Sep 21, 2018 - tornado day in Ottawa. Power was out at home due to the smaller EF2 tornado passing very nearby our house so we decided to go out to eat and this was the first restaurant we came to where there was obvious electricity. About 10 minutes after we entered, the power went out here. The staff came out with candles to augment the emergency lighting. They went to the tables where people had not yet ordered to let us know that they could still support a partial menu as most of their cooking is with gas, but pointed out the dishes that were cooked on electrics. Food was good, still delivered in a reasonable time, service was good despite the obvious challenges. Because they could only take cash, and had no registers, they didn't bother charging tax. Honestly, I think they did an amazing job handling an unfortunate situation, and as a result, I have been back here numerous times since then. read more

I order Gaeng Garee Gai, a chicken curry dish and my wife had a combo dish consisting of fried rice, summer rolls, Gen. Tao's chicken and veggies. The servings were very substantial and also quite tasty. The only negative I found is their silverware: it's shape makes it clumsy to hold as the flat area of the handle is vertical. Otherwise, mum's the word. The wait person is a lovely woman with a winning smile. The ambiance is plain, the restaurant is cozy, and the chairs make a gentle farting sound when you move in them, so be forwarned. They serve alcoholic drinks but we abstained. Go, it's worth it and the prices are very good. read more

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A great, busy, popular spot for lunch. Hot, flavourful tom yum soup, pad thai etc. Many dishes come with your choice of tofu, seafood, or chicken which makes it relatively easy to accommodate groups with varied dietary needs. Courteous staff, tidy tables with colourful table cloths and place mats give this unpretentious eatery some flair. Little extras like the artistic garnishes fashioned out of vegetables make Aiyara a real delight. read more

Aiyara Thai Cuisine - Tom yum soup with tofu, stir fry chicken, pad Thai! - Thai Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I don't like leaving bad reviews but if I could give this no stars I would. The pad Thai was basically ketchup noodles (no bean sprouts, peanuts, lime, etc.) The noodles were a bright orangey red and super saucy. The other two dishes were so greasy there were huge pools of oil visible on the top of the dishes (see pics). Even the peanut sauce was watery. Definitely nowhere close to what you'd expect from thai food. read more

The first time we ever ordered from Aiyara was probably about 4-5 years ago. From what we remembers, we liked it a lot. So, we were in the mood for some Thai recently and decided to place a take-out order. We ordered the fresh shrimp spring rolls, shrimp pad Thai and chicken Penang curry. First off, I was a bit disappointed with the fresh spring rolls. They seemed to be stuffed with a lot of lettuce, but no vermicelli and kind of bland. The sauce that came along with them was definitely a must. The shrimp pad Thai was good. I'm not typically a fan of pad Thai, but I enjoyed it. Finally, the chicken Penang was unfortunately missing quite a few spices. I was very happy that my boyfriend asked them to provide us with a side of chillies, because it was missing that extra kick that I was craving. Maybe I should have asked the restaurant to make it spicier, but that's something to keep in mind if I ever decide to order again. Overall, the delivery went well. The food was okay. I definitely felt like I overpaid at the end of the day. Maybe this was a one-off experience, as I remember we had a good experience last time. Will have to reassess! read more

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Sadly, it seems that this place has changed cooks and they are still learning. First ate in here 2 years ago, and it was pretty tasty Thai food. What I had yesterday was probably the worst Thai food I'd had in years, and the Chinese dishes (that came with the lunch special even though it's a Thai place) were not great either. The spring rolls were half the size of regular ones. The pad thai looked nothing like the photo from the good review below, but was a sweet, oily, ketchupy mess! Also, maybe just offer a veggie pad thai, since there were three shrimp in the whole dish. The worst part? They charged me to change the chicken to tofu , then cut corners by putting the green curry in a styrofoam container when it was too hot, and it got a hole in it. Most of the sauce came out on bag the way home, and we got the joy of ingesting those chemicals instead. There are better Thai places in the area, go there. read more

