Thai Place

Plain name, solid food

by Nina Willdorf

on the cheap

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If you can forgive this restaurant its unfortunate generic name, you'll find it a solid "place" to pick up some satisfying Thai food in student-saturated Allston/Brighton.

Strategically sandwiched between some ATMs and a liquor store, Thai Place appears to do a more vigorous business in take-out than in eat-in. But that's not for lack of appealing decor.

Sitting at one of the few small, wooden tables, we were able to sample many Thai staples, thanks to the bargain prices. We fancied the yellow curry with chicken ($5.95) much more than the pad Thai ($5.50), which was a bit dry and sadly skimpy on the chicken and shrimp. The curry was both sweet and spicy, and the warm chunks of pineapple and onion mixed nicely with the sticky rice.

Thai Place's soups were unusually large and tasty for their low prices. The hot-and-sour tofu soup ($2.50) was more sour than hot by the time it arrived, but the chicken coconut soup ($2.50) made up for it: small, juicy shiitake mushrooms and shards of lemongrass bobbed enticingly in the hot, sweet coconut milk.

If the dinner prices aren't rock-bottom enough for your cheap self, head to Thai Place for lunch, where it's all-you-can-eat for $4.99.

Thai Place, located at 184 Brighton Avenue, in Allston, is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight. Call (617)782.5782.

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