Maps of Thailand

The quest for delectable, affordable Thai cuisine in Cleveland is over. Who knew all you needed was a "Map of Thailand"?

Located in Asiatown, Map of Thailand is situated in a small shopping plaza between a barbershop and Koko bakery.

The first perk encountered is the parking lot available in front of the restaurant—a hot commodity in a city where students are used to circling campus for an open meter.

Don't let the strip mall setting fool you, Map of Thailand offers simple elegance and a modern feel. 

The menu provides the typical Thai dishes—fried rice, noodles, soups and curries—all at a very reasonable price. 

For starters, the fried tofu appetizer is just enough to get your salivary glands going. Firm tofu is fried to a perfectly crispy golden brown and is served with a sweet chili sauce. The combination of textures and the balance of sweet, sour and subtle heat make these tasty little triangles worth ordering again. 

Wash it down with a sweet and refreshing jasmine lime iced tea to cleanse your palate for round two. 

Noodle dishes are a go-to at Thai restaurants. Pad Thai is a national dish of Thailand and a good indicator of how to gauge the quality of ingredients and freshness.

Map of Thailand's version—chicken, shrimp, egg and bean sprouts all stir-fried with rice noodles and topped with ground peanuts—does not disappoint.

That said, Map could stand to turn up the heat a little on this one. It lacks the spiciness many Thai food lovers have come to expect. 

Map of Thailand uses a star rating system for level of spiciness. No star present translates to lack of heat, one is mild, two is spicy and three is very spicy. The pad Thai doesn't hold any stars, so perhaps the lack of spice should have been anticipated.

Working up the heat scale, the next dish to arrive on the table is the red curry with chicken served with jasmine white rice. The presentation and delivery is beautiful. The red chili curry paste and exotic spices are paired with peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, carrots, and green beans. 

The flavor profile is delightful, but the dish doesn't smell nearly as good as it tastes.

Like a true glutton for punishment,  I was still demanding a dish with more heat and more spice.

The next dish, drunken noodles,  raises some questions. Do you have to be drunk to take the heat? Is it a hangover cure?

The correct answer is "who cares." 

This noodle dish offers complex heat and layered flavor that the pad Thai did not.

The wide rice noodles are the perfect host for the heat of the chilies and the sweetness of basil. Regardless of the name, it is definitely a crowd pleaser.

The service at Map of Thailand was polite, simple and to the point. 

Servers there were helpful and prompt, enhancing the experience that much more.

Map of Thailand is on Cleveland's map for being an exceptional Thai restaurant with delicious eats, good service and great value.