Midtown Lunch

In what could be the frontrunner for the saddest closing of 2014, it looks like Pam Real Thai (on 49th btw. 9+10th) may be done for. The restaurant was shuttered when I swung by during prime lunch and dinner hours earlier this week and the phone line has been disconnected (although their webpage is still active). Pam Real Thai has never received the breathless coverage of some of the other Thai joints in Hells Kitchen. However they were one of the vanguard Thai restaurants that helped turn Hells Kitchen into ‘Thai town’ over the past decade, not to mention a beloved neighborhood staple.

Could they be a victim of the recent rash of rent hikes that have been killing off restaurants this year? Pam Real Thai has certainly had a history of financial troubles. Or perhaps they’re just taking a break? We certainly hope its the latter.
Thanks to Jessica L for the tip. If anybody else knows anything, let us know in the comments.

Update: Pam Real Thai has re-opened! I called the restaurant to confirm (they were closed for renovations) and their seamless page is active again.

9th Ave. is just out of bounds for Midtown Lunch’ing purposes, but you know we’ll travel an extra avenue or two for the Northern Thai specialty khao soi!  And from the looks of it, the version at Pam Real Thai (on 49th btw. 9+10th) is the real deal!  Read all about it over on Food in Mouth>>

Related:
Talent Thai’s Khao Soi is the Bee’s Knees

Remember the profiled lunch’er who admitted that he didn’t like Thai food, and then became the most ridiculed Profiled Midtown Lunch’er of all time? Well, for once, your ridicule actually worked to effect positive change in the world- and “Matt” is happy to report that he tried Thai food again and… (well, I don’t want to spoil it.)

After the spirited feedback from the comments section (side note to the person who accused me of living in my parents basement: you’re insulting random people on the internet and I’m the one who lives in my parents basement?), I decided to journey out and try Thai food. The choice was Pam’s Real Thai Food (on 49th btw. 9+10th), although I generally don’t eat at restaurants that cite their realness in the name, I decided to trust the comments section. I selected a number of co-workers so we could maximize our order. While the shrimp roll we started with was typical, I found the Thai Beef Jerky to be quite a treat. I don’t even like regular beef jerky – could this Thai cuisine improve on other dishes as well? As the different entrees were passed around the table, I noticed the Pad Thai coming my way. This was the big moment.

Read more »