3456 N. Sheffield Ave., Wrigleyville
This Wrigleyville Thai eatery stands out from other neighborhood spots thanks to its massive collection of toys and Pez dispensers. Nearly 1,000 dispensers and one eerily large Barbie decorate the Wrigleyville spot's women's room, while the walls in the men's room are plastered with more than 2,000 toys from fast-food meals. Cozy remains popular with Wrigleyville folks for its reasonably priced selection of Thai standards. READ MORE
110 W. Illinois St., River North
Billy Dec, Brad Young and Arturo Gomez, the trio behind hotspots Rockit Bar & Grill and The Underground are also behind this River North new Asian spot where Rodelio Aglibot, a.k.a. the "Food Buddha" (and former executive chef at L.A.'s Koi) is in the kitchen. The restaurant's name is a nod to the Sunda Shelf, a Southest Asian landmass, and incorporates modern takes on dishes from throughout the region. A large chunk of the lineup is devoted to China and Japan, but fare from other countries, including Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, makes an appearance too. Expect new Asian dishes such as Malay-style Chilean sea bass, crab-crusted ahi tuna with Japanese hot mustard-soy glaze, pork shank confit with garlic-foie gras gravy and watercress salad, and a couple of Asian-inspired noodle dishes. There's also a full sushi bar. READ MORE
4959 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn
From the owners of Sesame Inn of Evergreen Park has sprung Sushi Thaime, which serves Japanese, Thai and Chinese cuisine. Sushi is the main event here, with a la carte nigiri, sashimi and hand-rolled, cone-shaped tamaki. Specialty maki rolls include the Godzilla Roll (tempura shrimp, spicy bean spouts and cream cheese topped with fish eggs), the Rainbow Roll (crab, tuna, salmon, yellow tail and snapper) and the Dragon Roll (freshwater eel, avocado, cream cheese and scallions). Popular dinner picks include orange chicken, basil shrimp, pad thai and various teriyaki dishes. Special parties of 6 to 8 can dine in the Japanese-style tatami room, where shoes are shed and diners lounge on pillows on the floor.READ MORE
2020 W. Chicago Ave., Ukrainian Village
This veggie-friendly sushi and Thai restaurant in the former Barbari Cafe space expects to open in the summer of 2013, offering a wide array of Japanese dishes and sushi. Vegetarians are welcome to enjoy a selection of veggie-friendly options as well.READ MORE
2234 N. Western Ave., Logan Square
What this tiny Thai eatery in Bucktown lacks in space -- it only seats about 22 to 24 customers -- it makes up for in charm. Located in a converted house, Thai Eatery is a welcoming respite from busy Western Avenue outside. Owners Panida and Trak Silapaduriyang offer traditional Thai fare, including red, green and mussaman (yellow) curries, made a bit thicker than you'll find elsewhere. Other original takes on the classics include Shrimp in a Blanket -- a deep-fried spring roll wrapper stuffed with shrimp, crab meat and cream cheese. READ MORE
4018 N. Western Ave., North Center
This cheery North Center storefront features plenty of Thai standards like egg rolls, tom yum soup, curry dishes and pad Thai, but also features Northern Thai dishes you might not find elsewhere. Owner Kritsana Moungkeow even makes her own spicy Northern Thai sausage on-site, with ground pork, pork skins, herbs and red curry paste. Other choices include the spicy Northern Thai larb, ground pork and intestines stir-fried with scallions, garlic and mint; kow soy, a curry-and-coconut milk soup with egg noodles, pickled cabbage and choice of chicken or beef. More adventurous diners might opt for the khai jiaw khai mod, omelets stuffed with ant eggs, or the ka nom jeen num ngiaw, pork and cubed pork blood curry with rice vermicelli. Desserts include options like mor kang, a Thai-style custard and khao neaw durian, sweet sticky rice with rich Malaysian durian fruit in coconut milk. READ MORE
800 N. Clark St., Near North
This casual River North BYOB plays it safe with basic Thai standards. Expect a lineup of familar classics such as tom yum, lard na, pad woon sen and several curries, including green, red and (of course) panang. You'll also find some Chinese options (cashew chicken, chinese broccoli and beer with garlic sauce, et cetera) thrown in for good measure. READ MORE
1553 W. Devon Ave., Edgewater
This Edgewater BYOB serves a wide selection of traditional Thai dishes as well as a shorter list of maki and nigiri. The Thai portion of the menu runs the gamut from appetizers, soups and salads, to noodle and rice entrees, including curries. Maki options include about 20 traditional and signature rolls, with five special rolls that rotate on a weekly basis. There are about 10 nigiri choices. The dining room is contemporary but casual, with exposed brick and clean lines throughout. READ MORE
2819 N. Lincoln Ave., Lake View
This casual Thai BYOB features starters like tom yum soup, chicken satay, fried wontons and fish cakes, and moves into classic rice and noodle dishes like curry fried rice, pad Thai and lard nar. Entrees include choices like Bangkok chicken, shrimp with lobster sauce and broccoli beef. Seating is limited to a cozy dozen in the winter; the restaurant doubles in size when the rear patio opens during the summer months. READ MORE
