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Squeezed into a peculiar space in the shopping center at Coors Boulevard and Monta¤o Road Northwest is one of the West Side's best-kept secrets.

And maybe more odd than the shape of its space - or that it's not a packed house every night - is its name: Thai Cuisine Teriyaki Queen.

Yet there halfway between Raley's Superstore and Keller's Farm Store, we find things of beauty.

Literally.

Every colorful dish is served on a white plate, and most are garnished with juicy lime wedges and sprigs of cilantro. Several hues of red dot the plate, most of them pieces of fiery chiles.

And, if the presentation isn't beautiful enough, we'll throw this at you: The entire menu, unless it has shrimp in it, fits well within even the most meager budget. (All shrimp dishes are $8.95.)

Everything on the menu is superb, from appetizers, such as satay (gorgeous coconut-marinated chicken skewers with peanut sauce and sweet diced cucumber dipping sauce, $4.95), to dessert, including kao niew moon (warm Thai sticky rice, sweetened with coconut milk and adorned by thick, juicy slices of fresh mango, $3.95).

I devoured my chicken pad kee mow (stir-fried wide rice noodles with egg, chiles, garlic, hot basil and veggies, $6.95). A warning: Even the mild version of the dish gave me the sniffles. (It, like many of its dishes, can be ordered mild, medium, hot or Thai hot.)

And the non-Thai offerings on the menu - though few - are just as delightful. My picky-eater husband raved about his sweet-and-sour chicken (with fried rice and an egg roll, $4.95), crispy but soft and not at all greasy. The sauce is served on the side, allowing all flavors on the plate to be enjoyed without being overcome by fluorescent sticky sweetness.

The staff is fun, the food is fiery and fabulous and always budget-friendly.

Thai Cuisine Teriyaki Queen, 6200 Coors Blvd. N.W. 890-3406

Cheap Eats highlights delicious items around town that cost $8 or less.