a thursday adventure: a speakeasy, Thai Diner, and sweet potato fries

A while back, we celebrated one of my friend’s birthday at Thai Diner, which I’ve actually been meaning to try for a while, as I’ve heard a lot of good things. Even though we didn’t have a reservation, we were actually seated pretty quickly in their slightly chilly outdoor dining setup.

very cold but also very good vibes

I ordered the khao soi, which is a creamy noodle dish with chicken, pickled mustard greens, and crispy noodles, and it was so so good. The chicken was very tender, and practically melted in my mouth, and went really well with the creamy soup, chewy noodles, sour crunchy pickled mustard greens and onions, and crispy noodles. I once again ate this embarrassingly quickly.

For dessert, I got the banana rum pudding with a crispy lotus flower, which was also very good, and a very interesting take on a classic dessert. The fried lotus was slightly savory, and contrasted well with the creamy pudding. Thai diner is very good at pairing textures and flavors together, and I am a big fan.

my friend’s sundae that I could not eat because I am allergic to nuts

ngl I thought there was a pretty decent chance I was about to get kidnapped or star in the next episode of law and order SVU in this moment.

After some adventures, we stopped for an evening snack at remedy diner, a very reliable classic 24/7 dinner, perfect for dissociating in. I ordered an ice cream soda, because I was in the mood for something comforting, and a pulled pork quesadilla, which came was overflowing with barbecue pork pulled pork and was pretty good and sweet, although not super quesadilla-esque. There was a lot more pork than cheese. Definitely getting my money’s worth though.

look at all of these glorious cakes.

I am personally a big fan of diners. There’s something about the ultra bright lighting, vintage feel, and massive menu that makes it feel like you’re entering an alternate universe where time is suspended, especially since I usually stumble into them at night. It's like the city version of a gas stop, a place to refuel before you continue onto your final destination, usually home.