Chai Thai Noodles in Oakland

Had lunch here today (9/28/17), and like I say every time, I'm more and more impressed by Chai Thai Noodles, which is, without a doubt, one of the best Thai restaurants in the Bay Area, unsurpassed as far as I'm concerned, with only a few of such exalted status. This was one of the best meals of my life.

Yum Pla Muk: squid salad with onion, cilantro, ginger, chili, lemongrass. Perfectly cooked squid with a sauce that's both complex and deep, and everything at the perfect ripeness and flavor. Great start to a meal with cold elements.

Gang Panang with chicken. Red curry with fresh basil, green beans, red bell peppers, carrots. We've both been wanting some Red Curry lately, and hands-down, I've never had a better version. All the flavors of chiles, ginger, lime, fish sauce, coconut milk, and the red curry paste--this doesn't taste like a mix from box. The flavors just zinged my palate once again, and lingered. The chicken tasted like chicken, and was moist and tender. Hard to imagine a more perfect dish. Isn't this Royal Cuisine? Isn't this as exalted as the best cuisines of Europe, Asia, and everywhere else? I certainly think so.

Pad Kee Mao: wide rice stick noodles charred in spicy sauce with beef, chinese broccoli, chiles, basil, caramelized onion, & tomatoes. What a great version of this dish, and I've had some great ones from the other top Thai restaurants, this one stands out because of, once again, the intensity and power of the sauce. We order everything as Medium in terms of spicy heat level, and you definitely can taste the chiles, but they don't overwhelm the other flavors, complementing the aromatic Thai Basil, the sweetly caramelized onions, the very ripe tomato, the tender flavorful pieces of beef, and a sauce that left my tastebuds buzzing for an hour afterwards. 

For some odd reason, we hadn't been here since 2015! (Today is 8/2/17) I remembered it was good, but not this good, as excellent as any Lao food we've had, and perfect for hot summer weather. Above and below: squid salad.

Drunken Noodles with Beef, jalapeno, tomato, Chinese broccoli. Superb & intense spices! Tender beef, and noodles perfectly cooked.

Above and below: Rice Ball Salad. This was the first place I had this dish, about two years ago. Fantastic version, with super-fresh lettuce, mint & cilantro, the texture of the rice, peanuts, & fermented pork so satisfying in terms of flavor and mouth-feel with the leafy greens.

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We returned to Chai Thai this afternoon (12/26), and got the Kao Nam Tod once again. If anything, even better than last time.

This time we also got Pork Leg Soup with fat noodles. Rich and soulful.

Tasted like rich pork shoulder spiced with five spice powder, probably some ginger and lemongrass as well.

A view of the wide noodles. 

Robin had her car at her mechanic's this afternoon, so I BARTed over and met her there, and we had an early dinner/late lunch here.

This is Kao Nam Tod, rice ball with preserved pork served with peanuts, lettuce to make wraps with, cilantro & mint. Definitely the star of the meal. Never even heard of this before, or noticed it. Quite singular, like Burmese Tea Leaf Salad or Bibimbop. Robin thinks this Rice Ball Salad might be considered a down home dish in Thailand. Sharp contrasts in terms of flavor and textures. Would be a great light summer dish.

I can't stress enough how compelling this appetizer is. The rice was cooked but slightly crunchy--nice counterpoint that way with the nuts, chiles and rice having crunch, while the pork is spongy, and the greens with a nice clean snap.

Kao Poon, a chile infused yellow curry with chicken over vermicelli. Amazing.

Five Spice infused Duck Noodle Soup with wide noodles. Loved it!

http://www.chaithainoodle.com