Thai Kitchen has been cooking on Concord Avenue long enough to have its own place in Baton Rouge dining history. The family-owned restaurant opened in 1989, and the kitchen still grows its own herbs in-house for the dishes that come out of it.

Soup season, by the pot

Cooler November nights make the soup section the place to start. Tom kah, the coconut milk soup with chicken, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves, is $6 a bowl, and tom yum with shrimp and mushrooms is priced the same. For a table, both come in a medium pot that serves three to four ($23) or a large pot for six to eight ($42). A seafood po tak with shrimp, mussels, calamari and catfish is sold by the pot only.

Curries and noodles

The curry list covers yellow, red, green and panang starting at $15, plus a roasted duck curry ($26) and a masaman curry ($19) with steak that simmers for six hours. The Chicken Khao Soi ($18), a Northern Thai coconut curry soup with egg noodles, makes a strong case for itself on a chilly day. Pad Thai, pad see ew and drunken noodles start at $15, and spice levels run from mild to Thai-hot on request.

More to explore

Beyond the Thai menu, Thai Kitchen also offers dim sum, a sushi menu, a lunch menu and daily drink specials with happy hour. Desserts include sweet rice with fresh mango ($7, seasonal) and fried bananas with homemade coconut ice cream ($8.50). The space has indoor and outdoor seating, a sports bar and live music, and private dining and catering are available for holiday parties.

Thai Kitchen 4550 Concord Ave., Baton Rouge (225) 346-1230 Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. thaikitchenla.com

Photo courtesy of Thai Kitchen