If you have read many of my articles, you likely know that my family and I love dining at Thai restaurants. It is something my husband’s family always enjoyed doing for his grandmother’s birthday, but it is a cuisine I did not experience until adulthood, when I became part of his family. Frankl y, I am still making up for lost time because I absolutely love Thai food. Whenever we travel and look up places to eat, we always search for a good Thai spot. And right here at home, if a new Thai restaurant opens, we are always excited to try it. Today, I got to try a Fresno Thai and Lao restaurant that I had not yet been to: Na Nah Thong, which just celebrated its first anniversary in business across from Riverpark, near Red Robin on Blackstone and El Paso. After visiting today, I really regret not going sooner because it was an absolutely wonderful experience. One of the things I enjoy most about Thai food is that many dishes include fresh, crunchy vegetables, often lightly stir-fried. Even though some dishes, like curries that include coconut milk, can be on the richer side, so many are balanced by tender-crisp vegetables and a mix of sweet, spicy, bright, and umami flavors. Na Nah Thong specializes in both Thai and Lao street food, including boat noodles, seafood, whole chicken, crispy pork belly, and Lao sausage, as well as the comforting noodle, curry, and rice dishes common in American Thai restaurants like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Drunken Noodles, Panang and Massaman curry, and much more. The atmosphere in the restaurant is upscale casual, so it works well for both a weekday lunch or a date night. Former tenants of the space were Baja Fresh and Mod Pizza, which were much more fast casual, and the vibe has definitely been stepped up from those days. When I visited, I met a good friend for lunch, and there was actually a news crew filming an interview with the owners. Despite that, our servers were still very kind and attentive, offering plenty of drink refills, bringing our food out quickly, and being there anytime we needed something. For our order, we tried the mango salad, which was so refreshing and crunchy, with the perfect balance of sweetness, umami, and brightness. I especially loved how the mango was cut into thin strips, making it easy to enjoy and serve. We also tried the shrimp Pad See Ew, and this was the best Pad See Ew I have ever had. Sometimes the dish can be too sweet, but this one was perfect: more savory, with just a touch of sweetness, and neither over- nor under-sauced. The noodles had great texture, and the vegetables and shrimp tasted fresh and wonderful. Pad See Ew is one of my all-time favorite foods, and this one is now my number one version of it. Finally, we also enjoyed the Chicken Massaman Curry, a smooth, savory, lightly sweet yellow curry with crushed peanuts, chicken, potatoes, and carrots. We enjoyed it with sides of sticky rice, and it was excellent. Great consistency and flavor, high-quality thin slices of chicken breast, and fork-tender potatoes and carrots – just a total win. I cannot wait to go back and take my husband. I know he is going to love it. If you have not tried Na Nah Thong yet, I highly, highly recommend it. They are located at 7675 N Blackstone Ave, Suite 101 in Fresno, and are open from 11 am to 9 pm every day. ...read more read less