RiceZilla Asian Restaurant

RiceZilla is the east Charlotte restaurant on Albemarle Road serving Thai alongside traditional Burmese cooking. Almost nowhere else in Charlotte offers the Burmese dishes, which is the reason to make the drive. The dining room is spare and attached to an Asian grocery store, prices are low and portions are generous. Staff walk first timers through the menu happily, including explaining Burmese dishes to people who have never tried them before. It is the best value of any Thai kitchen on our list, and the drive is the only cost.

What to know

• Tea leaf salad and roti massaman are the dishes to order first.
• Drunken noodles, kra pow and red curry cover the Thai side.
• Spice levels run mild, so order a step up from your usual.
• The grocery store next door is worth a look after the meal.
• The restaurant is closed on Wednesday.