By Kirsten Reinking

Arunee House.

(TOLUCA LAKE)—Thai food offers a treasure of taste for both the casual diner and the gourmet. With its aromatic blend of herbs and spices, Thai cooking is a balance of flavors that are light, savory and satisfying. In business since 1972, Arunee House serves classic Thai and Chinese favorites from fresh ingredients in a family-style atmosphere.
With a menu of 172 dishes to choose from, Arunee House features the memorable mix of ingredients that create Thai cuisine’s distinctive taste, such as lemongrass and mint leaves, coconut milk, crushed peanuts, garlic and chilies. Manager Kim Taumgin and her staff work hard to create an artistic, cozy restaurant where guests can linger over a delicious, affordable meal. The front porch resembles a garden with a fountain, giving you the feeling of entering a relaxing retreat. The service is friendly and quick, and the staff can always recommend something good if you can’t decide.

Chicken Saté.

Daily lunch specials starting at $7.25 are served Monday through Friday. Dinner specials are offered seven days a week, and include soup, salad, an appetizer and an entrée. A good appetizer to start your meal is Tom Yum, a lemongrass- and lime-based soup to which you can add shrimp or chicken. Popular noodle dishes include Pad Thai (rice noodles served with egg, shrimp, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts) and Pad See-Ew (rice noodles with egg and broccoli). The restaurant also offers a daily fish special, “King of the Sea,” at market price.
If you’re in the mood for a curry, you can choose from yellow, red and green curries, and Panang Curry, made with a peanut sauce. House specials like Pineapple Duck and Sweet and Sour Tofu are offered daily. Vegetarians have much to choose from, like the satisfying Pad Thai vegetable plate, Panang Tofu and a noodle and vegetable dish served with fresh mint.
Each dish is cooked to the customers’ level of spice preference, and the kitchen does not use MSG. Be sure to try the flavorful Thai iced tea, which gets its full-bodied flavor from a lengthy leaf-steaming and brewing process. Sweetened with brown sugar and served with milk, Thai iced tea is a treat on a hot day. Boba drink fans will also find their favorite flavor here.
Arunee House also provides take-out services, free delivery within the local area, and event catering. The restaurant can accommodate seating of large parties up to thirty people.

Located next to Trader Joe’s at 10140 Riverside Drive, Arunee House is open from 11am to 11pm, seven days a week. For more information, please call (818) 760-9074 or visit the Web site at www.thaifoodnow.com/aruneehouse. Click on the links on the left hand side for a menu and a coupon.