Namo Thai

Maybe it's the Asian in me, but I've always had a soft spot for food of the "Orient". For the past few years, my obsession has been Thai; I crave it to the point where I become a nuisance to everyone around me. Thankfully, this cute little place called Namo Thai has been within walking distance from my house, which has been a life saver.

My go-to Thai meal for years has been green curry with shrimp (or some other kind of shellfish) and a glass of Thai iced tea on the side, but Namo's $20 prix fixe menu encouraged me to switch it up this time. Instead of the usual appetizer-entree-dessert, Namo's 3-course deal was appetizer-second appetizer-entree, which in my opinion was a much better alternative.

Image 1. My one true love, Thai iced tea

I started off the meal with som tum salad. It was my first time trying this exotic concoction, and I have to say that I fell in love. Normally I am not a fan of papaya as a fruit, as its lack of sweetness is uncharacteristic of what I envision when I think of fruit (think bananas and mangoes). However, its mild flavor was a perfect pair with the spicy kick of the dressing. The peanuts scattered throughout was also an excellent addition and made the dish vaguely reminiscent of pad thai.

Image 2. Som tum salad.

My second appetizer was a bowl of shumai. These were nothing special. Moving on.

Image 2. Shumai - Apologies for the terrible quality, these pictures were taken from my phone

Now, when I say I switched it up this time, I kind of lied - I actually opted for my usual green curry as my entree, albeit with tilapia instead of shellfish. I enjoyed this curry because it was runnier than what I have grown accustomed to (the goopy texture of some Thai curries are suspiciously consistent with that of corn syrup).

Image 4. Green curry that looks terrible due to the quality :(

However, I have had their soft shell crab yellow curry in the past, which was equally as tasty.

Image 5. A photo I took a while back.

Namo Thai is one of my favorite Thai restaurants in the city. As is characteristic with most Thai restaurants, the bulk of their orders are for delivery and the actual physical location is perpetually empty as a result. Nevertheless, they take great care in maintaining a relaxing ambiance that is conducive to having a quality restaurant experience. Even though I have since moved beyond walking distance, I have no doubt that I will be returning at some point.

Namo Thai
3900 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 327-1818
http://www.namothaicuisine.com