Equator - South End

Thailand is 15 degrees north of the equator.

I'm not sure if that is relevant—but they do have linguine with duck; that's cool, right? The exterior of the restaurant is a bit deceiving. The window reads: “A Thai Restaurant.” But if you open the menu there's Korean, Indian, and Italian inspired dishes. It's more of a fusion menu although there are some Thai dishes.

The important thing to note here is that this place is a good restaurant. Yes, good restaurant—that's what we're looking for. Quiet atmosphere, friendly staff, and moderate prices make this a great place for a date. I've never been disappointed by the food and the drinks are reasonably priced as well. Every friend I have bought here has enjoyed it thoroughly.

I tested out their bibimbap, a simple Korean dish of vegetables and beef laid over rice that you mix together with chili pepper paste. The beef was tender and savory—not overly seasoned and the vegetables were cold and crisp. After mixing, it was a pleasant, warm amalgam of carrots, sprouts, beef, zuchinni, mushrooms, and spinach. I suggest bibimbap to anyone looking for a large, filling meal that is on the lower end of the price spectrum. It came with a small portion of hot miso soup as well—traditional with bits of tofu and seaweed, it made a great introduction to dinner.

To complement the bibimbap I got a Kirin Light and an order of fried crab shumai. The dumplings were good, nothing spectacular, but it's hard to mess up dumplings anyways. The combination of hot dumplings, vegetables, beef, and rice made for a great meal with varying textures and temperatures. The savory beef, crisp sprouts, fluffy rice, and firm shumai sated my void of a stomach and my palate as well.

The crab shumai, bibimbap, and Kirin together came to around $25. A little on the pricy side, but well worth it for a meal in such a nice atmosphere in a great neighborhood in the South End.

1721 Washington St., Boston, MA 02118, 617 536 6386, www.equatorrestaurantma.com