I'd actually been to California Thai a few years ago and I remember ordering one of their variations on Pad Thai and absolutely hating it. But this afternoon I found myself in the Yonge/Dundas food court and I thought surely it's not gonna be as bad as I remember. And sure enough, it wasn't as bad.
It was worse.
I ordered the Classic Pad Thai and waited probably a minute while it was prepared. An intimidatingly large portion comes packaged in a styrofoam container, which, at least, ensures the whole thing stays hot while you're eating it.
The first bite was an unmitigated disaster. I opened the container and was immediately slapped in the face with a smell that reminded me of stale fish. And that's what it tastes like, too.
This is a flavorless concoction that's just a complete salt bomb. There isn't a single flavor in here that reminded me of any version of Pad Thai I've ever had. (And I've had a lot of Pad Thai over the years.)
I managed to eat maybe a third of this trainwreck before I had to throw in the towel and toss what was left. And I'm a pig; I'll eat just about anything!
Worst. Pad Thai. Ever.