One of the things I always sort of dread about my more extended trips down to Taft is the town's very limited range of foods. There isn't really much in the way of restaurant selection in Taft outside of fast food, Pizza joints and Mexican restaurants, and most of them run the gamut from mediocre to "okay." (although, i've got to give special exception to the folks at La Salsa Tacqueria, who make a mean chimichanga and serve you great horchata in a glass the size of a bucket.) There are very few restaurants that fall outside of this spectrum, and those restaurants that do serve food that is mostly inedible. (see: Paik's, Chicken of Oz.) Asian Experience technically does not fall outside the Mexi-Pizza food spectrum, as the restaurant offers a selection of pizzas in addition to its surprisingly in-depth Thai menu, but gains distinction by serving food that is unquestionably, inarguably, amazingly good. As it stands, it's probably the best restaurant in the city. Here is some context for that claim. I grew up in Hawaii, eating authentic Thai food made by people fresh off the boat on a regular basis. I now live in San Francisco, where expertly made pad thai and panang flow like water. Asian Experience probably has the best Thai food I have ever had in my entire life. My group of three ordered a tofu pad thai plate, yellow curry with chicken, and a mini seafood pizza. The owners of Asian Experience have clearly made some concessions in order to appeal to the general public of Taft; for example, the curries are listed as "soups" and the concept of a traditional Thai restaurant that serves pizza confounds my inner food purist. But it was all good. Really good. Tofu Pad Thai: Expertly made and spiced. Extremely flavorful. Yellow Curry: Contained a much larger variety of veggies than I was initially expecting. The chicken was tender, juicy. The combo came with a rice plate and deep fried(!!!!) egg rolls, which were really good. The curry itself was, without a doubt, better than curries I've had at some of the most expensive or authentic restaurants in San Francisco or Hawaii. The seafood pizza comes piled high with scallops, shrimp, and enormous chunks of honest to god real crab meat, and a choice between alfredo or tomato sauce. The crust was soft, thick and delicious. The owner also hand-tosses the pizzas himself. I get so damn hungry just thinking about it. The best part about the whole Asian Experience experience was when it came time to front the bill for our three dishes and delicious thai iced teas, our group only had to shell out a grand total of forty duckets. I've been pretty down on the food in Taft for a while now. I will admit to having binge eaten before leaving on a Taft trip as a goodbye to good food for a month. But remarkably, Asian Experience has given me something pretty wonderful: a reason to look forward to eating out in this town. read more

The best Thai food I've had in Kern County is located across the street from the world's smallest Sears in the sleepy little town of Taft. Who knew? My co-worker, who's a regular, took us here for lunch. He explains to us that the lady that owns the restaurant really is Thai (not like Koreans who own sushi bars) and she sticks to her traditional recipes. The restaurant itself it small, with traditional dark wood and Thai art. Besides the traditional Thai menu, they also have Chinese food and pizza to appease local tastes. I was told that the pizza is good but, they don't make it everyday. If you like seafood, you must, must, must try the tom yum seafood soup. This is the Thai equivalent of chicken noodle soup. It's a clear broth loaded with chili flavor, shrimp, scallops, imitation crab, and scallions. I had a minor cold that day and this soup helped clear me up. I didn't know they can pack so much flavor into a watery broth. I also had the crab and shrimp fried rice, with medium spice. I was surprised to find real crab chunks and decent sized shrimp in this concoction. The rice was fluffy and not stuck to the pan burned like other rice dishes. This was a well executed dish that is too gourmet for Taft. I love this place and I would definitely eat here again. I try to limit my visits to Taft to once a month and I would be perfectly content if I got to eat here during each one of those visits. read more

