by Lynna Longaro

If you enjoy spicy food packed full of different flavors, the kind that really wake up your mouth,  you must visit Madam Mam’s Thai Cuisine at the Galleria.  Appetizers, salads, soups, curry dishes, stir-fry noodles, meat with rice entrees——Madam Mam’s has it all.

The restaurant is fairly large, with two dining rooms and a nice bar separating the two rooms. The bar serves beer and wine but no mixed drinks.  The service is great and the food comes out very fast. It’s won’t take you hours to have dinner, unless you want it to.

Madam Mam’s serves a variety of noodle soups and you can even choose what type of noodles you want: rice stick, flat rice, vermicelli, bean thread, or egg noodles. My personal favorite  is the “Guay Teaw Gai Toon,” (or NS6 on the menu) a chicken soup broth with mushrooms and chicken breast slices. (All the dishes are numbered, so you don’t have to worry about pronouncing or mispronouncing the names.) Be forewarned, a bowl of soup is a HUGE bowl of soup. You probably won’t have room to try anything else.

Another favorite of mine is Mam’s Special Panang Beef Curry, or P41. The beef in this dish is melt-in-your mouth tender and it’s served in a red curry sauce with a touch of coconut milk, basil leaves and jalapeño slices. The spiciness of the jalapeños and the sweetness of the coconut milk and basil are wonderful contrasts in flavor and really make your tastebuds come alive.

The prices are very reasonable. Most of the soups are $8.50, and the average price of curry or noodle dishes is $10.50. Two people can enjoy a fabulous dinner for $25—$30.

Madam Mam’s has three locations around Austin. I’ve only eaten at the Galleria location but if the others even come close in comparison it is definitely worth the visit.

Guadalupe – 2514 Guadalupe Street

The Village – 2700 Anderson Lane, Ste 419

The Galleria – 3929 Market Street P-100, Bee Cave