The street cart is a family affair, being run by the sons while the mother does the cooking at their tiny one-room apartment down the road. The father shuttles the hot food from the residence, constantly taking note of what is low and needs replenishing.

Nothing lasts longer on the table than a few moments, quickly being replaced by fresh, steaming product. Being in the restaurant business, I can truly appreciate the work and passion that goes into this endeavor. The cart has over twenty-five items, which to a restaurant is a substantial menu. Never mind that these meals are coming out of a kitchen the size of a large shower, with only two burners, before being whisked down the road to the stand.

Meghan and I order a rice plate with three items each, two changs (Thai beer), and two waters. My plate consists of pork panang curry, fried eggplant with ground chicken and Thai basil and a whole fried fish. Meghan’s plate holds Thai fried chicken, country-style sweet beef curry, and dry fried long beans.

The pork panang curry is a study in texture and balance. It is slightly spicy from the red curry paste, rich from the coconut milk and pleasantly chewy from the pork. I could have dined on a whole plate of this and been sated. Long beans are dry wok-fried with chilies, peanuts, mint, black mushrooms and fish sauce. They are earthy, crunchy and fantastic. What looked like fried chicken turns out to be a type of pork patty stuffed to the hilt with whole fried garlic cloves. Served with a cilantro dipping sauce, this moist concoction literally oozes flavor. The eggplant is perfectly tender, yet crisp at the same time, balanced by a hot and sour sauce.

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