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Pataya Cafe
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
1525 E Colorado BlvdPasadena, CA 91106
Neighborhood: Pasadena
(626) 356-0404
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Heather H. said: "Super Yummy. Will be back soon. We had takeout, so I will have to go in and try sit down service." read more »
46 reviews for Pataya Cafe
Review Highlights
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"I highly recommend the yellow curry, the tom kha gai soup..." In 5 reviews -
"With their lunch specials under $8, it's definitely worth..." In 4 reviews -
"The pad kee mow was very similiar to pad see ew and it had..." In 1 review
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46 reviews in English
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Review from Jessica S.
Pasadena, CA
2/2/2012
When I came the vegetarian pad thai was only $7 and tasted excellent. Service is iffy though - since I came by myself, they didn't give me a napkin. Also, the parking lot is so small people park behind other customers, which made me nervous.
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Review from Nicolas B.
San Francisco, CA
5/17/2012
Their pad thai was so terrible I couldn't finish eating it.
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Review from Novi T.
Pasadena, CA
10/23/2011 15 Check-ins Here
The service was good, but the quality of the food isn't fresh. I had the Pad Thai and it came cold and hard. However, the other time I went it came out over cooked.
I come for the free wi-fi since it's across from school but if it weren't for that I don't think I'd go back. -
Review from Joanne T.
Alhambra, CA
9/11/2011
Service is GREAT here. Food is authentic, but a bit salty at times. My dad comes here pretty much all the time for the karaoking at night. The management is very friendly.
I don't think the food is as good as in Thai-town Hollywood, but it's not bad either. It's tailored more for the non-Thais. Their Thai coffee is VERY strong, so if you want to be up all night, I say order it and ask for some more milk in it because you definitely need it.
Interior is VERY clean and there's parking in the back. It gets pretty crowded when you park because the Thai massage is located in the back as well. Overall, I like the atmosphere. -
Review from brandi g.
Los Angeles, CA
9/16/2011
The people here deserve five stars, the service was excellent. The food was more like 2.5 stars. I had the spicy eggplant dinner deal. It was fine, parts of it were pretty tasty, other parts just mediocre.
I really wanted to love the food because the service was so good and the people so sweet and charming. I think Thai people may be some of the nicest people on earth, and these ladies were no exception, but the food wasn't great. If it was really cheap, I might go back but it wasn't cheap enough to ignore the fact that I would still have to eat what I ordered from the sweet little Thai ladies.
Sorry Pattaya, maybe work a little bit on your food, and I'll wander in again. -
Review from Marty C.
Altadena, CA
10/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
We sat outside - and come to find out that there is no beer service.
They would not make our yellow curry with white chix meat.
Glass noodles with shrimp. shrimp was over cooked and only a few on the plate.
The only decent dish was Pad Thai and that was cold.
Terrible service. Won't go back here. -
Review from Monica L.
Alhambra, CA
7/3/2011
The crowded atmosphere, bad karaoke singers, and the friendly waiters are just some of the interesting attributes that make up the Pataya Cafe. It's as if you've been transported to Thai Land. All in all, I found this experience quite memorable.
One thing that I've noticed is how none of the workers are in uniforms, and I could see the store owner sitting in a nearby table.
Not only that, but the entire cafe seemed to be packed and was obviously doing very well for itself. The reason why was a dead giveaway once the waiter brought out our Thai food.
It was absolutely righteous. Now you must know, I'm not much of a fan for anything even the slightest bit spicy, but I have to give Pataya props, their dishes were incredibly tasty, and they filled me up right away. I doubt I'll be anymore hungry for the remainder of this night.
And their drinks. I doubt I'll taste anything more heavenly than the boba milk tea at Pataya's. Goodness gracious, I couldn't believe how quickly it disappeared. The boba at the bottom was so succulent and soft; I even noticed that I would grow frustrated when the ice was in the way of my tasty tapioca balls. But don't be concerned if you aren't in the mood for milk tea because they served different boba drinks, such as Almond Boba.
