This inconspicuous little pink building is cranking out some of the best Thai food in Dayton

Tucked away right off U.S. 35 in Beavercreek is a potentially easy-to-miss — yet, can’t-miss — stop for some of the best authentic Thai cuisine in Dayton.

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Housed inside a perfectly pink-roofed building on Seajay Drive is the House of Thai restaurant. After a filling dinner of Pad Thai Chicken and Crab Meat Fried Rice, we've deemed House Of Thai as a definite Dayton hidden gem.

We were immediately seated by smiling staff at a cozy booth by the window. The restaurant’s atmosphere was very relaxed and clean, with curry spices and savory scents wafting from the kitchen in the back.

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A look at the menu only accelerated my growing hunger. Dishes like pineapple curry and "Drunken Noodle" jumped out at me. However, my devotion to Chicken Pad Thai —and curiosity as to how well House of Thai's version ($10.99)  would stack up to other Pad Thais that I've tried around town — won out. The Crab Meat Fried Rice ($10.99) was an impulse order.

Credit: Sarah Franks

Credit: Sarah Franks

The Dayton Roll ($5.65) — a fresh Thai roll filled with lettuce, noodle, carrot, basil leaves, tofu and shrimp with a delicious sweet peanut sauce — was served as an appetizer. It was an ideal starter for two heavier dishes like Pad Thai and crab fried rice. The Dayton Roll was as light as a Thai Roll could be, as well as a great vegetarian option.

Credit: Sarah Franks

Credit: Sarah Franks

Although the photos could probably speak for themselves, we were glad the Dayton Rolls only began to chip away at our hunger, as the Pad Thai and fried rice entrees were delicious and hard to put down.

Credit: Sarah Franks

Credit: Sarah Franks

Credit: Sarah Franks

Credit: Sarah Franks

A potential House of Thai “hack,” we discovered through ordering the Dayton Roll, was asking for a side of the sauce that came with the fresh and light appetizer for our main entrees. Simply put, we couldn’t get enough of the sweet, peanuty glaze.

Both dishes were so filling and satisfying, we truthfully couldn’t pick a favorite. House of Thai continued to get it right with the sauces with the Pad Thai’s tamarind sauce that coated the gourmet Thai rice noodles, stir-fried with chicken, bean sprouts, egg, tofu and ground peanuts.

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And while fried rice is not easy to mess-up, the Crab Meat Fried Rice surprised us with its flavorful ingredients that popped with each bite. There was more than enough rice, peas, carrots, onions, juicy tomatoes and eggs to last until the final bite.

The meal was capped with Thai Tea, spiked with Bailey’s Irish Cream — a sweet and happy finish to a dinner that was well-crafted from start to finish.

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