Pongsri Thai: Mediocre Drunken Noodles in Midtown West

February 8, 2008

Pongsri Thai, the self proclaimed “oldest family-run and operated Thai restaurant in New York City”, needs to update their recipe book. Their Pad Key Mao, or Drunken Noodles, (stir fried broad noodles with basil and chili paste) fell flat in regard to my usual expectations for Thai food: An array of flavors and texture in every bite.

The pork was tender and tasty but continue reading to see why you can pass on Pongsri…

Before you read on, keep in mind, NYC Food Guy loves spicy Drunken Noodles. It’s the only thing I order at Thai restaurants. Some places don’t call it Drunken Noodles but they all serve some variation. Look for Noodles with Basil and Chili Paste.

NYC Food Guy has 2 expectations when it comes to Thai food:

Very spicy
Different flavors and textures in every bite

Pongsri passed the test on the spicy end, although I could have handled a little more heat, considering I requested it to be extra spicy.

They failed the flavor and texture requirement:

The noodles were gummy, flavorless, and stuck together.
The Chinese broccoli and red and green peppers tasted like they weren’t fresh.
The only flavor I really tasted was the basil and the chile flakes
There were no eggs mixed into the dish, an integral part of most good Thai dishes. As a result, textual variety was limited to just 3 layers: Vegetables, weak noodles, and pork.

Speaking of the pork, it was the most redeeming aspect of the entire dish. Tender and tasty, most of the larger pieces were lean but there were a few fatty chunks dispersed throughout.

I’ve experienced much dryer and fattier pork in other dishes.

The best pork I’ve eaten in Drunken Noodles is from Topaz Thai.

With the variety of Thai options in Midtown West (Menu Pages lists 23 restaurants) you can take NYC Food Guy’s word and pass on Pongsri for Drunken Noodles and Pad Thai. My friend ordered the Pad Thai, it was decent, but nothing more than standard.