Asian Experience is, without a doubt, the best Thai food that I have ever had. Having lived in Taft most of my life, the dining selections are extremely limited. When Asain Experience opened several years ago I was excited to try something new. My husband and I are now "regulars" to this fresh, authentic, reasonably priced gem of a restaurant. I love the seafood salad! Built on a fresh bed of lettuce, the fresh seafood is sauteed in a spicey lime sauce. You can order your meal spiced mild, medium or spicy. I always choose mild then add the freshly marinated thai peppers. The scallops, shrimp, calimari and crab never disappoint in portion or taste. Other favorites of ours include the #N6, which is a mixure of vegetables sauteed with a light sauce with your choice of meat (chicken, calamari, shrimp). This light, flavorful dish is mixed with a tasty silver noodle- a light, delicate noodle which compliments the vegetables and sauce increadibly well. We also enjoy the pinapple fried rice which, during dinner, is served in a half of a hallowed-out fresh pineapple. As with the other selections, portions are generous. My son loves the hand tossed pizza too. They also have great beer on tap including Sapporo, Hefenwisen from a local microbewery and other more traditional selections. Wine, bottle beer and special Asain beverages top off the alcohol selection. All are reasonably priced and compliment the meal fantastically. If you're looking for fresh, authentic, delicious food in Taft Asain Experience is the place to go. read more

The red curry changed my life. It is unlike anything I have ever had before -- tangy, spicy, and delicious with depth and complexity that develops more as you eat it. When I come here, I order an extra curry to take home. One time my to-go order spilled in the bag and I shamelessly licked the plastic clean when I got home. No lie. While the curry is the highlight of the menu for me, I must say that the orange chicken and seafood pizza are favorites as well. read more

I must apologize that our review is belated but we do agree... This place rocks!!!! I especially love the sounds of pans and utensils banging out of the kitchen. The food is a great escape and is a testament to the hard work and high standards of Kern County's Asian community. Also check out Foster's Doughnuts (Cambodian) and the IT Cookhouse. read more

We dropped into the place on the recommendation of some friends. It helped get us in the door when we found out Guy Fierri ate here and liked it. It was just after the Oildorado Days Parade in Taft. We were hungry and ready to grub out. I ordered the appetizer tray and we got a few other items. Sad fact: The Appetizer tray was the best dish I ate there. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt here when I say that they were packed with customers and super, super busy. I understand how that can cause the cooks to speed up the process and drop the quality a little in favor of speed. It is an almost impossible situation when really hungry folks are screaming for food and want it fast. Even so, I was really disappointed. They served an uninspired and bland Pad Thai. Really substandard. I loved the appetizer tray. They put out some dipping sauces that were great. We had a crab fried rice that was very tasty. Everything else was so forgettable that I can't remember now what we had. Maybe I'm blocking it from my memory, lol. Look, the staff there were really nice and I loved the place for its homey atmosphere. I will definitely go back when it isn't busy and I'm betting the food will be off the hook. It just wasn't so hot when we went the first time and it was crazy busy. That said, I think they are really onto something there, and I'll give them another try. read more

On a road trip on the Central Valley of California, just enjoying the scenery and looking for a few geocaches and what do we find but a great Thai joint in the middle of Taft. Honestly can't say how the pizza is as we shared a small chicken coconut soup, very yummy. We also split a green curry with chicken and pad see-euw. Both had good fire but with very distinct favors. We did have to wait a bit for the food to arrive but wait staff checked in several times to make sure we were ok. We were fine because of the free wifi and being on the road gave us an opportunity to catch up on our mail. This was a great place to stop and enjoy the flavors of a far off land in the vast land known as the Central Valley. We enjoyed this restaurant so much stopped back the next day and picked up some to go for lunch on our trip through the Carrizo Plain. If you are in the area, this is definitely a flavorful place to stop. read more

