Rod Dee

The Thai that binds

On the Cheap by Theresa Regli

It's always a welcome surprise when you discover a take-out joint that serves food you'd be happy to get in a sit-down restaurant. Less welcome might be the wait for your food; at the tiny, bustling Rod Dee, every dish is made to order, and sometimes it seems that every Thai family in Brookline makes eating here a daily ritual.

For good reason. Pad Thai ($5.75), which is made in shrimp and chicken or vegetable and tofu versions, has a light peanut flavor and herbed chicken chunks that make it a superb version of what may be America's favorite Thai dish. And there are nearly 100 more dishes ($2.50-$12.95): soups, salads, curries, rice plates, noodle plates, or "specialties." Pad cashew nuts ($8.50), which is a heaping portion of chicken, pork, or tofu sautéed with pineapple, onion, mushrooms, green pepper, carrots, scallions, and -- you guessed it -- cashew nuts, is typical of Rod Dee's many flavorful, chock-full-of-ingredients dishes.

Rod Dee, located at 1430 Beacon Street, Brookline, is open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 11 p.m. Call (617) 738-4977.

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