The extravagant talent of chef/owner Manita Bunnagitkarn shines at this teensy, bargain-priced Coolidge Square storefront, where she applies Western fine-dining training to great local produce and traditional Thai recipes, with results that are as eye-catching as they are delicious. Her meticulous plating skills and clear flavors are equally evident in less-familiar dishes like poh piah (fresh rolls with beautiful crêpes subbing for rice-paper wrappers) and standbys like coconut-milk-based red curry. It’s a Tiffany diamond in a pawn-shop box.
Cha Yen Thai Cookery
613 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown • (617) 393-0031
chayenthaicookery.com
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2017 Winner: Cha Yen Thai Cookery
Chef/owner Manita Bunnagitkarn has always wowed us with her super-traditional Thai flavors, which she occasionally dresses up with Western fine-dining flair...
- 613 Mt Auburn St., Watertown
- (617) 393-0031
- chayenthaicookery.com