Takeda Thai

The Scene: Wednesday. My office. The clock reads 12:45 pm. I look at Kirsch and say, "What do you want for lunch?" Her response, "I don't know?" Here we go again.

Kirsch and I are in a lunch rut. Neither of us can ever figure out what we want to eat these days, which usually leads to us sitting around until 1:00 and then giving up and walking over to Subway. But today, I knew I didn't want to sit at my desk while surfing the Internet and munching on a tuna sub (Subway has the BEST tuna!), so I checked my list of restaurants to try and suggested a new Thai restaurant that I had heard about recently. Kirsch was game, so out into the unusually windy for a day in April in Arizona we went.

We headed North on Scottsdale Road up to a shopping center that holds many fond memories for me. Those of you familiar with the Scottsdale area are probably aware of the odd shopping center on the Southeast corner of Scottsdale and Shea. It holds such gems as The Dirty Dogg Saloon, Ernie's Inn and the Buzz Nightclub. Well, many years ago, it was in this center that I began to blossom into the woman I am today! Yes, my pre-school was located in this center, good old Tots N' Tunes, as well as Judi's Dance Center where I honed the skills that would lead me to become the excellent Britney Spears' impressionist that you know today! Both Tots N' Tunes and Judi's are long gone, but ironically enough, Takeda Thai is right next door to the former Judi's (currently occupied as a beauty supply store). Just driving into the center makes me a bit nostalgic....well, enough about me...on to the food!

The restaurant just opened the day before Christmas (odd day to choose I must say) of last year. It is easy to see that the building has gone under a tremendous renovation both inside and out, considering that in its past life it used to be a golf store. The inside is sleek and clean, just the way you want a restaurant that you are about to eat in to be.

We didn't arrive until almost 1:00, so the place was pretty empty; there were just two other tables of guests finishing up their meals. We were given two menus to look at; the lunch menu and the regular menu. I really liked this gesture, because it gave us a chance to look at the entire menu, rather than just the pared down lunch menu. In the end, we both ordered off of the lunch menu, all of the items on it are just $7.95 and also include a fresh spring roll.

Many times when we go for Thai, we both tend to stick with traditional dishes that we have had before. But today we were feeling adventurous and each decided to try something new. Kirsch went with the Spicy Noodles with Chicken, at a hot heat level. The dish had thick rice noodles, chicken, onions, bell peppers, chilies and Thai basil. She dove right in and declared it to be an excellent choice. The waitress came by and inquired about the heat level, Kirsch likes things really hot, so she asked for some additional chili paste on the side. I tried a bite before she "kicked it up a notch" and thought that it was really delicious. The flavors were unlike those in a traditional Pad Thai, a bit lighter and no peanut flavor. I thought it was a nice light dish that I would definitely order on a return visit.



I ordered the Pad Prik King with beef at a medium heat level, which is something that I have been tempted to order in the past, but always seem to stick to something that I am familiar with. The dish came out steaming hot, with a large mound of jasmine rice on the side. I took my first bite and was immediately happy that I finally tried this dish. It is basically a combination of beef, green beans, yellow bell pepper and red chili paste. The flavor was amazing, just enough heat so as not to be overwhelming and the meat was cooked perfectly, it was tender, not chewy. When Kirsch tried it she picked up on a floral essence, which once she said that I also noticed, although we weren't quite able to identify it. But whatever it was, it was good! My lunch was also served with a crisp, spring roll with sweet chili dipping sauce. I could tell the spring roll was freshly made, and it was nice and crispy, not soggy. The presentation of both plates was beautiful and the portion sizes for lunch were plentiful.

At the end our meal, we concluded that we would definitely be back soon. The atmosphere was relaxing, the food was excellent and I always enjoy taking a trip down memory lane!

Takeda Thai

10271 N. Scottsdale Rd

Scottsdale, AZ 85253

http://www.takedathai.com