Description: If enjoying a budget Thai meal right across from the Art Institute and Millennium Park sounds like an inviting dining option, then My Thai may be Your Thai. Pressed for time before taking an architectural tour leaving from Navy Pier, we mentioned to the hostess at My Thai that we didn’t have a lot of time. No problem. Accustomed to serving the rush of concert-goers at nearby Symphony Hall, the staff seems to rustle up decent-tasting food almost instantaneously.
We followed the hostess to the back of the quiet dining room, away from what I thought would be ideal seats looking out across at Millennium Park. However, the proximity to the kitchen was probably a plus given that we were in a hurry. We requested hot green tea and set about the serious business of perusing the menu. Everyone quickly settled on favorite tried-and-true Thai dishes – my son opting for chicken
satay and egg rolls, my husband ordering Tom Yum soup and grilled eggplant, while I chose cashew chicken.
We had about ten minutes after ordering to sip our tea and contemplate the understated decor in muted tones of yellow and green. That combined with the subdued lighting and quiet efficiency of the staff make this something of an oasis just off bustling Michigan Avenue. This would be a good place for health-conscious patrons, too, as not only are there extensive tofu and vegetable-based options on the menu but the restaurant is smoke free as well.
Our food arrived long before I could begin to be anxious about finishing our lunch in time to catch our tour at Navy Pier. Portions were not huge, but certainly adequate for lunch, and were a relative bargain at $6-$7 per entrée. I wouldn’t say that this was the best Thai food I’ve had, or even close, but it was decent. Don’t expect a complex palette of flavors or meticulous presentation – you won’t get it. Sauces tend toward a limited range of standard seasonings, and (I suspect) some MSG to ramp up the flavor, but the ingredients are reasonably fresh. It reminded me a bit of the Thai food I make at home based on bottled sauces and condiments purchased from my local international grocer.
But, hey, that’s not really a complaint. I'm a pretty good cook. My sole complaint, really, was that I had more chunks of pineapple in my Cashew Chicken than I had any use for. But after sequestering the offending chunks off onto a
cordon sanitaire at one end of my plate, the rest of the dish was quite tasty, with tender slices of chicken breast, crisp pea pods, and plenty of whole cashews (which was what I was after, basically).
Our plates disappeared in a flash the moment we’d finished and the bill was immediately presented. For a quick lunch on the run, this was definitely a good choice.
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