Given that it was Valentine's Day last week and also because we usually cook throughout the week, Dan and I treated ourselves to a nice meal at Paadee Thai restaurant. Affiliated with the well known Langbaan (also Thai), we knew we were in for a tasty treat.
Atmosphere:
Located in one of our recent favorite neighborhoods in Portland, which straddles the Northeast and Southeast (but is technically in the latter), we first noticed Paadee one night when going to Laurelhurst Theater. Situated on the ground floor of a sleek, modern apartment building, its elegant sign caught my attention right away, and shortly after finding out that it was legit, it didn't take me long to make a reservation.
While the interior is on the smallish side, it's laid out quite well and boasts a variety of seating options including communal tables, booths, two tops and four tops as well. The atmosphere is sleek and sexy but at the same time casual and industrial chic. I've never been to Bangkok, but imagine that Paadee channels its street culture and food.
Food:
In the mood for lots of hearty protein, we came to the right place and stuffed ourselves with everything from spicy chicken wings, duck and various cuts of pork. There were rice and noodles too, but the meat is king here!
Peek Gai Tod (Fried Chicken Wings) - After a long but fun day of touring Portland's breweries, Dan and I both had a hankering for wings. These totally did the trick, as they were meaty and perfectly fried, adorning a crispy golden crust. Warned they'd be spicy, I appreciated the kick to the tastebuds which produced something pleasant and invigorating. A side of pickled veggies such as radishes and carrots helped to placate the senses back to serenity.
Ba Mhee "Pitsanulok" (Pork dish) - Dan's pork dish made for an interesting meal, as it consisted of spicy lime and pork broth with pork belly, dry red pork and ground pork as well. Embellished with other things that added color to the plate such as sprouts, scallions, a fried wonton and peanuts, the dish was complex and layered. While Dan enjoyed it, he opted for rice noodles instead of the suggested egg noodles, which made the dish harder to consume. Finding a good solution, we poured a bit of duck curry from my plate to loosen it up a bit, and that did the trick.
Gang Ped Lumyai (Duck curry) - Excited to see duck on the menu and one in curry form at that, I knew I had to have this. Utterly satisfied with my choice, I enjoyed devouring the sweet, coconutey curry with the tender duck, thin bamboo shoots and sweet cherry tomatoes. Delighted at how generous they were with the duck, I shared some of it with Dan and for that he was grateful.
Service and Cost:
On a busy dining out evening like Valentine's Day, we experienced really great service that was efficient and at the same time unobtrusive. All of our dishes came out in good time and we were frequently asked how we liked everything and were made to feel that our business was appreciated. I can imagine that on a regular night, one would enjoy this type of service as well.
Costs are inexpensive given a more upscale dining establishment in Portland and for that I'd have to call Paadee a true gem. We walked out of there with paying about $53 for our entire meal including tip.
3 Mmmms
Paadee - 6 SE 28th Avenue, Portland OR 97214
503.360.1453
paadeepdx.com
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