like field agent Jon R. before me reported, it had a sort of Asian charm without being over-embellished.
Uh oh, I have to go...I think I've been spotted. Make sure this report reaches the right people. I'm counting on you to get the word out! I...
**static**
Portland has so many thai food restaurants, but there are only a few that I really deem quality. Pad Thai Kitchen is my absolute favorite because of their curries. They have what I believe to be the best Panang Curry in Portland (although I do modify it a little bit, I get no bell peppers and I add in broccoli, for no cost mind you). The curry is the perfect balance of everything a curry needs to be. Not too think, but not too soupy, sticks to the warm fluffy rice just perfectly. The spice is always exactly what I want it to be.
I have had many of their different appetizers, and the Rock and Rolls tend to stand out. They have perfected their peanut sauce and it complements the rolls quite nicely.
They tend to get pretty busy, so i order to go a lot. It's always hot and is ready in 10-15 minutes. Most curries are like $8.00 with chicken which is great as well. Service is great, food is great, what more could you need?
The best Thai food in Portland IMO. The pad thai of course is really good, but the other selections are just as good.
The spicy tofa is great, the drunken noodles are good, and any of the curries I recommend.
It looks a little sketch from the outside, but overall, it's one of my reliable restaurants weekly. Take-out is very fast, service is excellent and quick as well. I'd recommend it to everyone.
Honestly, I'd previously reviewed this place on Stumptown Vegans and thoughtly fairly high of them....quality, price and vegan-friendly-ness are all better than average - particularly the last. But in 3 or 4 recent visits my liking has turned to love. I wish I'd visited back when I actually lived on Belmont!
I'm further south now but the trip is always worth it. This past weekend I had the Pad Thai Woon Sen - with glass noodles - vegan - tofu + vegetables (you must say both if you want both) and found it delightful. It was lighter and yet saucier than the original Pad Thai. I want it again so soon!
To be fair, I am giving this place a single star without having eaten any of their food. In fact, their food looked and smelled very good, but our experience there one Friday night was so bad that I will probably never return.
We walked in at about 6:45 on a Friday night. There were two other couples ahead of us, so we understood there would be some wait. OK, fine. Unfortunately, the only place to wait is awkwardly cramped right next to the kitchen with bead curtains in your face. At first, I enjoyed seeing all the hot, delicious dishes moving from the kitchen out to the tables, but after about 20 minutes standing up and starving, this began to bring on some rage. All the people working in the restaurant were quite busy and moving quickly, but their floorplan and service methods seem so completely ineffecient it was unclear how long we'd be there.
45 minutes later, our spirits considerably dampened, we were shown to a table in a forsaken corner. By this time I was so hungry and tired the tablecloth was looking appetizing. So it should mean a lot when, 10 minutes later when we still hadn't seen the waitress, that Mr. T and I looked at eachother, said "F*** it," and walked out the door.
I wanted to give it 3.5 stars, but apparently you can't. We got take out from Pad Thai three times. Two good, one bad. The problem is, besides Pok Pok (which has virtually no vegetarian food for take-out), it's been hard to find good Thai take out here in SE Portland. The deep fried tofu appetizer is good with a light but tasty sauce. The Tofu Cashew was good 2 of the 3 times, but the 3rd time it just didn't do it for me. We'll probably go here again unless we can find a better Thai place close by.
In the sea of Portland Thai restaurants, Pad Thai Kitchen is a shining star.
This place does Thai food right in every way. The place has a very laid-back atmosphere, almost like what I think of as a bar in Thailand (having never been to Asia). It has these cheesy vinyl booths that I absolutely love.
The food is all amazing, all the noodle dishes come pan fried and slightly blackened on top. The service is great; the older lady who seats you is totally awesome and hilarious, and I think maybe a tiny bit crazy (as all the best people are).
