I’ve already reviewed Papaya once, so I’ll focus on the parts which are new:

* The crab-puffs were noticably fresh and crunchy, better than many offered in Chinese places.

* The Pad Thai, a dish we don’t typically order, has an interesting tanginess.

The staff is still attentive and surprisingly efficient, and the general performance of the kitchen is quick and surprisingly competent.  There’s a lot of slight presentational aspects which tend to make the experience a bit better than many hole-in-the-wall Thai houses.

The neighbourhood is barren of slightly fancier, and more exotic, restaurants.  They do what they do well.  One would expect more success for them.

Today Thai was on the lunch menu. We visited the Mesa location on Lindsay and University. Not much has changed since our last visit, except for the number of fish tanks. Upon entering, the whole back wall has about four large 55 gallon+ fish tanks. Although the decor on the inside of the restaurant is unique and filled with trinkets from Thailand, the fish tanks steal all the attention.

To start, we ordered four of  their cheese won ton appetizers. They were light and crispy but lacked a good amount of filling. For our main coarse we had a mix of chicken fried rice, orange chicken, yellow curry chicken and pad thai noodles. Most dishes were appetizing but I preferred the chicken fried rice and the pad thai noodles. Although we all shared the dishes, individually the portions are quite small and the soda I ordered was almost flat.

Although we write about food its hard to avoid the fish tanks at PaPaYa Thai. They are there to add a sense of ambiance, however they are quite dirty and filled with some strange species of fish. Personally I don’t find them appealing. They take away from the food and give off a germ filled presence.

Besides the tanks, the food was good overall. The service is quite friendly and quick. In the future I would probably get some different dishes and stick to water.

First Impressions

We’ve eaten before at the Mesa location, and found it consistently goes the extra mile.  In the last year or so, the franchise has seemingly taken a much higher profile, taking over another restaurant in Mesa, and opening a location in Tempe.

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First Impressions

There are fewer locations less up-market than Royal Thai Grill’s, at Country Club and McKellips, hidden behind a Rally’s and next to a massage parlour and liquor store.  Inside the restaurant, there’s a generally “servicably clean but obviously old feel” of the dining area fighting to survive against  sheer an onslaught of “stuff”– small fans and coolers, framed records on the wall, and a large tube-type television distract from the posters advertising specials on the walls.

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First Impressions

Thai House is a clean, tidy little restaurant in one of the strip malls opposite Superstition Springs Centre.  There are only enough tables for about 15 people, and the place is regularly packed.  It carries very little in the way of austentation– just a few signs advertising specials, and a visible drinks machine (the kitchen sits behind a curtain).

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I have been out to Papaya Thai once before and was relatively pleased, so last week when I heard that we were going there for lunch I was alright with that. I wasn’t particularly excited as I wasn’t completely in the mood for Thai food however I can never turn down a free meal. (more…)

I’ll admit, I was a little nervous to eat at another independent Asian food restaurant after the experience we had at the Oasian Noodle bar, but I surprisingly enjoyed it. (more…)

First Impressions

Papaya Thai recently opened in a corner of the Safeway centre at Lindsay and University, occupying a space that formerly held an unsuccessful diner, and before that, a fish restaurant primarily noteworthy for sometimes having a huge brass lobster in front.

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After much toil in trying to find a place to eat, we settled on Oasian Noodle Bar. Not something I would have picked on my own and I soon found out why. I ordered the Honey Chicken Lunch Special. It wasn’t too bad, but I have had much better. (more…)

First Impressions

Pei Wei is one of several dining options in the comparatively new Dana Park shopping complex at Baseline and Val Vista. As expected with its newness, the place is fairly clean. The furnishings, with accents of painted wood, create a subtle Oriental feel, but the primary attractions are the open kitchen, and the remarkably hectic environment at about noon on a Thursday afternoon.

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