Andy Lin's Lickity List (Amazing $10 Authentic Meals in Tucson)

As the Andy Lin's Lickity List continues to grow, I appreciate the feedback from friends and strangers on how I can improve my reviews.  I don't want to be interpreted as a food connoisseur however.  The list contains places I personally go back to often and I almost always will get the same item.  I guess that's how I operate sometimes.  If I find something I love at a certain place and I go back to that place just for that dish I love!

This list will be a running log that I will update whenever I go to one of my several favorite restaurants in Tucson, so be sure to check back for my latest recommendations via the link under my Hot Topics section!

Andy Lin's Lickity List
Amazing $10 Authentic Meals in Tucson

Saing Thai Cuisine
9136 E Valencia Rd
Tucson, AZ 85747
Date Visited: June 19, 2014
Style: Thai
Go-To-Lick: Pad Kee Mao
Price: $8.59 including tax

Raves: There's not a whole lot of authentic choices around the IBM Tucson office as most of the restaurants near Rita Ranch are fast food chains.  However, there is a one gem at the corner of Nexus and Valencia that everyone knows about: Saing Thai.  I usually pack my lunch and eat at the office, but occasionally when a co-worker or client wants to grab lunch, I will recommend Saing Thai first.  I only come here for lunch, so the price I'm quoting above is the Lunch special  (I think the dinner price is $9.95).

Every lunch special starts out with their hot and sour soup.  Then you have a bunch of specials to pick from.  My Go-To-Lick is the Pad Kee-Mao (L16).  Once you pick your dish, you get to choose if your main meat ingredient (pork, beef, or chicken) or a meatless option.  I always go for the pork, but my friends say the beef or chicken are just as good.  Pad Kee-Mao is a somewhat spicy dish (3 out of 3 peppers on the menu), a pan-fried "drunken" noodle dish cooked in their special roasted chili sauce.  I always ask them to bring me a spice rack so that I can personally kick the spicyness up a notch (4 out of 3 peppers haha).

The dish comes served with white rice and a spring roll.  After finishing the spring roll, I mix the rice and noodles together and then it all goes down the hatch pretty quickly. :)

My friends have tried L13 (aromatic curry), and I hear L12 and L14 are classic favorites as well (my apologies for not remembering the actual dish names; since I only get one thing here I don't really look at other items that often).  The curries come in a bowl and are more liquidy than your Indian curries, so just be ready what to expect.  I don't think you can ever go wrong with noodles here though.  Enjoy!!!

Frog & Firkin
874 East University Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85719

Date Visited: May 12, 2014
Style: English Pub
Go-To-Lick: The Firkin Burger with Cheese
Price: $9.13 including tax

Read this Review.

El Guero Canelo
2480 North Oracle Road
Tucson, AZ 85705 

Date Visited: May 3, 2014
Style: Sonora Mexican
Go-To-Lick: 2x Carne Asada Burro Jr. with Extra Cheese
Price: $9.27 including tax

Read this Review.

Andy Lin is your typical Tucson resident and is a not food connoisseur.  He is simply a man who knows what pleases his tastebuds and belly.   Special thanks to Nate M. and Matt H. for help with coming up with a title for this list.