Our 10 Best: Thai Restaurants
No doubt it has a beguiling name, but did Thai Pot make our top 10?
It wasn't too long ago that New Yorkers had to hang their heads in shame when we compared our collection of Southeast Asian restaurants with those in Los Angeles. And our experience of the cooking of Thailand's northeastern Isaan region was limited to a papaya salad or two on the city's Siamese menus--which mainly presented an invented 19th-century cuisine sometimes known as Royal Thai.
The excellence of its pig leg over rice is a bellwether of whether a Thai place will be good or not.
But now all that is behind us. Sripraphai has almost become a household word, and further immigration has led to a slew of small Thai cafes, introducing us to the cuisines of farflung regions. Finally, new arrivants from Bangkok have taught us to love the diverse and modern food of the capital, which increasingly flaunts its Japanese and other international influences.
Here are Our Top 10 Thais, which turn out food from all parts of the country, including colorful curries, pungent and austere salads, and Chinese-influenced noodles. No more need New Yorkers be ashamed of our Thai restaurants, and we'll put our collection up against East Hollywood's any day of the week. As usual, if you don't see your favorite Thai among our choices, please tell us!
Turn the page to see the Runners-up to Our Top 10.
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