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| - Thai restaurant names provide an eternal source of loving humor for me; they are almost always expressed through the formula "Thai __X__" or "__X__ Thai," with X = a random kitchen ingredient or cultural symbol. Brown Sugar Thai might crack my top 10 list, joining the elite company of classics such as Thai Rice, Thai Basil, Jasmine Thai, Thai Elephant and Thai Noodle.
Name aside, I left very impressed with easy-to-overlook, nondescript Brown Sugar Thai. Very fresh and nuanced preparations: summer rolls tightly wrapped with mint and basil (fresh, even in the dead of winter), tangy larb salad that spills over crisp greens, and scrumptious, chewy homemade-looking pad see ew noodles accented perfectly with sweet soy, egg, and melt-in-your-mouth soft tofu.
Each dish is garnished with an intricately-peeled carrot or radish in the shape of a flower. This is the little kind of touch that confirms what the food quality already suggests: that there is someone back there in the kitchen with a patient, skilled hand who understands the importance of details and appreciates the convergence between food and art.
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