Tucked behind a little wall and up a few stairs is the gateway to Green Street’s very own little Thailand. When you first step in you are greeted by a large mural of the shore of Thailand, where the cascading waves and warm yellow transforms the entire wall. The straw roof, just like the one on the huts in the painting, covers the ordering counter. The only thing in Bangkok Thai and Pho 911 that is more authentic than its decor is its food.
Photo by Meredith Marcus
Bangkok Thai and Pho 911 prides itself on upholding the standards of a traditional Thai restaurant. Peek behind the counter and you will see the chefs working hard to make freshly prepared food. While every dish is cooked to order, it never takes more than five to 10 minutes for customers to get their food. When your meal does come out the first thing to notice is the portion size. These plates could feed a person for about three meals; perfect to keep for tomorrow’s lunch or Friday’s late night snack.
Bangkok Thai and Pho 911 has definitely kept true to classic Thai meals, but has most certainly not forgotten that its frequent customers are college students, cheap college students. The daily specials offer one type of meal each day to be discounted at either $4.99 for lunch or $5.99 for dinner. The specials include: fried rice on Tuesday, basil chicken on Wednesday, yellow curry on Thursday, pad ke mao on Fridays and, my personal favorite, Pad Thai on Mondays.
Pad Thai Photo by Meredith Marcus
What is so great about the dishes at Bangkok Thai and Pho 911 is that you can select the level of spiciness you want your meal to be. It ranges from level one to level six, but take note, the spiciness escalates quickly. Specifically in pad Thai, level one is completely mild with a strong flavor of peanut, while four is perfect for those who like food with a lot of flavor but who aren’t ready to handle anything too hot. Level six is only for those brave souls who swear by their love of spicy food, since the sauce is thinned by different spices and completed with bits of pepper mixed in throughout the dish. If you find you are in too deep with the level of spiciness you ordered, fear not, because customers can grab entire pitchers of water lined up at the front counter to ease the fire in their mouths.
It may be hard to find, but Bangkok Thai and Pho 911 is a hidden gem that you will want to search Green Street for.
Address: 410 E Green St, Unit 3, Champaign, IL
Hours of Operation: Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am – 9 pm, Fri-Sat 11am – 10pm
Photo by Meredith Marcus