As any student at the University of Washington will tell you, choosing a favorite Thai restaurant on “The Ave” is one of the hardest decisions you’ll face. Thaiger Room, Thai 65, and Appethai – all located on the same block – offer spacious seating and fast service. The food is consistently good, and the menus seem to have endless options. However, in my personal opinion, none of these compare to Thai Tom. Therefore, when my roommate’s brother visited recently, we took him out for his first Thai Tom experience.

Located on the opposite end of University Way, Thai Tom is a tiny hole in wall, with room for barely 20 people inside. We arrived only six minutes after they opened for lunch, and still had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated. The menu is somewhat limited, offering little more than the classic Thai dishes. I ordered Panang Curry, and both my companions ordered Pad Thai.

By this point, you may be wondering why I have such an affinity for Thai Tom, with its cramped space, longer wait-time, and smaller menu. However, once a spoonful of steaming Pad Thai noodles reaches your tongue, there will be no doubt in your mind. The quality of food at Thai Tom is unmatched by any other Thai restaurant I’ve eaten at, and turns the seemingly negative aspects of the place into enduring characteristics. Once seated, the waiters (who are almost always the same two men) ensure you’re in and out of there within twenty minutes, and are consistently on top of refilling your water glass. Beware when paying the bill, however; Thai Tom accepts cash only.

After our delicious dinner, my sweet tooth started acting up, so we moseyed down the block to Citra, the Ave’s best frozen yogurt place. Citra offers a couple different flavors of yogurt, but my favorite is the original. There is an abundance of toppings offered here, including various fruits, candy bar pieces, cereal, and sauce options. I rarely stray from my favorites – strawberries, chocolate chips, and mochi – little, clear gummies that are remarkably delicious. The girls serving here are always friendly, and even willing to make my ‘regular-sized’ treat in a ‘large-sized’ bowl for easier mixing, since the toppings are always piled high off the yogurt.

The Ave is a great all-in-one place for dinner and dessert, and I’m already craving some Thai Tom Pad Thai again…