I recently traveled to Thailand and came home with a new favorite dish: Khao Soi, the slurpy noodle curry dish from Chiang Mai that’s regional comfort food at its best.

When I stumbled across Thai Street Market, a new restaurant in St. Paul, that had Khao Soi listed on the menu, I jumped for joy. While there is no scarcity of Thai restaurants in the Twin Cities, the northern Thai dish is more elusive. I’ve only spotted it on one other menu — Supatra’s in St. Paul.

Thai Street Market sits on the southwest corner of Rice Street and Larpenteur Avenue, on the St. Paul-Roseville border, across the street from another wonderful Thai restaurant, Friends Cafe. Despite both restaurants being in close proximity and offering Thai fare, they are distinctly different.

Friends Cafe has a casual, diner-like feel and specializes in both Thai and Burmese dishes. Thai Street Market is also casual, but the menu spotlights street food commonly found in Chiang Mai, where the owner is from. The space is shiny and new, and the plating more contemporary.

Popular Thai street foods — egg rolls, satays, noodle and curry dishes — are all represented on the Thai Street Market menu. Entrees range from $8 to $13.

The Khao Soi — egg noodles and chicken leg in a golden curry coconut broth and topped with fried noodles ($11) — didn’t disappoint. It tasted as authentic as I remembered and was the favorite of the dishes at our table.

A dish called Spicy Khing Crossing ($10), ordered with pork, was also a standout. The platter with green beans, onions, garlic and a ginger-chili paste was love at first bite. I recommend proceeding with caution, however. Even when seemingly playing it safe by choosing a medium heat level, the dish was doused in a dark sauce with a ginger-chile paste that still kicked our butts.

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Dashfire bitters introduces hard coffees to the market You also can’t go wrong with a traditional massaman curry ($11) that was wonderfully fragrant and deep bodied. We especially liked the generous helping of peanuts and the glistening fall-apart potatoes that were steaming inside and out.

Traditional Thai music and decor as well as wooden game pieces handmade by the owner’s parents and placed at each table added to the ambiance and authentic feel. As if they didn’t already have us at Khao Soi!

Thai Street Market: 1665 Rice St., St. Paul; 651-488-0531; thaistreetmarket.com

Small Bites are first glances — not intended as definitive reviews — of new or changed restaurants.