Tan Thai in New Albany.

It's out in the exurb across from the megachurch, and I'd totally missed it until Robin commented on FB yesterday. The missus and I ventured out there last evening (with a dessert stop at Zesto -- final weekend!), and while I find myself really wanting to like it ... nice spicy Pad Thai, nothing at all wrong with anything we ate, pleasingly minimalist atmosphere ... nothing really leaped out at us to suggest that it's other than adequate.

However, I'm always willing to be educated, and apart from regular visits to Mai's Thai and a few European Thai stops courtesy of my gourmand buddy Big Kim, I'm not altogether familiar with the genre. So, Thai lovers: What should we be looking for when rating a place like Tan Thai? What did we miss?

I'm still happy to have it in NA, either way.

[Robin Garr]

We may have to agree to disagree on this one, Roger. We've been lured back to TanThai about three times and it feels to me a lot like the first times we found Vietnam Kitchen or Mayan Gypsy: A cook in the kitchen who may be ethnic but whose skills transcend a specific ethnic group.

I see it (and Mary consistently agrees) in a complexity and depth of flavor - not just heat but an intriguing range of aromatics - that's a hallmark of very fine cooking in any ethnic cuisine including Amurrican.

I don't know what else to say other than different strokes for different folks. But we've dined recently at Simply Thai, Thai Orchids and Thai Taste, and not quite so recently at Thai Cafe, Thai Smile V and Mai's; and this one consistently ranks above them all for me.

It's out in the exurb across from the megachurch, and I'd totally missed it until Robin commented on FB yesterday. The missus and I ventured out there last evening (with a dessert stop at Zesto -- final weekend!), and while I find myself really wanting to like it ... nice spicy Pad Thai, nothing at all wrong with anything we ate, pleasingly minimalist atmosphere ... nothing really leaped out at us to suggest that it's other than adequate.

However, I'm always willing to be educated, and apart from regular visits to Mai's Thai and a few European Thai stops courtesy of my gourmand buddy Big Kim, I'm not altogether familiar with the genre. So, Thai lovers: What should we be looking for when rating a place like Tan Thai? What did we miss?

I'm still happy to have it in NA, either way.

Robin, I wasn't intending my post to be disagreement; I'm merely seeking to redress my deficiencies when it comes to knowing what to expect from Thai cuisine.

For instance, the noodles in the Pad Thai were rather sticky and lumped together. Is this normal? It doesn't seem to be the case at Mai's Thai. I've no idea how it's supposed to be.

And: Is there a certain dish that might serve as the yardstick? Or, one that better displays the subtleties mentioned?

[Robin Garr]

For instance, the noodles in the Pad Thai were rather sticky and lumped together. Is this normal? It doesn't seem to be the case at Mai's Thai. I've no idea how it's supposed to be.

And: Is there a certain dish that might serve as the yardstick? Or, one that better displays the subtleties mentioned?

Pad Thai is certainly a benchmark, Roger, but I guess it's a case of when you go. We didn't have noodle blobs in the Pad Thai when Mary and I went; I was particularly impressed that they put the bean sprouts on the side so you could stir them in at the last minute, achieving the textural contrast between hot, soft noodles and crisp, cool bean sprouts. This is where so many Pad Thais fail.

I'm not sure about a specific benchmark, but the black pepper beef was remarkable for its fragrance, and it's not a dish that I've seen at a lot of Thai restaurants around town. The ginger-chicken and green beans dish was excellent with its smoky wok-seared flavor, and now that I think about it, the chicken wings app, although a long way from Buffalo, was perfectly done: Crispy and sizzling, coated with a hot-sweet sauce and served on mee krob-style rice noodles.

I dunno ... different strokes and all, but both Mary and I were smitten on repeat visits.

I didn't think you were arguing, by the way. Talking about food is what we come here to do.

That's excellent, thanks. What I liked most about it was the subdued, tasteful decor, i.e., the absence of the Oriental baubles that so many places have. We'll definitely be back.

[Robin Garr]

That's excellent, thanks. What I liked most about it was the subdued, tasteful decor, i.e., the absence of the Oriental baubles that so many places have. We'll definitely be back.

Those sheer curtains hanging in the breeze as translucent room dividers definitely gave a sense of low-budget feng shui - in a good way.