Pad Thai

In many cultures, especially Asian, a humble facade hides a fancy home inside. In this case, though, the inside of Pho Dat Thanh (pronounced "Foe Daht Than") in Snowden Marketplace, Columbia, isn't all that fancy, either. A single room, with a small bar to one side near the entrance, features silvery green walls with a tangerine-hued chair rail in the middle and rather non-descript prints above. The tables are bare-topped, with a stainless basket of condiments providing a bit of color.

There was a time when Chinese restaurants abounded in this area. Granted, they still exist in storefronts, specializing in carryout. But many dine-in Chinese restaurants these days have re-invented themselves to include a wide range of culinary genres, not “just” Chinese. One such place is Asian Palace Restaurant &  Bar in Hickory Ridge. Owner Feng Liu opened his doors last July, with a menu that features Chinese, Japanese, Thai and even American cuisines (rack of lamb with mashed potatoes is listed under the house specialties.)

Reisterstown Road sometimes feels like a headache looking for a place to land, with so much traffic, so many stoplights and so many big shopping centers, one right after the other. However, an oasis of calm can be found at Thai Orient, a small restaurant nearly overshadowed by a giant T.J. Maxx in the Valley Centre shopping strip. The restaurant, nearly nine years old, is perfectly clean, but it looks dated inside, with maroon-clad booths and a giant chandelier hovering over a palm tree in the middle of the room.

In many cultures, especially Asian, a humble facade hides a fancy home inside. In this case, though, the inside of Pho Dat Thanh (pronounced "Foe Daht Than") in Snowden Marketplace, Columbia, isn't all that fancy, either. A single room, with a small bar to one side near the entrance, features silvery green walls with a tangerine-hued chair rail in the middle and rather non-descript prints above. The tables are bare-topped, with a stainless basket of condiments providing a bit of color.

What's a suburban shopping center without a Chinese restaurant? Hunan Legend, which has been dispensing egg rolls, chicken lo mein and other tried-and-true dishes from a Howard County village center for a dozen years, is a perfect example of the breed. The restaurant is spacious and brightly lit inside, with white tablecloths on large round tables perfect for sharing food. The unbelievably lengthy menu offers mostly Hunan and Szechwan dishes, and touches down briefly in Thailand with a version of pad Thai.

THAI AROMA 8815 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City //410-480-5100 HOURS // 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sundays--Thursdays; 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays RESTAURANT'S ESTIMATE // 10 minutes READY IN // 10 minutes From the tangy noodles and sauce to the sides of crisp sprouts and carrot shavings, the restaurant really nailed its pad Thai, $10.45. This was the only restaurant to ask us if it was all right to include eggs. Know of a good carryout place? Let us hear about it.Write to sam.sessa@baltsun.

804 N. Charles St. Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. (410) 752-5857. Squeezed in a block of larger restaurants, Thairish is like that Volkswagen that spurts out clown after clown: How can so much come out of something so small?The cafe/carryout (there are two counter tops with stools for eat-ins) serves up splendidly flavorful Thai specialties, prepared right before your eyes by the genial proprietor. A veteran of other restaurants in town, such as the Museum Cafe, he's great fun to watch in his tidy kitchen, which is bravely in full view of customers: With the precise, no-extra-movements style of the well-trained, he splashes ingredients into a pot on one burner and shakes a sizzling skillet on another.

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At a time when some places are moving away from tapas back to more traditional menus, the new Ranazul (8171 Maple Lawn Blvd., 301-498-9666) in Maple Lawn has embraced the concept wholeheartedly. "An international fusion kind of thing" is how Chad Price, the restaurant's marketing director, described the cuisine behind the small plates. That means Salmon-Avocado Sushi (sliced salmon with Chinese mustard and seasoned avocado on a bed of seaweed salad) as well as Arepas (corn cake with crab, shrimp and tomato ragout)

THAI RESTAURANT, 3316 Greenmount Ave. Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. Phone: 889-7303.Baltimore's original Thai Restaurant is arguably its best, providing lightening-fast service whether carrying food out or dining in the pleasant pink room decorated with Thai paintings.The greatest artistry, however, will be found on your plate -- beautifully garnished, crisp-tender combinations of vegetables, meats and spices and none of the heavy, gelatinous sauces that are found in many Chinese restaurants.

What's a suburban shopping center without a Chinese restaurant? Hunan Legend, which has been dispensing egg rolls, chicken lo mein and other tried-and-true dishes from a Howard County village center for a dozen years, is a perfect example of the breed. The restaurant is spacious and brightly lit inside, with white tablecloths on large round tables perfect for sharing food. The unbelievably lengthy menu offers mostly Hunan and Szechwan dishes, and touches down briefly in Thailand with a version of pad Thai.

