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| - I came here this evening on a recommendation from a co-worker. I was in the mood for Thai food but mixed it up a bit. The restaurant sits atop "The Point" near Robinson Town Center right of 376 in a strip mall. However, I found the inside to have a nice modern, somewhat upscale atmosphere and I couldn't argue with the "Fine Asian Cuisine" marketing on the front window. Service was excellent (although it should be considering there were only 3 tables seated as of 730 PM -- that should have set off an alarm). Unfortunately, my accolades stop there. The prices are high compared to competitors like Thai Foon in the nearby Giant Eagle Market District, but I was willing to overlook that for the right food and setting.
I started with a classic Wonton soup, but this was anything but classic. They must've forgot the salt, chicken or both in the broth. It was terribly bland with only a subtle hint of cilantro that has no business in any wonton soup variant.
Next I had some fried dumplings. While they weren't terrible, they weren't exceptional either. All 5 of them looked nearly identical, giving away that this "fine dining" restaurant uses pre-packaged dumplings. A real disappointment.
For my entrée I had a Thai classic, Pad See Ew, which is typically a dish comprised of wide noodles, a choice of meat, broccoli, bean sprouts and eggs, in a brown sauce. Papaya's rendition of thin noodles looked more like a Cantonese style lo mein, but hey a noodle is a noodle I suppose. Their offering was with broccoli and carrots (??? bizarre), so I had the chef add bean sprouts and napa cabbage to help it out. Unfortunately, the "dark sauce" was nothing more than a half bottle of soy sauce which overpowered the dish to the point of wondering whether I might suffer middle-of-the-night kidney failure. Bottom line, this Pad See Ew had an emphasis on the Ew.
My bill of $27.15 for the above and a small white rice (not included with the meal) was, in hindsight, mind boggling for this poor showing of food. I don't see this place staying in business much longer.
For those who gave this a high rating, please let me treat you to some quality Thai food in P'Burgh.
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