Tom yum soup: N/A (did not order)
Pad thai with chicken: Obviously prepared by The Archies because it tasted like it was full of Sugar, Sugar
Pad kee mao with tofu: N/A (not on menu)
Green curry: Decent
Julia: This was our first time eating out together, or eating together at all. Until this point I had never seen you ingest any food at all. I joked that you were a robot, but I really thought the more likely reason was that you had taken a Count of Monte Cristo-esque vow to not dine with me until your divorce was finalized, or you had a restrictive diet due to an embarrassing medical condition. Or what if you didn’t like food??
But nope, none of these were true, and we in fact turned out to be super-compatible food companions. My intent was to take you to Chiang Mai Thai Noodle for our first outing, and you were immediately on board with Thai food—a good sign. However, it was Taste of Broad Ripple that day and Westfield Blvd. was closed, so we couldn’t get to the restaurant or tell if it was open. Back we went to the strip mall and Thai Cafe.
Mark: I was reluctant to eat with you because you’re a recognized social eater and I historically prefer to eat in solitude. My teeth act as magnets to mutinous food particles, my nose runs, and my stomach’s fortitude, in its advanced age, is unreliable. I also didn’t want to shatter your belief that I’m a robot. But if I wanted to continue to progress our relationship I knew dining together was inevitable, though I would have been content just watching you eat.
I would describe the food portion of our meal at Thai Cafe as fully meh. It may have seemed more disappointing than it would have otherwise because I knew what we were missing at Chiang Mai. Also, negative one thousand points to Thai Cafe for not having pad kee mao on the menu. WTF.
My sole exposure to Pad Thai up to this point was at Thai Spice, so my expectations were high. The atmosphere at Thai Cafe is pleasant enough, with colorful wall-to-wall murals of bustling water canals. The staff was friendly and attentive. The entry to the restroom is a rickety metal pair of swinging saloon doors. We hoped that the toilet was not directly inside these doors as this would cause privacy and sanitary concerns.
The heat scale at Thai Cafe goes from Mild (level 1) to Medium (level 3) to Hot (level 5) to Thai Hot (no associated numeric value). To play it safe, being our first dining experience together, I ordered level 3. Less than a minute later we overheard the guy next to us order level 4 heat which prompted you to ridicule my manliness. The actual heat level of my dish was less than mild, perhaps toned down by the overwhelming sweetness, which rivaled that of a Mrs. Freshley’s honey bun.
The company portion of the meal was ♥♥♥.
Agreed (if three hearts is the highest rating).
