Cheap Eats 2011: Nava Thai Noodle and Grill

There are standouts aplenty among the Thai standards--the made-to-order papaya salad and the smoky, sweet pad Thai might be the area's best--but the great reward of dining here comes from venturing beyond familiar tastes.

The menu at Suchart and Ladavan Srigatesook's spacious mom-and-pop contains a trove of seldom-seen treasures, many adapted from the street foods whipped up in the markets of Thailand, from Floating Market Noodle Soup--a meal in a bowl that blends sweet, sour, bitter, and salty--to crispy mussels in an egg-and-rice-flour batter to juicy grilled chicken with sticky rice and a sweet and musky tamarind dipping sauce.

At their best, the flavors are bright, light, fresh, and focused.

Also good: Hot-and-sour squid; drunken noodles; pork kaprow.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.