Okay, I went back and it wasn't as nerve-shattering delicious as before. But it was still good. I will compromise and put it between the two scores. It's my neighborhood joint, but not quite up to my 5-star afterglow from before.
try the ginger chicken! it's amazing! it's fabulous! it's put color and substance back in my life! ****
****note: this is barely even an exaggeration, it's sooooo good!****
I have nothing bad to say about this place. Seriously. Okay, maybe just that service can take a… Read more »
I love this place. When I'm anywhere near Belmont, I have to stop by and get a some variety of curry with chicken (they are all amazing). One late night, I was really craving thai food. I was really close to the restaurant so I decided to call in a pick-up. When I looked at the time, it was probably 5-10 minutes after closing but I called anyways. Not only did they answer the phone but they invited me in and made my curry dish while I waited. I was very grateful for the service, especially since they were closed! They serve my favorite papaya salad in town and I also really like the Tom Kah and Tom Yum soup. I have come here with many different people and everyone has always loved the food.
My boyfriend is an asshole. Here's why:
Today he told me we were going to Pad Thai Kitchen, but 20 minutes later I found myself in the laundromat while he loaded his dirty Nine Inch Nails t-shirts into a coin-operated washer. I should've taken the giant trashbags full of dirty clothes as a hint, but I was too focused on the prospect of delicious pumpkin curry to notice.
Had I been tricked out of any other restaurant, I probably would've brushed it off (if Jay-Z taught me one thing, it's that I shouldn't sweat the small stuff). But oh, not Pad Thai Kitchen. You can't dangle freshly prepared salad rolls, exquisitely spiced curry, and friendly, speedy service in front of my face, then snatch it away like...like...well, something less cliche than candy from a baby, but I suppose that applies since I was fussy like a child for the rest of the day.
But seriously, guys, best salad rolls in town, and the rest of food is fantastic as well. It's a great spot to calm that pad thai craving (which, fun fact, was actually brought to Thailand by Vietnamese traders, dontcha' know!), or stuff your face with curries in every color of the rainbow. Nothing hits the spot like Pad Thai Kitchen; just make sure your boyfriend actually intends to take you there before you put on your elastic-waste jeans in anticipation of Gluttonyfest '08.
It looks like a dingy place from the outside. And the inside. But it's seriously delicious and cheap!
Pretty decent Thai food and better than average.
Went in on a Saturday night around 7:30 and ended up standing at the entrance (no indoor seating for the waiting, it seems) for 15 minutes or so as the earlier dinner crowd filtered out. While not always the case, their busy-ness looked to be more related to their quality rather than inept service.
Had the red curry w/tofu and was mildly disappointed, mostly because I got talked down from "hot" and got stuck with what the bill indicated was "mild" -- hardly spicy and not what I ordered.
My companion, on the other hand, had much better luck with the glass noodle pad thai, something neither of us had encountered before but certainly warranting a test-drive. She thought it was ultimately lighter and a better pairing than the typically wide pad thai noodle, while I thought it was an interesting novelty but'll stick with the old standby. The dish was actually as spicy as we ordered and quite scrumptious, well-worth its status as the establishment's noodly eponym.
This is our new neighborhood Thai haunt, for sure.
Let me tell you story about why this place is 5 stars.
I really, really want to like fish. It's healthy for you, right? And it's all over the place - things would be so much easier if I could order roasted halibut at a fancy restaurant or fried "fish" fillet at DQ, rather than having to resort to vegetarian options ALL the time. So when I told the waitress that fish sauce was okay in my Larb/Laab tofu dish, I was really looking forward to enjoying the taste.
It was not okay at all. The cool and spicy citrus and cilantro flavor of the Larb tofu was completely overrun with this Courtney Love legs-spread taste of fish. I ate as much as I could, but by the time my boyfriend was done with his Masaman curry, I had only accomplished a few small bites. Normally, at this point, I would have asked for a box, as to not be impolite to the waitress and cooks if they were to see I had barely touched my food. I couldn't do it, because I couldn't stand the fish smell anymore. I couldn't take it home, I couldn't look at it, nuffin'.
