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| - Thank you, Mobile Yelp App! Without you, I would have been stuck in Phoenix with no idea of where to find Thai food for lunch that was near a Light Rail station in Tempe!
I arrived at Thai Rama about 11:15 AM. On entering, there was no indication of waiting to be served and no one visible from the staff, so I selected a table and sat down. My waitress came to the table and asked if I would be more comfortable at a 2-seat table instead of the 4-seat table I had selected. Since there were about 25 available tables of various size, I declined and told her I was comfortable where I sat. There were 3 other tables active in the restaurant, so I did not anticipate the restaurant needing my 4-top before I was done.
The waitress set the lunch specials menu on the table and went to get a glass of water. The lunch specials menu had 10 options available, but no Som Tom. I asked the waitress if Som Tom was available and she answered that she did not know what Som Tom was. She reached for a full menu as I explained that Som Tom is green papaya salad. She handed me the menu and directed me to the third page for salads. There, first on the list, Som Tom.
I ordered Som Tom, the yardstick by which I measure every Thai restaurant, 10 spicy (5 makes my nose run, 8 makes my forehead sweat and 10 brings tears to my eyes), leaving off the green beans and shrimp, and jasmine rice. Waitress asked if I wanted anything else to drink, but I said I would stick with water.
Ambience here is pretty plain...and the paper napkins are not of the highest quality. The decor reminded me of a formula-type restaurant like an Applebees or Chili's...with a hispanic flair. I observed the chef as he came out of the kitchen and made a loop around the dining room. As he walked by, I asked in Thai how he was doing. He stopped and replied that the day was starting off slow, but that it would be busy soon enough. Then, he continued back on to the kitchen after wishing me a good day.
About 5 minutes later, my papaya salad was brought to the table. Portion size was nice, about 2 1/4 cups. I took a taste and evaluated a 5 spicy. When the waitress came to ask if I needed anything, I asked for more chili and lime. She returned quickly with red chili pepper and sliced lime. I doctored up the order and fell to with a gusto. For the price, adequate.
Jasmine rice was about a cup, and not too sticky. The waitress was good about keeping my water glass full...and in Phoenix, that is important!
On completing my lunch, I sat and waited for the waitress to bring my bill. I saw no one for about 10 minutes, then the chef came out of the kitchen and made another round of the dining room. He asked me (in English) if I enjoyed my salad. I answered in Thai that it was not spicy enough, and I was surprised he was using red chili instead of Thai chili. He chuckled and replied that Thai chili was a little more expensive. I asked for my check and he said he would send the waitress out.
For the convenience, outstanding! For the next experience, I will be sure the chef sees me before I place my order. For the wait on the bill, a little too long.
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