By Brooke A. Brown

It always comes as a surprise when a friend or colleague informs me they’ve yet to try the Thai House in Dunbar. Partially because I go on and on about how good the food is there, but mostly because the place is always packed.

My very first taste of authentic Thai cuisine took place at Joe Fazio’s, West Virginia’s famous Italian restaurant. Now, before you go doling out a ‘whatchoo talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?,’ let me briefly explain. I worked at Fazio’s as a host several years back, and my co-host, I guess you could call him, was from Thailand. His wife – also from ‘the land of smiles’ – worked with us and we all became good friends, even though her English was limited strictly to ‘hello’ and ‘thank you.’

On Fridays, which quickly became known (only to me) as Thai-days, they would bring me the food of their native land: Tom Ka Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup), some exotic salmon curry dish with loads of garlic, ginger and lemongrass (the name of which escapes me), and the national dish of Thailand, Pad Thai.

It was love at first bite! Unfortunately this arrangement was short lived as we each eventually left the Bullitt Street landmark for greener pastures. At least I was now equipped with knowledge of Thai cuisine’s main objective: to balance the five fundamental flavors (spicy, sour, sweet, salty and bitter) in either each individual dish or the entire meal. They say knowledge is power, but how does that put Pad Thai in my belly?

Call it fate, karma or sheer dumb luck, but it was amazingly soon after I left Fazio’s that Dunbar’s Thai House opened shop. And how fortunate for me, because this place serves the best Pad Thai I’ve ever had (Basil of Charleston, South Carolina, serves a close second). The portion is as generous as my Thai friends, and the flavors are very well balanced.

Any Pad Thai is going to have a common framework of stir-fried rice noodles, egg, fish sauce, tamarind juice, chili pepper and peanuts. Carnivores such as myself enjoy adding chicken, beef or pork, the foremost being my protein of choice in this application. The Thai House version builds from this foundation by adding carrot, bean sprouts, green onions, tofu and, most certainly, a splash of citrus. Scanning this ingredient list will present perfect examples of those five fundamental flavors mentioned earlier: spicy (chili pepper), sour (tamarind juice), sweet (carrot), salty (fish sauce) and bitter (citrus).

The Thai House has an extensive menu, and I’ve tried a number of their curries and even a duck dish or two. It has all been exceptional. But it’s the Pad Thai that keeps me coming back for more. Partially because it’s extremely delicious, but mostly because it reminds me of my dear friends.

AND NOW, A FEW THAI HOUSE TIPS:

1. The Thai House does not accept debit/credit cards, so bring cash.

2. Dine early. The dining room is small, and it fills up fast… especially on weekends.

3. The service is not what you’d call speedy. Be prepared to sit a bit.

4. Thai Iced-Tea is crazy sweet. Far sweeter than any cola beverage. Consider yourself warned.

IF YOU GO: Thai House, 2059 Roxalana Road, Dunbar, W.Va., 304-720-3228

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