Steven C.
Yelp
I've had an opportunity to dine here once more, this time via a takeout order instead of DoorDash. I've updated my review to a 5-star rating based upon my second time here in person.
I was greeted with a friendly wai, which you don't get in other Thai restaurants here. Nice grace note.
The takeout experience is unusual: there's a dedicated kiosk station at the far left of their divided counter space near the front door. Ordering consists of swiping through the different menu categories (salads, noodles, etc) and adding items to your order. You pay there, too. My first attempt at tap failed so I just used a physical credit card.
Then, I sat, waited, and watched the team. I showed up at around 5:30pm on a Wednesday and they were doing a brisk business. Three groups of four or six diners arrived in a fifteen minute period, a couple, one DoorDash pickup, and two in-person takeout orders via the kiosk. Busy! The two dining room staff were hopping but attentive.
Despite the high volume, my order was handed to me in about 10 minutes, in a paper bag stapled shut (a nice touch, given the recent footage of a DoorDash driver elsewhere in the US spitting in their customer's food).
My order was the similar to the original one that was botched during their soft opening: Pad Thai with Fried Chicken, and Holy Basil Noodles with Top Round.
This time around, I was pleased to see that the proteins were included. The fried chicken was unusual--battered and deep fried and sliced into strips, laid across the top of the pad Thai noodles. The pad Thai noodles were sweet but not cloying, with fresh bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, with all flavors distinct and clean.
The top round that came with the Holy Basil Noodles was thinly sliced and tasty, if albeit perhaps a little light on the portion size for the additional $3. The noodles themselves had a healthy level of spicy heat! Diners unaccustomed to hot spicy foods might find it a bit difficult but I loved it. The noodles were satisfyingly chewy, piquant, and popped with the whole pepper stalk included in the dish.
My go-to choice for a Thai meal with lots of variety would still be Toomie's. Dear Mom is making the wise strategic decision to focus on a very small selection of well-prepared dishes.
However, the next time I'm dropping into Safeway or the UPS Store next door, I won't hesitate to order a couple of noodle dishes from Dear Mom to go. It's an excellent addition to our restaurants in this area!