May is that ornate, peaked-roof building on 45th in Wallingford that you’ve probably wondered about—it’s built from a century-old teak house imported from Thailand, and it is calm and elegant and good. The pad thai lacks the coral glare of ketchup; instead, the noodles are tinted light tan from cola-hued tamarind paste and wok browning. It’s less sweet than the American standard, more intense, and more delicious, with an acid underpinning of pickled vegetable, and it’s all served beautifully wrapped up in a banana leaf. And meat at May is more than a mere add-on afterthought—for instance, the gang ped ped yang, a light red curry sauce full of chilies and sweet spices with silky slices of duck breast.