Street To Kitchen

Street To Kitchen used to be a teeny space squished up against a gas station. It’s now in a much larger space in the East End, but this beloved Thai spot still feels like a spice-fueled pocket world separated from space and time. Maybe it’s the fact we can’t feel our tongue after dinner, but Street To Kitchen creates temporal displacement we get lost in and has some of the best Thai food in Houston.

Here, every dish, regardless of what spice level you order—mild, medium, or Thai spicy are the options—is spicy. Embrace it and order a bottle of wine or a frozen Thai tea cocktail to soothe the heat. Brace for the acidic and aromatic papaya salad, whose spice re-atomizes with every breath. Drunken noodles arrive with thick slices of red hot chilis and mounds of basil. Tom Yum sometimes offers momentary reprieve, but this one doesn’t. The tangy, sour, sweet broth keeps the spice simmering. And for dessert (when available) we cannot get enough of the warm mango sticky rice, which melts away whatever spice is still stinging your tongue.

And even though you might end up staring at a Veuve Clicquot neon sign all night, the food, the charming if austere service, and the way you feel cocooned from the world make any experience at Street To Kitchen a memorable one. Even when the slap of reality arrives with the check, you still momentarily consider restarting the entire experience, despite how full you feel. Go to dinner with a special group of friends, or on a date, and let yourself melt into Street To Kitchen’s world. Just be sure to make a reservation—this place is always busy.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

photo credit: Richard Casteel

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Food Rundown

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Som Tam (ส้มตำ)

Spicy green papaya salad is a Thai restaurant staple, but this one is crisp, bright, and slaps you in the face with spice. Every acidic, crunchy bite is spicier than the next, in a way that makes you want to cry (but happy tears).

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Tom Yum Soup

Tom Yum may be the official soup of Thailand, but this Tom Yum is the official soup of what we crave for dinner every night. Thick slices of mushrooms and perfectly pink shrimp bob in a tangy spicy broth layered with lemongrass and stewed tomato. Catch us sipping broth straight from the bowl.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Thai Basil Beef (ข้าวผัดกระเพา ไข่ดาว)

There’s a process to follow here. First, dump the sauce on the rice. Then break the egg yolk. Then mix the tender yet crispy beef, stir fried with whole bouquets of thai basil and sliced chiles, and watch this dish disappear.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Drunken Noodle (ผัดขี้เมา)

Do not neglect the ramekin of pickled serranos and sauce. Pour it all over your drunken noodles, because, as the owner will tell you, it makes the entire dish “bang.” You will fight for every last spicy, oil-slick bite.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Green Curry (แกงเขียวหวาน)

This green curry, made from scratch with coconut milk, is intensely comforting, and spicy as hell. Stewed eggplant and white rice sop up ever more spice curry broth, giving you a renewable punch in every bite.