Oh goodness, please do bare with me when I talk about their karaoke system. It's almost comical. Even if you aren't the best singer out there, you should still get up onto that stage and sing. Their music choices happen to have a very varied music offer. From The Beetles to Chinese music, you won't be disappointed at how fun it is. There is even have a cleared off floor that serves as a dance floor. This is a good excuse to just go and act silly since you probably won't see most of these people anyway. And no matter how well you sing you will always have many people clapping.
Overall, Pataya Cafe feels like Thai Land, and they have good food with very reasonable prices. Their staff are nice and the people who normally eat there, range from all ages. This place is definitely family friendly. -
Review from madison l.
Glendale, CA
8/29/2011
I come here frequently since it's across the street from my school, and I love Thai food. As far as quality, it's pretty good, but doesn't blow my socks off. They are very friendly and the location is optimal.
Occasionally I crave their "tofu stir fried with green onions and garlic." When I go order it in the exact words on the menu and mention the onions, I usually get the stir fry appetizer with dipping sauce which has no onions and is called 'tofu with dipping sauce' on the menu. Why I get it after I correct them and have to wait for them to fix the order almost every time, I don't know. I also get the same thing with my som tam (papaya salad). I NEVER order it with shrimp and say so every time I'm ordering. My boyfriend even says it to them in Thai. I still get shrimp. -
Review from Natasha K.
Los Angeles, CA
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Casual Thai spot located across PCC with a healthy and delicious menu. The Papaya salad was so fresh and light. Love the Rad na dish- flavorful spices that you'd want more of. Add fried tofu- AMAZINGLY GOOOD! Large portions to definitely share. Clean restaurant with a very friendly staff. Going back to try their Tom Yum Kum fashO.
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Review from Cari C.
Pasadena, CA
11/27/2011
I used GrubHub to order delivery on my phone, that was super cool. I didn't have to talk to anyone and my order was exactly right. It took 40 minutes to get the food but it was worth it. I would say 4 stars for the fried calamari, 3 stars for the red chicken curry, and 4 stars for the seafood soup. The calamari were big and very nicely fried, yum!
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Review from Edwin C.
Sylmar, CA
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I use to come here a lot when I was attending PCC. the place is pretty small. The food is delicious. The waitresses are also very friendly. I would watch the champions league games. Now the place got fancier and they have little karaoke thing going on on certain evenings.
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Review from Michael O.
Pasadena, CA
8/11/2011
worst customer service ever.
I ordered fried tofu via delivery,
I got soggy tofu.
When I called them and told them of what I received
"I got soggy tofu" the driver replied
"so?"
place deserves to be shut down.
Daisy Mint for life. -
Review from rosaline z.
Montebello, CA
3/22/2011
I used to come here all the time when I lived in Pasadena
Its kinda mediocre Thai food, but I would come from time to time for its lunch special
For about $7-$10 the lunch specials usually come with rice, main dish, small salad, and an egg roll
The service is ok, waitress was kinda ignorant, and not too friendly
It'll usually takes a while to get your order
Anyway, when you come to Pataya Cafe, never forgot to order their boba thai milk tea. Its pretty creamy and sweet, perfect drink for a super hot day.
Their taro boba milk tea is pretty good too. If you have space in your stomach, definitely give that a try.
Overall, its not that bad, but I wouldn't go to Pasadena specifically to come here since there are other better quality Thai food in the area. -
Review from ericka L.
Pasadena, CA
7/7/2007
The things I do for Yelp...
I was craving Thai food for lunch today, and instead of going to my usual place (Chandra Thai), I decided to try something new and Yelp it.
WHAT. A. MISTAKE.
While the place is nice enough, and even has parking in the back, the service is lackluster and the food is atrocious. I decided to try the basics - Pad Thai and egg rolls, along with a Thai iced tea. I specifically ordered the Pad Thai with chicken and without shrimp, because a) I hate shrimp, and b) it seems I may be allergic to seafood. I did appreciate that the waitress went over this with me twice, so I was certain it would be right.
The egg rolls arrived first. They were essentially flavorless, unless you consider crispy and greasy a flavor. The Pad Thai came out shortly after, and it was chock-full of shrimp. The waitress had walked away before I could say anything, so I called her back over and explained that I had asked for chicken but no shrimp. She barely glanced at me, and walked away with the plate.
