Get past the chirpy plastic sign outside that makes you think you are about to enter a chintzy food court and you are immediately impressed by the authenticity of Pot Pan. The opulent textures, wood surfaces, woven bamboo table runners and fresh flowers evince a Thai sensibility that is neither forced nor false. The unique combination of modern and traditional decor is commonplace in Thailand, yet often goes missing in the Americanized version or is so overblown it becomes ersatz. Pot Pan looks like a Thai restaurant you would find in Thailand.
The food is similarly genuine. In Thailand there is a prominent flavor of fish sauce and citrus in many dishes, a signature that is mostly lost in most American Thai. At Pot Pan it comes through smartly. The flavors are delicate and separate – distinctive – almost floral.
Pad Khee Mao, a preparation of spicy stir fried wide rice noodles with carrot, tomato, bell pepper, bean sprout, hot pepper and basil leaves is so perfectly balanced one can identify each individual flavor on the tongue. The Panang Curry, a thick peanut curry with coconut milk, green pea, bell pepper and basil is a wondrous blend, rich and savory, the peanut flavor acting like a stage on which the other flavors mingle and mesh.
Many dishes are adorned with carrots sculpted into the shapes of flowers, a traditional Thai garnish that communicates perfectly the artful deference of the culture. A decorative Asian font sprinkled with rose petals underscores the grace and beauty that is the authentic Thai ambiance of Pot Pan, unspoiled, except for the TV.
There must be an unwritten law somewhere that every Asian restaurant must have a noisy TV. And they are usually showing the most inane of programming, most often a game show or the local evening news. Thankfully, Pot Pan’s was turned down low. Nevertheless, it was distracting and sapped the impression of effortless cultural refinement that was elsewhere in evidence.
Another quibble: we had hardly finished our appetizer of golden shrimp, zesty marinated shrimp in a nest of dried yellow noodles, tasty but prone to crumble too easily, when our main courses arrived. That hectic moment when you are trying to gulp down the last of your appetizer while orchestrating the rearrangement of the table then ensued. Restaurants in general need to rein in servers who do this. Presumably a lot of money is spent trying to create an atmosphere that will encourage diners to relax and enjoy their meals and the effect is ruined by overzealous servers who think their main function is to bring food out of the kitchen at lighting speed. Everyone likes prompt service, but please, let us eat.
That being said, Pot Pan is a superior Thai restaurant, one that stands out for authenticity in both cooking and décor. Not only that, but it is remarkably cheap. We inhaled our delicious main courses and shared an appetizer and the entire thing only set us back $27. For students and others on a tight budget, Pot Pan is highly recommended. As yet they are still BYOB, but that’s okay; this will also help keep a lid on expenses.
For a true ethnic dining experience on a shoestring, Wicker Park can offer few better than Pot Pan.
Pot Pan
1362 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-862-6990 / Reservations Accepted
Hours: M-Th 11am-10pm / F-Sa 11am-11pm /
Su Noon-10pm
Features: BYOB, Carryout, Delivery.
Avg. Price of a Meal for two including drinks and tax $27
Website: http://potpanthai.com
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