Madam Mam's

Madam Mam's location in The Village.

Photo credit to Paula Forbes.

With three locations in Austin, (Guadalupe, Westgate and the Village) you have the option to try out authentic Thai food while staying close to home. The Guadalupe location is merely across the street from the UT campus, and the other two locations are conveniently stationed in busy shopping centers. The owners Chatfuang ("Mam") and Sap Apisaksiri learned the arts of cooking Thai cuisine in Thailand from their grandparents. The authenticity of the food is not questionable, and they have so many more entrees to offer than pad thai.

With a wide range of choices from noodle soup to desserts, it is rather hard to pick out an entree. For an appetizer, the Green Apple Salad is quite satisfying. It consists of sliced green apples and Thai peppers (which does make it a bit spicy), topped off with lime juice, tomato, garlic and dried shrimp. While it may sound like an eccentric combination, the funky mix of flavors is not jarring at all. The Tom Khlong noodle soup is probably my favorite entree. Hot noodles served in a spicy soup consisting of peppers, garlic and basil. There is a choice between the inclusion of chicken or tofu with the noodles. (Beware, the red peppers are almost lethal. Have ice water on hand.)

If any of you are now wondering about the arts and mannerisms of Thai cooking and dining, there is a list of articles written by Mick Vann for the restaurant. I would recommend checking a few of them out: especially "Region Styles of Thai Cuisine" if any of you are unfamiliar with Thai foods and would just like to learn a bit of the background behind some of the foods served at the restaurant.

A picture of the Tom Klhong noodle soup at Madam Mam's.

Photo credit to Far.

Thanks

Lily