I did eventually get the correct order, and she even grunted to me that the kitchen had made me "new Pad Thai " (as opposed to just picking the shrimp out of the other one, I guess?) as she dropped off the plate. It was truly awful, bland and greasy and just altogether unpleasant.
I am only giving two stars because it had air conditioning and the television was tuned to a soccer game. Plus I just had an eclair from Beard Papa, so I'm feeling generous. -
Review from Jenny L.
7/25/2007
1. I had their "A" Dinner special. Chicken was dry and burnt. Shrimp fried rice = hard tasteless rice with two broiled shrimp on top. Salad was fresh, but hardly anything to rave about.
2. Long-haired Waitress, oh no no no no no.
a. She gave us the check before we were halfway done with our food. The place was NOT packed.
b. She took my friend's plates away as soon as he finished his last bite. She then proceeded to clean his entire area with his napkin and then grabbed the two useless spoons off of my PLATE!!! I was like WHAT THE EFF?!!!
c. Almost forgot, before she took one of my spoons, I had put one on an extra plate we had on the table. After she took my spoons, she put the two plates we had on our table, on the table next to ours!! FOR THE GUESTS SHE SEATED 9 SECONDS LATER!!!
TOTALLY EW AND BOOOOOOOOOOOO TO THIS PLACE!! -
Review from Paul M.
12/28/2009 1 Check-in Here
Looking at all the one, two and three star reviews make me think that they must be talking about a different restaurant.
I come here almost every week. The food is super yummy, the atmosphere is comfy and the service is very personable. I especially recommend the curry dishes, although maybe they go a little heavy on the bamboo shoots. Their slushes, ices, boba, flavored teas, etc. are also super good.
Is it a Five star restaurant? No, not quite: it's a bit too casual, and lacks a certain "umph factor" for that, but it's very, very good.
One major qualm is that restaurants with televisions always bug me, unless it's a sports bar or something, or unless it's showing theme-specific fare. But other than that, I really can't think of a major minus.Listed in: Stalking me? Look for me…
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Review from Lucinda T.
Alhambra, CA
2/10/2011
I've had better Thai food. But since I work across the street... It's pretty damn good for lunch. There's also a lunch special for about 8 bucks that includes your choice of meal, rice, eggroll, and salad. I always choose the Pad See Ew noodle, thats my favorite.
The thai tea here is BOMB. yummmm. -
Review from Zack H.
New York, NY
4/28/2008
What can I really say about this place. It is pretty nondescript and serves decent food. I ate here many times but it is really nothing special. The dishes are pretty standard, and the fruit drinks are good. It has a nice view of PCC, so if you like to watch people walking on the street it's nice for that. The parking in the back is way too small and sometimes it takes alot of effort to get a waiter.
*cheap
*decent food
*better to order than to go there -
Review from Brandon Q.
Pasadena, CA
12/1/2006
Ambiance: Nice clean light wooden tables, one large plasma TV (in the waiting area).
Food: First timers should get Pad Thai or Shrimp Fried Rice. I wouldn't say it's the best Thai place, but it's conveniently close to my apartment and right across the street from Pasadena City College.
Service: I always get stuff to go. I wish the front counter ladies were a bit friendlier, but the food is deent enough for me to come back anyways.
Extra: Within walking distance from Luigi Ortega. -
Review from franky d.
Long Beach, CA
12/19/2007
You get what you expect from a budget Thai food restaurant.
I went there late at night to hang with a friend and ordered the steamed noodles with sausage, shrimp, and chicken. It was really good. Prices weren't too bad and I had a good time.
However they don' t get 4 stars b/c of what people had said. The servers were honest and nice. They gave suggestions and they were helpful. However when we stopped to talk a bit and stopped eating, there was the server asking us if we wanted a box.
I had to tell her "i'm not done eating yet" and she backed off. Later she came back with the bill and was all like thank you and such. But my friend and I just sat and continued eating and talking. We probably stayed for another hour or so but after the servers realized we were in no rush to leave they were much more hospitable. They filled our water ever 5 mins or so and let us be.
