Keep it simple, start with phad Thai. It is a good representation of the flavors in Thai food and has nothing on your list - though double check about the egg. Some REALLY traditional places might throw it in. Unlikely but I believe in full disclosure!

Pad thai is a good starter dish, as it has a fair amount of vegetables and can be made all-vegetarian*, or with meat products. I've avoided the curry dishes, not because of an intolerance to spice, but because there are other dishes on the menu that I like. Usually, curry dishes are made with coconut milk, which will temper a spicy dish. Just make sure that you don't ask the cooks to make it "Thai spicy," as you'll melt your tongue off. In Iowa, that would work, but in Chicago, where there are plenty of Thais, they want and get the hot stuff when asked.

My problem with Thai food? Cilantro. Too much cilantro makes me feel like I'm tasting dishwater soap.

*Fish sauce is an integral ingredient in pad thai, so if it's made traditionally, it's never a true vegetarian dish. Soy sauce can substitute, but IMO there's a noticeable difference in taste.

Thanks!

yes - Pad thai!!
Love that shit.

It's basically stir fried noodles - like Lo Mein or something, but more Thai I guess, Ha!

I'm scared to try new things, but once I got this coconut stuff with chicken and peanuts and stuff and it was SO RICH that even thinking about eating the leftovers made me sick. Ugh. It tasted good, but I guess it was just too much!

The curries are wonderful. Red, green, yellow, panang, musaman, there's all good. Yellow is very mild, as is musaman. Try those- they're hard to go wrong.

Pad Thai is good, although in essence it's just a big heap o' noodles.

WHOOPS. I even looked at the list! I'm sorry, Eliza!

it should be noted though, that thai curry and indian curry are completely different. so if it's indian curry that you don't like, E, then give the thai curry a try.

Interesting, thank you!

Indian curry is made from curry powder and Thai curry is made from a past of chili peppers, basil leaves, ginger, and other stuff. The paste is then dissolved into delicious coconut milk so the dish has a spicy-sweet thing going on.

I used to love Pad Thai, but now find it fairly flavorless in comparison to other Thai dishes. I now almost always get a curry, but I am also a fan of the drunken noodles (at least that's what they're called at most places I've been), a spicier noodle dish with more veggies & flavors. If you like Kung Pao Chicken you may enjoy that.

I'd say Pad Thai, but some Pad Thai has egg in it, so you'd want to ask about that. Maybe Pad See Ew, but again, some involves egg.

On the basic side, satay is a good starter. Mildly seasoned chicken strip grilled on a skewer. Kind of like yakitori... or any other nationalities version of 'meat on a stick'. It generally comes with an odd cucumber salad and peanut sauce, the latter of which is certainly a staple on God's table.

Since you like beef and broccoli, you'd like rama (or rama delight, as my Thai place calls it). It's almost painfully mild, but it's beef and steamed broccoli, with jasmine rice and a really light peanut sauce (but much thinner than the stuff you get with the satay).

Oh, yes--pad Thai--but how about spring rolls, too? Very thin (non-fried) wrapping, filled with sprouts, cucumber, bits of carrot, a little tofu and a few other things--and you dip them in a sweetish plum sauce. LOVE those!
~Marilyn Brant

Ah, thai food. I had to take the list out for my local thai place. In my opinion you can't really go wrong when it comes to thai. I would just check the ingredients for the dishes at the restaurant or ask them for suggestions, but I know where you're coming from.

Except for the eggs I agree with the phad thai, or as I'd like to call it - #9. Phad Satay seems better that way. Other suggestions: phad bai kaprao/grapraw, phad preu hvann, kai pad madmamuang himmapant, phad pak rummit, phad king and phad kimao.

No matter what, I would take egg noodles, just because I've had rice a million times more than egg noodles.

I am going to read this with interest since you and I had very similar "won't eat" lists.

pad thai and pad see eiuw (sp) seem to be some of the mild ones, but pad see eiuw has broccoli in it.

Ahhh, picky eaters unite.

I just like pad thai okay-peanut sauce wigs me out a bit (and some places use fish sauce and well, no).

The place I go to has a black bean chicken dish that I like a lot. It's basically chicken, veggies (I forget which but you can tell them if you want stuff left out) and black bean sauce.

Do you like garlic? Almost all Thai places I've been to have some sort of Garlic and Pepper Pork or Chicken that I like. It's not very exotic, but it's my favorite Thai dish.

Ashley likes to get chicken satays with the peanut sauce. It's usually an appetizer, but she orders it as an entree. And trust me, no one is as picky as her!

i have never liked thai food. my parents used to drag me and just the smell of curry was like, ugh. haha

and then last year i found my dish--pad see ewe. love. it. it is a little smeet. big fat noodles. usually has a little egg mixed in. i get it with tofu.

I'd also suggest starting with Pad Thai.

Although I think the most amazing Thai food I have ever had was this spicy eggplant dish. Soooooo good.

Awesome, thank you!

I am going to try to learn to love the eggplant this year. I am almost certain to get a bunch in my CSA boxes.

One quick, non-food-related comment: I'm tagging you (don't worry, it's an easy one :)!
~Marilyn Brant

My fave is Pad See Ewe. Noodles with broccoli and the meat of your choice. My fave Thai place is Cozy Noodles. I'd eat there every day if I could.