Thai Spice

Thai Spice
15455 Jeffrey Rd # 315
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 857-8424
(multiple locations, including Newport Beach and Tustin)

Monday Dinner

Thai food has been quite popular with Californians for some time now. Last night I decided that I wanted something fast, easy, fresh, and under $8. Thai Food and Vietnamese were the first two types of food to come to mind. When I think of vietnamese food, I think of Pho, the popular Vietnamese Soup dish. The problem with take-out Pho is that you will need to come home and mix the ingredients together. While it is not brain surgery, it requires extra dishes and extra work, and when you return home from work at 8:30PM, who is in the mood for that.

I quickly decided to get Thai food, in part for it's convenience. Unfortunately, despite the fact that many people seem to call it "healthy", much of the menu is filled with carb-loaded foods. Diabetics and low-carb dieters may want to shy away. On this venture to Thai Spice I ordered the Pad Thai ($6.25), which they claim is their most popular dish. For those of you who have never had Pad Thai, it is certainly one of the most commonly ordered dishes at a Thai Restaurant.

The dish consists primarily of stir-friend noodles with eggs, tamarind huice, red chily peppers, bean sprouts, and your choice of shrimp, chicken, or beef. At Thai Spice, chicken (likely dark meat) and two shrimps is the standard. You can order the dish with all shrimp, but you will have to pay extra. Thai Spice's food is consistent. I have eaten there many times, and almost always know what to expect. The pad thai is filling and flavorful, and the version mad by Thai Spice is simply one of my favorites. Watching someone pay $11 at a fancy Thai restaurant for a smaller, less tasty portion often upsets me, especially when I know that there are several locations to serve most of Orange County, CA.

Thai Spice's menu has many options for lovers of Thai food. The noodle selection is adequate, with popular options such as Pad See Ewe, Lad Nah, and Curry Noodles. One item not shown on the menu is the glass noodle dish, Pad Woon Sen. It's a smaller portion, but mild and flavorful. They also have a fast-food asian buffet section, where you can order a 2-item combo. Their curry selection contains the standard fare of red, panang, yellow, and green curries. These are most commonly served over rice.

The Thai Iced Tea at Thai Spice is also very consistent and flavorful. I have sampled the thai iced tea from countless tea houses and this one remains one of my favorites. The medium size will run you $3.25.

The food is good and the price is right. I leave you with that.

Dine On....