Restaurant review: Splash of Thai in Westfield

Located on the south side of Westfield, Splash of Thai has been a favorite of ours since we moved into the area three years ago. Its modern decor is stylish and friendly service makes every visit a pleasure.

On the menu, you'll find all of the classic Thai dishes, including curries, noodles and more. Be sure to check out the daily specials for the chef's freshest creations.

For starters, we love the fresh rolls. Chilled rolls of shrimp, vermicelli, vegetables and fresh mint are wrapped in a rice paper and served with crushed peanuts and a sweet dipping sauce. Another winner is the crispy duck salad. A flaky, light wonton bowl is filled with fresh lettuce, apple slices, red onion, and strips of crispy duck then tossed in a spicy-sweet dressing. The grilled beef salad is equally good. The calamari salad can be a bit chewy.

Other winning appetizers include satay, curry puffs and an occasional special of fried calamari and shrimp, both lightly battered and served with a sweet plum dipping sauce.

Move onto the entrees and there's plenty to choose from. Our favorites are green curry with chicken (beef or shrimp are also available) and Mussaman curry with beef. The green curry is spicy and sweet, and full of tender white meat chicken and loads of fresh veggies including bok choy, Thai eggplants, peppers, bamboo shoots and more. Served in a beautiful white bowl with a side of steamed rice, it'll warm you and fill you! The Mussaman curry is less spicy and includes potatoes, plenty of tender beef, chunks of tomato, peanuts and fresh avocado.

For noodle lovers, Pad Thai is outstanding and the drunken noodles are spicy and full of fresh meat and seafood.

Splash of Thai also offers a wide range of fish and seafood dishes. The most outstanding we've tried is the Three flavor Red Snapper. When ordering, select the whole fish for dramatic presentation. The whole fish is fried in a very light batter and served with a spicy tamarind sauce. Always cooked perfectly, this is one of my all-time favorite fish dishes.

For dessert, Splash of Thai specializes in made-to-order chocolate souffle.

On all but our most recent visit, we've opted to eat in, but take-out is available. Portions are as big as what you get in the restaurant and the food was ready and hot when they said it would be.

Note that the restaurant is BYOB, so bring your favorite bottle to enjoy with your meal. They also have a location in Somerville.