Thai Cafe, St. Paul, University & Western

Disclaimer: I'm not any kind of expert on Thai food.

I had an early dinner at Thai Cafe yesterday with my daughter. We tried:

Chicken Satay which was very good, I think they use white meat, but they don't dry it out, peanut sauce darker than the standard stuff, and better, the cucumber relish was very tart, in a good way, and had little hot peppers in it.

Thai Papaya Salad which was also good. I've had it at Hmong markets and this version was spicy and tart and sweet and had a pleasing crisp texture. It wasn't as umami/fish-saucy as some I've had. I prefer it without the heavy use of fish sauce.

Tom Khao, a white soup which I'm guessing had some coconut milk in it. We ordered medium spicy, which, I think is their diplomatic way of saying mild. It was good too.

A dish that I can't remember the name, but it was spicy ground pork with peppers, topped with a fried egg. Also quite tasty.

I want to go again and I want to try some noodle soup.

The prices were reasonable, $6-$9 per item, $2 extra for shrimp. I'd skip the shrimp next time.

With On's, Thai Cafe and Bangkok Thai Deli, we've got a lot to choose from on University between Snelling and the Capital.