Thai Cuisine Experts, Mississauga, ON

ON THE PLATE: It's no surprise that several ingredients, like tender shrimp and delightfully sticky shrimp crackers, are Thai imports. But refreshingly, everything else is hand-selected from a local market and two farms by Bazine-sharma. From the vegetarian broth of the hot-and-sour prawn soup ($...) to the sweet-and-sour chicken Thai-style ($...), it's clear the home-cooked flavors emanate directly from healthful ingredients. Match rice noodles with Phad Thai or red basil; jasmine rice with red or green curried shrimp, chicken, beef or veggies. Several other stand-out dishes like ginger chicken ($...) use only breast meat and thinly sliced ginger root. The chefs will vary ingredients and spice levels for allergies or taste. No pork is served and everything is halal. SECOND HELPINGS: Go hot or go home. While most dishes were perfectly fine spiced medium, turning up the heat sends a whirl of sensation from tummy to toe. Don't be deceived by the tame color of the red curry; spoon the addictive sauce generously over rice, like the lime leaf –spiked Thai cuisine chicken ($...) stop a medley of peppers, peas and onions. Who cares if ordering Phad Thai ($... with shrimp)is cliché? Any dish containing the sweet and clingy rice noodles (basil spicy noodles with beef $...) is ace.