Thai Tom

best thai on the ave!

Bring cash. We had to make a quick run to the ATM! I guess they don’t take credit cards because it’s so cheap here. Two of us ate for less than $20.

The food is good, and you could say the cook almost puts on a show as he prepares all the dishes for eating in and take-outs —amazing!

On a literally darker note, the place is quite filthy and not well kept :(

This is an incredibly popular small restaurant… there’s a line on the sidewalk most of the time. It’s fun to watch the chef make the dishes in the open kitchen. I think the food is OK but not great.

Thai Toms has the BEST PAD THAI EVER. As a native to the suburbs of Seattle, I was indoctrinated to the deliciousness that is Thai Toms prior to my admittance into the University of Washington. Since then I have frequented the restaurant on innumerable occasions and offer my review here.

Nestled in the comforts of the Ave, this ‘hole-in-the-wall’ is well worth the wait and worth the cramped seating. On a busy night you might have to wait over half a hour to get a seat (it has a long bar to watch the action and minimal tables) but the experience is unlike any other Thai restaurant on the Ave or in the Seattle area (and there are plenty of Thai restaurants). However, if you don’t have the time, call ahead and order it to-go, it’s just as tasty.

Then we get to the food. As a girl with an affinity for spicy foods that make you sweat, Thai Toms delivers. In fact, they make my pad thai with a little extra serving of their delicious spices as I order 8 stars, compared to the usual 1-5 star rating. For those who are not lovers of spicy food as I am, I do have several friends who get 0-1 stars and savor it just as much.

The pad thai is amazing, unlike some other restaurants that have a ketchup-like consistency, Thai Toms offers a little crunch. I’m convinced that the ‘Little Thai Express’ Stove offers a taste unique to the restaurant. Start your meal off with some fresh spring rolls, pad thai and a Thai iced tea and you’ve got yourself a fine night. Other recommendations: Pad See Ewe, Swimming Rama… in fact everything on the menu. You can’t go wrong.

Were it not for Lotus of Siam down in Las Vegas, I’d have no hesitation calling this the best Thai place I’ve ever been to. But this is easily the very close runner up. I can just smell the place now, writing it up for here—so satisfying.

Mackro is not only right, he is to be applauded to introducing me to the tastiness that is Thai Tom.

Be aware that their spicy-meter tends towards the hotter side of things, but that’s why having a thai iced coffee or iced tea on hand is a good idea.

“People going here are also going to these places:

* New Zealand”

he’s right you know!

ONLY the greatest Thai restaurant ever! It would be easily missed if you were to walk past it even at a casual stroll.. however the crowds of people outside the place force you take notice, and for good reason. (it’s located just south of 47th st. NE on the Ave. on the west side, just across from record store Cellophane Squared)

This is, simply put, the best hole-in-the-wall thai restaurant in Seattle.. possibly the country. Surely, there might be better places in Thailand, obviously, but if people in Thailand even talk about Thai Tom, then one would think it’s worth investigating.

I don’t recommend going there with more than four people total. The place is really small. There are very small two-person tables lined behind the counter/bar area and that’s it. So, keep the parties small for this place.

I highly recommend waiting a little more to get a bar stool seat for your first time. This is half the fun. You see, both of the main Thai Tom cooks are amazing to watch—especially the man himself. The speed, precision, and complexity with which the cooks operate is mind-bending. After it all, having eaten several meals here, I’ve yet to have a mistake appear in my dish. This itself is an amazing feat. Sudden blasts of fire from the range are very common. The cooks are often working with five dishes at the same time. The best part is watching the cook finalize a meal by quickly slamming a patch of white race into the intricate ceramic large leaf shaped dishes, flipping it around like the slickest card shark in Vegas, pouring the main contents over, then having one of the waitresses matter-of-factly be there just in time to deliver it to the patron who ordered it. Watching the gears at work is just stunning.

..all of which won’t matter once you taste the food. The flavors and spices are unmatchable. You’ll just have to taste for yourself.

The menu isn’t extensive, so don’t expect the entire ouevre of all possible Thai dishes to be offered here. But what they do with the dishes offered is nothing less than perfect.