Beyond the usual crowd-pleasers, this Metairie Thai spot offers a slew of tasty chef specials. TryThai Zaap’s crispy whole fish with chile sauce, or order it steamed with fragrant herbs. Duck lovers can get a crispy roasted duck stir-fried with basil and vegetables. Love that there’s a kid’s menu, from mac and cheese to nuggets and smile fries and kid’s fried rice. Super lunch specials are offered Monday through Friday, and it’s open seven days a week fortakeout, dine-in, anddelivery.

Cafe Equator has been a busy Severn Avenue staple for decades, an unfussy but charming wood-paneled space that’s a favorite for weekday post-work dining. It started in Mandeville as a place called Typhoon, before opening across the street from Lakeside Shopping Center in 2002. The blanket shrimp, lemongrass calamari salad, po tak soup, and a specialty called Something in The Jungle are favorites. Now offering delivery.

The neighborhood by the Fair Grounds rejoiced with the opening ofThai’d Up, with its all-day menu from Thai-born chef Saowanit “Kate” Welch. Try her homemade roti with a curry dipping sauce, fresh spring rolls brimming with herbs and vegetables to a shredded green papaya salad oozing fish sauce and lime. Order extra Nam Jim Jaew dipping sauce, a transformative bath for grilled meats made with shallots, fish sauce, lime juice, chiles, and herbs.

This Marigny fave does a nonstop business, and no wonder.Sukho Thai,which also has a location Uptown, dishes great lunch specials and gluten-free and vegan dishes. Spring for the fried fish-of-the-day — it feeds two — crispy and smothered in ginger, lime, lemongrass, mint, onion, chiles, shallots, and garlic.

This sweet spot in Harahan offers a range of traditional and fusion Thai dishes.Royal Thai Bistreaux, situated in modest digs on Hickory Avenue, delivers plenty of flavor punch with popular menu items like fresh spring rolls, curried Chiang Mai noodles, and spicy tom yum goong soup. For dessert try the sweet rice with Thai custard. Lunch specials are a steal.

Diners sup under the gaze of a benevolent Buddha atThai Mint, the centerpiece of a colorful mural adorning the restaurant’s dining room. Beyond pad Thai, try a lighter prep with clear glass noodles including pad woon sen, a saute of fresh vegetables with either chicken or shrimp. Plenty of vegan and vegetarian options.

Do not, under any circumstance, order a five for heat. The kitchen is no joke when it comes to turning up the BTUs, even for chile fiends.Secret Thaiis a funky spot in Chalmette — how about that daycare decor? But the fiery stir fries and curries have a loyal following. They close for dinner at 8:30 p.m. — as in, don’t walk in at 8:15 and expect to be served. And leave plenty of time fortakeoutorders to be ready.

Named for the grapefruit-like citrus native to Southeast Asia,Pomelois a welcoming cafe serving chef Aom Srisuk’s traditional Thai cuisine based on family recipes she learned at her parent’s restaurant in Bangkok. Her Massaman curry chicken is studded with potatoes, onion, and peanuts, fragrant with cinnamon, cardamom, and a hint of star anise. Som yam soup delivers the sour and sweet flavor punch that distinguishes so many Thai dishes. Specials bring Thai street food to the table.

香蕉Blossom, Benny Cho’s place in Gretna, is a fun and funky fusion of flavor, a globetrotting treatment of Thai that will win over even purists. Try crab claws in Thai BBQ sauce, fried ribs with chile sauce, kao pao rib eye ramen, and BBQ shrimp pasta for something just a little different. Yes there’s pad Thai, but why when voodoo noodles is an option?

This Terrytown Thai stays busy thanks to tasty options like pork satay with peanut sauce, panko-crusted coconut shrimp, and a minty larb salad with chicken and shredded cabbage.A Taste of Thailandoffers a fine array of curries, soups, and noodle dishes, along with a welcome kid’s menu with fried rice, noodles, and chicken fingers.