At a time when some places are moving away from tapas back to more traditional menus, the new Ranazul (8171 Maple Lawn Blvd., 301-498-9666) in Maple Lawn has embraced the concept wholeheartedly. "An international fusion kind of thing" is how Chad Price, the restaurant's marketing director, described the cuisine behind the small plates. That means Salmon-Avocado Sushi (sliced salmon with Chinese mustard and seasoned avocado on a bed of seaweed salad) as well as Arepas (corn cake with crab, shrimp and tomato ragout)

Efforts have been made to gussy up this new Thai restaurant in a Perry Hall shopping center. The track lighting and shabby-looking chairs could make the space depressing, but colorful tapestries and stylized paintings of flowers go far to brighten the room. But it's the smile of owner Bangone Khambay, who bustles around taking orders and filling water glasses, that makes Bouala's Thai Restaurant seem so sunny. Khambay, who was born in Laos and lived in Thailand, opened her restaurant in Perry Hall because there are no other Thai restaurants nearby, she said.

WHEN I LAST REVIEWED BAN THAI, I worried that it might not survive. That was in 1993. I'm not sure how this pleasant and decidedly unhip little Thai restaurant has managed to hang on -- and not only survive but flourish for 13 years. Ban Thai has good food if you order right, but that's not always enough to save a Charles Street restaurant. The problem is that it has the feel of a neighborhood eatery, but the neighborhood is mostly office buildings, empty at night. After 13 years, Ban Thai is beginning to have a comfy retro appeal, so maybe people try it at lunch and come back for dinner.

THAI AROMA 8815 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City //410-480-5100 HOURS // 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sundays--Thursdays; 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays RESTAURANT'S ESTIMATE // 10 minutes READY IN // 10 minutes From the tangy noodles and sauce to the sides of crisp sprouts and carrot shavings, the restaurant really nailed its pad Thai, $10.45. This was the only restaurant to ask us if it was all right to include eggs. Know of a good carryout place? Let us hear about it.Write to sam.sessa@baltsun.

Nothing sends a shiver through me like a phone ringing very late at night. It's the time when people are prone to pass away. It's also, or so I've noticed lately, when they tend to get engaged. Alas, no one calls in the wee hours to propose to me. I'm merely part of the telephone tree of single women in their mid-20s relaying the good fortunes of others: elementary school chums, former snoring bunkmates, even old and bitter foes. Usually, it's the girl's best friend (henceforth her maid of honor)

Thai Arroy is a sweet little restaurant, the kind a city can't have too many of. It isn't breaking new ground -- Baltimore's Thai restaurants all seem to fall into the homey neighborhood category -- but you can't help liking a place where the staff is so eager to please and the food is such a good value. Believe it or not, it's hard to spend more than $20 a person here, and for that you get a ton of food. The Federal Hill storefront has been transformed into a festive little space whose focal point is a handsome Thai landscape along one exposed brick wall.

I've always figured that anybody could find something they like in the 800 block of North Charles Street, whether it's good Chinese, good Afghan or a good martini. After a recent visit to Thairish, I would add very good Thai food to that list as well. The oddly named eatery sits in a tiny 500-square-foot space and offers seating for 18 people. In a nice touch, a fresh flower sat in a vase on each of the three tables. Thai prints and maps decorate the walls. Thai native Kerrigan Kitikul opened the restaurant more than a decade ago and still does the cooking.

The Lotte Plaza on U.S. 40 in Ellicott City has become a culinary destination for anyone who likes Asian food. In addition to the sprawling Lotte supermarket, with its enormous selection of sauces, spices, seafood and vegetables, there are several Asian restaurants in the shopping center. Relatively new to the plaza is Thai Aroma, which took over the spot vacated by House of Asia about a year ago. The restaurant is pleasantly spacious, the tables covered with white cloths and the service attentive.

Recently, I asked friends from Silver Spring who know Thai food and culture very well to recommend a good Thai restaurant in Howard County. They immediately suggested Bangkok Garden. My husband and I invited them to accompany us because my friends, Adele and David Schwartz, are experts who also pronounce the names of Thai dishes correctly. To expand the number of new dishes we could try, Adele brought along her sister and brother-in-law, Sheila and Reuven Lev-Tov. Reuven said that whenever he goes to a Thai restaurant, he compares it with Bangkok Garden - his gold standard.