North Park has a spicy little secret. Camouflaged by its plain surroundings and somewhat gritty exterior, you could easily whiz past Thai Time Restaurant without knowing that it serves up high-quality food at very reasonable prices.

Everything on the menu is priced below $10. And the meals are as good and pungent as anything you’ll find in upscale Thai kitchens. First-time visitors will also be surprised at the expanse of the dining room, which occupies two storefronts and offers plenty of tables and window booths to choose from.

A scattering of kitschy décor imparts odd warmth. One can’t ignore the illuminated picture of a cascading waterfall on the back wall. It’s rigged with motion lights and non-stop audio of birds chirping in the background. Springtime at Thai Time is perpetual if you sit beneath it.

The Rampai Appetizer Plate provides an impressive introduction to the flavorful ingredients used in many of the entrées. The platter my dining companion and I ordered featured two skewers of tender chicken brushed in a piquant yellow curry — and four large shrimp encased in the same delicate “roll wrappers” used for making the accompanying spring rolls. A couple of fish patties rounded out the dish. Though a little greasy, their flavor was well supported by green onions and a hint of Thai chilies. And we couldn’t resist dredging everything through the peanut sauce, which is thick, sweet and downright precious.

My dining companion’s Tom Kha soup contained the perfect ratio of coconut milk, lime juice and chilies. The broth’s punchy flavor primed his taste buds for a lot more heat to come as I toyed with an equally colossal bowl of soothing Wonton Soup, filled with garlicky pork and tons of fresh veggies and cilantro.

A dramatic moment ensued when we began forking into the Yum Goong salad, which should probably include an address at the bottom of the bowl for the nearest burn treatment center. This blistering salad is loaded with boiled shrimp, lemon grass, red onions, slivered ginger and fresh mint leaves. It’s an innocent-looking combination that misbehaves on your tongue so badly that you can’t help but love it. So what if the Singha Thai beer tastes like Miller Lite? It helps keep your eyeballs in their sockets during moments like these.

In choosing our entrées, we deliberately overlooked the usual curry dishes in lieu of something more unique. My companion chose Fried Morning Glory, doused in a tasty black bean sauce. Not to be confused with the actual flower, these “morning glories” are some sort of Asian vegetable with tall green stems and a few spinach-like leaves hanging from them.

Our waitress couldn’t compare the vegetable to an American counterpart — or provide us with its actual Thai name. And we had trouble classifying its flavor after ruling out spinach, asparagus and broccoli. The dish was satisfying, although it seemed like a bit too much chlorophyll for one sitting.

Sporting a silly green smile, my dining companion said my basket looked “big and lovely” as he glanced across the table at the Thai Time Basket I had ordered. And who could argue? This visually stunning rice-noodle nest came brimming with an abundance of shrimp and chicken breast, although the arrangement was upstaged by a heavy amount of julienned bamboo. A smoky-tasting brown sauce covered the ingredients. And the heat level was refreshingly manageable compared to our lethally scorching salad.

Portions here are big. And the chefs make sure there are no bare spots on the platters and bowls when they leave the kitchen. Among the other popular specialties are: Jungle Curry Soup, Chinese Sausage Fried Rice, Spicy Duck Salad, Fresh Ginger Root in Bean Sauce and a selection of “mock” meats with various curries.

We were particularly fond of the service, which is friendlier and less formal than what you usually find in other Thai restaurants. But more than anything, you can’t beat the low-priced meals, which to our surprise included a seasonal dessert of sliced mango served over sweetened sticky rice.

If you’re looking for that classic, comfortable neighborhood dining experience, Thai Time hits the mark with a delicious and lasting sizzle.