Ben’s Noodles & Rice

It seems every neighborhood has its go-to Thai takeout spot (or three), and this is Edgewater’s. Here though, Pad Thai gets a bit more salty fish sauce to balance out what is usually a sticky sweet concoction, and the basil chicken sports a rich brown sauce nuanced with anise and pepper, making both a cut above the usual suspects. Upping the ante even more is the presence of “E-san” (a.k.a. Issan or Northeastern) sausage, the grill-marked, crunchy-skinned pork links perfumed with lemongrass, ginger and pepper.