This was my favorite restaurant when I was in college at CMU. It was sort of my introduction to hip, local spots with a focus on food and it was definitely the first Southeast Asian I had experienced.
I've returned many times throughout my visits back to Pittsburgh. And I'm not sure if my tastebuds have changed or they've started to sell out (they do focus on some cheesy cocktails now when it used to be BYOB), but it wasn't quite the same.
It was so quiet on a Saturday night at 8pm. We were seriously one of only two tables in the entire place. I realized it might be because school is out for summer. But it was a bit disconcerting.
I ordered the same thing I've gotten here for 10 years - the Shan Hin Lay Pork. I remember the pot roast texture and tenderness of the pork with a sweet brown sauce and great coconut rice. Well, this time around I noticed the meat was rather fatty and that sauce was pretty bland.
I will say the other dishes were all pretty good. I do remember their great spring rolls. The pad thai had a tangy sweetness that you don't always find in Thai restaurants. And the Penang Curry was bright and spicy.
I think it might be time for me to move on. If I do come back here, it will probably be for nostalgia sake and I may have to retire my regular dish and try something with a bit more oomph. But then again, who am I kidding? I'm a creature of habit and I only come to Pittsburgh once in a blue moon. It might be nice to act like I'm in college again. By eating bland, fatty pork.
-eatthisny