Well the waitress did notice I wasn't touching my food, and I explained that I probably should have said no to the fish sauce, that I thought I would like it and I didn't. I tried to assure her it was no big deal, that it was my fault for telling her fish sauce was ok, but she wasn't having any of it. She actually went and got one of the managers to come over to my table. I explained everything to her, that the waitress had asked me if fish sauce was okay and I had said yes, and that it was no big deal. She wasn't having any of it, either.
She said I could have ANYTHING I WANT
for FREE.
All because I don't like fish sauce.
So how about that? I could have had a whole other dinner, but my boyfriend was sitting there patiently through the whole debacle, so I just asked for some dessert (mango and sticky rice) and we were on our way.
The food itself gets FOUR STARS - you get large portions for a moderate price, and the quality is outstanding - but this place gets FIVE STARS from me because of its exemplary customer service and friendly staff.
I think I was going in expecting this amazing food because of the other reviewers rating it so hightly. But, my pad thai was... okay. It was alright. I've had better. It was kinda watery. And my husband's House Special curry was kinda watery in my opinion also.
The ambiance was really nice though. And the service was quick and friendly.
I've eaten a lot of Thai food in my life but I've never eaten it outside until I went to Pad Thai Kitchen.
Outdoor Seating
+
Really Good Thai Food
=
Sweeeeeeet!
P.S. I just ordered take out last minute and the Pad Kee Mao has left a warm fuzzy feeling in my feeling in my abdomine.
Pumpkin Curry with Pork and Drunken Noodles and Green Papaya Salad our standing order on Mondays when we can not be bothered to cook.
Coming from another city I found that it is easy to make/find good cheap thai, Portland seems to be crazy. There are so many horrible thai places that tast like bad american food. They have lost their flavor, freshness and authenticity.
We have tried the Lemongrass many times (long wait for fresh, but flavorless food), Typhoony (trying hard to impress with tea and drinks and making sugar rich american noodles - and I have had two different friends get food poisoning there).
PTK rocks! Head out on a monday or any night for the best Thai in town.
We love PTK because they seem to get everything right consistently and they are open on Mondays.
* Really good deal for lunch $7 lunch menu special and it comes with house soup.
* The red curry was really good
* Fast service, we even finished our lunch under 1 hour.
* Try the Thai iced coffee, it was sooooo yummy...mmmm...caffeine...
I tried this place last week for the first time and was unimpressed. All I required was a good order of Pad Thai, which I felt shouldn't be too much to ask for given the name on the door, but I was left disappointed.
I ordered take out, so I don't have much to say in terms of service, though they were closing in 10 minutes but let me place my order anyways which was nice. The food was hot and ready within 10 minutes and I was pleasantly surprised by the decor in the restaurant; original and comfortable.
The food was really just okay. My pad thai came with just noodles, tofu, and some bean sprouts which was sort of disappointing. The flavor was good, but nothing special. The tofu was a little chewy, but usually I wouldn't notice if it was accompanied by some vegetables, which it wasn't.
While it was a decent meal, and a huge portion, I wouldn't go our of my way to go back. However, it was the last order they made and so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt of just dropping the ball on my dish.
But seriously, no cabbage or broccoli with my pad thai? Weak.
The service was FANTASTIC. That's why I will go back if I am in that area. The food was GOOD. I just didn't like the lighting (felt like I was under interrogation!) and the service started OUT slow....then Wham, Bam, Thank you mam....the waitress was there and extremely attentive.
The food was not out of this world....just middle of the road. We did Pad Thai (ho-hum), a curry (too heavy & sweet for my tastes) and a sizzling beef (good).
I WILL probably return and try different dishes...maybe the dishes that the other folks mentioned before me.
Again, once the service was available, it was fantastic and I'd be more comfortable asking for spicier, less salty, etc. on my next visit.
Thank you PTK! I've been looking for a go-to thai place and have finally found it.
The parking is whack, but the service is delightfully brisk and the food is superb. Not too oily and you get a boatload of food!
