Credit: Photo by John Anderson

Thai Cuisine

4101 W. Parmer Ste. F, 835-7888
Monday-Thursday, 11am-2:30pm, 5-9:30pm; Friday, 11am-2:30pm, 5-10pm; Saturday, noon-3pm, 5-10pm; Sunday, noon-3pm, 5-9:30pm
www.thaicuisineaustin.com

My favorite aspect of Thai Cuisine in far north Austin is the all-you-can-eat appetizer bar. Featuring fresh raw spring rolls, a spicy tom yum soup, salad, and two types of hot fried spring rolls – one filled with cabbage and the other filled with rice noodles and lettuce then dipped in egg – the appetizer bar accompanies entrées at lunch only. This is definitely a deal to take advantage of for a late lunch on weekend afternoons. Judging from the respectable crowd there one Sunday, I’d say many people agree.

Food at Thai Cuisine is generally well-prepared. Pad prik khing ($7.95), the restaurant’s special curry, pops with the scent of fresh lime leaves and lightly sweetened red chili sauce. The dish is loaded with crisp green beans that delectably soak up the sauce. We also enjoyed the flavor of the pad se ewe ($7.95), stir-fried flat rice noodles with beef, kale, eggs, and thick dark soy sauce, though we found the noodles to be slightly overfried. On the waitress’ recommendation, we ordered the pad graw prow with shrimp ($9.95), spicy, sweet, and sour accented with fresh basil, bell peppers, and onions. This is nothing special – a shrimp stir-fry with chiles and basil. The menu boasts an impressive collection of salads such as the larb ($9.95), chicken blended with chopped rice, cilantro, mint, and scallions, and the Thai Cuisine Salad ($6.95), a mix of lettuce and other veggies with shrimp and imitation crabmeat that keeps customers returning.

The major decorative element of the sunny interior space is a flat-screen TV, which is usually on and makes Thai Cuisine an appealing place to bring children. Indeed, the restaurant bustles with North Austinites and their children out for a quick, casual meal.

This article appears in October 9 • 2009.

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Rachel Feit is an archaeologist by trade who worked her way through college in kitchens in Chicago and Austin before discovering that dishing up words was more satisfying that dishing up meals. She has been writing about food and restaurants for The Austin Chronicle for more than a decade, but still loves to cook.