Thai food in Rochester, I recently discovered, is a family affair. At various times in his life Sacksavanh Southinvongorath (Sak, for short) the owner and chef of Sak's Thai Cuisine on the outskirts of Fairport, has worked for his mother and father, who opened their first restaurant in the States in 1987; for his uncle, who opened the King and I in Henrietta and another Thai restaurant on Hertel Avenue in Buffalo; and for his sister, the owner of Phuket Thai in Webster. In a career that has spanned more than 20 years, Sak has worked in a variety of kitchens, picking up techniques and recipes, and refining them to make them distinctly his own. The result of that process is some of the most refined Thai cooking in the Rochester area.

Sak's Thai Cuisine has been open for just more than a year, but there's no evidence that anyone involved is resting on his laurels. The restaurant is spotlessly clean, the service friendly and very helpful, and the food both generously portioned and exquisite (although they really don't take you seriously when you tell them that you like spicy food). When the dog days of summer hit, Thai food is exactly what you need to beat the heat: easily scalable portions of intensely flavorful appetizers and small plates; cold dishes and refreshing salads; and noodle and curry dishes that can be so hot that whatever nature throws at you will seem insignificant by comparison. For me, though, you cannot beat larb kai ($10.95).

Larb isn't all that common on Thai menus in the area, and I order it whenever I see it. The version at Sak's is wonderful. Roughly chopped chicken, stir-fried, dressed with fish sauce, toasted rice powder, scallions, lemongrass, mint, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, and ground dried chilis, is served on whole lettuce leaves that serve as a plate for the spicy, pungent mixture. Scoop up a bit of the chicken in a leaf, wrap it up, and prepare to make a mess. (I had to wash my hands after eating this dish.)

Fish sauce is one of those ingredients that inspires squeamish looks from most people - and with good reason. Unadulterated, it smells horrible. However, when the subtle alchemy of spices and lime juice work their magic, all that remains is a rich mouth-feel and the tiniest hint of briny flavor that is a welcome addition to almost any dish you put it on. In his larb kai, and every other dish he makes, Sak uses fish sauce to good effect, allowing it to "fatten up" the lean chicken and enrolling it as an efficient carrier for all of those herbs and spices.

If you're in the mood for red meat, try a similar salad made with flank steak, num tok nuer ($11.95). The beef here is marinated and then grilled, developing both a nice smoky flavor and the citrusy aroma of lemongrass. The meat is sliced into long, paper-thin strips that have a pleasantly chewy texture and a good beefy flavor enhanced by a dressing that includes liberal amounts of lime juice, ground green chilis, shallots, cilantro, and rice powder. Again, lettuce leaves are your utensil of choice, but a fork is also perfectly acceptable (and a more efficient way of getting the savory beef into your mouth quickly).

The appetizer menu, too, has some nice surprises. The Buddha roll ($3), for instance, is a sensational interpretation of the usual vegetarian spring roll. Crispy on the outside, the rolls are filled with bean thread noodles and a mix of marinated vegetables and bean sprouts that somehow maintain their crunch on their trip through the deep fryer. The zip and sweetness of a pineapple chili sauce for dipping helps to balance any inherent greasiness.

Grilled tofu seems like a bit of a stretch, and I admit that I was skeptical when I ordered the tofu satay ($5.50). It was a real treat. The tofu had clearly been pressed to remove as much water as possible from it, leaving it closer to the texture of chicken breast or a very firm fish than anything else. Soaked in a curry marinade before being tossed on the grill, the slabs of bean curd took on a nice char while still preserving the good curry flavor of the marinade. Served with a curried peanut sauce with just a little bit of chili added to it, this might be my new favorite way to enjoy tofu.

You could make a meal of appetizers and salads, but then you'd miss out on the curries and noodles. Gang dang (red curry) is among the mildest of the Thai curries, but also one of the most aromatic, and the version at Sak's is almost as much fun to smell as it is to eat ($9.95-$17.95). When our waiter brought the brimming bowl of fragrant orange-pink curry to the table, I dragged it closer to me so that I could luxuriate in the fragrant concoction of coconut milk and red curry paste. Digging into the gravy I found nicely cooked sliced duck breast, quarters of tiny round Thai eggplants (these still had some body to them rather than dissolving, as eggplant so often does), red pepper, bamboo shoots, onions, green beans, and zucchini. The meat and vegetables were tasty and well cooked, but the sauce is the star here, and I was grateful for ample rice to soak it up.

Years ago, I stumbled on a dish called "drunken noodle" in a Thai restaurant in another city. The dish, called pad khee mow ($9.95-$17.95), combines wide, flat rice noodles with chicken, basil, a very generous quantity of chili peppers, and whatever vegetables happen to come to hand. The combination of basil and spice with the smoky flavor of the wok is very simple, yet utterly addictive. My only complaint was that Sak seemed to have pulled his punch on this dish - the "drunken" in drunken noodle refers to the fact that you will need to drink a lot of something (usually beer) to cut the fire in your mouth. This version was very flavorful, and full of good and well-prepared vegetables, including Chinese broccoli, snow peas, and quartered tomatoes. But I didn't have to resort to my water glass for refuge even once. That didn't stop me from cleaning my plate, though.

Sak's Thai Cuisine

7374 Pittsford Palmyra Rd, Fairport

421-9010

Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday noon-10 p.m.