Fresh, friendly, and flavorful are the operative words at Ploy Thai Cuisine, where the food of the region is served in a cozy, modern setting. Stop in to quell your hunger with a bowl of yummy soup or a flavorful entree. The salad and appetizer bar comes with each entree, but be aware that you can’t take leftovers out with you, so come with a hearty appetite and clean your plate.

The menu features a curry du jour, featuring either Panang, Green, or Massaman curry. Entrees include Pad Prik Khing with your choice of meat with red curry paste, green beans, lime leaves, and bell peppers; Ploy’s Garlic with garlic sauce, steamed vegetables, and your choice of meat; and Cashew Chicken with onions, mushrooms, and cashews in brown sauce. Soft shell crab, seared salmon, and mahi mahi are among the seafood dishes.

Ploy Thai Cuisine is open every day.

Ploy Thai Cuisine
1500 Research Forest Drive
Spring, TX 77381
(281) 465-8399
www.ploythaicuisine.com
www.yelp.com/biz/ploy-thai-cuisine-spring

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/mimolag

When residents of The Woodlands can’t choose between Chinese food and sushi, they can head to Atsumi Asian Kitchen Sushi Bar, an Asian Fusion restaurant where they can have both. Chef Henry Zhu focuses his extensive sushi selection on the freshest fish available, so the sushi menu may change. At any given time, you may choose from close to 100 different kinds of sushi and sashimi, including rolls stuffed with snow crab, fresh water eel, or spicy crawfish.

Chef Zhu also crafts a number of Chinese cuisine entrees, including such house specialties as yellow curry chicken, fried tofu, or jumbo shrimp with walnuts in a spicy honey sauce. Each dish is served with white rice or, for and extra dollar, brown or fried rice.

You can enjoy your Asian fusion meal seven days a week from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. The restaurant also offers free delivery within a three-mile radius.

Atsumi Asian Kitchen Sushi Bar
3335 College Park Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77384
(936) 242-0044
www.atsumiusa.com
www.yelp.com/biz/atsumi-asian-kitchen-and-sushi-bar-the-woodlands

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/stevendepolo

If you can’t even imagine turning on the oven during the summer heat, no-bake desserts are the perfect alternatives to your usual fresh baked cookies. These oven-free desserts are just as delicious as more traditional options, and they’re often much easier to prepare, which leaves you with more time for lounging by the pool! Here are three no-bake dessert recipes to try at your next potluck dinner.

7-Layer Ice Cream Cake [marthastewart.com]
Cool off after a summer dinner with this colorful ice cream cake. Pound cake creates a sweet, dense base stacked between layers of tasty vanilla ice cream, while thick meringue is a wonderfully fluffy replacement for the usual heavy icing.

Creamy Layered Lemon Squares [snackworks.com]
Swap out your usual lemon square recipe for something much quicker — and cooler. Basic graham crackers create a crunchy crust, and the addition of ripe strawberries makes this dessert perfect for the summertime.

Hawaiian Cookie Balls [kraftrecipes.com]
The kids will adore these fun and tasty cookie balls made with sweet, crushed pineapple and flaky coconut. You can also decorate them with colorful gel icings and sprinkles to turn them into fun ducks or chickens for a child’s birthday party.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr m01229