I’m fairly new to the Thai game. Back during my grad school field study, I remember sampling a colleague’s noodle dish topped with peanuts. It must have been on one of those early days of my internship, as I can’t imagine why I’d have been brave enough to try something so new to me except for my shame at being so picky in front of new colleagues. Who wants to be a pain Week 1? (It’s perfectly fine to reveal your insanity by Week 3, however. Get it out early but not too early.)
So it wasn’t until about a year and a half ago that I tried Thai again, and that I realized that the dish I tried back in Georgia (I completed my fieldwork at the good ol’ Centers for Disease Control) was likely Pad Thai. Since then, I’ve dabbled in Pad Thais good and bad; cloying and bland. Only one so far makes me do my happy eating dance – the noodles at Panvimarn.
Until now. I pass Thiptara every Monday when I drop off my kid at volleyball practice. It looks like a souped up Taco Bell from the outside but I’d always heard it was super fancy once you step indoors. And super tasty. All season long, I’ve told myself I had to check it out. But homework or my diet or grocery shopping or another something random always got in the way. So today as the last Monday practice of the season, I decided, would be Thiptara time.
I had to get it to go because I had a plane to catch and I hadn’t yet packed. So I didn’t get the full sit-down experience. But, I just wanted the flavors of Tipthara, reasoning that if it proved tasty, I’d go back with my peeps to sample a wider spread.
My pad thai pleased me. More than that, it temporarily cleared my sinuses. I got it medium spicy, which was plenty hot for my delicate taste buds. After a few fiery bites, I got smart and squeezed the wedge of line over my dish, which tamed the heat while heightening the sweetness. Thiptara balanced well all of the components without making it boring and predictable. A mighty fine plate, I’ll say; a great takeout treat on any day, and especially a busy Long Beach one. Definitely a dish I’ll pick up again.
Thiptara
5630 E. PCH in the LBC