Glai Baan – Phoenix, Arizona
“We are a “Very Thai” kitchen, focusing on street food and snacks that you would commonly find while visiting Thailand. Most of our dishes are best shared and many dishes are from the Isan region (northeastern), where they like their food spicy. We source our produce and meat locally when possible, and we do not use MSG.” When I read that introductory statement on Glai Bann’s website and menu, I nearly danced with joy. Over the years I’ve become increasingly frustrated with Thai restaurants in that the balance of flavors–sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy–has skewed overwhelmingly toward sweet. The culinary journey at many Thai restaurants is incomplete for those of us who don’t particularly like entrees as sweet as desserts.…