It has been over seven months since I’ve been to Thai 65. To properly participate in Thai food discussions and develop a valid opinion on the Thai foods in the U District, my opinions must be recent. If I forgot what I thought about that Thai restaurant or what the food tasted like, then another visit is necessary. Last Thursday, my buddy, Devon, and I met up and he chose Thai 65 as the place to hang out. This was perfect. I had forgotten about my opinion on Thai 65.

For lunch, Thai 65 was PACKED and bustling as wait staff appeared out of nowhere to serve the hungry workers and students in the U District area. Even though it was busy, we found a table immediately and were served promptly. On a related note, the water boy was very attentive and although I was thirsty, I was never left munching on ice. So, in a competition between Thai 65 and Thaiger room, the service award goes to Thai 65.

Both Thaiger Room and Thai 65 have similar atmospheres. They’re both large and open with plenty of seating but Thai 65 is larger and has a longer bar to sit at, which I like to remember whenever I have to eat alone. So, point for Thai 65. The prices are also fairly similar, if not exactly the same. So, no proper comparison in the Thai food competition there.

The ultimate decider and most important element of any Thai food restaurant is the food. Not every Pad Thai is the same. The funny thing is that I actually did not order Pad Thai as my ultimate “control” meal to properly compare Thai restaurants. Instead I ordered the Pad Se Ew, thick noodles with meat, broccoli, egg and one of my top favorite Thai meals. It wasn’t bad and with two stars of spiciness, wasn’t overly spicy for me. Devon ordered the Pad Thai and was nice enough to let me taste his. I must say, definitively, that there was no comparison. Thaiger Room has MUCH better Pad Thai than Thai 65. Thai 65’s Pad Thai tastes artificial, compared to Thaiger Room.

I certainly wasn’t disappointed by the choice of going to Thai 65. It does make tasty Thai food. However, despite its redeeming attributes, I rank Thaiger Room higher than Thai 65.