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Grandma’s Philly | My Century-Long Truce with Thai Food 🍛

After suffering through two terrible Thai meals in Philly (Dara and Circle), I’d developed a love-hate relationship with Thai cuisine—like “you hurt me a thousand times, but I still come back for more.” Last week, after drinking four coffees on an empty stomach and working in New Jersey until 2 PM without food, my friend and I were dying for Thai. We drove 40 minutes to NJ for Sukho (rated 4.9!) only to find it closed. I nearly swore off Thai food forever… But then I remembered: holding a grudge against curry, pad kra pao, and mango sticky rice only hurts myself. So I swallowed my pride. Somehow, I’d never been to Grandma’s Philly downtown, even though I’ve worn out the doors at nearby spots like Principal Feng Hot Pot, Miss Saigon, and Woody’s. Several friends had given it average reviews, so I never bothered—until now. As soon as we sat down, the server asked about spice level—I knew I was in the right place. He carefully explained that Level 5 was “spicier than buldak ramen.” I immediately ordered the papaya salad at Level 5—my go-to test for any Thai restaurant. And… it passed with flying colors 🌶️🥵. 🥗 Papaya Salad – Perfectly balanced sour and spicy, not too sweet, refreshing yet mouth-wateringly hot. So spicy I was sweating, but so good I couldn’t stop eating. The server even came over to ask if we wanted to lower the spice level for the next dishes—very considerate! We also ordered: 🍲 Tom Yum Soup (bowl) – Tangy and flavorful, hits all the right notes. 🦑 Squid Stir-fry with Egg (Best of the night!) – Could hardly find the egg, but the squid was grilled first, then stir-fried—smoky, tender, and amazingly textured. 🦆 Grilled Duck Leg – Crispy skin, tender meat, sauce perfectly balanced—just straight-up delicious. 🍣 Raw Salmon Rice Cake – Interesting fusion: crispy rice cake topped with marinated salmon, like a Thai-Vietnamese hybrid. Great for photos! 🍜 Drunken Noodles – Uniquely mint-forward, unlike any other version I’ve tried. Strange at first, but addictive by the second bite. Grandma’s Philly pulled me back from the edge of my Thai food meltdown. Currently my #1 Thai spot in downtown Philly—beats JJ Thai and Kalaya for my personal taste. #Philly #PhillyRestaurants #PhillyEats #PhillyFood #PhillyLife #StudyInPhilly #ThaiCuisine

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Grandma’s Philly | My Century-Long Truce with Thai Food 🍛

After suffering through two terrible Thai meals in Philly (Dara and Circle), I’d developed a love-hate relationship with Thai cuisine—like “you hurt me a thousand times, but I still come back for more.” Last week, after drinking four coffees on an empty stomach and working in New Jersey until 2 PM without food, my friend and I were dying for Thai. We drove 40 minutes to NJ for Sukho (rated 4.9!) only to find it closed. I nearly swore off Thai food forever… But then I remembered: holding a grudge against curry, pad kra pao, and mango sticky rice only hurts myself. So I swallowed my pride. Somehow, I’d never been to Grandma’s Philly downtown, even though I’ve worn out the doors at nearby spots like Principal Feng Hot Pot, Miss Saigon, and Woody’s. Several friends had given it average reviews, so I never bothered—until now. As soon as we sat down, the server asked about spice level—I knew I was in the right place. He carefully explained that Level 5 was “spicier than buldak ramen.” I immediately ordered the papaya salad at Level 5—my go-to test for any Thai restaurant. And… it passed with flying colors 🌶️🥵. 🥗 Papaya Salad – Perfectly balanced sour and spicy, not too sweet, refreshing yet mouth-wateringly hot. So spicy I was sweating, but so good I couldn’t stop eating. The server even came over to ask if we wanted to lower the spice level for the next dishes—very considerate! We also ordered: 🍲 Tom Yum Soup (bowl) – Tangy and flavorful, hits all the right notes. 🦑 Squid Stir-fry with Egg (Best of the night!) – Could hardly find the egg, but the squid was grilled first, then stir-fried—smoky, tender, and amazingly textured. 🦆 Grilled Duck Leg – Crispy skin, tender meat, sauce perfectly balanced—just straight-up delicious. 🍣 Raw Salmon Rice Cake – Interesting fusion: crispy rice cake topped with marinated salmon, like a Thai-Vietnamese hybrid. Great for photos! 🍜 Drunken Noodles – Uniquely mint-forward, unlike any other version I’ve tried. Strange at first, but addictive by the second bite. Grandma’s Philly pulled me back from the edge of my Thai food meltdown. Currently my #1 Thai spot in downtown Philly—beats JJ Thai and Kalaya for my personal taste. #Philly #PhillyRestaurants #PhillyEats #PhillyFood #PhillyLife #StudyInPhilly #ThaiCuisine

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