Aiyara Thai Cuisine is my favourite Thai restaurant in Ottawa. Yep, I said it. This review might be long, as I have so many wonderful things to say, so I'd recommend getting nice and comfortable. Ready? Here we go. First of all let's talk about the decor. I am an absolute sucker for elephants and purple is my favourite colour. Those biases aside, the thematic decor of Aiyara is fantastic. The colours are rich and creative, but totally in synch with the dinnerware and the food. I absolutely love restaurants that make dining an experience, not just a meal at a generic table and Aiyara absolutely excels at this. Keeping with the Thai elephant theme, all of the dinnerware (plates, tea cups and cutlery) are shaped like, or at the very least adorned with elephants. This table setting is the perfect canvas upon which Aiyara presents their meals. The creative techniques bring out "oohs and ahhs" before customers even have their first bites! Vegetables are arranged into gorgeous flower shapes, fried rolls moulded into little presents and even entire entrees carved into animals shapes. It is not only impressive that the culinary artists in the kitchen are able to make their dishes so appealing to the eyes, but that they are equally as appealing to the taste buds. My first time there, I had the Pad Thai (I know, I know, how boring of me). That being said I was on a quest to find a restaurant in Ottawa where the Pad Thai did not taste like it came out of a Heinz bottle. The Pad Thai chez Aiyara was fantastic! Served in the traditional style with peanuts, tofu and green onions, I had it with shrimp and could not get enough. The satay was our appetizer and it was just as appetizing. My second time, I had Kao Pad Sap-Pa-Rod (Yelper confession: I had to look up the name of the dish on their website after. My Thai is not so good!). Served in a hollowed out half a pineapple, the shrimp were succulent and pretty large! The staff are so attentive and friendly and make for an excellent dining experience. Since I am already on their website (to look up the technical name for "that awesome shrimp dish in a pineapple), I have spent the last 10 minutes looking at the rest of their dishes and can't wait to pick something to try next. Highlight of my day: Just found out they do delivery! WooHoo! read more

Great cuisine! I have only tried the general tso and the spring rolls thus far but they were excellent! They serve you quickly, therefore it is easy to go there for lunch during work. The food has great seasoning and the portions are average size. For me they are a lot but I know my husband would still be hungry! :) read more

This is one of the best places for Thai food in Ottawa. The place is located in a tiny plaza and is hard to notice. Don't judge the place by its exterior as well. There is parking available in front of the restaurant. The restaurant has an elephant theme going with the decor and food. The name 'Aiyara' apparently translates to elephant so go figure. But the place is very tastefully decorated. The service is impeccable. The lemongrass tea is served in elephant shaped teapots and is really good if you are into that taste. I am really impressed with the food. The Tom Yum soup was delicious...just the right amount of tang and enough meat. I got the yellow curry with jasmine rice. The curry was just perfect with nice subtle flavours. The plate was garnished with flowers and figures carved out of different veggies. It was a perfect meal. I have also ordered Pad Thai for take out which in my opinion is a small portion...or I am just a pig! They have well priced lunch specials that I haven't tried yet. Checkout their web link for the menu. read more

I love this place! The red and green curry are absolutely delicious. The pad Thai is also a favorite in my house.

Aiyara serves very acceptable Thai food. It's Westernized, but pretty fresh. A green mango or papaya salad should really lash your tongue. At least Aiyara's version was bright, semi-spicy, and not too damp. A fried bass fillet was pretty good, too. I think less time should be spent carving ornamental animals and flowers out of hard fruits and vegetables. This is an admitted specialty of at least one staff manner. But dexterity with a knife != good cooking. Perhaps that is the charm to some people. I think I'd go back. But not as a go-to. read more

We were placed by the door which proved to be gave a cold draft whenever it was used due to the absence of heated door unit. We ordered five dishes, four of them were onions with a small amount of meat or seafood. Felt like a whole onion was sliced up in each dish, covered in the same gravy. The other dish was labelled crispy duck. There were a few pieces of older duck covered in sweet and sour sauce. The service was acceptable. After experiencing genuine Thai food, this was restaurant was extremely disappointing. We will not be going to there again and would not recommend others to if looking for good quality food. read more

Good food, good price, good service, HUUUUUGE portions. Awesome little place with the most adorable elephant decor. The food was a little greasy though. read more

Aiyara Thai Cuisine - Fresh summer rolls! I didn't like that they used iceberg lettuce instead of vermicelli. Served with delish sweet peanut sauce. - Thai Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

This place is amazing. From the decor, to the service, to the food. It's truly wonderful. I do suggest that when you eat here, ask for house specialties, they are well worth it. The Tom Ka Gui was the best i've ever tasted. It was light and fresh. The decorations on the plates are worth every penny you pay for the meal. WOW une belle decouverte read more

Aiyara Thai Cuisine - Beautiful flower came with one of the house specials - Thai Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Parking, accessibility: lot's of spaces, seems like a sketchy strip mall, but trust me, this place is worth it Decor: awesome. They carve up fruits and veggies in animal shapes and flowers and such, very artistic. I did not expect something that at all Price: around 15$ a plate Food: spicy. Then again it's a thai restaurant. Not the biggest fan of spicy but I still find myself eating there. Lots of selection. Overall I'd say that place is a diamond in the rough. Don't let yourself be turned off by the fact that it is located in a sketchy strip mall. It is definitely worth your time. Solid 5/5 read more

Extremely friendly food was a very good I'm empress with presentation of how the dish was garnished food was very fresh I would definitely come back read more

