Chao Phraya

Frommer's Review

Contender for the title of best Thai in town, this spot boasts a panache that sets it a few notches above most of its rivals, which means that every table is filled on the weekends. Named for a river in Thailand, Chao Phraya brightens its corner on increasingly fashionable Laurier Avenue with white table linens and sprays of orchids on each table. The host helps with suggestions about the most popular items on the menu: dumplings in peanut sauce as an appetizer, and a mixed seafood composed of squid, scallops, shrimp, crab claws, mussels, and chunks of red snapper as a main. The food is tangy, and menu items are given one to three hot-pepper symbols grading hotness (two printed peppers are about right for most people). A cooling cucumber salad helps, and you'll want a side of sticky rice, too. There is a good selection of vegetarian options. Everything comes in attractive bowls and platters, and the atmosphere is warm and cozy.

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