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Thai Yellow Curry

Chicken, pork, prawns or beef is simmered in coconut milk, broth, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, dried red chile, glanga, cumin and other spices. Potatoes and slivers of bell pepper can be added. Served with jasmine rice.

• Good: Sky Chef Noodle - Thai Cuisine
• Better: Osha Thai Noodle Cafe
• Best: Bangkok Best Thai Cuisine

Good: Sky Chef Noodle - Thai Cuisine
On the Menu: “#22 Kang Ka Rhee –mild yellow curry” Price: $6.50	5850 Geary Boulevard (between 23rd and 24th Sts) San Francisco, CA 94121 415- 831-0634 Open daily: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

"Simple yet elegant”

The restaurant is small, clean and dimly lit. Classical music hums in the background. A simple setting of fresh cut, fragrant roses are placed on the table. A maroon and pale-yellow color scheme outlines the tables that are placed parallel against the wall. The eclectic mix of preserved vegetables and trinkets of toys and dolls remind you of Grandma’s house. It’s that simple, yet elegant, setting mixed with a tinge of pack-rat.

The service is invariably good. The food arrives in five minutes on a slow day.

A large, heaping mound of rice covers a medium-sized plate. The serving of the curry is also quite generous. The food is piping hot and the presentation is comparable to the taste. There are three major ingredients: chicken, potatoes and onion. The potatoes are a bit under-cooked. The curry is flavorful with its mix of spices, but too mild for me. The chicken looks like dark cut. It’s good but could be better.

Better: Osha Thai Noodle Cafe
On the Menu: "Panang Curry" Price: $6.95	696 Geary Street (corner of Leavenworth) San Francisco, CA 94102 415-673-2368 Fri - Sat: 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sun: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

"Great wee-hour grub — fast.”

Osha sits on a corner of Geary and Leavenworth, on the other three corners live two bars — one with karaoke — and a liquor store. It’s a late-night kinda junction.

Walking into the restaurant, I am struck by its cheery, clean brightness. And by the unusually high count of attractive people of the alternative-chic persuasion, working and eating there.

At 11 p.m. on a Monday, service is über quick. The food is on the table less than two minutes after we ordered.

The curry bowl is like a well-dressed lady of ceramic, painted and varnished, holding folds of fresh green basil, draped lightly over a richly amber sauce. Accompanying the dish is a huge plate of white rice, which tempers the spiciness of the oil-heavy gravy. The virtue of the sauce lies in the light hand in coconut milk, which allows the meat and basil flavor to shine. I ordered pork, which was a bit tough, so chicken or prawns might be a better choice next time.

It’s a good place to people watch, if you aren’t busy chowing on the generous servings of freshness, or having a laid-back conversation at your table.

Best: Bangkok Best Thai Cuisine
On the Menu: "#24 Panang Chicken Curry" Price: $7.50	301 Kearny Street (corner of Kearny and Bush) San Francisco, CA 94108 415-362-2216 Fax: 415-362-5523 Open daily: 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

"Save the best for last….”

Be overwhelmed with the aromatic spices and the cozy atmosphere. The photo-shrine of the Thai royalty welcome you as you enter the door. Bread baskets, filled wooden wine racks, and glass-covered tables with white tablecloths set the atmosphere. Ask to be seated by the window. You can gaze dreamily out the window at the suits rushing by as Vanessa Williams serenades you on 96.5 KOIT radio station.

The food arrives before the second song ends….

The serving portions are smaller. The rice looks like a giant ice cream scoop on a medium-sized plate. The oval dish that contains the curry is appetizing. Slivers of bell pepper dress the chicken that looks like white meat. The curry is a little on the salty side and the spiciness can linger in your mouth and makes your cheeks flush. The rice a bit on the crunchy side – not preferable if you’re use to a sticky, softer consistency. There is a great lunch menu that includes salad, fried wontons and your choice of jasmine on brown rice. The dinner menu prices are comparable, but it is somewhat deserted.