Best of Tucson 1996: Best Thai

Best Thai

Char Thai Restaurant
5039 E. Fifth St.

READERS' AND STAFF PICK: We've tried other Thai restaurants in town, really we have, and we have to agree it doesn't get any better than the fare presented at Char Thai. Fully embracing the best of what this cuisine has to offer, from fiery chiles (yes, indeed, heed that little asterisk at the bottom of the menu) to piquant sauces sweetened with citrus and coconut milk, Char's food sparkles on many levels. The larb neau is listed among the appetizers at Char, but this in combination with wonton or egg roll would easily suffice as a full meal. Finely ground meat marinated and prepared with a mixture of lime juice, cilantro, mint, green onions and chiles and served cold with a large wedge of iceberg lettuce, the larb is a culinary balancing act of spicy-hot, cold, salty, sour and sweet. Amazing. And nothing beats Char's hot-and-sour chicken soup to ward of the seasonal cold. A spicy broth infused with lime juice and lemon grass, this soup is definitely good for whatever ails you. We've yet to try an entree that's failed to please, with a few of our favorites being the thai-style marinated BBQ chicken; beef with red chile, coconut milk and basil; and the pad thai. Short of hopping a plane to Bangkok, Thai food doesn't get any better than that found at Char Thai.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: China Thai Cuisine's menu may seem impossibly ambitious, but the kitchen staff employed at 6502 E. Tanque Verde Road prove they're up for the task with signature dishes like the mussamun curry, a comfort food rich with coconut milk, peanut sauce, chiles and potatoes. And their pad thai is not only delectable, it's been credited with inducing labor on at least one occasion. This may be taking it a bit over-the-top to remind us that variety is the spice of life; but hey, true story.