Never again... that's for damn sure. I really am baffled as to how this restaurant has maintained a 5 star rating on yelp Either the people here in Taft have taste buds that are accustomed to tasting cardboard mixed with a little vinegar and canned curry paste. OR the owner is having his friends review his establishment. For starters... the egg rolls. What self respecting Thai restaurant would use Chinese egg roll wrappers and dare call them "Thai egg rolls" . One is made of egg(Chinese) and the other, rice paper(Thai). On top of that their peanut dipping sauce tastes like watered down peanut butter mixed with vinegar. No peanut taste, not a hint of curry, and I would even go as far as saying not a drop of coconut milk. I was reduced to using bottled Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce when i returned home because it was so disgusting. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The Musman curry tastes like canned crap mixed with milk. Again, needless to say disgusting. Not a hint of heat in the whole dish (I thought we were eating thai food??) and to boot my order came with 2 measly pieces of overcooked stringy beef. Thankfully those were the only two things I ordered because the rest of the menu looked like a half-assed Chinese restaurant (I'm sure take-out Chinese restaurants would take offense to me even comparing the two). Shrimp Shu-Mai, Orange Chicken?? C'mon guys... the list goes on... tempura shrimp wtf is going on are you a Thai restaurant, a Chinese restaurant or a Japanese Restaurant?? In the LA or OC area this restaurant would have went belly up in less than 6 months with crap like this leaving the kitchen. I pity those who claim this is the best Thai food in Kern County. Step up your game. read more

This is by far my favorite place to eat in Taft. Some of my favorite dishes are shrimp garlic delight. But now i've been stuck on trying all their curry soups. All are awesome, but my favorite is the green veggie curry with chicken added... due to all the different veggies in it. Another fave is fried mixed veggies. Pizza is awesome too... perfect for those picky snot nosed kids. I also like the owner. He's very outgoing and takes the time to talk to his customers and get to know them. This was my first Thai food experience and fell in love with it. I tried several others since then in Bakersfield but ALWAYS left disappointed. read more

This has been my favorite place to eat in Taft while working in the area. They have well priced and authentic menu options and very good flavor. I made it a point to try everything on the menu and was never dissatisfied! Lunch rush can take a while to get your food, but is always worth it. I highly recommend this place to anyone passing through Taft and desires real Thai flavor. read more

The food will knock your socks off! Dennis the owner will keep you laughing. But the food is really the star here! I love the orange chicken or the garlic chicken delight! My wife loves the soups and the seafood pizza! Small town hidden treasure that you just have to experience to understand! read more

I super duper duper love this place. I have tried to pizza and its okay. I love pizza so much that even okay pizza is good to me. The Pad Thai though is amazing. I am very particular with my Pad Thai order cause I just like the noodles. I don't like the random veggies that are usually in it and normally I feel bad being very particular about my order but here they never seem to act like they mind. They also add lime on the side which isn't something I've ever had before and I love it. Now when I eat Thai other places I ask for lime. Somehow it goes so well with the peanut flavor. read more

Food was real good, never had the pizza. Thai dishes really good and price is fair. Probably the best food in Taft.

The owners are amazing and the food is even more amazing. Love that you can pick the spice level of all the dishes. Thai hot for me!

This place doesn't serve Thai Iced Coffee. This was a bad first impression. However, I have to admit that the food is very good. Either that, or I was really hungry. We ordered one dish a la carte for each person in our party of four. The portions were generous. I thought there would be left overs. There were not. We ate everything. It was delicious. read more

Asian Experience - This place doesn't serve Thai Iced Coffee! I'm consoling myself with Sapporo, a Japanese beer! - Thai Near Me - Taft, California

Really the only Asian food you can get in Taft anymore. They are pricey for the amount of food you get but it is definitely delicious. It is also nice that you are able to choose how hot you want your meal. I personally like the Thai spicy and my favorite dishes are the pad Thai and the silver noodle with beef. read more

In my opinion not worth it, for people who watch Triple D with Guy Fieri just remember not everything on TV is good as you think I ordered substandard Thai Food in the Styx not worth the drive or time. If you live in Bakersfield or around Kern county this place is not worth it. Don't come here and waste your moneey read more

Best place to eat in the entire town. So thankful for this place being here. I take all my visiting friends and family there and never have I heard a negative word about this place. I love the "Crab Fried Rice" (I get extra crab) there definitely is real crab in it for sure. Love, LOVE, Love this place! read more

