Also I have found inconsistencies in the spice level-- it seems that some of the meals have been so spicy they were hard to eat while others have barely had any heat at all on the spice level. This is an issue for me at many Thai restaurants, but I do not know why I have never seemed to have found the right spice level at Lai Thai that is appropriate for the food served. I like the food spicy but not extremely so, but for some reason it is harder to get it the way I want at Lai Thai than at most Thai restaurants (I usually find it best to order the default "mild" and add my own chiles).

Another inconsistency I have observed is that some of the dinner items seem to be better than the same dish served as a lunch special. This was particularly evident on the pad khing that was loaded with onions on the lunch special, but had a better balance of ingredients on the dinner plate. Dinners are not really much more expensive, and in some cases they seem to be better (but the only problem with ordering dinner is that it does not come with soup and a spring roll). Other items, though, such as the pad plik khing, are ones that I have found to be good on the lunch menu.

My evaluation of the Pad Khing (ginger tofu) depeneds on whether it comes from the lunch or dinner menu. The lunch special I ordered several years ago was loaded with onions (something that I can only eat in small quanties) and the "Thai flavor" did not seem to be there.

When I ordered this dish as a lunch special in Seattle it was usually loaded with the flavors of ginger and Thai spices, and did not usually come with a large quantity of food but had a side order of rice that filled me up. Thus the one at Lai Thai was disappointing compared to others I have had.

A recent version of pad king I ordered from the dinner menu, though, had a good flavor and good ingredients (see photo). Even though I think the difference has to do with ordering dinner versus lunch, there may be other factors such as different cooks or the food changing over time. The restaurant has had the same owner for over ten years, though, so I think what I experienced with the lunch and dinner plates is probably the norm.

The Pad Kee Mao, on the current lunch menu every weekday, was quite good and tasted about as authentic as I have had anywhere. Made with soft noodles, the customer gets a choice of meats. The tofu version I tried was more enjoyable than the tofu I get in many Thai restaurants. The sauce, mixed with chili peppers and Thai basil, provided sufficient stimulation to my taste buds to enjoy a noodle dish, something that could have turned out to be very bland. Eggs were cooked into the dish, and the fish sauce available for customers to pick up from the condiment bar enhanced the flavor. One of the best aspects of the plate was the low price. This is definitely the best lunch plate I have tried so far.

Tom Yum from the dinner menu comes in a hot pot with a choice of meats, and I thought was a good representation of this type of Thai soup. This may not be as filling as some of the noodle dishes, but it comes with a bowl of rice to provide more substance. This is one of the most flavorful dishes I have had at Lai Thai, and I think reinforces my belief that the best dishes here are the ones that do not involve a curry.

Pad Plik Khing (green beans and red curry paste) is normally one of my favorite items at Thai restaurants, but was not so here. The curry is made without coconut milk, so it has a different flavor and texture than the normal red curry (most other restaurants call this dish pad prik khing). This curry, though, was very thin and I thought was too sweet for this type of dish. The green beans and chicken were top quality, and made the dish enjoyable, but it is too bad the sauce was not as flavorful as it could be.

Panang Chicken had red curry with coconut milk, and I thought had a better flavor than the curry that came with the pad plik khing. The vegetables were good, but to my taste were not quite as good as the green beans served withe the pad plik khing. Overall this was an enjoyable, very cheap lunch special.

One of the best items I have found was not a main dish, but the Thai Hot and Sour Soup served as an appetizer with the daily lunch specials. The soup was made with lemongrass, and had the flavors I expect to find in authentic Thai food. It is made with MSG, though, which makes it less desirable for me despite the very enjoyable flavor.

The Thai Tea was equally impressive, if not more so, than most that I have found in Thai restaurants. Cream was poured into the top of the glass, and stirring it with a straw spread it evenly throughout the drink. I know it is the "real thing" when it begins to separate if you leave it sitting for a while.