I've tried the hot basil chicken (pad ka-prao gai or, more likely, pad horapa gai) a few times. The flavor has been consistently excellent and I will return for it again.<br>
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Every component has been cooked perfectly. The chicken was juicy and tender. The carrots were moderately soft and full of savory flavor. The peppers, onions, and mushrooms had a little bite and structure; they were never overcooked. There was an appropriately generous amount of relatively small and very fresh basil leaves.<br>
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The Thai chili sauce is divine and it's really the star here. It's rich and slightly gelatinous, which makes it stick to every piece of meat and vegetable it touches, while also providing a supremely satisfying mouthfeel. I suspect they use a high-quality chicken stock to achieve this. The flavor is complex and intensely savory but well-balanced with a subtle sweetness and saltiness. There are strong notes of garlic and little presence of fish sauce, which probably makes it more likely to appeal to the American palate. The level of spiciness is appropriate but I would personally prefer it to be much higher.<br>
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Even though I tend to go for the chili-infused fish sauce (nam pla prik) to bump up the flavor and spice level in most Thai restaurants, I can't say that I was really missing the flavor of fish sauce here. The flavors were so well-balanced and satisfying out of the kitchen that I don't think it would be improved by me adding anything.<br>
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I only have two minor points of criticism. First, if you request a higher spice level, the balance of the entire dish is thrown off so you're pretty much stuck with the standard one. Second, I always feel like the amount of rice provided is a bit too small. I end up having to consciously conserve it while eating so that I have a few bites of it that I can use to mop up the last bit of delicious Thai chili sauce.<br>
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The price and portion size are fair, and completely in-line with what I expect from a restaurant like this. I have always left satisfied.
