Dinner In @ Thai Namtip

I had a quick (unsuccessful) tryst with an Android phone, and it certainly does have some nice toys.  The Yelp app was one of them, and when we plugged in "thai" searching nearby our house, Thai Namtip came up as the closest option.  As it turns out, the map was wrong and its not as close as we thought, but since we'd already put the call-in order in, we gave it a shot.  If you're a West-sider in particular, then you'll definitely want to read on, as there aren't as many Asian options on your side of town.

The Food:  We ordered a pad thai with tofu and a panang curry with chicken over the phone, without even seeing a menu.  After snagging a to go menu, I can say they do have a full, if pretty typical, selection of dishes to choose from.

The pad thai was solid.  It didn't jump out at me in any major way.  Not as sweet as the way I like it, but you can't make everyone happy.  If you like it spicy, I'd go for a pretty high number on their scale - they didn't seem to trust me that I wanted a kick.  As for the curry, it was flavorful and had a decent stock of vegetables - cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots.  Those veggies were overcooked though, which may have simply been a function of us driving home for 15 minutes, but I don't think so.  Plenty of flavor though, and definitely not bad.

We also ordered spring rolls, which were nicely filled and crunchy.  I didn't like their sauce as much as Thai Express' (although I didn't take specific notes, so I can't remember why exactly) - Thai Express is my gold standard generally in this town.

The Ingredients:  No mention of local, organic, or sustainable ingredients.  If we ever go back, I'll ask, but I would be very surprised if this was something they do and don't publicize.

The Story, Setting, & Service:  Thai Namtip is sitting in a strip mall just as North Bend Road takes a bend, about 3.5 miles southwest of College Hill.  We got our food to go, but while it is unassuming on the outside, it is quite large and well decorated on the inside.

Probably the most surprising thing to me was that they had a sushi bar as well.  I have been seeing this more and more lately, after my recent read of Zen of Sushi, which in part discusses the expansion of American interest in sushi to the Midwest, I am especially in interested in what kind of operation they run.  Could the fish possibly be fresh?  Could the sushi chef possibly be good?  Who knows.

The Last Bite:  If you live on the west side, then this may be your best option for thai food.  As is for us, we can make it to Clifton or Hyde Park in just as much time, where there are better options, so I doubt we'll go to Thai Namtip again any time soon.  But, nice to know that the option is there.  I'd be satisfied sticking with pad thai and curry at Thai Namtip, but if I go again I'll probably give the sushi a try and branch out a bit on the menu after talking to them about any specialties they may have.