Dining Review: Thai tied to your comfort

In 1999, Eric Sansangasakun, his brother James and their friend Kyle Puranamaneewiwat left Bangkok to follow a dot-com opportunity in Southern California. The economy turned sour the next year so the three of them looked at each other and said, “We should do something we like.” They weren’t fully satisfied with the Thai restaurants they’d been frequenting so they decided to open one that they’d want to eat at.

Jump to 2006: the threesome opened Gindi Thai in Toluca Lake, followed soon after by Summer Canteen a mile away. Kyle is the restaurateur of the group and James is the interior designer/architect. The latter’s breezy, urban style is evident in the restaurants mentioned above and in Summer Buffalo, their new eatery on Glenoaks Boulevard near Verdugo Avenue in central Burbank. In contrast to traditional Thai restaurants with perhaps woven bamboo and wood carvings, this trio’s restaurants feature modern aesthetics and elements of vibrancy. The Summer Buffalo space is smaller, more intimate than the other outlets, with reclaimed wood walls, Edison bulbs and metal stools. They wanted to create a space where friends could linger after dinner or chat over spicy buffalo wings and a cold draft beer.

The food at Summer Buffalo is fresh and spirited, lighter on the oil and carbs, generous on the veggies and chilies. Their menu declares their “spiciness is authentic” which means, Eric says, “it’s at the comfort level of the typical Thai person.” Not too hot because, he believes, one should taste the explosion of all the flavors together, not just the heat.

Typical Thai food comes up often in our conversation, a testament to his commitment to authenticity. Take the Grapow Gai with Fried Egg for instance ($9.50). Eric says this is a typical Thai lunch, kind of like an American hamburger. Grapow is “holy basil,” the small, spicy type, not the Italian “bruschetta” type. It gets mixed in with minced chicken, Thai chili, onion and steamed rice. On top is a glistening fried egg — very satisfying.

My other favorite was the Green Curry of Greens and Tofu, a tummy-warming bowl of brown and Thai black rice doused in a curry made from roasted green chili, roasted red onion and coconut and topped with green beans, bok choy, red peppers, tomatoes and tofu ($9). The Salmon Curry Noodle was decadently delicious as well ($12.50). The Chicken Satay appetizer ($9) featured an outstanding peanut sauce. Our large party tried about a dozen dishes and honestly they were all good.

We got a big kick out of the Isaan Sausage appetizer ($6). This is a classic Northeastern Thai fermented pork sausage that looks more like a string of kakui nuts than a string of brats. I’m told in Thailand they’re fermented for even longer, making them truly sour. But even our Westernized version had a wonderful sour tang, made all the better by the accompanying bits of bird’s eye chili and ginger.

One final mention must be made of the buffalo wings, not exactly Thai but inspired by the flavors. The Garlic Black Pepper wings were great and were eaten in nanoseconds.

Parking is a bit of a problem on this busy stretch of Glenoaks. It’s limited to street parking. And being a small restaurant, landing a table might be difficult. Waiting means standing on the sidewalk. They don’t appear to take reservations but it’s worth a try. Service is pretty quick, considering there are a number of to-go orders being processed at the same time. If I lived in the neighborhood, I’d certainly put their number in my cellphone.

For fresh, authentic Thai food try Summer Buffalo. “We don’t put anything on the menu that we won’t eat,” says Eric. “We enjoy bringing happiness and good health to people.”

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What: Summer Buffalo

Where: 449 S. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank

When: daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Prices: soups, salads, appetizers, wings $5 to $6.50; entrees $9 to $12.50; draft and bottled beer, wine $5 to $6.

More info: (818) 561-4777; www.summerbuffalo.com.

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LISA DUPUY welcomes comments and suggestions at LDupuy@aol.com.