Say what you will about suburban sprawl -- and we all know there's plenty of conversation to be had about it -- but one benefit of it is the choices it creates for diners. It hasn't been very long since Germantown Parkway was humble Germantown Road and if there was a Thai restaurant on it when it was a little two-lane, I'll eat my hat.

I'll take a side of Thai Bistro's curry basil sauce with that, please.

It's hard to choose, but if forced, I suppose I'd pick Thai food as my favorite Asian cuisine. Multiple spices, an attention to fresh ingredients, the generous use of fragrant herbs and the cook's willingness to singe your tastebuds if you ask for it result in creative, fun (identifying flavors is a nice way to pass the time for some of us) and above all, extraordinarily tasty dishes.

Thai Bistro does not disappoint. Tucked away in one of the numerous strip malls along the parkway, you'd probably have to be looking for it to find it. Hint: It's in the center with Party City and Bonefish Grill, and worth finding. Start your meal with pot stickers served with the curry basil sauce.

Experience has taught me that pot stickers are usually better served plain and dipped in a clean sauce of soy, vinegar and chilies. I was tempted to ask for them this way, and I hope I would've been refused had I been so bold.

The sauce was a stand-out. Creamy, fiery, and bursting with complexity, it pooled under five pot stickers that were quickly eaten. When they were gone, we dipped our egg rolls and fried tofu in the sauce.

For entrees, we ordered gang keow wan (a green curry) with shrimp, pad kra pow, and muai Thai beef. We asked that the curry and the kra pow be served between medium and hot. Anything hotter would've been uncomfortable and worse, would have diminished the nuances of the spices.

The kra pow (it's pronounced like something from "Batman": ka-pow!) is a quick stir fry of peppers, onions and baby corn in a chili garlic sauce, served with your choice of meat and a bowl of rice. It often comes with a soft fried egg on top, but you'll need to request it at Thai Bistro. Be sure you do, as the yolk adds a silky richness to the dish when it combines with the sauce.

Think of the beef dish as a deconstructed Thai beef salad. Tender strips of grilled beef are served on a bed of crisp greens with a tangy, clear dipping sauce on the side, along with a generous helping of rice.

Again, though, it was the curry that wowed us. Because I'd asked for it spicier than presented on the menu, the green curry was closer to red. Yet the shallow bowl was full of green peppers, green beans and Thai basil simmered in coconut milk and full of plump, sweet shrimp.

Like many restaurants that have popped up in strip malls (and really, where else is there?), Thai Bistro does a good job of compensating with interior decor. The mango walls and pendant lighting make it warm and inviting, and the dark wood carvings on the walls are slightly exotic.

-- Jennifer Biggs: 529-5223

Thai Bistro

Address: 1250 N. Germantown Parkway, Suite 105

Telephone: (901) 755-6955

Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.; Saturday noon-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon-9 p.m.

Price: $$

No-smoking

Handicapped access: Yes

Alcoholic beverages: Full bar

Don't miss: The curries.

What's hot: The food. Be careful when you request your level of heat, because they will definitely kick it up when you ask for it. Err on the side of caution; you can always send it back to get it hotter.