Nong's Thai Cuisine in Golden Valley is more evidence that strip malls just might be the best place to find ethnic cuisine. The location is fairly generic—remove the images of the Thai king hanging on the wall and you could easily make the space a mini-Embers—but the food is authentic. A refreshing salty-yet-sweet papaya salad is the first clue, while red curry swimming with giant scallops is another big hint. Pad Thai that isn't sickly sweet (and also doesn't come in an insanely outsized portion) will make you thankful you made the suburban trek. A lunch buffet lets you tackle as many dishes as you can stomach, and considering the background of chef Nong—who has cooked at Sawatdee, True Thai, and Taste of Thailand, to name a few—you'll want to strap into your eatin' pants first.