Sawaddee Thai-Sushi

Sawaddee is inauspiciously tucked off Normandy Circle. In the five years since Montri and Riam Putlek opened this petite room, locals have learned the location quite well; the 16 seats are consistently filled, as are numerous take-out orders. Another eight stools run in an L shape against a sushi bar that fairly dominates the space. Sawaddee's smallness works to its advantage, making the dining experience seem intimately personal. Service is swift, efficient, and attentive to one's limits regarding spiciness. Perhaps too attentive: Our order of green papaya salad (som tam), "flavored with hot peppers," was not flavored with hot peppers. It was taken back to the kitchen and returned in authentically fiery (and delectable) form. Roast duck in red curry (kaeng phet or gaeng ped), requested medium-spicy, arrived mild. Still, the abundant duck slices were soft and tasty in cahoots with bell pepper, onion, peas, tomatoes, baby corn, pineapple chunks, peeled green grapes, and basil leaves. Steamy jasmine rice is plated alongside. Pad thai is worthy as well. If you want beer or wine with dinner, it's BYOB (and no corkage fee!).