There’s a stretch of road further down south on Goodwood Road that is slowly becoming a bit of a food hub. Amongst all the shops and eateries is a small take away store, Artip Thai. It offers all your traditional Thai favourites which are free of MSG and preservatives. The number of dishes on offer is respectable, and like all good places, they have a cheaper lunch menu.

The decor is fairly basic, but from what I can gather, most of their customers are take away. There are 10 seats inside if you wish to dine in, although it’s not the greatest atmosphere. While Goodwood Road is a busy stretch of road, there is parking at the rear of the property.

For lunch, I ordered the Pad Thai. The meal was ready after a 10 minute wait and was nicely presented. The serving was rather generous, which was surprising for a lunch time portion. The noodles were very well cooked; firm, chewy and not stuck together.

The chicken was tender, succulent and cooked to perfection. While chicken thigh is usually preferred, they used healthier chicken breast. As it was sliced thinly, it didn’t detract too much from the dish.

The bean sprouts were fresh, and together with the peanuts, added a nice crunchy texture. The egg was well scrambled and consistently distributed throughout. The dish could have had a more reddish hue, but the otherwise the flavours were spot on.

The staff were friendly and the service was fast and efficient. Drinks arrived promptly and plates were cleared as I finished. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was very good. The cost of the Pad Thai was $9 which represented great value considering the quality, taste and portion size. Their normal pricing is even reasonable with their most expensive main being a seafood dish at $18.50.

Verdict: The best $9 lunch I’ve ever had.

WHERE: Shop 9, 580 Goodwood Rd, Daw Park