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Char's Thai Restaurant 5039 E. Fifth St. READERS' PICK: It's no wonder our readers choose Char's Thai Restaurant year after year. Tucked away in an unsuspecting strip mall on Fifth Street and Rosemont, Char's foregoes pretension and instead serves up terrific food at affordable prices. But approach this Thai food promised land either prepared or hungry. Char's infinite menu is not for the indecisive--there are page after page of entrees, soups and appetizers, and each dish is usually enough to feed two or more. The Yum Pla Meurk (yes, it does say squid in the menu's handy translation) and the Yum Yai delightfully jump-start any meal. Try all of the Thai hot curries, the Pla Lad Prig (basil and chili-soaked deep-fried trout), the Bar Mee Ladna (your choice of meat over yellow stir-fried noodles and vegetables), or the Pad Panang Neau (beef sautéed in red chili, basil and coconut milk). Alleviate the aftermath of your fiery meal with a glass of Thai tea or a variety of imported beers. Be daring and indulge in something new--any plate is a one-way trip to culinary nirvana. Whether you're conducting business or aiming for a romantic interlude, Char's fits the bill. Don't forget to stay for dessert. READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: China-Thai Cuisine, 6502 E. Tanque Verde Road
A REAL SCREAM: Karuna's, 1917 E. Grant Road, is a small place with great food. The decor is sparse and the ambiance a bit noisy, but Karuna's has great Thai food served in generous portions; and the price is right, with most entrees in the $5 to $6 range. Standouts are the potato curry soup with coconut milk, delicate spring rolls, and some incendiary pad ped with beef. Karuna's vegetables are steamed crisp and tender, and the spices in the hotter dishes linger with a pleasant, slow burn. Seating is a little tight, which gives it a cozy, isn't-this-a-great-little-place feel--even when you can't help but overhear the nearby grad-student regale his dining companion with his opinion of the world's border crossings.
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