When it came time to pay the check they were really speedy about it and it wasn't a bother. The place was empty but they were trying to rush me. However if you just say no thanks, and keep eating. It's a great place.
Love the ambiance, the food, the prices, and service....although you have to know what to expect. -
Review from Cara K.
Pasadena, CA
7/17/2009
I give them 3.5 stars.
This is a laid-back, quiet Thai restaurant with good prices and pretty good food. It's not upscale, or chic, or trendy, and the service isn't great, but they try. I've come here twice at lunch and been put off by slow service and lack of choice, but I quite enjoy eating dinner here, and no one I've brought has been disappointed. (Show up for dinner anytime, no reservations, no problem!)
I highly recommend the yellow curry, the tom kha gai soup, and the mee krob. The pad thai is is reliable -- good but not great, as is the stir-fry with ginger. The panang isn't as good as elsewhere, nor is the satay.
They're happy to customize the dish to please the customer -- they'll make my tom kha gai without cilantro if I want, and I've substituted tofu for chicken frequently in dishes (their chicken isn't always top-notch, but then, I'm rather off chicken, so take that with a grain of salt.)
They also have a long list of interesting juice drinks (I like watermelon). -
Review from Kim P.
Pasadena, CA
7/10/2009
I think a lot of people are ragging on this place unnecessarily. This is not a place you go to hang out, have a dining experience, or take a date.
But it is a place that can supply you with decent, cheap nutrition when you are hungry, need to chat informally with a buddy, or are too tired to cook.
Because we can get takeout til 9:30, we go here a lot after yoga and have never had attitude, slowness, or any service problems.
Skip: Pad thai, but then I think everyone should always skip pad thai, it's very boring. Also skip the tempura, kind of limp.
Get: Spicy eggplant -- I will drive out of my way for Pataya's soft, spicy version. The green beans are good, too. -
Review from Nadia F.
Pasadena, CA
2/25/2010
I am glad to see that I am not the only one who didn't have a good experience at Pataya Cafe. Their Tom Gha Kai (I hope I spelled it right! Haha) was very bland...I couldn't finish it.
The workers were all gathered at the table in the middle of the restaurant, laughing like hayinas, mannerless, and not willing to watch after their customers.
It was ESPECIALLY rude when my mom commented about a song that was playing (just a regular comment that would not require a more complicated response than "oh cool", however, instead, she storme away, mimicking my mom to her coworkers, accross the restaurant, who burst out laughing right afterwards. It makes me think: "Are you fucking serious?!?!"
Next time I would rather dine at McDonald's accross the street than go to than shitty place again. -
Review from Jenna H.
Pasadena, CA
12/23/2010
Ok honestly, I've had better but this place is very convenient for take out and they are friendly. These are the things that count!
I always get the Tofu Pad Thai and I like to mix in the extra peanut sauce from the Chicken Sate appetizer to give it some extra flavor. Sometimes the Pad Thai doesn't need it and sometimes it does.
I don't recommend the Fish Ball Soup but the Red Curry is good.
I'll definitely keep going here as long as I'm living in the area! -
Review from Rick K.
6/27/2007
3.5 Star.
Good food, good ambiance, reasonably standard service, and GREAT LUNCH SPECIAL PRICES. I wouldn't give this place 4 stars yet, but it's my new favorite lunch place because where else can you eat so cheap, so much, with just $6? Sure you could go to the nearby Tommy's but why would you choose to spend $6 on a 2000 kCal meal when you could go to Pataya Cafe and have a healthier meal, filling thai meal?
yup. -
Review from Brian I.
I guess this place is okay if you happen to be a student at Pasadena City College or a local regular. I pretty much just ordered, got my order, ate, paid, and then left. I didn't get any attention while the people who seem like regulars got a friendly interactions and more attention. I ordered the Thai BBQ dinner special. The chicken and pork rib pieces was bland as was the egg roll. They do have good value for lunch and dinner specials. I don't really have much confidence in the rest of the food. They do karaoke here and there's TV's mounted on the walls.
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Review from Herbert K.
