Pam Real Thai Food

One of the greatest things about NYC is that people from all over the world bring their (sometimes) fantastic food here. They bring their great great grandmother’s gnocchi bolognese recipe or their cousin’s famous village curry dish, opening ethnic dives and trendy restaurants in every neighborhood.








Unfortunately, most of those fabulous recipes have not made their way to Hell's Kitchen. Hell's Kitchen is overrun by Thai restaurants, largely mediocre to awful. After a few years of suffering through meals at various Thai restaurants, I finally came across Pam Real Thai Food, a worthy pre-theatre feast. This restaurant is a TOTAL dive. They do not take reservations but it won't take long to get a table (the food comes out at lightening speed so the restaurant turns over tables quickly). The original restaurant is on 49th street but the owners have subsequently opened a second establishment on 47th st. I stick to the original.








Pam Real Thai Food's menu offers traditional Thai dishes, including Massamun curry, Pad Cashew nut, and Pad Thai. On a cold winter day, the various Thai soups provide a hearty escape.


What to eat:
















Start with the curry puffs (the app is heavy on flavor but not spicy). The empanada shaped dough pockets are fried and filled with potatoes and onions that have been marinated in Pam Real Thai Foods' delicious curry.














The pad thai here is one of the best in town. We usually order the pad thai with a chicken and shrimp mix but they will add any meat/poultry/seafood combination you request. You can see from the picture the dish has about as much chicken and shrimp as it does noodles. One of my favorite things about Pam's is that you don't have to search each dish for a chintzy portion of shrimp, chicken, etc. Your fork or spoon is bound to find the protein you added to your dish on each bite.















Also, the crab fried rice is a MUST. It is on the separate "Specials" menu. And this dish is special, but not because it is only available on a particular night (it has been available every night for years). Pam Real Thai Food uses a heavy hand on the lump crab, a rare find in fried rice.













Don't forget to order the ice cold Thai beer, Singha, a refreshing (and strong) beer.










Insider tip: Pam Real Thai Food is CASH ONLY. Luckily at this price point, you won't come close to reaching the ATM limit ;)






Need some carbs? I found your spot,








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