Madam Mam's

Umbrellas hanging from the ceiling at the West Gate location

Madam Mam's is another old haunt of my college years. I used to live on West Campus a block behind Madam Mam's on Guadalupe. All the dishes are tasty here, but it really takes your taste buds for a ride on the extreme in seasoning. Almost all dishes are super salty, always flavorful, and the dishes marked by chili peppers are spicy as hell. It's like street food in Taiwan or anywhere in the world. You know it's all bad for you, but you can't help liking it.

The West Gate location is great for me now that I live way south of campus. The parking is much less a headache, and there is no wait because it's huge! The only bad thing is that when you enter, you are greeted by a counter of tchotskies. I wish they would stop trying to sell us stuff besides food. (Same goes with Coco's. I go there for the food, not for the cell phone accessories!)

Anyways, the colorful paper parasols hanging from the ceilings are beautiful. I dined by myself, and it was fun just staring up, though I probably looked stupid and pitiful all by my lonesome.

I ordered my regular, Thai tea, and remembered that the only place that makes Thai tea with the right amount of sweetness is Saigon Pho. Everywhere else I've tried, the tea is cavity-inducing.

Thai tea

Next, I ordered the fish cake appetizer (A5) and then the flat rice noodle with beef (F11). Ahhhhhh...everything was salty, thirst-inducing perfection. I would eat this every week if I were invincible.

(A5) Tod Mun Plad Glai-spicy fish cakes with cucumber sauce

(F11) Guay Teaw Kua Gai-flat rice noodle stirfried with beef, eggs, bean sprouts, and pickled radish