Chula Thai Cuisine, Foster City

A mélange of savory aromas fills Chula Thai Cuisine's dining room, giving diners a preview of the menu's complexly seasoned entrees. In addition to simmering curries with aromatic blends of pumpkin, coconut milk, and basil leaves, the chefs forge platefuls of Thai-style barbecue, which FosterCityPatch called "the restaurant's crown jewel." The entrees trigger taste buds for each of the four basic flavors—bitterness, saltiness, sourness, and sweetness—but the chefs can also add dollops of chili sauce to create spicier, more intense dishes that can be used to refill mace canisters.