For the Love of Food: Papaya Thai

Last weekend my family and I were in need of a good dining experience. My sister was here from out of town and an adults only dinner was planned. Long story short, we ended up in a strip mall on the NWC of Lindsay and University Roads at Papaya Thai.

Walking in, I think we were all a little skeptical. First, it's in a strip mall. There were large fish tanks on most of the walls that didn't look very inviting. However, I think after all was said and done, we all agreed that we'd definitely go back. In fact, my mother has been craving what she ordered since we left. Plus, there is an open window to the kitchen, which I like. For some reason I always feel more comfortable in restaurants that you can see into the preparation area.

For appetizers, we had the egg rolls. They were surprisingly good for vegetarian egg rolls. The four were $3.95. Next time, I'd like to try the crab wontons. Others in our party ordered and enjoyed them. For my entree, I ordered the Mango Curry Chicken. It had a unique flavor (lots of curry and coconut oil), but it was delicious. They allow you to select your level of spice. I got a one (on a scale of 1-5) and it was almost too much for my weak mouth. But the flavor was delicious. I also tasted the orange chicken, which is probably on the top of my orange chicken list (if you've ever had it from Bamboo Club, that's what it was like). I think the entrees were around $6.95 - 8.95 and they were served with steamed rice.

The service was good, but odd. I'm not sure if it had to do with the fact that we had such a large party (12), but some people at the table had their appetizer and main dish before we got our appetizer. Everything still came out quickly, so they must have turned in the order for the first four people, then the next four and then the final four, resulting in our food coming out in shifts. This didn't detract from the good food, just a warning if you go with a large group.

All in all, it was relatively inexpensive and the food was great. I will definitely be back.

Papaya Thai
2706 East University Drive
Suite F6 & F7
Mesa, AZ 85213
Sunday through Thursday - 9 AM to 9 PM
Friday and Saturday - 9 AM to 10 PM