Verona home to the delightful Pittsburgh Thai by Boris

Tucked away on a side street just off of Allegheny Boulevard in Verona is a cozy Thai restaurant known for its authentic cuisine in a building that was, no surprise, a former Thai restaurant twice over.

But the small site, with its intimate 10-table dining room, holds much ethnic history as it was also once home to the former U.S. Muay Thai Academy.

The business name, Pittsburgh Thai Restaurant by Boris, conveys ethnic authenticity but with a quirky curiosity: Who is Boris?

Boris Uth is the man cooking up his homeland's cuisine in the back kitchen. He whips up traditional dishes but also some more exotic fare such as gluten-free jungle curry featuring vegetables, mixed Thai herbs, wild curry and no coconut milk.

Boris is a chef from Thailand whose family owned a Thai market there. He went on to cook at the Nouvo hotel in Bangkok and on cruise ships. Here in Pittsburgh, he cooked for 10 years at a Shadyside Thai restaurant before opening his own restaurant in Verona five years ago.

Popular dishes are the pumpkin curry ($9 to $17.50, depending on meal and ingredients) and curry puffs ($7.50) with pastry dough stuffed with potatoes, carrots and chicken seasoned with yellow curry and traditional Thai soups.

Two or more diners starting a meal would do well by ordering Boris' hot pot of soup ($11 to $15). Festive with a flame, the Tom Ka soup is served in a large heated metal pot flavored with tamarind, galangal root and lemon grass.

The soup had a silky broth thanks to the addition of coconut milk, and was full of tender-crisp vegetables like cabbage, onions, carrots and mushrooms. We chose chicken as our protein, but you have the option of shrimp, fish, pork or tofu as well. It had plenty of kick, even though we requested a spice level of four.

The soup is particularly rewarding in the winter when snow sweeps by the front windows of the restaurant.

The spring roll combo appetizer came plated with bowls of delicate, colorful sauces and garnishes of carrots carved into flowers that made it almost too pretty to eat. The half-dozen spring rolls were fresh and light — crisp raw carrots, lettuce and basil were rolled into delicate rice paper with tiny tofu chunks and rice noodles. The three small egg rolls were a nice foil, with carrots, cabbage and vermicelli wrapped in a wonton and deep-fried — I wish there had been more of them. The rolls were served with a brown sauce and a pineapple sauce topped with a peanut sprinkle.

The crab rangoon ($6) was a delicate rendition of a classic Asian appetizer. The petite wonton purses offered a creamy crab filling and was served with a homemade sweet pineapple sauce. My only quibble was I'd have liked a bit more filling inside.

The fish basil is one of the restaurant's most popular entrees.

Bright with green beans and red peppers, the stir fry of eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini and fish is slathered with a spicy basil sauce.

The green Thai chicken curry is a smooth and tasty medley of vegetables in coconut milk and green curry paste.

The pad Thai was delicious. The stir-fried rice noodles were mixed with thinly shredded carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts and egg, sliced scallions and a sprinkle of finely chopped peanuts.

Our dish was topped with eight steamed shrimp; you also can choose chicken, pork, beef, mixed seafood or tofu. We asked for a spice level of five, but found the heat to be very mild.

To counter any unexpected heat, try a tall glass of Thai iced tea sweetened with coconut milk.

The pumpkin custard with black sticky rice ($5.50) was smooth and just sweet enough for a tasty finale.

Review by staff writers Mary Ann Thomas and Liz Hayes, and staff photographer Louis B. Ruediger.