9 Park Street, Essex Junction 288-9499

One of my favorite culinary triangles is right in Essex’sFive Corners. My fondness for Barney Crnalic’s creations at Café Mediterano iswell documented. I had a superb meal at the Belted Cow last week. Now I have togive props to the little Thai spot that could, Drunken Noodle House.

First opened as Lemongrass in the South Burlington building nowoccupied by Kong Chow, the super-low prices, varied menu and eclecticdecorations had me at ‘Sawadee’. When Drunken Noodle opened in Essex last year,things just got better.

On a roster loaded with Thai specialties prepared withreliable excellence, there is nothing like the crispy tamarind chicken. Coatedin corn flour, the tender pieces of meat loll in a shallow pool of sweet andsour tamarind sauce. The hallmark of Thai cuisine is the ideal balance betweensweet, sour and spicy tastes. Here, it attains perfection. Did I mentionit’s $7.67?

Duck is by far my favorite fowl, and you can get severaliterations at Drunken Noodle, all but one topping out at $12.55. My favorite isthe subtle and, once again, ideally balanced Pad Ped duck, crispy slices of thebird in a subtly spicy (though it’s labeled with two stars for heat), withgreen beans, peppers, basil and ginger and just a hint of sweetness.

Desserts are often something of a lost cause at Asianrestaurants. Not so here. I have trouble deciding between the area’s best mangosticky rice ? perfectly tender, yet slightly al dente and bathed in thickenedcoconut milk – the banana egg rolls bathed in chocolate sauce and honey; andthe Thai ice cream – a sort of east-Asian brownie sundae – a scoop of vanillaice cream covered in jack fruit, all sitting atop a warm pile of sticky rice.Who knew fruit and rice could be so decadent?