Chef Sun

Flavors of the East in Westborough

30 Lyman Street, (Westboro Shopping Center) Westborough 366-8899
Sun. noon-10 p.m.
Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Major credit cards
No liquor license
Handicap Accessible

by Jim Johnson

Generally, the Phoenix doesn't cover generic strip-mall Chinese restaurants. New England must have more of them per capita than anyplace west of Hong Kong. From a reviewer's perspective, they're virtually the same.

When I passed a sign at the Westboro Shopping Center promoting both Chinese and Thai food, I decided to give Chef Sun a try. I'm glad I did; drawing upon the cuisines of two countries, the friendly restaurant goes against the generic grain and does it successfully.

Some carpeting, dim lighting, and quiet New Age music lend a welcome atmosphere. The plate-glass windows are covered enough to keep the adjacent parking lot out of sight. Decorations are attractive but not tacky, furniture is new, and the restaurant is spotless.

On two visits, a friend and I were greeted cordially and seated immediately. In the few minutes it took us to choose our appetizers, a half-dozen take-out orders came and went -- always a good sign. Most of the customers seemed to be repeat business -- another good sign.

During our first visit, we concentrated primarily on the Thai cuisine. There were nearly 30 dishes, plus a dozen or so combination plates for one or two people.

We started with hot and sour soup -- one Chinese style ($1.50), the other Thai ($2.50). The Chinese soup struck us as bland at the beginning, but the heat and flavor intensified after a moment or two. A beef-based broth was filled with mushrooms and vegetables. The Thai version (Tom Yam) was spicy from the start, fully fragrant with lime juice, lemon grass, and cilantro, and zipped up with a few shakes of chili sauce.

Our appetizers arrived quickly. The Chicken Satay ($4.95) consisted of four strips of chicken that had been marinated in a mild curry sauce, skewered, and grilled. The meat was perfectly tender and, when dipped in the accompanying peanut sauce, tasty as well.

For our second appetizer, we decided to split an entrée salad. The Nam Sod ($7.45), a Thai chicken salad, was the delight of the evening: wonderfully fresh and bursting with flavor. The chicken had been ground up and mixed with peanuts, sliced carrots, diced onions, ginger, scallions, lemon grass, and cilantro. The dressing was a perfect balance of chili paste, lime juice, and vinegar.

When I asked my dining companion what her Thai Curry Vegetable ($6.25) contained, her answer was simple: "Everything!" Fresh carrots, broccoli, eggplant, and green beans lent plenty of color. Each morsel was firm, having spent just enough time in a creamy, yellow-curry sauce rich with coconut milk and made just spicy enough with some requested chili sauce. The fried tofu was perhaps a little chewy, the only flaw in a delightful dish.

The Kapao ($7.45) sounded similar to what Thai Chilli, in Maynard, calls Graprao. It was one of my favorites there, wonderfully aromatic, redolent with Thai basil, and with a rich sauce livened by chili paste. By any name, it was just as good at Chef Sun, with plenty of tender morsels of chicken, sweet onions, button mushrooms, and green and red peppers.

Since our entrées had enough flavor to mix nicely with boiled rice, the Thai Pineapple Fried Rice ($3.25) was superfluous but excellent. Prepared with a touch of curry, the rice was mixed with onions, carrots, pineapple, and raisins.

Somehow, we had room for ice cream: red bean for me, ginger for her.

On a return trip, we focused more on the Chinese dishes. We found most dishes somewhat bland, a flaw only somewhat compensated for when we added chili oil. For example, the Hunan Half and Half ($8.50), marked as spicy on the menu, lacked any excitement in the sauces. Perhaps the Chinese dishes are ordered frequently by Chef Sun's less adventurous guests, and the sauces are toned down accordingly. Still, the dish was massive, colorful, and prepared with fresh and tender ingredients.

My advice if you dine at Chef Sun: order from the Thai side. If if you choose from the Chinese entrées, tell your server how spicy you'd like your food prepared. Both cuisines are priced reasonably with most dishes in the $6 to $9 range.

Service throughout both visits was warm, friendly, and appropriately attentive.