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P.S. Bangkok (Clark St.) last night was consistent with experiences I've been having there since 1996 - warmest possible service, excellent (if not flashy) preparation of solid ingredients. While with other posters on LTH and other sites I wish they would use one cut better of beef, or at least trim more carefully, the seafood and the tangy-hot sauces are on the whole beyond reproach. Our family party of 14 shared:
- one-bite delight salad
- chicken satay
- green papaya salad
- charcoal beef salad
- spring rolls
and then we ordered entrees separately, using the Karl Fogel (a friend) Memorial Rule of Asian Ordering, which is:
for n=3:6, let e=(n-1) [max e/n=.83]
for n=7:10, let e=(n-2) [max e/n=.80]
for n=11:14, let e=(n-3) [max e/n = .79]
for n>14, dividing the bill and having meaningful conversation with everyone is impossible, so don't eat out
So we ordered 11 entrees for 14 people and had roughly 4/5 of an entree each, except for the vegetarians and the people like me who ordered and ate an entire platter of Tangy Beef. I'm not saying I completely buy in to the KFMRAO, but that's what happened. Our 11 entrees included some duplicates, and featured:
- vegetarian pad thai crispy with dried chiles
- vegetarian pad see ew crispy with tofu
- Love Me Tender Duck
- Singapore Pork
- Heavenly Chicken
- coconut-orange fried shrimp
- Rama curry chicken
- Tangy Beef
- stir-fried pork with Chinese broccoli
My favorite dishes there are the one-bite salad (fantastic, generous portions, delicious coconut sauce, lots of sliced thai chiles in the center of the plate), Love Me Tender Duck (Erik M. rolls in his grave at the naming convention, but it's fish sauce-braised duck breast with orange glaze over crispy noodles and scallions, plated not unlike "Jewish-American" Chinese Mongolian Beef), and the Tangy Beef. The latter is very citrusy with a decent amount of heat from sliced unseeded serrano, and very generously sprinkled with toasted peanuts. The Rama curry is also excellent, though I like their pork better than their chicken, which carries through to the unremarkable satay as well - when in Fleischzweifel, go pork at PSB.
If you haven't had Thai noodles crispy (read: deep fried), this is the place to try them. The pad see ew would be my candidate for tops in the city, perfectly sweet-sour with a crunchy give and lots of Chinese broccoli leaves. Crispy pad thai works as a side dish (especially when ordered with dry chiles) but is simply too crunchy as a full entree.
The as-is spice level of dishes, particularly the papaya salad, charcoal beef salad, and tangy beef, is pleasantly high. On request, they will do true Thai hot without a disclaimer. You're not going to readily find a specials board, offal, game meats, rarer fish, or isaan sausage at this old-school Colonial coastal Thai restaurant, but it never hurts to ask what the chefs have in stock back in the kitchen even if it's not on the menu. What they do have, they generally prepare well. I don't have much experience with their bartender - last night, a friend's margarita (wtf) had an olive in it (double wtf) - but they do stock Thai beers and a full cabinet.
A special mention should be made of the warm attention of Sue, the owner; you'll find consistent comments all over the 'net about her thoughtfulness (and omnipresence). She keeps high chairs, jars of peanut butter, Ritz crackers, and crayons behind the bar for her smallest guests, and understands all levels of vegetarianism, not something you'll easily find at some of the other spots in the area. When asked to make the one-bite salad without shrimp, she helpfully inquired "should I substitute soy for the fish sauce in the dressing as well?" Eager to please, and very good with groups, I highly recommend the P.S. Bangkok staff and table. It's not going to blow away the more regional-savvy LTHers, but I've never been disappointed when there are enough dishes to sample and pass in good company.
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