Cuisine:
Thai

ISDC Rating:

Pros:
Excellent food that's properly spiced
Quite possibly the world's best duck curry
Impeccable service

Cons:
Pan-fried noodles were a disappointment
Not enough pork in the pork and eggplant
Too close to the N Judah

FogWatch Crew Members in Attendance:
Rear Admiral Phineas Fogg-Bottom
The Cabin Boy
Countess Honoria Lick-Wilmerding
Princess Bathsheeba Luxoria Masada
Prof. Dr. Emeritus Maximus

You don’t expect much on your first visit to Mae-Thip. A rather unassuming storefront in the middle of the 500 block of Irving Street fails to impress, and the interior of the restaurant is nondescript, with the exception of a full-size oxcart that welcomes diners.

Not helping first impressions was the paucity of diners on the Irving Street Dining Club’s arrival. Of the 25 or so tables in the restaurant, only two were occupied, hardly an auspicious sign at 7:30 p.m. on a Wednesday evening. Throw in the restaurant’s name, which sounds like a Thai bar drink pronounced with a lisp, and you have the makings of an inauspicious dining experience.

But visitors will soon discover, as did the Irving Street Dining Club, that Mae-Thip offers excellent Thai food at reasonable prices. Add the establishment’s attentive service, and you have the makings of a fine -- and uncrowded -- alternative to some of the City’s more well-known Thai restaurants.

Mae-Thip is tastefully appointed, with Thai antiques sprinkled about the place. The dining area is quite spacious, with plenty of room between tables for romantic conversations or for plotting rebellion.

The oxcart is definitely a centerpiece. Most ISDC members were a bit baffled by its presence in the restaurant, until one member pointed out that it is probably the Bangkok equivalent of an N Judah streetcar.

The Dining Club was pleasantly surprised with all of the dishes ordered. The appetizers ordered included Por-Pied Sod, rice paper rolls stuffed with pork, Chinese sausage, egg, tofu, and cucumber, and topped with crab meat, as well as Tom Kha Gai, hot and sour chicken soup in coconut milk with lemon grass.

The Por-Pied Sod was unimpressive, and the two rolls delivered were a bit difficult to divide among five diners. Most everyone agreed that the Tom Kha Gai was excellent –- a perfect balance of hot and sour flavor, with just the right level of spiciness. The ISDC's Cabin Boy claimed that Bangkok 16 has better soup, a contention the resulted in much discord about the table.

The entrées included: Gang Ped, roast duck in spicy red curry paste with tomato and basil; Param Long Srong, sliced beef with spinach and eggplant; Moo Ma-Keur, pork with eggplant, chili, bean and basil; and Pad Se-Ew, pan-fried noodles with chicken, broccoli, and egg.

Every entrée was excellent, although several ISDC members expressed disappointment with the pan-fried noodles. Favorites were duck curry (several members said it was the best they had ever had) and eggplant with pork. In addition, the sliced beef was exceptionally flavorful and tender.

While the eggplant with pork was a favorite, a few members believed that the quantity of eggplant dominated the pork. In the interest of truth in advertising, it was agreed that Mae-Thip should rename the dish Ma-Keur Moo, or eggplant with pork.

Once again, the level of spiciness was perfect. Previous visits to Mae-Thip have found the cooks at Mae-Thip to be a bit overzealous with the chilis, but on this occasion all dishes were perfectly balanced.

Service at Mae-Thip was exemplary on our visit. Granted, the restaurant was only half-full, but servers responded quickly. Requests for more drinks were fulfilled breathtakingly fast. Mae-Thip’s response time for The Admiral’s Beer Test was under a minute, the fastest score yet.

Another liability is the N Judah Muni train, which rolls by every 15 minutes or so. The N Judah can be an unwelcome distraction from an evening of calm dining. Mae-Thip should consider a comprehensive retrofit to minimize the effect on diners of the streetcar's noise and vibration.

If you’re in the mood for good Thai food, but don’t feel like fighting the crowds at Marnee Thai or any of the City's other already discovered establishments, Mae-Thip can provide an excellent alternative. The establishment’s sterling service only adds to the experience.