PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

This unassuming storefront on Broadway near Argyle holds one of the hottest, sweetest Thai restaurants in Chicago. Curries and hot pepper dishes are unflinchingly spicy and the pastry case offers house-made Thai desserts. Almost any Thai restaurant will serve pud see ew and pad prik king, but how many mix their own lychee ice cream and bake coconut dumplings and thin, crisp wafer cookies? Bring your friends to Thai Pastry to share dishes, eat family style and split the delectable desserts.

The menu includes the usual rice, noodles, salads and soups: pad thai, pad prik king, crying tiger (spicy beef), red, green and yellow curry. There are plenty of appetizers to share, including: satay, shu mai and fried bananas. The peanut sauce on the Rama chicken has a perfect balance of sweetness and spice. Basil, peppers and other vegetables are fresh and flavorful. Tofu and brown rice can be substituted in most dishes. Seafood dishes abound and specials change weekly; ginger tillapia or fresh sautéed perch for $13.95 are a few good picks. Most entrees range from $5 to $10.

The hot and sour seafood soup mixes green mussels, tender squid, and shrimp with basil and bell peppers. The kang pa red curry tasted spicy but not overpowering with Thai eggplant (lighter and crunchier than the Japanese variety) bamboo shoots and seedy little green peppers swimming in lush golden broth. Pud see ew is savory sweet with brown sauce and fresh carrots. Portions of pad thai and wide noodles with broccoli are generous and just saucy enough.

Tall glasses of Thai iced coffee and Thai iced tea mitigate the spice of the hot dishes and you can also order coffee, a pot of tea and soft drinks. Thai Pastry is BYOB.

Remind your friends to save room for dessert. You can try some of the pastries, many filled with cream, coconut or fruit. The house-made ice cream comes in parfait glasses or by the carton to take home. Coconut, green tea and mango are available and my favorite is lychee, light and creamy with chunks of the sweet white fruit.

Delivery and carryout are available and super cheap with the $6.50 lunch specials. If your coworkers like Thai food, try this menu on a weekday between 11am and 3pm. Delivery is available between Devon, Lake Shore Drive, Diversey and Western and it’s well worth a trip to Thai Pastry for lunch. You could also come here for a happy hour dinner after work. Popular but never overcrowded, Thai Pastry is relaxing with lime green walls, soft Thai music, and doll-house size models of Thai restaurants by the entrance. Service is friendly and substitutions are no problem.