Irvine, CA
8/8/2010
Came here on a random whim. Ordered a pad see yew + diet coke. The diet coke was flat and watery. That's really bad! You see I love DC. It was like they took a cup, filled it with ice, half with water, and then decided it would be nice to put DC into the remainder of the cup.
My main dish was sub-par. The noodles stuck together so that tells me the cook was pretty lazy in frying everything together. It was also undercooked so it had a really weird consistency in your mouth. Not to mention, there were some noodles that ended up black. It was also very greasy. They might as well have been deep fried. No bueno...
In terms of taste, it was very generic and nothing exciting. I understand that pad-see-yew is pretty general in itself, but this dish was a poor attempt at reaching even that level.
The service wasn't bad.
I had the poor luck of walking into their in the inauguration night for Kareoke. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not here to bash the culture. I am Korean after all, and we're genetically programmed to adore Kareoke. Except, I'm lacking that gene. To add insult to injury, it was Kareoke in Thai? I'm not familiar at all with the language so I can only guess. This definitely ruined the atmosphere as I was eating sub-par food drowning in that cheap Kareoke music if you know what I mean - where the "real" instruments are all digitized so you have to spend a moment to guess what the song is even though there's this nagging sensation you know what song is being sung.
In summary...
Taste 3/10
Service 8/10
Value 7/10
Ambience 3/10 (It was nicely decorated though minus the plethora of cords for the electric signs)
Mind-blasting factor 0/10 (My mind was thoroughly intact) -
Review from Henry M.
Pasadena, CA
9/12/2008
I got the Pad Thai I think, and it was just... not very good. The noodles were rubbery, the rice was dry, the chicken was rough... I'm from the Bay where all the food is amazing and cheap, but really? Shitty food with was DISCOUNTED to 6.75 or something cause it was lunch? I know of 3-4 places with better food, you get more of it (I'm not fat, but it's enough for two meals, just take it to go), and it's cheaper.
On the up side, our drinks were free which was cool considering the menu wanted 2.50 for a Thai iced tea. Mind you I didn't ask or complain, they just didn't charge us. -
Review from Czar Q.
Pasadena, CA
2/8/2010
This Thai restaurant is like the rating says "A-Ok. I've had better but the food here is decent/good. I had better in terms of price and amount. I always order Pad Thai, which is my personal favorite and it always satisfy me.
They also have Boba and other drinks available. The plus about this place is that, its just down the street from my house and they do takeout :) but other than that, its A-Ok. -
Review from Rebecca Y.
Pasadena, CA
3/2/2010
I've had better, I've had faster, I've had better overall.
But that doesn't mean Pataya doesn't deserve a lunch date. With their lunch specials under $8, it's definitely worth the try. The lunch specials are a great deal and come by fast for the muncher on the go. However the food wasn't as great as other Thai places in Pasadena and the noodles seemed to be cooked too long and were somewhat stuck together. The location is great, especially if you're a student at Pasadena City College or work nearby.
Overall not my first pick but not my last, like it says "A-Ok".
I have had great experiences here but it isn't my first choice when going out -
Review from Mark L.
Glendale, CA
1/6/2011
Sucks. If you want bad service and crappier food go here. My favorite thing about this place is how they take a very long time to bring your crappy food
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Review from Mark D.
Pasadena, CA
5/21/2011
If you're looking for high end Thai and a fine dining experience don't come here. BUT this place is awesome. The food is delicious, the staff are lovely, service is fast and it is very reasonable. Try any of the curries and you can't go wrong. The ka ree kai (yellow curry) and green curry are excellent, as is the masimon and panang.
The staff found out that my wife and I were recently married so they brought her out a cute necklace and ear-ring set to 'celebrate' with us. They are lovely people and we come back all the time. It's not always about swank and sparkle, sometimes its about human experience and Pataya is a great place for that. -
Review from Liyah C.
Anaheim Hills, CA
7/10/2010 10 Check-ins Here
It's an alright place. It's better if you order to go. Their service isn't the greatest. Their food isn't the best but I do like their spicy fried rice and their Thai iced tea with boba is pretty good. Theyre also open pretty late which is a plus for me when you want Thai food late at night. If you're planning on dining in I suggest you go during lunch time for their lunch specials = cheaper.
