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ZAB-E-LEE in College Park was once considered among the best and most authentic value-priced Thai restaurants in the city. More recently, though, changes in ownership and a strip center location that seems to have fallen on hard times have made it a less inviting destination. But now, fans of the old Zab-E-Lee have reason to rejoice, because the original owners have opened Ubon Thai Restaurant in Alpharetta and are back serving up flavorful favorites with Laotian and Vietnamese touches. And bargain lunches ($5.95-$6.95) are served Mondays-Fridays.

SPARE SPACE: Tucked into a plain brick storefront in the Ingles shopping center, Ubon is small, spare, and clean. The dining room features natural-stained wainscoting and soft burgundy walls decorated with musical instruments and assorted baskets. High-back booths on either side and small tables in the center offer simple but comfortable seating. Servers, dressed in jewel-toned raw silk tops, are pleasant, knowledgeable and quietly unobtrusive.

Elissa Eubanks/Staff (ENLARGE)
Neau namtok beef salad is one of those dishes you may not be able to pronounce but can bank on flavor being loud and clear.
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FIERY FOOD: The menu goes from appetizers, soups and salads to rice and noodle dishes, as well as an extensive selection of entrees and chef's specials. And hot and hotter dishes can be found in nearly every section. Papaya salad, served Laotian-style, with anchovy sauce (it can also be ordered Thai-style with peanuts and dried shrimp), is a crispy-fresh layering of tart, salty and fiery flavors. Pad ped pla duk is a wonderfully piquant and complex stir-fry of crispy catfish, with peppercorns, green beans, bamboo shoots and lemony Thai eggplant. Duck is prepared a variety of ways, including crispy with garlic sauce and stir-fried with basil. We really liked the duck curry. Made with succulent boneless slices of duck, and potatoes, carrots and basil, in a creamy-rich yellow curry and coconut milk sauce, it attains that characteristically Thai balance of spicy and sweet.

DRINKS AND SWEETS: Soft drinks, hot tea, Thai iced tea and coffee are available. Desserts include Thai custard, fried cheesecake, fried bananas, ice cream and mangoes with sticky rice.