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| - I've just had FABULOUS Pad Thai. Twice.
It wasn't from any restaurant I've tried in Cleveland (all good), or one from Hawaii (great), or even Thailand (maybe excellent, but I have no idea since I've never been there), but from a location much closer to my home. Of all places, from a local grocery store---the recently-opened ASIAN WOK inside the Rocky River Giant Eagle.
I love Asian dishes. Even tried my hand at Pad Thai. (Almost.) Many years ago---
well before the ingredients could be found in neighborhood grocery stores, before Food Network debuted, or Rachel Ray ever even thought she'd be handing out food samples to cart-pushing shoppers in supermarkets, and our very own Michael Symon was probably just starting out doing restaurant grunt work (washing dishes, trimming meats, and prepping lettuce for salads)---I confidently collected all the necessary Pad Thai elements from Asian shops in downtown Cleveland.
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After that wonderful Pad Thai from Hawaii, as soon as I returned home, I was determined to find that full-of-flavor, silky-noodle-filled, chopped-nut topped goodness somewhere close by. Unfortunately, of the few Thai restaurants here, none came close. And since another-in-the-foreseeable-future-trip to that suburb of Waikiki, was out of the question, I was left with only one option---to try duplicating it myself.
It was going to be authentic---which I assumed was the one from that small, friendly Thai-owned diner. Mistake. I'd been overconfident. I couldn't get past the tiny dehydrated shrimp. I won't say what they reminded me of, but the enthusiasm of making my own Pad Thai fell flat. Never made it. (It was a ridiculous psychological thing I couldn't get past.) I used the dozen or so ingredients for other Asian dishes, and threw out the dehydrated shrimp.
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I wouldn't have another fabulous Pad Thai until nearly 25 years later---about 10 days ago.
Ate it there, and ordered it again---3 days after---for takeout. Second just as great-tasting, but with more nuts. Prefer fewer. (Ask for a light amount. I'd recommend no more than a teaspoons worth.) Shrimp. Small, maybe 1" diameter, but very flavorful for this size. And LOTS of them. Didn't sit there counting, but maybe a dozen. They're weighed for consistency. Smart. I don't know if theirs is "authentic", but I don't really care. And I doubt that they are, but if all the elements are delivered to GE pre-made, frozen, dehydrated, concentrated, or even powdered, the end results are 5 star. This is a sensible UN-SPICY preparation, suitable for the majority of tastes. Sriracha---the way I like it---are at the tables, or if takeout, add before leaving. One generous serving is enough for 3 normal-sized meals. EXCELLENT value.
This was a REAL FIND, for sure. They have OTHER Asian dishes, too, plus ones you can customize. In of all places, a non-Asian grocery store? Totally impressed. With their Pad Thai...and the smiling, super-friendly help behind that counter. Good job, GE. Good job.
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