Uneasy Rhetoric

Downtown Déjeuner:

My Thai Cuisine ***

1009 9th Street

Under $8.

This isn’t Seattle. Sacramento doesn’t have a Thai restaurant on every corner, but I have to admit, it comes close. My Thai is one of three within my review zone (see also Amarin; a review of Gaesorn is forthcoming), and all three provide delicious, inexpensive, food.

From the outside, you might think twice about going in to My Thai. It’s unassuming and even a little seedy exterior, with a barely-visible hanging sign that reads “Thai food,” belies a comfortable, bright, interior with all of the requisite Thai decorations. They’ve even managed not to put the Singha sign in the window - instead it is all the way in the back, where one goes to order take out.

In two visits I have ordered take out both times, and in both cases was in and out the door is less than five minutes, even if someone was ahead of me in line. On the first visit, I had a spicy and garlicky chicken dish (I’ve forgotten the name) with onions, bell peppers, and miniature corn that was delicious. Unlike some Thai restaurants that tone down their spice unless you ask, this came medium-spicy, which was hot enough for my bold taste, but not so hot as to give me heartburn later.

The to go dishes come with two dollops of steamed white rice and the main dish is wrapped in tin foil to keep it hot. The portions are a tad smaller than I expected; perhaps they are slightly larger for the non-take-out meals. However, this growing boy probably doesn’t need all of those extra calories anyway.

On the second visit I took the plunge and tried the Pad Thai, a staple that any Thai restaurant should do well. I was surprised to find it, unfortunately, bland. The sauce was mildly nutty and a bit too sweet, and the egg (which was plentiful) was over cooked to the point where its flavor tended to dominate the noodles. On the plus side, the dish did come with several shrimps and plenty of chicken. The Pad Thai does not come with rice (God forbid!) nor is it wrapped in foil - mine leaked on the two block walk back to the office.

This restaurant has become the “new thing” in my office, and one of my co-workers swears by their soup; everyone raves about all of their dishes, with slightly weaker raves about the tofu. However, I am the only one who has bothered with the Pad Thai thus far.

Three stars for good food, fast, friendly service, but a strangely disappointing Pad Thai and slightly smaller than expected portions.