If ever there was a dish that actually ate with all the synesthetic flash usually attributed to excellence (ingredients as bright as the day, flavors that blend together like colors), it would be Renu Nakorn’s nam kao tod. The plate is a mix of half-moons of Issan sausage (which isn’t far off from a Louisiana link), crispy rice, onion, ginger, Thai chilies, peanuts, lime juice and cilantro. The rice (tiny little beads crisped up but not quite fried) pair perfectly with the crunch of the peanuts. But it’s the onion, lime juice and ginger that come together best—a trio of strong flavors all tied together to make one powerful plate that’s clearly deserving of all that extra-sensory praise.

RENU NAKORN 13019 E ROSECRANS AVE | SUITE 105 | NORWALK 90650 | 562.921.2124 | OPEN MON-THURS 11AM-9:30PM | FRI-SAT 11AM-10PM | SUN NOON-8PM | FOOD FOR TWO $20-35 | BEER, WINE

Tags: dinner, lunch, norwalk, thai