I needn't say more!
My sister-out-law asked me why I don't go here more often, given that the food is so good and it's so close to home. I can only say it's the set-up. The parking in front, the booths--they just feel awkward to me, not cozy. Just enough that I end up going somewhere else most of the time. (When she asked me I just ended up inarticulate, and waving my arms came up with "It's not...not feng shui!" Which she totally got.)
Except. They are really sweet with my 4 year old nephew. They bring stuff they think he'll like to eat, and chat to him. So when the family's in town, we often end up here. (When the kidling isn't around, we go to Mai Thai these days!)
The food is good--solidly good. The few things I haven't liked: the chicken salad was drowned in fish sauce (and I like fish sauce) and was so salty I almost couldn't eat it. The sauce on the salmon was too sweet. Things like that. But mostly, really very tasty food.
I'm not really a vegetarian anymore but the first time I went here, I was. The waitress noticed apparently that we didn't order any dishes with meat (we didn't actually state that we were vegetarians) and she asked us if we wanted her to make sure there was no fish sauce. This was greatly appreciated!
I need to branch out more and stop getting the same basil fried rice every time, but it's very tasty. It's also spicy, I usually go for the medium, and I am definitely a pansy, but it makes my eyes water. In a good way though. I don't actually like tofu usually (which I know is weird for a vegetarian) but theirs is actually really tasty! I still usually pick around it a little, but I actually like eating it. Another thing they are great about is not giving you mushrooms (if you don't want them)! I am firmly convinced that mushrooms are a fungus, not a food, and they have been happy to make my food without them. (Mai Thai has greatly failed me in this way, so I have yet to even taste any of their food, as they have messed up my to-go orders)
I've also had the chicken satay, the chicken wontons, and their spring rolls, everything is great! I do wish there were some more dipping sauces, but the peanut sauce is wonderful.
The people who work here are all very nice, and their portions are enormous, though the to-go portions seem bigger.
Someone once told me that no decent Thai place is open on Mondays. I don't know why, and I don't know if it's true, I just know that's what someone (I don't even know who) told me one time. This may have been true of Pad Thai Kitchen in the past, but well, now they're open on Mondays too. So there goes another theory, blown to the land of smithereens.
My litmus test with Thai places is their Pad Si Ew. Once I wrapped my teeth around the first shovelful of noodles here, I just could not stop. That's right: I ate the whole thing. And at lightning speeds too. I'm not ashamed to say it. The Thai Iced Tea may have been what put me over the top, but it was an agony I was only too willing to bear and will seek out again in the very near future.
Great food, friendly (but not over-friendly) service, seldom a wait, and very reliable. I have been here several times now, and look forward to eating here again. They don't have a full bar, but they do serve 5 or 6 different beers. The one thing I would change about this restaurant would be to remove the television in the rear (side) dining area; I find it distracting to have a TV on when I am dining.
I love coming to Pad Thai Kitchen, I have been coming here for 4 years now. The owner "A" as she asks to be called is very friendly. I have never had bad service here, I have only had one bad dish and that was just personal taste not the way it was prepared. My favorite thing here is the Pad Thai, #56 is Pad Poi Sien (?) grass noodles, mushrooms and other veggies. We do have our regular food that we like to eat here, I will admit that. Don't expect to come here and have a cushy waiting area, they are a small local restaurant and get very busy on the weekends, weekdays are the best to come if you want personalized service. "A" always give's my daughter a treat, she even brought something back from Thailand for her one time, gotta love that.
I don't even like Thai food and this place is awesome. I had the lemongrass chicken rolls and Pad Thai. Both were excellent. It's not fancy or anything, but not as sketchy as it looks from the outside.
I love PTKitch.
Pad Thai Kitchen is my favorite Thai place that rests in close proximity to my home. Expect consistently good thai food (the pumpkin curry is delightful) in a cozy atmosphere, with fifties pop music serenading your meal.
It's a hit.
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Clinton
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Northeast Portland
Category: Thai
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