Royal Thai

Offering more options than most and bending over backward for vegetarians allows Royal Thai to hold its own among the city’s many Thai joints. A Chinese influence finds its way into some of the dishes, like the light, fragrant Chinese flowering cabbage soup, chock-full of soft wontons. Classic dishes, like pad thai, are sauced just right: enough for flavor, but not so much that you need to play “Where’s the Noodle?” Soups are among the strengths; try the tom kha pla (tilapia in spicy coconut-milk broth) or the potak, which is brimming with shrimp, mussels and squid.