I’ve been on a real Asian food kick lately. One of our readers noticed and recommended a place that he said I really needed to try.  It’s called Thai Noodle and Rice and it’s located at 2634 Fitzhugh, in an old shopping strip, next to convenience store/arcade, which you’ll have to visit for ATM cash if, like me, you don’t have cash to pay for your food, because Thai N&R doesn’t take plastic. First impressions are meaningful, and the staff here made a good first impression: they are friendly — seemed genuinely happy to see me when I walked in — handed me a glass of water and helped me decide what to order. I love it when someone at a new-to-me eatery can suggest items that actually satisfy, and the spicy tofu pad ginger that I ordered for myself was spot on — portion was plentiful, and the veggies — oriental mushroom, onion, bell pepper and jalapenos — were chunky and fresh. The ginger was subtle. Just enough. For my (adolescent-aged) children, I ordered Thai style sweet and sour chicken (not the Chinese deep fried chicken dish we call sweet and sour chicken). It looked good — stir fried cucumber, pineapple, tomatoes and bell pepper in a sweet/sour sauce — and it smelled good, and I can only assume it tasted good (I didn’t even get a bite; they devoured it). I think the portion was a bit smaller than typical Vietnamese takeout. Luckily we threw in an order of chicken pineapple fried rice, which was the most mediocre of the dishes and the only leftover. But then fried rice dishes don’t normally stand out in a crowd anyway. Each dish was $8.95 and if you want shrimp as the protein, rather than beef, chicken or tofu, add $2. Thai Noodle and Rice is open Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sun. noon-9:30 p.m.