this one surprised us. brunswick is even less cosmopolitan than medina, with some run-down malls, ghosted for tenants, standing cheek by jowl alongside some that are, well, getting by. why and how this thai restaurant popped up there a year ago isn't a question we asked while there last weekend. we probably should have. i'll bet there's a good story behind it.
the building looks like it may have been a small one-story house at some point, then was converted into some other kind of restaurant, and finally found its niche as the larb thai. the serving area is small. there are three tables under umbrellas outside, where you can enjoy the romantic view of rundown businesses and cars racing by on pearl road. (we also noticed, tucked away on the side of the building, a small, nondescript herb garden, with some thai basil.) inside, larb thai offers a handful of four-seater tables on the left as you enter, a bar that's no longer in use, three two-seaters on the edge of the building as you move right, and finally a smaller four-seater which seems meant for people with 5' legs. we took the high table, not because we have 5' legs, but because the other four-seaters were in use, and my wife and i were planning to share three entrees. from experience, we know small, narrow tables won't cut it. if you have a party of three or more, i suggest calling ahead for a reservation--and it might even be wise to do so for a party of two, especially if you intend to be there before 8 pm on a friday or saturday night.
the place is attractively redecorated. abstracted thai designs in metal and engraved glass lend it a touch of class. we placed our order: chicken kaprow, eggplant delight, and crying tiger. i thought the last might be too hot for my wife, but the fire's been dampened enough on all dishes, there, to suit midwestern tastes. you'd have to ask for more peppers, and given my wife's aversion to them, i passed. we were well-situated to watch our waiter move repeatedly into and out of the kitchen. it looked spotless--literally. the place gleamed.
the food itself was, in general, very good. the chicken kaprow was nicely and subtly seasoned, with the garlic and thai basil blending together perfectly. the eggplant in the eggplant delight was sliced and well cooked, without being overdone, at which point it typically loses its texture. it had been spiced separately (with a bit of pepper) from the tofu, that was chewy but not oily. the beef in the crying tiger seemed on the dull side to me, though my wife enjoyed it. we requested no added salt, and the owner came out to ask whether a small dish of light sodium soy was acceptable. she got points for that. the white rice which came with all the dishes was thoroughly steamed, and lacked the sticky-starch clumping that we both find a turnoff. however, as brown rice enthusiasts, larb thai charges $2 more for the substitution, which is a shame.
all in all, we were pleased with our meal, and the service. we also had leftovers for another meal of each dish. we intend to go back and try other dishes.