Items from the menu such as Pad Kra Pao, though, do appear to be some of Thai House's best items. This was one of the "Thai Favorites" listed on the menu, and was one of at least two basil dishes I saw listed. This one had basil leaves in a chile and garlic sauce, and came with a choice of meat. I thought the shrimp I ordered was probably one of the better meat choices, and tasted quite fresh. This dish was rather sparse on vegetables unless the basil was counted (and that was more for flavoring). The bowl of rice that came with it added enough substance so that it was filling if one could get through the hot chiles and finish the dish (which I did once my mouth went through the singeing stage and fell into a state of semi-numbness). Throughout, though, I could taste the flavors that marked this as a classic Thai dish.

Pad prik king

Pad Prik King is usually one of my favorite dishes, and is made with red curry paste (curry without coconut milk). The one here was very good, and the tofu I ordered with it was quite satisfying. It is strange, though, that I have ordered this dish from three restaurants in Edmond and about a half dozen in Oklahoma City, and all have been good. Maybe I like this curry so much I am not qualified to judge which ones are good and which are less so, but to me they have all been excellent (including the one here). The green beans may vary in quality, and I am sure that depends on what the chef can find at the market. The ones here were crisp and fresh.

Panang curry with shrimp

Panang Curry was another recommendation of the staff, and I thought was very good. Like other dishes I have tried here, I thought it was enhanced quite a bit by the fresh shrimp that was served with it, although the curry itself had the flavor I associate with good Thai restaurants.

The menu has a section called "Salad" that can pack a big punch in both spiciness (if you order it that way) and flavor. I tried Larb (pronounced "laap") with chicken, although beef and pork are also available (all are ground meat). The meat is cooked with mint leaves, onions, cilantro, rice powder, and lime juice with Thai chilis for a very flavorful dish, with the "salad" being the lettuce and cucumber that are served on the side. If I had tried this dish at Thai House for the first time, I probably would have given it a five star rating, and I definitely liked it. The one I ordered at Thai Garden, though, has been the best I have tried in Oklahoma City, and I thought had better flavors than the one here.

Papaya salad, or som tom, served Lao style, with sticky rice on the side

I found the Som Tom, or papaya salad, to be the most interesting salad I have tried at Thai House. Made with chopped papaya, Thai chiles, garlic, and tomato, the "dressing" or sauce with a shrimp flavor is the key to the dish, and I found the one here to be very good. Thai House offers a bonus on this dish, in that it can be served either Thai or Lao style, with the basic ingredients being the same but coming with different sauces. I have tried the Lao style papaya salad in several restaurants in Amarillo (where there is a concentration of Lao restaurants), and I could not pass up the opportunity to try a Lao dish in Oklahoma City. I am glad I did, since the papaya salad here compared very favorably to the ones in Amarillo (and in fact was better than some of the others I have tried). Not only is this the only authentic Lao dish I have found in Oklahoma City, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it seemed to be a very good example of the dish. The one here was not as spicy as some others I have tried, but it can be ordered that way (I thought it tasted good with a medium spice).

Thai House has Sticky Rice available, and it goes very well with the papaya salad. Sticky rice is good for dipping into the sauce to enjoy maximum flavor from the salad, but I liked the flavor of the rice itself.

Thai House had a very good Thai Tea served cold to help me get through the hot food.