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Madam Mam's Special Beef Panang Curry

You guys have to try it! It's amazing! The beef is slow-cooked and its tender like really moist brisket. The curry is much thicker than Mam's regular panang. It's very hearty with the complex flavors we've come to expect from Mam.

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  1. Thanks for the recommendation - I just had this and it was wonderful! What rich flavors...

    8 Replies
    1. re: avi

      Yeah, it's much richer than the regular panang. Today for lunch, me and a buddy split 2 dishes we never tried before. We ordered the tilapia and the tom khlong.

      The tilapia is awesome. It's steamed and comes in a tom-yum style broth, only not as sour/tangy. We asked for it super spicy, so there were lots of thai chilis floating on top. You get a side of rice with it as well.

      The tom khlong was amazing. It's got a very roasty/smoky flavor from the roasted shallots. Think of it as a thai french onion soup--only more complex with spicy/sour notes. Our server told us that she was impressed that we ordered it b/c she only sees thai customers order the soup.

      1. re: AustinChow

        I LOVE the tom khlong. To me, it is the perfect balance of heat, spice, twang, earthyness, and sweet (from the palm sugar). The biggest decision is usually which noodles to order.

        If you like pickled mustard, then try the Kao Soi. A bit milder than the tom khlong, but still relatively spicy. I like the egg noodles that they use in this dish, and the hint of coconut curry. It also has lots of shallots.

        I tend to gravitate toward the more detailed menu descriptions, epecially when I see galangal, thai lime, palm sugar, fish sauce, etc. What I'm worried about is whether I'm missing some excellent dishes that have generic descriptions. Sometimes it will say "spicy dish" or "rich and tasty flavors." To me, everything is tasty and most are spicy.

        However, I haven't had the Special Beef Panang Curry, but I will soon.

        1. re: rudeboy

          Yes! The Kao Soi is delicious. I always forget the name of that dish (a friend turned me onto it one time). The personal irony is that I can't stand mustard (I am repulsed by it as if I were allergic) so I would never have ordered this dish... but pickled mustard is another thing entirely. (Shouldn't it be called pickled mustard greens?)

          Anyway, IIRC it's billed as a soup but I think of it more as an egg noodle dish as you can only really eat so much more of the very thick and hearty soup part (it's more like a curry really)... anyway, definitely a winner at Mam's. I'll have to look into Tom Khlong and Special Beef.

        2. re: AustinChow

          i just now had lunch at Mam's and ordered the tom khlong with flat rice noodle and tofu. Delicious. This soup will now be in my reguar rotation, esp. once the weather is more conducive to brothy soup slurping. When my order came out, it was made w/chicken and I flagged the waiter down. He profusely apologized and my tofu tom was out in 4 or 5 minutes. I forgot though, that all the tofu at mam's is fried; this, i was not expecting, but it was delicious none the less. I would have been in heaven simply with the noodles, spicy/sour/ shalloty broth, peanuts, and basil. Now if someone could only advise me how to eat those noodles without making a mess and having them hang out of my mouth...

          1. re: femmenikita

            Next time you go, ask them if they can do the tofu like they do it in the Noodle Loard (G5). It's not fried and has a really good chewy texture to it. It's the only non-fried tofu I've had there, and while I've never asked for it in anything else, they are so accomodating I can't imagine them not helping you out.

            1. re: foodiegal71

              Arrgh! Madam mam's, what a love/hate affair i have with you! Foodiegal71, I went to Mam's night before last, and, at your suggestion, I ordered the Tom Khlong and requested the non-fried tofu in the soup. It was so funny, the waiter said "We have only fried tofu here at Mam's soooorrry" and he smiled and nodded. Then, when I said, well, what about the tofu you use in G5, he said "Oh, well, we only have fried tofu except for in G5 and...[he named one other dish]..." I asked if there was no way he could put that tofu in the soup, he said "No way!" Mmm hm. I don't know why I was surprised though. I went there with a friend a couple weeks ago and he ordered the panang curry, and asked if he could have noodles on the side instead of the rice. The waitress told him no. When we asked why she said it wouldn't taste right. Ha ha. I'm all about restaurants guiding the customer to proper pairings, etc. for quality control, but come on, something as simple as fried vs. unfried tofu or rice vs noodle??! I think its a bit over the top. Of course, I love the food and it's close by so I can't stop eating there.

              1. re: femmenikita

                Was this at the downtown location or Westgate?

      2. I go to the Madam Mam's in Westgate..... sometimes 2 or 3 times a week.

        I LOVE their food and have never (not once) had a bad meal there.