Joy's Pattaya Thai - Richfield, MN

I was nearby in Richfield for an afternoon meeting, so I decided to stop by Joy’s. I’m pretty sure I’d been to this building before when it was another Thai place – the Kalico Elephant, or something. I had also been here before with EnyaFace! and Trash and M.Giant, I believe. My memory is a little fuzzy on this place. I remembered liking it, though, and that’s all that mattered.

I dropped in. I already knew I was hungry for fresh spring rolls, so I ordered those, also got an order of Pad Kee Mow (Drunken noodles). The service here is pretty quick, but it also might have helped that it was raining and it wasn’t terribly busy inside. It doesn’t matter, the food was fast.

The really nice waitress brought out my spring rolls and I smiled at how they were presented. Like little towers with trees in them. Very classy. Also delicious. The sauce that was with it was the sweet and tangy thin sauce that you find at many Thai places. It is delicious and I never know what it is. But I’m always happy when they cover the top with a layer of crumbled peanuts. This combo is brilliant and I think that Joy does a great job with it. The cilantro trees are a little difficult to eat, so you kind of have to work around that, but once you do, the rolls are fresh and tasty. Excellent start to my meal.

The Pad Kee Mow showed up right as I finished my appetizer and looked delicious. Great color and aroma. It also comes with an fried egg roll, so I started with that. It came with a different sauce that I thought was quite good. This one, more of a sweet and sour chili sauce with some carrot shavings thrown in. The egg roll was clearly fried, but didn’t feel greasy or heavy. It was light and filled with fresh ingredients. So far, spring rolls and egg rolls were hitting the spot. The entrée was no different. Great flavor with just the right amount of kick to it. The chicken was really tender and tasted like chicken. Not a single piece of gristle or fat, so I was thrilled. The noodles were cooked well, but not floppy or slimy. The tomato flavor came through, as did the bell pepper and basil. I know this is made with egg, but I think it’s just a thickening agent, since you really can’t taste the egg in it. I think this is a fantastic meal and I’m a big fan of Joy’s. I hope to have more meetings over in this neck of the woods in the near future. It’s worth a trip, in my opinion.

Top 5 things about Joy’s Pattaya Thai
1. Pad Kee Mow
2. Fresh Spring Rolls
3. Quick service
4. Really friendly wait staff
5. The lunch menu has a ton of things on it, so you don’t even get a restricted list! The dinner menu is enormous!

Bottom 5 things
1. Be aware, if there’s one pepper next to your menu item – you’re already at medium spice. Order accordingly.
2. There is construction right now, limiting parking and getting anywhere near the restaurant.
3. I really want to go back and try a ton of things I didn’t get to (I know this isn’t a bad thing)
4. It’s a small place, so if you’re there during the lunch rush, you may have to wait. Please do.
5. I’m bummed I didn’t try the Pad Macaroni Chicken!

www.joyspattayathai.com