I really debated on how many stars to give this review and it was between two and three stars, but ultimately landed at two. Went to Asian Experience for a family members birthday, which was great because I had been wanting to try this place already. My two star review is simply because of the temperature in the restaurant. When we walked in around 5pm it was 107 outside and about 90 in the restaurant....WOW!!! It made our experience horrible. It's hard to enjoy anything when you have sweat dripping from your forehead....and not just us, the wait staff and cooks were constantly wiping the sweat from their brow. The waitress even told us that it's always that hot, so it wasn't a fluke that their A/C broke. A couple other downsides; The restaurant is small, but good thing for us it was empty. I can also see why it was empty on a Friday night...who wants to work out in the heat in Taft all day and then eat in a 90 degree restaurant. The rice was pretty dry, and not like typical sticky rice, but a over cooked and made Nischelle earlier in the day dry. On the plus side, the food was decent...at least the orange chicken. Their Kung Pao was also good and had a lot of fresh vegetables. A cool feature is that you get to pick the spice of your meal, which is actually a great feature. Another plus was that they had Sapporo on tap, so that made the "real Asian Experience" almost bearable. The conclusion to my review.... Invest in air conditioning and people would fill up your restaurant. As for me, even with the food being good, I won't go back simply because it's just too hot to actually enjoy my "Asian Experience" read more

I go here almost every time I'm in town which is every month. The pad thai is amazing and so are the potstickers. Definitely a hidden gem in Taft. read more

So since this place show on DDD we have been wanting to go. Finally we go from Bakersfield to Taft and we should of stayed in Bakersfield. When we first got there we had to wait because there were not tables but one was available. When our guest asked that the seat be wiped again because it was really wet the staff acted like it was an inconvenience. When we got our food it wasn't as amazing as it was like on TV. The shrimp soup was probably the only thing we enjoyed from our meal. We felt like they catered to local folks more than just every customer that comes in. Very disappointing. Never will we travel 30 min to eat here again. read more

Very positively surprised to find Thai food of such great quality and taste in a sleepy town like Taft. We ordered Phad Thai and Green Curry with beef, both dishes were amazing, service friendly and prices very reasonable for the large servings. One star less only because there are no desserts available here... Wish they had some options, as I am sure they would have been fantastic too! read more

My favorite lunch spot in Taft. Haven't tried the pizza yet, but it's on my list! The service is good and speedy. read more

Asian Experience - Lunch time. It filled me up so good, feels like nap time! Had a soup, egg roll, and the padthai. Pretty good :) - Thai Near Me - Taft, California

I love it‼‼‼me & my son took a walk there & we were not disappointed the shrimp fried rice is the best I've had in some years. My son really loved it to & he is a very picky person . Love the service & the waitress was nice & friendly.. hope soon to go back read more

This is a hidden gem in Taft it really has one of the best Thai food I ever had. So many options and they are all good

Excellent food! Pad Thai lunch special was amazing! Restaurant was a little hot - but it is 104 degrees today. read more

Ok so I decided to stop by in Taft because of an episode from ddd, even the they were out of Newcastle a corona hit the spot, we ordered the pineapple rice and the famous pad Thai which by the way was very tasty, the only bad thing I can say about this place is that the rice came without the pineapple and the waitress did not mentioned it until we caught it and she brushed it off but other than that it was good I would definitely come back in my next trip . read more

Asian Experience - Thai Near Me - Taft, California

Highly recommend-especially during this COVID 19 issue going on-price is right and they give you plenty of food and it is always great. We like chicken pad thai so good and made the same everyday-you can order it every day-order on Monday and then again on Friday and it will be same great tasting. Pizza awesome and the owners very friendly and welcoming-must try read more

Thai food in Taft was terrific. Saw triple D awhile ago and just happened to be in Taft today. Really small and outdated decor. The staff is extremely nice and well versed on the menu. Pad thai with chicken, beef pad see Eu, crab fried rice, and Tom soup with seafood. The soup was the one Guy raved about but with calamari, shrimp, scallops etc. Two words...THE BOMB! #bestsoupever. Everything else good but not great. Of the two thai places I have been to in the last few weeks....Tehachapi thai tops Taft totally . Oh, website prices Do not reflect Guy's visit...new menus in house. Example, pad thai online 8.55, new menu now 11.95. Big increase for the same stuff. read more