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Review from Nancy C.
San Gabriel, CA
10/12/2010 2 photos
This isn`t the best thai food place, but being right across the street from PCC, I really expected it to be packed, but it wasn`t. The waitress was friendly and came back quite a few times to see if we were ready to order.
My friend and I ordered a Pad Kee Mow lunch special and a tom yum chicken soup. The pad kee mow was very similiar to pad see ew and it had lots and I mean LOTS of chicken in it. The lunch special came with a generous serving of pad kee mow (good taste for the good price), rice (dry and a bit hard), one eggroll (not that great..), and some veggies.They were very generous with chicken in the soup as well. The soup came in a hot pot sorta thing to keep it warm and yummy, way too much soup for two people to finish though.
Overall, it`s a nice casual place to have lunch between classes.
-» convienent for PCC students
-» will come back again to try other things (:
-» very nice & cozy on a cold rainy day ! -
Review from Tony Y. Jr. Y.
Glendale, CA
5/4/2009 1 photo
Being a fan of Thai food, I came into Pataya Cafe to get a late lunch today. As I walked in, I saw a table of four women eating food, I'm assuming all employees of this place as some had on aprons. They were the only ones in the restaurant and not one got up to offer any assistance. So, I took a menu from the counter and stood for a minute reading over the menu. Much to my surprise, no one came over to take my order or say anything. As I looked over again to the table of women, one woman nodded her head back as if she was asking if I needed help. I'm sorry, but if you can't stop eating your lunch to help a customer, or even acknowledge a customer, I'm not patronizing your business. Based on the majority of Yelp reviews, this place isn't that impressive anyway.
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Review from Amanda V.
Pasadena, CA
9/20/2007
.... I am judging this whole place on the one portion of fried rice that I ordered... but thats okay, right? because first impressions are important, ... and my first impression... BLAH
... it wasn't so good. How can fried rice not be good? I was expecting something so much better. I am not an expert on Thai Fried Rice.. but .. I feel like I can expect a certain flavor... and it was lacking that flavor, in fact it was lacking all flavor.... it was BLAH.
... but I believe in second chances... I will give it one more try. I will go back and order a different dish. If I like it, I will change my review, sounds fair enough, right? For now, 2 stars, and I am being generous. -
Review from Tawny A.
5/3/2009
5 stars only for their Masaman curry which was a godsend when I took classes at PCC. I always did takeout here, and I had only tried a handful of items before I realized how good their Masaman is. The beef is not chewy like most thai places and the the curry is self is creamier. The potatoes are actually soft, like they should be! This is my favorite Masaman yet, and I try the dish everywhere it is available!
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Review from edgie t.
Pasadena, CA
12/28/2009 2 photos
Not coming back here again, ever! first off, no matter how good the food is ...if you see HAIR in your food totally disgusting and NOT acceptable! went here for lunch with a friend and ordered from the lunch special menu...maybe that's it ,you get "hair" from the so-called special menu. I can't say no more .. I'm disappointed and will not recommend this place to anyone.
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Review from Vivian M.
Pasadena, CA
8/1/2007
The first time I came here I tried the Pad Thai and it wasn't too good. The rice was also not so good. I mean, how can you really eff up rice? Plus the waitresses there always seem annoyed when they have customers. The only reason I came back was because this place is literally next to my apartment and I was too lazy to get in my car and go somewhere good. I ended up trying the yellow curry chicken and potatoes with the brown rice and it was awesome! Now, my roommate and I can't get enough of it. The mango and peach snow are also very yummy. I highly recommend those if you don't end up getting food.
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Review from Hugo S.
Los Angeles, CA
5/12/2008
I'm here four times a week with students and colleagues. Not the best Thai around, but as it is across the street from PCC, it's reliable and cheap and immensely convenient. The lunch specials are a bargain, and I am especially fond of the Pad Ped with tofu. Vegans need to make sure that fish sauce is not being used; do ask, as they won't volunteer the information.
