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By Dale Rice

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Saturday, August 29, 2002

It's an even trade.

Two Thai restaurants closed; two Thai spots replaced them.

Banh "Ped" Phommavong quietly closed his Ped's Lemon Grass Asian Grills in Lakeway and on West Sixth Street and apparently left town with no explanation or advance notice, according to a former landlord who says he is owed back rent.

"One day the ("closed") sign was on the door," said Michael McGinnis, owner of the Sixth Street property. "It was the most mysterious thing that has happened to me in the landlording business."

The original Lakeway location was taken over in early July by Westlake Thai Spice owner Vicky Vicha, who waited a month to change the name and replace the menu. Vicha also is bringing sushi to the Lake Travis community.

In the process, Vicha has updated the Westlake Thai Spice menu and implemented it in both spots.

New dishes, according to Lakeway manager Opart Udomsatapol, include the golden cups appetizer ($5.95), delicate pastry cups filled with minced chicken and vegetables with a sweet and sour sauce; the crystal noodle soup ($3.50), made with thread noodles, Napa cabbage and chicken in a clear broth; and the soft-shell crab entree ($13.95), a crisp crab topped with ginger, onions, bell peppers, carrots and mushrooms in the special house sauce (a garlic and red chile mix).

In addition to the new menu, the Lakeway location is serving sushi from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The Lakeway Thai Spice (1310 S. FM 620, 263-2221) is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and for dinner from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday.

In town, Thai Tara has replaced the Ped's Lemon Grass on West Sixth in the building formerly occupied for several years by Tocai.

The owner is Jeanne Nguyen, who also has a Vietnamese-Thai restaurant — Mekong River — on East Sixth Street.

Thai Tara's specialties, according to lunch manager Wanapa Jaru, include gangkuagoong ($10), a curry with peaches, pineapple and shrimp; steamed fish in a lime-based dressing (market price, which averages $15 to $20); and the "sea treasure" ($15), a mixture of shrimp, squid, mussels and scallops with Napa cabbage, basil, kafir lime leaves and bell peppers in a spicy sauce.

The restaurant (601 W. Sixth St., 236-0856) is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday, 5 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday.

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