phad see iew

Spelling things in Thai is never easy, as there's no standardized Roman analogue to the incomprehensible Sanskrit-derived Thai alphabet. Some folks attempt phonetic accuracy by differentiating aspirated consonants and using a bunch of diacritical marks to represent tone, while others (read: menu authors) dumb things down to the point where any resemblance to the original language has disappeared.

I'd been wondering of late where all the dingy noodle shops could be hiding downtown, and today I found out: under the viaduct. Seriously, there's a whole slew of cheap "ethnic" eateries sandwiched between 1st and the water near where I work, and unfortunately none of them interests me all that much. Five bucks may sound like a steal, but it's still too much for a plate of piddling mediocrity. Maybe the substantial lunch crowd (at 1:45, no less) got my hopes up, because for some reason I expected more.

Note to disappointing Thai restaurant: shape up and start serving som tam and khao neaw, else risk the wrath of my infrequent visits. I would also appreciate some condiments other than pizza joint pepper flakes.

-rrr

(hey, look! an entry that stayed on topic! ain't you proud?)