Location: 4018 N Western Ave
Cost: About $13 per person
My friend Moonie and I decided to grab dinner the other week. She’s interning for some big time law firm this summer, which means that she gets lots of fancy meals for business purposes. We figured it’d be cool to try and get something cheap and ethnic. I think she likes to take advantage of my having a car for this purpose too. We ended up picking Sticky Rice for some Thai.
Logistics
Sticky Rice is right on the corner of Irving Park and Western. They’ve got a very basic setup with a lengthy counter on one side with a bunch of tables crammed together throughout the rest of the room, leaving just enough space for the waitresses to dart in between. You probably don’t need a reservation. They’ve got plenty of free street parking nearby too.
I hated our waitress. When we asked what to order, she suggested the Pad Thai and the Pad See Ew. I didn’t appreciate the gringo treatment one bit, and we totally disregarded her recommendations. The food came out quickly enough. The prices were standard with entrees just sub $10, and the portions were plenty.
The Food
We got the ball rolling with some Pork Skewers. They had a nice sear. There was plenty of flavor in each bite, and it was a great, simple way to start off.
The Pork Skewers
For the main course we split an order of Yen Ta Fo (seafood noodle soup)
and Duck and Lychee Curry. The Yen Ta Fo said it came with seafood
balls but there was a bunch of shrimp, tofu, squid, and tripe in there
too. The broth was piping hot and had this subtle sweetness. The noodles
were wide and hearty. The curry was complex and rich with large chunks
of duck. They even had some crisped up bits of duck skin floating around
as an added bonus. We tossed in a side of sticky rice which was way
stickier than I’d anticipated. Once we were able to separate it out, it
made for a real interesting addition.
The Yen Ta Fo
The Duck and Lychee Curry
The Sticky Rice
Overall
I went to Sticky Rice to find some non-standard Thai food, and that’s
what I got. They have a very extensive menu that I can’t wait to get
back and try more of. Both the soup broth and the curry really hit the
spot. I’m giving them 4 out of 5 Pearls.
