Sticky Rice Brady St — Restaurant in Milwaukee

Make sure to CALL AHEAD to place an order, otherwise you'll have to wait approximately 20-30 minutes wait, depending on how big your order is. There's NO DINE-IN as stated on Google and as of today my review is posted, 06/25/2021. Also, not sure if there will be dine-in option in the future as their restaurant setting is more set up as a get-in/get-out tight-space. Expect to drive around longer to get a decent parking spot and further walking distance as Sticky Rice MKE is at the corner of suburb.

I found Sticky Rice MKE from their Facebook page, and the attached photo from their FB page posted today, 06.25.2021. It's not officially on their menu yet, but it's just their existing food on their menu into one platter, hence it's called the "Papaya Platter". I've had several platter dishes like this from other Laos/Thai restaurant from California to Minnesota to Wisconsin, and some are good/some are decent/some are bad... But Sticky Rice MKE soon-to-be new addition to the menu was a disappointment as a first time order/customer.

Let's start with the pros (why I gave it a 3-stars): The chef was kind enough to accept/make this soon-to-be meal. The cashier was a very kind and a smiling person. I enjoyed her enthusiasm. The food presentation was very nicely packaged and neatly presented for a "to-go" package.

CONS: The main reason why I was drawn to this platter was for the "papaya" salad, and again, it was a huge disappointment. The papaya sauce tasted and smelled like dead fish and dead fish alone. The meatballs were too dry for my preference. The chicken wings/chicken drums were too dry and bland for my preference. The boiled eggs were like boiled eggs I can make at home. The 3 sliced cucumbers were warmed and soggy because it's obviously put right next to the hot foods. The lettuces they provided under the meats had a piece of long black hair. I also ordered a side of "sticky rice" to eat along with all these meats, and to "dip" in the papaya sauce. Unfortunately, even the rice was another huge disappointment. Despite their restaurant name is called "Sticky Rice MKE", the sticky rice I received in my order was Smelly (like old, watery rice) hard (not fully cooked), you can still see bits of the uncooked rice with the cooked bits. they gave me the bottom of the pot rice where it was a boxy/brown and hard pieces and then they tried to deceive me by mixing it was the "better" bits of the rice

I expected better quality coming from a Laotian/Thai owner/chef.

I've always been enthusiastic about foods and willingly to drive whether it'd be minutes or hours away just so I can eat/taste the foods. Unfortunately, in this matter, I drove 30 minutes to Sticky Rice MKE, waited 20 minutes (because I "thought" I could "dine-in" according to Google") and spent $30 for an upsetting/disatisfactory meal. I threw the platter right away after trying each items in my order (reasons listed above).

I don't like to say bad things about small businesses, unfortunately this was my experience and sadly, I will not be returning to this restaurant.

I wish Sticky Rice MKE the best in their...

the good is GREAT. but it's a hit or miss. Other dishes are meh.

For a takeout joint, they need to work on their "crispy" fried items.

The BAD

Crispy Squid - had a really nice flavor, but it wasn't crispy. It was wilted. And on arriving home, we saw that it was sitting in a pool of oil. Mind you, this smelled soooo good in the car on our 10 minute drive home. But perhaps they need to work on frying it and laying it out on a rack so the oil is pulled out. And to also try frying twice, a method used for a really crispy taste in many restaurants.

Coconut Curry Wings - the coconut curry was great. I have a mind to try their curry dish separately. But the wings were also greasy and wilted. I didn't see a pool of oil like the squid, but I think that's only because the curry hid it. In fact, I put 2 of the wings in the air fryer the next day, and it still wasn't much better - that's how oil infused it was (they need to up the frying temperature)

Having said this, there are still great dishes in this joint.

the GOOD

Nam Khao This is my go-to dish here. The rice here is crispier than the crispy squid lol I had it at medium heat, and it was perfect.

Pad See Ew I wanted to try their drunken man noodle, but saw some pictures and it looked so bland for some reason. I'm used to seeing them coated in a red. I think they just don't use much of the red pepper flakes. So I opted for Pad See Ew instead and asked for extra hot. It had a nice heat to it, even though you couldn't tell from just looking at it!

So note to self: skip the fried items, keep the nam Khao. Remember their spicy dishes aren't necessarily red. Oh, and their Lao Sausage is NOT a...

Incredibly tasty food, every single dish I have tried in my first two visits is delicious. I highly recommend the Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles), phenomenally wide, yet thin noodles that satisfy on a deep comfort food level. Soft and chewy, the noodles sometimes stack so be sure and peel them apart for maximum surface area. Enough on the noodles already! (I may have a noodle addiction problem) Also lots of veggies, and whatever protein you prefer, cooked to tender perfection. The Tom Yum and Tom Kha soups are fantastic, and the chicken satay are lip smacking good. In fact it was so good that on my second visit I ordered all the same stuff with slight changes to protein and heat level. As for that, there are six options, four animal: chicken, beef, shrimp, and most unusually... squid. For a meatless dish two: tofu or veggie (which I assume means extra veggies). I had the tofu in soup and it was lightly fried, so chewy outside and soft yet firm inside. Heat levels: Mild is mild with a tiny backbite. Medium is hot, it builds as you eat. Hot is stop for a minute in between bites so your mouth does not spontaneously combust. And I really do not need to know what Extra Hot is. Of course these are all subjective, dabble at your own risk. I hear good things about the Tod Mun Pla, Nam Khao, and Lad Nah so I will update after...