Pam Real Thai 04-23-2010

Location: 404 West 49th St.
Time: 12:30pm
People: Showtime Ops! (PeeWee, Erik, AP, RRo, MKang, BeBe and myself)

Feelings: Today we almost ended our wondrous Midtown Thai venture that began in 2008. We were going to try the new vegetarian spot, Otarian, but they were not able to open their new location due to some gas problems. (Mercury Retrograde!) I am not sure if some mystical noodle goddess was trying to make us stay the course, but we had no choice but to continue with our Thai journey. It is a bit bizarre that we have not yet run out of Thai restaurants to try in Hell's Kitchen area.

Pam Real did not seem to be as modern as other Thai restaurants in the area such as Q2 or Chai Thai. The atmosphere reminded me of Wondee Siam. I was not particularly fond of their school cafeteria utensils, and I was disappointed by the lack of lunch specials, but the staff was attentive and they had a plenty of space for a large group during lunch hour.

My most favorite Thai dish of all, Stir Fry Pumpkin with Eggs was full of fish sauce and delicious albeit salty and overpoweringly garlicy. Fortunately the rice cut down the saltiness, so I was able to fully enjoy the earthy pumpkin flavor. Thanks to its large portion, I was able to save money and enjoy the pumpkin leftovers for the next two days.

RRo also ordered a pumpkin dish. His Pumpkin Curry with Beef had a lot of flavor and the right amount of spice, and the beef was nicely tender and not chewy.

MKang enjoyed her red curry with chicken although it was spicier than she had anticipated. The chicken was unfortunately on the dry side, and she wished she ordered shrimp instead. BeBe's Pad Se Ew was delicious and on the sweet side. The noodles had a nice consistency of chewy and soft, and she was quite pleased with what she had.

Both AP and PeeWee had Mixed Vegetables with Soy Sauce, which was cooked perfectly. Since both of their dishes and Erik's broccoli dish, which was literally just broccoli and nothing else, lacked some flair of protein, they shared a plate of fried tofu. The Tofu had a nice consistency and not too oily.

Pam Real is a solid choice for Thai food in Hell's Kitchen especially if you enjoy no frills, simple Thai cuisine. It is reasonable and perfect for large groups. If you are vegetarian or vegan, however, make sure to order tofu or protein of your choice with your vegetable dish since they literally give you just vegetables à la veggie dishes at a steakhouse. We vegetarians always get conned, don't we?