It can be difficult to find smashing good Thai in Dallas. The transgressions are legion. Coagulated noodles that’ll stop mouth water in its runnel trail. Misappropriated seasonings that sometimes manifest as fish sauce stink. And don’t get us started on rampant pad Thai flaccidity. Sure Bankok City has its iffys. But this corner restaurant within the gravitational tug of Southern Methodist University also has its distinctive charm flush with sublime moments.

Bangkok City has beneficent soups with clean flavors and invigorating contrasts (slurp some tom yum gai). Rice noodle dishes have supple strands that slip over one another without gumming and resist with just the right level of density. Spring rolls are crisp, fresh, fat, and well composed. Grains in the fried rice dishes are separate, and firm.

Staff can be terse. But if you smile big and wet, you may earn some tasting samples. Décor leans a little toward the Asiatic-kitsch end of things, what with the red tablecloths, the wood paneling affixed with a patterned grid work, and little display nooks with wine bottles and assorted Thai tchotchkes plus big photos of Thai royalty. But its nothing some “Shrimp Love Scallops” or “Volcano Chicken” won’t cure.