Silk Thai does have all the well-tread Thai tastes on its menu, but it’s under those dishes that the restaurant keeps some more neglected flavors. Miang kum, for example, is an appetizer far out-eaten by spring rolls and satays. But Silk Thai resuscitates the dish—lettuce wraps that come with a culinary color wheel of dried [...]

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 [...]

Renu Nakorn evolves again

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Above the restaurant’s burnt-orange booths is a retrospective piece of Renu Nakorn’s history. It’s there, hung up dead center, that a canvas collage compiles the reviews and recommendations that opened up the Norwalk restaurant to national appetites. Among all the overlapping words are those of LA legend Jonathan Gold [...]

You could go to Tiny Thai week in and week out, trying something new every time, and end up neither broke nor bored. The curry is very spicy (and very good), and the garlic beef is a favorite—the abundant sauce is perfect for drizzling over your rice. The Lard Nar and Pad Thai are also [...]

Sophy’s Thai hot pot soups are righteous—the Sterno flaming and the stock bubbling as the waitress dishes up your straw mushrooms, shrimp and chunks of chicken from a coconut milk-based broth as spicy as you can stand. But if it’s Cambodian food you came for, the Phnom Penh Noodles are what you order. They serve [...]

Burma is the largest country in Southeast Asia, and Golden Triangle’s menu reflects that: a sprawling, multi-paged document offering well over 80 options. The ginger salad is a great start, a slaw-like mix of shredded ginger, bits of coconut, tomato, garlic, yellow peas, ground peanuts and sesame seeds all held together with a subtle lemon [...]

The first half of Dean’s menu—the Italian side—is probably the biggest draw. Full of the standards—pastas, sandwiches, lasagnas, pizzas—Dean’s Italian food doesn’t offer any surprises but pleases with its low-priced, respectable offerings. The other half of Dean’s menu—the Thai portion—is also packed with staples. From pad Thai to larb, Dean’s Thai offerings follow the same [...]

Upon arrival at the restaurants, the first thing you’ll notice is that there are two doors—no dividing wall between the restaurants, just two doors. Enter through the left, and you’re at Aki Sushi, a pleasant sushi joint with a friendly sushi bar and tasty menu. Enter through the right, and you’re at Bai-Plu, home to [...]

Tiny Thai makes for a great date—at half the price

TINY THAI by ROSHEILA ROBLES
There is a certain danger implicit in long-term relationships. It has nothing to do with sex, keeping the flame alive, or commitment—and everything to do with food. You’re young, but you and your partner have been going together long enough that you [...]

Eating amongst the indecisive at Aki Sushi/Bai-Plu

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Whether you happen to be a spineless shell of a human being or a gluttonous foodie who hasn’t yet met a well-prepared dish he wouldn’t eat, waffling about what to eat when dinner time comes around is never fun—especially if you’re with other people. It’s not [...]