Liberal movies and Pad Thai

I love Pad Thai. I can't make it, so I look for it at any restaurant that serves it.

And by now I'm sure you know that I love movies.

I've combined my love of Pad Thai with Movies in Chicago, when the 600 N Michigan Ave theatre was one block away from Dao, my favorite Thai restaurant. I would watch 2-3 movies, then show up at Dao really hungry, and chow down a plate of Pad Thai in minutes. I've occasionally also sneaked in a doggy bag of Pad Thai into the movie, and then gulped it down during the show. The Sixth Sense and The Deep Blue Sea are movies that benefited from having food right in your lap.

For me, Pad Thai is associated with my graduate school days because it was a cheap whole meal. It'll last you for a day.

So, back in 2000, upon my return, I launched a plan to reconnect with my favorite food. And the disappointment in Dhaka has been, well, enormous.

In Dhaka, Thai food is considered a delicacy, and Pad Thai an appetizer. You don't just get take out, you need to have sit-down experience. The crushed peanut, the joyous, glorious thing that's sprinkled over the noodles is nowhere to be found. The fresh shallots that garnish everywhere is also missing. Instead of the fresh tasting light wok cooked thing I love, you get an oily version that's not healthy or appetizing.

I was reading an article about watching liberal documentaries and going for Chinese food afterwards, which triggered this post. The writer was writing about The Queen of Versailles, a documentary about housing crisis in the US. He also cited other liberal documentaries, I forget.

But the article made me hungry for ... Pad Thai, of course. :-)