Situated in a little green house not far from the western terminus of the West Seattle bridge, Buddha Ruksa's got more ambience than most Thai restaurants.

The walls are paneled in dark wood and decorated with wooden carvings. The casual elegance equally absorbs couples, families with kids, blue-collar workers and business lunchers. The food is more adventurous than in many Thai establishments. Classic dishes are well represented, but there are some twists, such as trout salad ($9.95), prawns and pumpkin curry ($12.95), and six preparations of crispy duck.

The trout salad, off the dinner menu (which Buddha Ruksa will offer for lunch or dinner), was striking. A butterflied, boneless filet serves as the bed for a lime-dressed jumble of cabbage, carrot, peanuts, lemongrass and cilantro. The larb gai ($8.50), minced chicken in a spicy lime dressing, was hotter than most, even at two out of four stars. This version is filled with cilantro, mint and basil.

		ANDY ROGERS / P-I
	The crispy garlic chicken is one of the house specialties at the Thai restaurant Buddha Ruksa.

My favorite dish is the deservedly popular crispy garlic chicken ($9.50), a generous heaping of fried chicken nuggets in a dark garlic sauce, served with crispy basil leaves.

A Thai friend who has eaten Thai food all over the country and describes herself as picky about the cuisine, tried the lunch pad thai ($7.25). Our shared theory is that pad thai is a good barometer for gauging the rest of the menu.

She pronounced this version "complete and pretty good" and said she could taste all of the flavors. It wasn't too dry like many can be, or sopping wet like other renditions. The plump shrimp were cooked just right.

I could smell -- and then taste -- the fresh lime leaves perfuming the red curry ($7.25), which was generously portioned. But bags of gold ($7.95) didn't make for an exciting appetizer. There was too much crispy fried dough overwhelming the skimpy bundle of meat and fillings.

At lunch, you may have to be a bit patient, as one server often handles the entire room. But the chow is worth it.

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