Food: Fancy Thai vs. Plain Thai

There are certain discernible levels of quality present in almost any category of restaurant ethnic food. At the lowest levels are the dives and takeout joints, somewhere in-between are the normal restaurants that crowd the strip malls, and still higher up are the high-falutin' places that strive for Zagat ratings and nice "ambiance." "Tub Tim," a local Thai place we go to occasionally, fits in the latter category, so we have dubbed it 'Fancy Thai."

"Fancy Thai" serves its Thai iced teas in elegant curved glasses, complete with a fresh orchid as a garnish. The interior of the restaurant is clean and tastefully decorated, as are the restrooms. All the plates are similarly attractive visually - they actually try to "plate" some of their dishes, rather than just plop them on and spit them out.

All this, of course, comes at a price, and "Fancy Thai" is quite expensive. Additionally, since the restaurant is frequented primarily by white retirees, the food often becomes fairly Americanized (the pad thai, for example, is of the sickly-sweet peanut-buttery variety). All in all, though, it's a decent place to eat if you're in "L Dub" (Lake Worth).

2/4 stars