Phoenix Food Blog

Yupha's Thai Kitchen vs. Wild Thaiger

Visit even a semi-authentic ethnic restaurant -- Thai, Indian, Vietnamese -- and you'll generally find two types of dishes on the menu: traditional specialties with unpronounceable names and flavors that pay homage to the homeland, and bastardized versions more suited to the average American palate. Though Pad Thai is a national dish of Thailand, here in the States it almost always falls into the latter category. In this Battle of the Dishes, we compare two amazingly different versions of this "safe" Thai food staple. 

In One Corner: Yupha's Thai Kitchen
1805 E. Elliot Rd., Tempe
480-839-0576

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We almost didn't find Yupha's, because the sign still remains in front of their old location in the Groves plaza. Tucked in a corner spot in the strip mall that houses Tempe Cinemas, the relocated Thai restaurant is a small, unassuming spot. Inside, deep red walls encourage luck (an Asian superstition) while stimulating the appetite. 

​Yupha's is a popular lunch spot, but even when packed to capacity the noise level is barely above that of a good coffee shop. A small list of daily specials is handwritten on a chalkboard near the door, and menu items are numbered to avoid the embarrassment of mangling a dish's name. We beelined for #116.

As soon as the words came out of our mouth, the waitress asked whether we'd like the Pad Thai prepared mild, medium or hot. The table agreed on mild, this being our first visit. (We know that's wimpy. But from experience we've learned one person's "pleasantly spicy" could be another diner's "please help me, my mouth is falling off.") Score one for Yupha's. We like choices, especially when it comes to heat level.

The dish arrived shortly, a heaping mess of rice noodles with chicken, bits of fried egg, scallions, crunchy bean sprouts and tofu chunks, served with a crispy cabbage egg roll. One plate offered enough noodles to feed three of us. The sauce was pungent, with just enough spice to get our tongues tingling.

"The sauce is good, but it tastes a little fishy," said my dining companion.

Not surprising, since traditional Pad Thai includes fish sauce. The tamarind (normally the sweet component of this sweet and sour sauce, although other flavorings are sometimes used) usually balances out the slight fish taste of the sauce, but here the fishy undertone was always present. Otherwise, the Pad Thai was excellent. Good quality lean chicken; firm tofu that happily sat third chair rather than dominating the dish; and a sauce with depth.