Best Thai
Char Thai Restaurant
5039 E. Fifth St.
READERS' AND STAFF PICK: We've tried other Thai restaurants in
town, really we have, and we have to agree it doesn't get any
better than the fare presented at Char Thai. Fully embracing
the best of what this cuisine has to offer, from fiery chiles
(yes, indeed, heed that little asterisk at the bottom of the menu)
to piquant sauces sweetened with citrus and coconut milk, Char's
food sparkles on many levels. The larb neau is listed among the
appetizers at Char, but this in combination with wonton or egg
roll would easily suffice as a full meal. Finely ground meat marinated
and prepared with a mixture of lime juice, cilantro, mint, green
onions and chiles and served cold with a large wedge of iceberg
lettuce, the larb is a culinary balancing act of spicy-hot, cold,
salty, sour and sweet. Amazing. And nothing beats Char's hot-and-sour
chicken soup to ward of the seasonal cold. A spicy broth infused
with lime juice and lemon grass, this soup is definitely good
for whatever ails you. We've yet to try an entree that's failed
to please, with a few of our favorites being the thai-style marinated
BBQ chicken; beef with red chile, coconut milk and basil; and
the pad thai. Short of hopping a plane to Bangkok, Thai food doesn't
get any better than that found at Char Thai.
READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: China Thai Cuisine's menu
may seem impossibly ambitious, but the kitchen staff employed
at 6502 E. Tanque Verde Road prove they're up for the task with
signature dishes like the mussamun curry, a comfort food rich
with coconut milk, peanut sauce, chiles and potatoes. And their
pad thai is not only delectable, it's been credited with inducing
labor on at least one occasion. This may be taking it a bit over-the-top
to remind us that variety is the spice of life; but hey, true
story.
