"Ayada in Elmhurst is one of our favorite Thai restaurants in the city. You can usually call and get a last-minute reservation for a spot at a big table in their two-room space—and we slightly prefer the room on the right hand side. Once you get here, focus on the seafood, like the raw shrimp, crispy catfish salad, and whole fried fish. The panang curry with duck is also outstanding, and this place serves some of the best drunken noodles in the city. It’s hard to pick favorites, so order a whole table’s worth of noodles, seafood, and soups, and split them all." - hannah albertine, kenny yang