. "13"^^ . . "CHA, CHA, CHA, CHA CHAIYA!\n\nAfter seeing EVERYBODY check in here every last Sunday of the month, I finally got the chance to join them this last one on 3/30/14. Better late than never I guess. \n\nAs I show up with my wifey, I just happen to bump into Andrew C who was nice enough to give me some pointers. He kind of ended up being my Chaiya guide along with tips by other Yelpers. First thing you notice about this place is that its right in the middle of a neighborhood community. \n\nFirst stop was to put my name down on the clipboard for an order of Pad Thai ($5). Wifey got 10 Pork Satay Skewers ($1 each). Then on down to the Sticky Mango Rice table ($5). After that the Thai Soup table ($5). Next is Papaya Salad ($4). \n\nSince just about everything was made fresh, you had to do a bit of waiting for certain things. Like the Pad Thai. They cook it from scratch with two big woks so two orders can be cooked at a time. Same goes for the Papaya Salad. The guy is literally peeling the skin off the fruit and finely slicing it for the salad mix. As for the Sticky Mango, they can only peel and cut the fruit so fast so the wait for that is based on how many mangos they can carve. Once they run out of that and sticky rice, you are out of luck. The Pork Satay Skewers are all ready to go and cooks pretty quick on the grill. The Thai Soup table has all the ingredients ready to go as well. You just need to select thick or thin noodles, then they throw it in a medium sized styrofoam bowl along with broth, meat, and pork balls.\n\nShout outs go out to Nik O, Debra W, Terri R, and Chris V for helping me out also. Nik gave me her extra Eggroll to try out. Debra told me what there was to drink. Terri told me about the vegetables available for purchase. Lastly, Chris told me about the Curry Puffs that you have to order a month in advance. He even gave me one from his stash to try. Thanks a lot guys!\n\nSome random info: Cash only! Preferrably small bills. Sometimes they give you coins that are worth 2 dollars that is valid for their items only. Come early! Show up just right before 9 am for great parking, better selection, and getting your Pad Thai quicker by being one of the first to sign up. Phone reception is low so it might take you a while to check in and upload pics sometimes. Lastly, this is an outdoor event so always be prepared for what the season may bring. If you follow what I just pointed out from beginning to end, you will fare much better than most peeps that show up later on.\n\nOverall, I am kicking myself for not coming here sooner. Next time I am bringing back up. Usually on Saturdays and Sundays, I tend to sleep in but in cases like access to delicious cheap food and good company, I don't mind sacrificing a little bit of sleep. Hay, maybe I can nap........errr I mean meditate for a bit inside the monastery.\n\nYelp 2014 365 Review Challenge #92"^^ . "16"^^ . . "22"^^ . "5"^^ . "2014-04-02T00:00:00"^^ .