Restaurants in Tillmans Corner

The authentic menu features dishes that heap on the spice without overwhelming the subtle interplay of textures and flavors for which the culinary culture of Thailand is known. Although there are many dishes designed to set palates ablaze, Bangkok Balcony also offers a multitude of milder bites. Ignite the meal with an appetizer of mussels and fresh basil in hot garlic sauce ($9) or a more-sweet-than-sassy steamed pork-and-shrimp dumpling ($8). Season your stomach with curried plates such as pineapple curry with your choice of meat, green peas, and coconut milk ($14) or an oodle of see-you noodles with broccoli and egg ($13). Stick to the ground level of the food chain with one of many vegetarian delights, such as the tofu platter with deep-fried tofu stir-fried with carrots, broccoli, and onions in a roasted curry paste ($14).

In woks at Bangkok Cuisine, snow peas, shrimp, napa cabbage, and scallops snap sizzling drumrolls over the stove. Ingredients indigenous to Southeast Asia mingle in traditional Thai dishes, which also draw on the culinary traditions of the country’s neighbors. Catfish fillets marinate before chefs cover them in breading and chili sauce, and shrimp, scallops, and squid evoke Thailand’s palm-tree-sprinkled coast. Chefs tailor each dish’s spiciness to individual palates, delighting daring diners with thai peppers hotter than two astronauts hugging on Mars. Fusion dishes include Chinese staples such as sweet-and-sour sauce.

Inside the olive-hued dining room, Bangkok Pad Thai Restaurant’s chefs serve up dishes derived from many influences. Within traditional Thai cuisine, one can see the imprint of Szechuan-style cooking, the creamy coconut bases of South Indian curries, and the exotic flavours of Malaysia. The house special, pad thai, exhibits this merger of taste profiles with stir-fried rice noodles tempered by scrambled egg, bean sprouts, and crunchy peanuts. A slew of curry dishes add to the menu, along with vegetarian mains and traditional Thai soups such as tom yum goong, a spicy lemongrass broth filled with shrimp, mushrooms, and kaffir-lime leaves. After their forays into spicy territory, guests can cool off by sharing a slice of ice-cream peanut pie or pouring their complimentary ice water over their head.

The terms “coward” and “brave” are neither insults nor compliments at Bangkok Place Thai Restaurant; rather, they signify the level of spiciness a customer can handle. Chef Keo Phannavong and his wife Ann helm the casual eatery, where Keo brings 20 years of experience—and a slew of his mother’s recipes—to the kitchen. Using fresh ingredients, such as basil leaves, lemon grass, coconut milk, and chili, the master chef concocts a wide range of authentic Thai dishes that pack as little or as much spice as the patron desires or can trick his date into eating. The restaurant offers familiar Thai favorites, such as pad thai and tom yum soup, as well as some more obscure entrees, such as pla jien—a steamed fish topped with ginger and baby corn.

Wild Bangkok's team of chefs employs award-winning expertise gleaned from multiple continents to fashion a menu that offers authentic Thai fare made with healthy, organic, and locally derived ingredients. A full bar shines behind the marigold- and purple-hued dining space, with barkeeps standing by to uncap beers or pour, shake, and stir a variety of classic cocktails. The dining area's shoulder-stimulating booths accommodate both romantic dinners and group outings.

Sunlight glitters through Chappy's in Point Clear's wide-paned windows, illuminating chefs as they lightly fry trout fillets and drape shrimp hollandaise sauce over pork chops and tender milk-fed veal. From the kitchen, they'll hand over their gourmet surf 'n' turf entrees to a wait staff who then arranges them atop crisp white tablecloths where flower vases, napkins folded into fleur-de-lis, and life-size replicas of the Lusitania adorn place settings.