So, I found myself wanting some Thai food the other night. Nothing fancy, just had that craving hit me, you know? Remembered hearing about a spot called Emerald II Thai Cuisine, figured I’d give it a shot. Wasn’t expecting much, just hoped for a decent meal.
Walked over there, found the place easily enough. Stepped inside. It wasn’t one of those super modern, sleek places. Felt more like a neighborhood joint, kinda comfortable, you know? Some Thai decorations on the walls, tables weren’t too close together, which is nice. The lighting was kinda low, gave it a relaxed feel. Smelled like good food cooking, which is always a good sign.
Sat down, and someone brought over a menu pretty quick. Had all the usual suspects: curries, noodle dishes, fried rice. Took me a minute to decide. I almost went for the Green Curry, but then I saw Pad See Ew listed. That’s usually my go-to test dish for a Thai place. If they can do that right, other stuff is probably okay too. So, yeah, ordered the Pad See Ew with chicken.
How the food turned out
Didn’t have to wait too long. The plate came out steaming, looked pretty good. Nice wide rice noodles, decent amount of chicken and broccoli, egg mixed in. Looked like it had that nice char from the wok.
Took the first bite. Okay, not bad. The noodles were cooked right, soft but not mushy. Had that slightly smoky, savory flavor you want with Pad See Ew. The chicken was tender enough, and the broccoli still had a little crunch to it, wasn’t boiled to death. The sauce wasn’t too sweet, which I appreciate. Sometimes places drown it in sugar.
- Noodles: Good texture, nice wok hei (that smoky flavor).
- Chicken: Cooked through, not dry.
- Veggies: Broccoli had a nice bite.
- Sauce: Savory, not overly sweet.
Polished off the whole plate. It wasn’t mind-blowing, world-changing Thai food, let’s be real. But it was solid. It hit the spot exactly like I wanted. Just a good, satisfying plate of noodles.
Paid the bill at the counter. Price was reasonable for what I got. The folks working there seemed nice enough, didn’t rush me out or anything. Left feeling full and pretty content. It’s just one of those places you can count on for a straightforward Thai meal when you get the craving. Did the job for me that night.
