Cleveland, OHThai

Map of Thailand brings Thai cooking to Payne Avenue in AsiaTown, a room of pendant lights and navy tabletops that plays up presentation. Curries arrive with a cone-shaped mound of rice, and the golden bags, fried purses of shrimp and chicken tied with a scallion bow, are a signature starter. Cleveland Magazine features it in its guide to AsiaTown restaurants.

Ty Fun Thai Bistro is a Tremont mainstay from owner Sunny Ting, who learned family recipes from his father in Bangkok. He grows Thai basil, chilies, and mint in a small garden beside the restaurant. The kitchen sends out som tum papaya salad, lad nar, a pad thai built on his dad's sauce, and a massaman curry scented with cinnamon and cardamom. Cleveland Magazine profiled the bistro.

Banana Blossom Thai Cuisine opened in Ohio City in 2010 from chef Montri Visatsud, his wife Amy, and partners from Bangkok. The kitchen leans on fresh vegetables and bright flavors, from tamarind duck plated with nine vegetables to a lime dressed papaya salad, panang curry, and coriander beef built on marinated flank steak. Cleveland Magazine includes it in local Thai dining coverage.

Thai Elephant runs out of a Kamm's Corners storefront on Lorain Avenue from owner Sirima Krabnoic, who also operates Thai Chili in Avon Lake. The kitchen keeps things unfussy and adjusts spice to order, with fresh basil rolls wrapping shrimp and vegetables in rice paper, a drunken noodle Kee-Mao over flat rice noodles, and rad nar. Cleveland Magazine reviewed the restaurant's straightforward Thai cooking.

Thai Thai serves Bangkok style street food on Madison Avenue in Lakewood. A house staple is kra praow, a choice of meat stir fried with fresh basil, chile and garlic over jasmine rice with a fried egg. The menu runs from pad thai and pad see ew to pink Yen Ta Foe soup, closing with mango sticky rice and bubble tea. Cleveland Magazine includes it in local Thai dining coverage.