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| - I'm typically the one finding the places to eat with friends - it's no different with colleagues. A bunch of us were on a business trip in Phoenix and needed a place to lunch.
I pulled out my trusty Yelp iPhone app and saw that there was a 4.5 star rated Thai place less than a mile away - how had we missed it until now?
As we drove towards it, the surroundings shifted - a sensation I've experienced many times growing up in LA. Yes my friends, we were entering the ghetto. Key indicators included:
* disproportionally high number of check cashing/liquor stores per capita
* excessively sagging guy at bus stop
* slow moving angry looking guy on bicycle
We passed Chanpen on the first go-around - it was tiny and rickety. We u-turned and parked. Looking at the place, I couldn't imagine fitting a full sized commercial kitchen inside, let alone places to sit and eat.
I started to second guess myself - where had I brought my colleagues? I looked up, thinking of the 4.5 star rating, and the 5-star elite member reviews - I walked confidently towards the door with Yelpy resolve.
When we got inside, it became clear that large parties didn't frequent Chanpen (I think they do a large volume of their business by delivery). It took tetris like skill for the waitress to get some tables arranged so all 7 of us could sit together.
I ordered the red curry lunch special, with fried tofu and brown rice ($6.50).
While I waited, I had a hot tea - it came in the largest tea mug in history, and tasted like warm Thai tea nix the sugar and condensed milk. I henceforth dubbed it the "skinny thai tea." It was awesome.
When the food came, we were all impressed, it looked very fresh and well presented. But man oh man, when I tasted my first bite of red curry tofu and brown rice, I nearly traveled to another world. The food was so light it almost floated, but somehow the flavors were so rich and balanced I could get lost in them. Everything was so fresh I swore they grew it out back.
I was shocked, but it all started to come together - 4.5 stars on yelp for a slanty shanty mid-ghetto? Yes... yes absolutely. I've eaten at a lot of Thai places - this may be the best yet.
The service was also superb - super warm and friendly.
I will come here every chance I get.
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