Let me start by saying that I love Thai food. Along with Vietnamese food, it ranks as one of my favorite cuisines. What I like in both are the fresh herbs and spices, and the clincher: fish sauce.

Soi 71 opened about a year ago on Road 71 Gulshan in Dhaka. It is in my opinion the best Thai restaurant in town. I was told by the management that the fresh herbs and spices are brought from Bangkok regularly; so the more recent the shipment, the better the food. They also have two Thai chefs.

By now I’ve eaten five or six times at Soi 71–and always, the spices tasted fresh, newly arrived. So either I’ve been very lucky with my timing, or the food is simply very good.

One favorite that Jalal and I try from every Thai menu is Gai Pad Kra Pao: minced chicken with hot basil and chili.  It’s a yardstick we use to gauge the quality of the restaurant. And I find the one at Soi 71 absolutely delicious. Outside of Bangkok, I have tried this dish from New York City to Boston to San Diego to Paris, and I think Soi 71 has the most authentic preparation. It’s all in the krapao basil.

Chicken Pad Kra Pao at Soi71

In many restaurants, you have the choice of getting the meat either minced or sliced. I like it minced, allowing the sweet chili basil sauce to smother every morsel of  chicken. At Soi 71, the dish contains cut green beans, which gives a nice crunchy contrast to the soft moist meat. And with the peppery basil tones, the fiery heat of the chilis, and the oh-so-addictive fish sauce, this dish is one of my all time favorites.

One staple that I have never tried in Thailand is Pad Thai. I’ve only eaten the syrupy sweet dense version in the West. In contrast, Soi 71 has a light and fresh Pad Thai, which follows very well after the hot hot Pad Kra Pao.

I tried the Chili Garlic Prawns a couple of times. Unlike most other dishes at Soi 71, this dish was a bit inconsistent. The first time we were presented with a richly flavorful dish, a garlicky delight. Another time, a garnish of too much fresh coriander made it taste more “desi” than Thai.

Over our several visits, we have sampled other dishes, including Tod Mun, another Thai staple for us. These spongy fish cakes were spiced just right, with a wonderful tang of lemongrass. For the brave, the Beef Green Curry with Thai eggplant is highly recommended. It’s deceptively hot, and the undertones of green chili sizzle on the tongue long after the mouthful has been consumed. Delectable.

Now someone please pass me the Pad Thai to douse out the fire. And if that does not do the trick, one of their many fresh juices surely will!