5523Ester's Bear [edit]

xiaodi z.

Rating: 4.0

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Allen has been trying to drag me to this restaurant for weeks, but whenever we walked by, I just couldnt take it seriously. The first floor of this restaurant is a teddy bear store! And not just any teddy bear store, it calls itself a "teddy bear museum". Apparently, the owner is a life-long teddy bear collector, so the store features most of her collection along with "DIY" bears that you can customize for yourself. So, you cant blame me for being weary of the food.

Well, Allen finally convinced me today, and we checked it out with a friend from Beijing. We ordered a variety of Thai staples, including Papaya Salad, Red Curry Chicken, Basil Pork, Pad Thai, and Morning Glory. The papaya salad came out first, and we were pleasantly surprised by its authenticity and flavor. Perfectly crisp and seasoned, the papaya still had a nice crunch and tasted very fresh. Next came the curry, and everyone couldn't stop going for seconds, thirds, etc.... Every dish that followed was equally impressive, but my favorite was probably the Pad Thai. At a lot of Thai restaurants in Shanghai, this dish commonly errors on the side of being too greasy. The Pad Thai at Ester's tasted pretty close to the noodles we had in Thailand. Not greasy, not too spicy, and like everything else we tried, the Pad Thai was a great blend of flavors that didn't overpower the dish. On top of the great food, the bear-themed decor is so consistent throughout the store that you can't help but smile at the quirkiness and respect the owners for being true to all their passions.