For a quick but excellent pre-theater meal — nothing fancy except what’s on the plate — head to Pam Real Thai on 49th Street. The waiters are nice, the food is fresh and the flavors are balanced. What more can you ask for from a Thai place? Here’s the green curry with shrimp:
And don’t miss Book of Mormon, either. Our meal, after the jump.
The curry was bright and not too spicy, the shrimp had pop and the vegetables were cooked al dente, just right.
The pork meatballs:
I liked the sweet-spicy sauce but the texture of the meat was not my favorite, sort of like a very fine poached sausage — they kind of squeaked in my mouth.
Dumplings were meaty and good:
A terrific mango salad with peanuts. Crunch, sweet, spice. Nice.
A completely stunningly delicious tom kha gai — chicken with coconut — soup:
Simple but with lots of layers and depth. I could not stop eating it. I think it’s the best version I’ve ever had.
Crab fried rice:
Big hunks of crab. Spicy sauce. Only the tomatoes sucked.
Crispy duck:
It looks like a big blob, but it was crispy and spicy and very good.
And a light and fluffy omelet with chili sauce:
The cash register area:
And the back dining room:
And our lovely table by the window:
The 411 on Pam Real Thai: A quick but excellent pre-theater meal in a simple setting — nothing fancy except what’s on the plate. Food is well-balanced with spicy, sweet, bitter and salty all complimenting the fresh ingredients. Try the dumplings, the mango salad, the green curry, the omelet and the crab fried rice. And whatever you do, don’t miss the tom kha gai soup. 404 West 49th St., Manhattan. 212-333-7500. pamrealthaifood.com.
