Life without spice is like . . . well, frankly, it's no life at all.
They understand that over at Vila Thai Cuisine, named after owner Vila Jarrell. There, herbs and spices accent the food. Lemongrass is used liberally, chile is applied as generously — or sparingly — as you like, fresh mint pops up frequently, and fresh basil is a staple.
Of course, that's the nature of Thai food, and while Vila isn't perfect, it is pretty darn good.
Part of what makes it so is the ambience. The restaurant sits on the second level of shops along East University just west of North Park Avenue. It has a large patio with miniature lanterns dangling around the bare tables. Inside, original art crowds the walls (check Thursday's Caliente for more information on that) and reggae music wafts over the diners. There's a hip/casual feel to the place, partly thanks to waiters who lace their service with sass.
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A sort of litmus test for Thai restaurants is the pad Thai.
The dish, often sold on the streets of Thailand, should have rice noodles that are moist without being too slick, a good balance of tamarind and fish sauces, bean sprouts to add a crunch, and red pepper for the desired heat.
At Vila Thai, they ask you to pick a heat between 1 and 5, with five being the hottest. A three was hot enough to tease the sinuses but not so hot that it blows out the taste buds.
In every way, Vila Thai's pad Thai ($10.25) passed that litmus test. It was full of flavor, had enough tender chicken (there's also a choice of beef, tofu and vegetables) to satisfy and an abundance of peanuts sprinkled on top, and the dinner serving was generous enough to pack some away for a next-day lunch.
Not working quite as well as the pad Thai was the Hot Summer ($10.25), with crunchy bamboo shoots, sweet bell peppers and fresh basil with a red curry paste sauce. That sauce was bland — it should have defined the dish more. Instead, it denied it the oomph it should have had.
The Eggplant Dream ($10.25) boasted lots of crunchy eggplant — that crunchy might be a disappointment to those who like theirs done more, but that's a personal preference. The dish, which also threw onions, carrots and mushrooms into the mix, was tossed with a ginger basil sauce. That sauce, too, was a bland mixture and tasted an awful lot like the sauce in the Hot Summer. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just not a particularly intriguing thing. And Thai food should be intriguing.
Which the Tom Kar soup ($9.25 with chicken) was. True, the coconut milk-based broth was on the thin side, but it was sweet from the milk, sour from the lime, and resplendent with flavors from lemon grass, chiles and ginger. It's right up there with mac and cheese when it comes to comfort food, only it's much more complex and worldly.
Though everything isn't stellar at Vila Thai, there never have been "I'll not go back there" moments. The food is most often fresh and flavorful.
And there's this:
There isn't a dish over $12.25, and most are less.
Restaurant review
Review
Vila Thai Cuisine
972 E. University Blvd., 393-3489
• Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays; 5-9 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sundays.
• Family call: Bring 'em along.
• Noise level: Tolerable.
• Vegetarian choices: Plenty.
• Dress: Casual.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Price range: Prices top out at $12.25.