"Talk about a hidden gem away from all the flashy lights, beach and normal vacationing action. My husband and I were looking for someplace local where the best Tai food is served and I am an avid Yelper so I immediately began searching. I came across Thai Time 3 and read the reviews. Folks: I just want to say, You ALL make a HUGE difference so thank you for leaving your reviews! As I entered this location I felt like a time bomb went off as if I was back in the 80 's which threw me off a bit. None the less, I trusted the Yelp reviews. I decided to asked about the heat index and the levels. They are as followed according to the Greeter/Waitress: 1 mildly spicy, Level 2 Spicy and Level 3 Very Super Spicy. With that load of info I ordered the following: 1. Pad April King (Stir fried Green beans, added chicken and lemon leaves in a red curry) comes with a side of Jasmine rice. (Level 2)2. Spicy Noodles (aka Drunken Noodles) stir fried flat noodles w/basil, green and red peppers, chili eggs (Level 3).3. Two orders of Vegetable Fried Rice (level 1 and 2) 4. Chow Mein stir fried noodles, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions brown sauce. (No spice) The levels are 1,2 3. In my humble opinion, level 3 is not hot, more like a tad spicy where you feel it on the back of your tongue (Like Hot Cheetos after a handful)... meaning it may release the capsaicin and your nose may begin to run after a while. Level 2 is far milder than hot Cheetos almost non existent and level 1 is extremely non existent. My heat level variance is a little higher than some as I come from a Latin background where Chile and spice are in many of our dishes. My husband who frequently has heartburn states level 3 was tasty, but pretty spicy . Lol! He also couldn 't taste the difference in Level 1 or 2. FOOD REVIEW: The Chow Mein was sweet which threw me off a bit and and the Pad Prik King was semi sweet also, but one thing that I noticed was a strange flavor profile that I had never had before. (I frequent Tai food) and this was the first time I tasted these semi sweet/strange flavors. Literally, I ended up putting a ton of extra Sambal Oelek Chile Paste and it took away the strange flavor and sweetness factor and gave me a more authentic Pad Prik King Flavor. I noticed this establishment offers plastic dinnerware as well as sealed packaged forks, knives, spoons and to go condiments. Upon reading the reviews my understanding is, this was opted for as a safety measure for their customers due to past pandemic restrictions which I super appreciate and applaud. Overall, we opted for a to go order and within 10 12 minutes our complete order was ready to go. Upon arriving at our hotel near the beach. Our food was still temp hot, tasty and overall delicious. Service at this location was amazing and speedy. I would 100% recommend Tai Time 3 and if I am ever in the surrounding SanDiego area again, I will be sure to stop in for a second time."
Choo Chee Salmon
