This is food for the famished; they won’t go away hungry. We hit the downtown Thai Passion, ground floor of the historic Capitol Hotel, in the middle of rush-hour. We walked over from Nueces, having found that Garrido’s wasn’t open, although it will be for dinner this evening.

Thai Passion was busy, but nothing felt rushed. Salad came to the table right away. We enjoyed spring rolls, a standard soup (tom-yum) that was not ho-hum, the curry of the day, and, my favorite, a ginger-chicken stir-fry. It was studded with countless delicate morsels of appetizing white-meat chicken, crisp celery and carrots, and much else from the vegetable realm. We polished everything off, but the portions are so generous that many resorted to takeaway containers. Nobody was leaving anything on the plate.

During the daytime, one room is brightly lit by the sun from above and the other is more dimly lit by a well designed electric lighting scheme (bright enough for reading the menu, but without glare of any kind). Restrooms are spotless. The staff is friendly and professional. The music is easy-listening instrumental and bright, not boring, allowing for conversation and permitting privacy for the diners. The napkins are cloth.

We paid lunch express prices for appetizing and restorative food in generous portions, a real bargain to be enjoyed in this serene location.