I had dinner last night at this place! The decor is really good and relaxed. I had some difficult time to order since the menu was with no pictures haha! The food was really delicious and the service is fast! I had disappointment on the appetizer because 2 spring rolls for $4.95 and it was not that tasty just normal. The presentation of the food was excellent and that is a big plus if you want to impress someone! read more

Aiyara Thai Cuisine - Kao Pad Sap-Pa-Rod - Thai Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Excellent food, beautiful decor (deep purple), good prices, and good service. What's not to like? read more

Came here for a work lunch while in Ottawa. It's a nice thai place, with an elephant theme. There's elephants everywhere it's pretty neat. The food was fairly good, nice portion size and flavourful. I got the lunch special noodles with beef. I thought there was a bit too much sauce but overall a tasty lunch. The pad Thai and general Tso chicken looked pretty good, and my coworkers enjoyed them. read more

This is one of my favourite Thai restaurants in Ottawa. The Tom Kha Gai soup was fantastic as was the cashew shrimp and the vermicelli noodles. The only real complaint I have is the chicken was very, well bland. It's rubbery and flavourless so I'd stay clear of that. The staff is extremely warm and inviting. I took my wife there for her birthday and brought in my own cake and they, without me having to ask, put the candles on it and brought it our singing happy birthday. If they only improve the chicken then it would be, hands down, the best Thai place in Ottawa. Also if you're thirsty try the Thai Ice Tea - wonderful! read more

This place was really the best Thai food I've had in Ottawa, the staff were super friendly and full of smiles. The elephant theme and the beautiful fresh carvings added ambiance to an excellent meal. Will be looking forward to exploring more menu items! read more

Had pad woon sen delicious but not enough. We use to share but now barely enough for one. They should leave out the decorative flowers and elephant and put more food. Over priced for amount of food. Better off with Chinese food. I won't be returning. read more

Presentation is unique, and top notch impressive. The food is good, but not great. However, there are always stand out plates to suite different tastes. I love their sticky rice, and their green curry. Its true they do need to have a more picture filled illiterate friendly menu. If you are looking to impress your date, this is the place... read more

There are a lot of really great reviews of this restaurant and I am not saying that they are wrong, but my recent experience leaves something to be desired. The good: The portions are pretty generous. Our vegetarian pad thai was chock full of tofu and there was lots to go around. Like Patrick L. mentioned in his 2015 review, there is lots of parking and this is an accessible restaurant. Also, they are open on Sunday and this is why we ended up ordering from Aiyara and not our usual go-to neighbourhood thai place, Sweet Basil. The decor is fine, very much in keeping with the style and atmosphere of most thai restaurants in Ottawa. The one thing that Aiyara does very well is carved vegetables as a garnish, but don't expect this if you are going to get take away. The bad: One of the key pieces to a great thai dish is the sticky rice and Aiyara really dropped the ball here on this visit. We had ordered the food for take away and got a call while we were driving that they did not have any sticky rice and wanted to substitute for steamed rice. Then, when we got home and started pulling out the food from the bag, we realized that we had paid for 3 orders or rice and only received 2. Although the seasoning for the eggplant and bell pepper dish was good, it was obscenely dense with bell peppers. I would suggest that Aiyara consider adding some tofu to compliment the dish, add protein and reduce the volume of peppers in this dish. read more

I haven't had better Thai food anywhere. Fast delivery and always on time if not earlier. They charge an additional fee if your order is not over $30 though just so you know. read more

Well, my friend and I ordered food from Aiyara and the food was really bad. We are both from California and used to good quality Thai food. Our food was greasy and just did not taste fresh. And It was way too expensive for the quality and service... not to mention that food did not show up until 1.5 hours later. I recommend save your money and order from somewhere else.... these guys at Aiyara need to learn how to cook quality Thai food. read more

Love the Thai food here. Presentation is very nice , food delicious and service very good.

My wife and I love this gem of a restaurant. The restaurant is located in a small strip mall and could easily be overlooked, since there is nothing esthetically special about it on the outside. But once you enter through the door you will be pleased. The name "aiyara" means elephant in Thai. The decor and tables have a very tasteful and classy elephant theme. The chef is very talented in the presentation of carved food. There is usually a carved piece at the entrance, as well as carved food with every meal. Of course the most important aspect of a restaurant is their food and Aiyara has great food. Each time I have been there, I am very pleased. At the time of writing this review I have dined there five times and I will again and again for future special occasions. read more

We've been here many times for Thai food. It's always been a great experience. The prices are good, service fast and usually it's not terribly busy. Definitely recommend checking this place out. read more

This place came highly recommended as the best thai restaurant in the city. I was sorely disappointed. I thought crispy duck was supposed to be crispy?? Tom yum soup was salty. read more