Anyone been to Thai Aree lately?

Never been there before, but I just moved up the road, so thought I'd check it out this weekend. Anyone been recently? Still worth a visit? Any recommendations?

Cheers!

Thai Aree is an old favorite, the best place to start is with this outing.

Also in the area and an old favorite is La Oaxaqueca

I went several weeks ago with my brother, sister-in-law and their baby, and we had a wonderful meal. The best thing that we had this time was the garlic beef, with thinly sliced raw garlic. Simple and delicious! My brother initially ordered something else, but the owner--somehow sensing our fabulous taste--redirected him towards the garlic beef. He said something like "Hmm. That dish is boring. Do you like garlic? Try this one instead." Zowie. I almost wanted to order another one when we were through, just couldn't get enough of the flavor.

To answer the title of this thread, "why yes, me." Thai Aree has always been one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Chicago, but once I moved to Lincoln Square in 2005, and my sister moved away from her home just around the corner from Thai Aree, my two or more visits per month began to wane. Since then, I've only visited Thai Aree once or twice a year, and even worse, I've neglected to post about the meals. Living so close to Spoon, Aroy, Sticky Rice, Rosded (and now Rainbow), I'm sure you could see how this could happen. But I'm equally stunned that with all of the Thai food fans on this forum, there have been no substantive posts on Thai Aree in years. So please allow me to reintroduce Thai Aree to LTH. And for your reading pleasure, please see this post about a Thai Aree Outing, years earlier.

One thing old fans of Thai Aree will be happy to know is that virtually nothing has changed with Thai Aree over the last several years. And last night's dinner confirmed this fact. Thai Aree's sausage has never been one of my favorite versions in town (not quite sour enough, sometimes slightly dry or too chewy), but it's still very good, delivers some nice char and some terrific flavors, and is prepared in-house.




Similarly, Thai Aree's tod mun pla (fish cakes) are not my favorites in town -- a little too hard and I prefer the flavor of others -- but they're still pretty good, delivering a decent balance of kaffir lime leaf flavor and red curry.




But before you start thinking there's no need to visit Thai Aree because you can find better versions of most of their dishes elsewhere, think again. Order the nam tok and you'll see what I mean. Perhaps ATK's version is better (it's probably the best in town), but if it is, it's not by much. Thai Aree's nam tok is a beauty, delivering all of the classic, knockout flavors you should expect from this dish - lightly charred beef, sour funk from the fish sauce, hot chili peppers (but not so much to throw off the balance of flavors), herbs and perhaps most critically, ground toasted rice powder that's neither too finely ground nor too coarse. Yes, the balance of flavors is complex, but it's this latter issue (i.e., the grind of the rice powder), which really separates the very good from the great versions. And make no mistake, Thai Aree's nam tok is a great version.




Another standout dish at Thai Aree is the whole fried fish (can be pomfret, could be snapper), in the spicy/sweet sauce (pla rad prik) but it's best ordered in advance. When you don't order in advance, you'll be left with your choice of a filet, perhaps cod or catfish. Last night, cod fillet, deep fried and topped with an amazing sauce of bell and hot peppers, hot pepper flakes and a sweet and sour source that incorporates some tamarind, palm sugar, garlic, shallots and herbs. While the bell peppers might have you saying "this isn't completely authentic," just shut up and keep eating. Honestly, this is the one dish that will always keep me running back to Thai Aree. It was the dish that hooked me in, and I've never tasted a version that comes close to this one (in fact, this might be my very favorite sauce in Chicago). And although you'll consider asking for a straw to drink up the sauce that remains on the plate, don't worry, a spoon and a bowl of rice will work quite well too (oops, know that if you want sticky rice, that needs to be ordered in advance too).




Another pretty decent dish at Thai Aree is mi krap, the often too-sweet crispy noodle dish. The best versions feature a nice balance of sour and sweet, and a decent dose of savory, and Thai Aree surpasses most thanks to good texture and a decent (not great) balance of flavors.




Finally, massaman curry with beef, and Thai Aree does a very respectable version - rich, nicely seasoned, with potatoes that retain their texture and not too much coconut. Pretty delicious:


Massaman Curry with Beef


Meals at Thai Aree have always ended with a complimentary sweet treat, often watermelon, and last night's watermelon was terrific.




Occasionally, you'll be treated to Thai Aree's stunning coconut ice cream with jackfruit mixed in and topped with roasted peanuts. If not, make sure to save some room and order it. It's outstanding.


Coconut Ice Cream with Jackfruit and Roasted Peanuts


So I urge you to introduce (or reintroduce) yourself to Thai Aree. Just take note to order whole fish and sticky rice in advance, but otherwise the menu is easy to navigate - no special menus to request. And Eddie is always the most hospitable host.

Thai Aree
3952 N. Milwaukee
Chicago
773.725.6751

Nice to hear that Eddie is still in the picture. For a while there were some personal issues that kept him away. Thai Aree used to be my place to go when I was really looking to amp up the heat. Eddie never failed to deliver.

Haven't been in a few years. Any recent updates? Are Eddie and Anne still there?

Thanks,
Al