Thai and spicy in Tampa?

[exotec]

Who has suggestions for great Thai and miscellaneous spicy foods in Tampa? I have a coworker friend who can't find anything hot enough for her taste! *I* prefer to taste the food along with the spice -- but she puts hot sauce on EVERYthing, even her veggies! yikes!

[Sweftr]

Thai Thip - East Bay Drive at Belcher intersection (Albertsons Plaza) in Largo Fl

[curleegurl]

I recommend Jasmine Thai in Carrollwood on N. Dale Mabry. (in the same shopping center as Panera/Bonefish Grill). Great food, great service, great prices, and nice ambiance. Good curries!

[Lisaknowsfood]

I recommend Thai Sweet Basil BY FAR over other Thai joints here in Tampa. Very inventive food and some hot entries that will please your co-worker. Try the "Evil Jungle Salad". Just the name alone should make you curious, eh?

[andy huse]

Thia Ruby off of Bruce B. Downs has great lunch specials.

[sandra]

downtown st pete has bangkok thai and the king and i...both very good

[kjmjtalf]

There is a brand new Thai restaurant on 30th Street between Busch Blvd. and Fowler called "Thai Fusion". It is in an old storefront and lacks ambience but the food is EXCELLENT. They are having a bit of trouble getting dinner traffic but the lunch crowd is fairly decent. The prices are very reasonable and the waitstaff is delightful.

[Tandoori Girl]

I'm a HUGE fan of Sunee Thai but I also like Thailand Restaurant. They're definitely spicier than Sunee. I like Sunee for the stuffed chicken wings and green papaya salad, the best. IMO. I had heard that Sunee might be closed but aynrandgirl, you know it's not?

Love Sukothai. it's a little pricier, the food is lowdown, the decor is upscale -- he drive's more than I like, either place, from South Tampa, a haul. But all in all hard to beat.

I tried a place in downtown St. Pete recently. very good. wish i knew the name...

[aynrandgirl]

Sunee wasn't closed as of last month; haven't been by recently. There were only a couple of people in the restaurant, so it wouldn't surprise me if they shut down, especially since the landlord looks like he's renovating the center, has a new tenant (Gracie's Ice Cream, you must try the strawberry), and will probably raise the rents (typical when landlords renovate retail properties). Thailand Restaurant is defnitely spicier, which is why I like it.

[Tandoori Girl]

there are never more than a couple of people in sunee. i'm not sure which came first, sunee or thailand. they both appeared on the scene in the 70s. we used to refer to thailand restaurant as thai-lai as it was across from the jailai fronton (now disbanded all over FL).

[smoochieface]

as another post recommends, Thailand Restaurant on Dale Mabry south of Gandy (same side of the street as Lowes) is by far the best thai food I have had in Tampa. White plaza, blue sign, doesn't look like much but food is amazing and price is reasonable. I religiously order pad thai from there almost weekly. You can ask them to make your order really spicy too or to add some hot chili sauce/peppers on the side. Friendly and helpful, they will suggest dishes and customize dishes as you wish.

[Wineman]

I think that may have been the first Thai restaurant in Tampa. Always excellent.

[aynrandgirl]

Thailand Restaurant
5252 S Dale Mabry, Tampa

not to be confused with the IMO inferior Sunee's Thai that's practically next door (one strip center north).

[wishbugger]

The Ban Thai in Clearwater is excellent. Perfect service, always quality food. I always order mine Thai hot, then get a "spicy tray" for some extra goodies, like peppers in fish sauce. If the one in Tampa is half this good, it is the place to go. Same for Amarit Thai, in Palm Harbor.

[rikkikm]

My favorite Thai places are:
Ban Thai on West Village
Lai Thai on Fletcher
Benjarong Thai on Dale Mabry
Royal Thai Palace on S. Howard

I know someone will or has recommended Jasmine Thai, but I think they're overexposed. I didn't find their meals to be a value. Most Thai places bring heaps of rice and Jasmine Thai just gave us a little scoop of it. Sukothai on Dale Mabry was good several years ago. And there's a Thai Sweet Basil on Northdale that I haven't tried yet, but looks nice. There's no shortage of decent Thai restaurants in the area.

Indian: There's Udipi on Dale Mabry which is Vegetarian Indian cuisine. Good food, nice little place. Shalimar Indian downtown was good a year or so ago. And Bombay Masala on Waters has decent food (try that Garlic Naan which costs $2.50), but don't take a large group there- service was disappointing.