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After seeing Triple D I decided to take my family over to Taft to visit my Grandpa and eat at Asian Experience. I couldn't believe there was such good Asian food in Taft when watching the show but Guy seemed to love it and all the food looked awesome on TV! This place is totally a hole-in-the-wall on one of Taft's once was hustling and bustling streets of Center street. You go in and it's small but very comfortable. We got greeted and sat right away during a quiet 1 in the afternoon. The menu was larger than I expected that included Pizza! I happened to order from the lunch items and ordered the pad Thai with chicken and beef. They ( grandpa and wife) ordered it mild but I wanted spicy which it didn't feel like they made it more spicy at all! It kinda disappointed me because I love heat! We all ordered the extra egg roll with our meals which came out fast and were absolutely delicious! It was amazing that the egg roll had a perfect balance of textures! The sweet sauce that came with it was an awesome compliment to the egg roll. Our pad Thai came out fast and was presented beautifully. It looked delicious served with a lime and I believe crunched dried peanut butter. All the flavors and textures are so perfectly balanced. The noodles are cooked perfect. My only gripe is that I was expecting spicy because I said extra spicy but I feel the server failed to pay attention to my small request which was mentioned again at the end of the order. However, I added a bunch of sriracha and peppers which helped a little bit. I would say the dish is spicy with a hint of sweetness that hits the tastebuds to anyone thinking of ordering the pad Thai. This place was great though and I can't wait to make the trip from Bakersfield again and try more items! Good job Asian Experience and keep up the good work!! read more

Asian Experience - Pad Thai with chicken - Thai Near Me - Taft, California

This place is hands down the best place to get Chinese food. They are quick and are always going to you the second you get ready to order. They make the food rather quickly, and are usually polite. Once in a while some lady's are quite rude but are usually polite. The food is a different story. It's so good and always Pile your plate top to bottom with food. Heads up when you ask for spicy they know how to make it spicy!!!! read more

Didn't care for the soup, but everything else was amazing. It was packed and was still able to eat and back to work with time to spare. Great service. read more

I had passed thru the area from time to time but never heard of Asian Experience. Then, completely by accident, I stopped in. WOW! Everything I had was very good, and the service was super as well. I'll have to stop by again to try some of the items I haven't tried. My goal, try everything at least once! read more

I've only eaten there once but I found the food to be amazing . I had the Kung pow spaghetti and was quite tasty. The service was awesome I would defiantly go back. read more

The wife and I ate dinner there Saturday night haven't eaten there in a while she had chicken chow mein and I had pork pad Thai spicy my wife said her noodles were over cooked and so was mine mine were cooked to the point they just gummed up into a ball. I will say the flavor was there and the portions were big. Will we return no our dinner cost 41 dollars only saving grace was I had won a 25 dollar gift certificate in a raffle earlier that day. I don't mine spending money for good quality food but not when it's mediocre. read more

Doesn't look like much from the outside, or the inside for that matter. But the food is superb, personal favorite for me is the pineapple fried rice with cashews, raisins and shrimp. The cabbage veg soup is another favorite of mine it's simple but delicious, can't go wrong with Asian Experience. read more

yelp discovers yet another winner! we had the Pad See-Ew - excellent. also had the pot-stickers with a chicken one included as a free sample. this place is a new favorite for sure. read more

I think we must have went on an off day.. saw a lot of good reviews and wanted to try ! But

I have been here for lunch a few times. The Orange Chicken is awesome they make it spicy if you like and so is the pork fried rice. They have great egg rolls as well. Small place and sometimes hard to get a table but over all a great place for lunch or dinner. read more

My all-time favorite restaurant in the valley, hands down! Generous portions of amazing food at reasonable prices? Count me in! I recommend the pad thai or the orange chicken. read more