My Pot of Gold - Thai-Style
Written: May 18 '06
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Pros: Inexpensive, ample portions, very good food, casual, open late
Cons: Street parking, rather unsavory neighborhood
The Bottom Line: Thai House Express offers good food at inexpensive prices. Another plus is that they are open late (until 2:00 a.m.)!
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| ladygumby's Full Review: Thai House Express |
Thai House Express
Larkin Street (& Geary)
San Francisco, CA 94109
Telephone: (415) 441-2248
Neighborhood: Tenderloin
Approx. Cost of Meal: $10-$15
Type of Food: Thai
On my long and arduous search for a really good Thai restaurant in San Francisco, a co-worker recommended Thai House Express. Though my co-worker is not Asian, I was convinced because his Thai friend had commented that their food is "pretty good." Two other selling points for me are that they are open late and that the restaurant is an easy walk from my apartment. They also accept Mastercard & Visa, though the credit card minimum is $10.00.
DÉCOR
Thai House Express isn't much to look at from the outside. The pinkish-brown bricks are less than attractive. Its location, on the edge of the Tenderloin, might deter a few would-be customers as well. The inside, however, is brightly lit with recessed lighting, other IKEA-type lighting and huge windows overlooking the street. Everything else is rather non-descript; lots of tables and chairs (no booths), an open kitchen and a huge abstract painting against one wall. The obligatory miniature "temple" is atop a freezer in the back.
FOOD
One evening when a friend called asking if I was in the mood for Thai food, Thai House Express came to mind. As we walked in, we noted that they were doing brisk business. It took a moment for the hostess to seat us; unfortunately, our table was in the path of the draft from the door. After giving the menu the once-over, I settled on the Larb ($6.95) with a side of Steamed Jasmine Rice ($1.25); she went with their special Fried Rice with Pineapple. When our orders arrived, they looked and smelled great. Larb is a salad composed of ground meat (in my case, chicken)) with chili, onions, rice powder and lemon dressing served with lettuce. I asked how her fried rice was. She said "Good," with a minimum of emotion. As I dug into my Larb, let me assure you that it was better than "Good." I offered her a taste, and she was hooked.
Our second visit took place about a month later. This time we were seated promptly, well away from the door. This time she ordered the Larb, but I was ready to explore a few of my other favorite dishes. My absolute favorite is Beef with Garlic and Black Pepper; it is often what I measure a Thai restaurant by. Their menu listed Moo Tod ($6.95), crispy pork with garlic and black pepper, but not the beef version. I asked if they would substitute beef for the pork, but they declined. With my substitution attempt thwarted, I switched gears. I opted for the Som Tom Thai ($6.95) and the Gang Panang Nuer ($6.95 over rice; $8.95 a la carte). Som Tom is a shredded green papaya salad with dried shrimp, tomatoes, green beans, ground peanuts, chili and lemon dressing. I had ordered mine spicy, and it was definitely nasal-clearing. All of the ingredients were crisp, fresh and phenomenal together. The Panang, beef in medium red curry sauce with fresh basil, was obviously heavier. The "medium spicy" is not spicy at all to me. Some of their beef slices were a bit large for my liking, but without the slightest hint of fat; all in all, another impressive and tasty dish. (The left overs were even better the following day!) My friend tasted both dishes and gave them her seal of approval, but nearly did backflips over the Som Tom. Apparently, her boyfriend (a quasi-vegetarian) has never found Thai food much to his liking. "He has NO idea about good Thai food," she laughed, as she vowed to bring him to Thai House Express.
Another afternoon I was at home sick with a touch of stomach flu. As my hunger kicked in, I thought about dashing across the street for a sandwich at the deli. Yet I was actually craving a certain spicy Thai soup, which would help me sweat the toxins out of my body. Since they do not deliver, I called to place an order that would be picked up. About fifteen minutes later, I trekked the six blocks to the restaurant. I'd ordered the Tom Yom Goong ($8.25) and the Moo Tod over rice. Tom Yum is the hot and sour soup I had been craving. Theirs was loaded with prawns, baby straw mushrooms, chunks of tomato, green onions, lemongrass, red onions, galanga and cilantro. As usual, I had ordered my soup "spicy." It certainly delivered. With the first taste, my lips began to tingle and a trail of fire slid down my throat. I was perversely happy as my forehead broke out in a sweat and I gulped a huge glass of water. The Moo Tod was strange in its appearance. The pork appeared to be lightly battered (rather like tempura) and fried. I have never seen the meat battered/breaded at any other Thai restaurant, which gave me cause to hesitate. With trepidation, I took the initial bite. Still, the pork was good, with a healthy dose of garlic. As good as it was, I probably would not order it again.
On another visit, I finally broke down and ordered what is probably the most popular Thai dish among Americans -- Pad Thai ($7.95). Pad Thai is pan fried rice stick noodles with shrimp, egg, tofu, green onion, bean sprouts and ground peanuts. There was even a sign proclaiming that their Pad Thai had been voted the best in San Francisco. I would have to agree; it is the best I have tasted in San Francisco, but NOT in comparison to a few other cities. The Yum Nuer (beef salad, $7.95) is also quite good; thin, rare slices of beef atop onions, chili, cucumber, basil and tomato in lemon dressing.
A friend and I even kidnapped one of the bartenders from Café Claude one evening to have Thai food with us. His favorite Thai restaurant, up until that night, had been Osha, a few blocks away from Thai House Express. We shared Som Tum (which he found ultra spicy) and Chicken Larb (which he found good). He ordered the Five Spice Duck Noodle Soup ($7.50). I'm not a fan of duck, but gave it a taste, and rather liked it myself. The anise flavor definitely came through the strongest. He proclaimed it far better than Osha's. He even thanked us for sharing our secret spot with him!
The other afternoon I was in there yet again, deciding to try something aside from my usual favorites. I chose the ginger, mushroom, carrot, bell pepper, jalapeno dish over rice with my choice of beef, chicken or pork ($6.95). My ex always made it with beef, so that was my choice. I asked if they could omit the carrots, bell pepper and jalapenos, however, with only light onions. They happily complied.
IN CLOSING
Thus far, I have not had a bad, or even an average, dish at Thai House Express. The quality and taste of the food is very good, prices are reasonable for San Francisco ($5.95 to $10.95) and portions are generous. Service is not memorable, but the food is. I am happy to report that I have finally found my pot of gold in San Francisco – after a nine-year search!
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations You can't go wrong with the Chicken Larb or the Som Tom.
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
ladygumby
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Member: Tina
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Reviews written: 49
Trusted by: 13 members
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