This is, bar none, one of THE WORST meals I've ever had. I recently stopped in for a takeout lunch for the first time. Ordered the pork dumplings in hot oil, Udon chicken noodles, and glass noodles with chicken. All were terrible. Normally when I order hot oil dumplings, the amount of hot oil they are tossed in is generous and you sip up the oil with the dumplings. Not here. It's like they just drizzled the dumplings; and they were allegedly steamed, but it tasted more like they were microwaved, which is gross when originally serving a dish in a restaurant. The two noodle dishes were dry and the glass noodles did not have a hint of the garlic sauce they were supposedly cooked in and the chicken was either nuked or boiled. Again, gross. Not even a hint of stir fry and the veggies in the dish were chintzy. The Udon dish was slightly better and it might have been quickly stir fried, as it had some spice to it, but again, the chicken was as dry as in the glass noodle dish and sparse veggies. At $38.48 for this disaster, I felt it was a clear ripoff. I don't mind paying for food but when the quality is at max a 3 out of 10, I'm out. I should have known I was in trouble when I walked in and the dining area was mostly a bar. And that seems to be what this operation is: a bar that happens to serve Asian food. I have no idea how this place is averaging 4.5 for a rating on Yelp. Stay far away. read more

I've stopped by a number of times now for Thursday night trivia, and I really love it here! They have a wonderfully long happy hour every day lasting between 4pm and 7pm, meaning I can stop by before trivia, get a bunch of drinks and apps, and then do some trivia! Totally worth it and a really great way to spend a Thursday evening. Service is always kind, I tend to go in a small group with the intention of chatting, hanging out, and eating a few bites while we wait for trivia to start. We get in well before trivia so we never have issues with seating, but it starts to fill up as 7 rolls around! The chive bites are a showstopper--my friends and I almost always do 2 orders or more, and we love the sauce and dip everything else in it as well. The boneless wings are delicious and not a bar's typical "chicken nugget"-esque wing, but rather a really great fried bite. Their lemon drop is $6 during happy hour, so how could I not pick that as my drink of choice? And their spicy basil udon with chicken or tofu is delicious every time. Last night when I was there, the owner, Michael, gave us our shots for coming 3rd place in trivia and he was super pleasant! The whole place seems to have tons of events (like a Survivor watchparty night I'd love to catch!!) and just the best vibe ever. Pride flags are abound and it's a really great spot. Worth stopping by! I came for the trivia but found myself wanting to come to do more trivia just to get those happy hour appetizers and that spicy basil udon :) read more

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After being a steady patron of Blue Orchid during my time in New Haven, I was grateful to see them still around on my trip back. Had to get my old favorite: basil udon with tofu. Back when I was vegan, this was such a reliable meal that was filling and delicious and even now that I'm not anymore, it still hits the spot. Their service always leaves a little something to be desired so this isn't a place to go if you're in a rush but I was glad to see they were still hosting lots of community events and drag race watch parties which always used to be lots of fun. read more

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A great spot for happy hour drinks with friends. The bartender was friendly, the drinks great, and the vibe welcoming. Loved it! read more

Blue Orchid - Pan Asian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Yummy! I've had this place on my list for months as it is a block from my office and so glad I finally took the plunge! The lunch special is the perfect amount of food for the perfect price. I got it with noodles and ate up every bite! My only complaint is some of the chicken needed to be smaller. The dressing on the salad was a tasty combo of citrus with spice at the end. The star though was the egg rolls. I might just go and grab an order of those to snack on one day! Blue Orchid will likely become my go-to quick lunch spot! read more

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10s across the board! Blue Orchid is so inclusive and hosts some pretty fun events. I attended their Trivia Thursday and while my team definitely didn't win, it was a good time. Drinks are affordable, my favorite is the Katie's green tea. Sweet and refreshing but will definitely creep up on you. I've tried their boneless chicken and spring rolls, both are amazing! Definitely a spot I'll return to since they're right near the train station. read more

Love the drinks! however, at karaoke, it seemed they kept letting the same people go over and over again, i wish it was actually monitored to be fair and give more people a chance... read more

I love this place! I usually end up here for the drinks at night, which are AMAZING, but I have been here for the food too. Every meal I have ordered has been delicious. I have never felt disappointed here. They have a large variety of mixed drinks to choose from, so there's something for everyone. Their late night happy hour deals are unbeatable! My favorite drink is the Spikey Blue and it looks pretty! The owners and staff are always super pleasant and they make sure that everyone feels welcomed. If you're in the area looking for a good tasting cocktail this is the place to go! Also, this place is LGBTQ+ friendly and super welcoming to everyone! read more

Blue Orchid - Pan Asian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Queer owned bar/restaurant. Best crab rangoons ever. Excellent pad Thai. My date enjoyed her cocktail which was a blackberry manhattan. Live music on Fridays read more

Can't get enough of the food here. Everything is so good. Not in the photo is the fried dumpling with hot oil. read more

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Amazing service and supportive community bar!! Im here for it!! The best lychee martini YET!!!

Good and simple food Close to traditional thai taste and flavors Limited menus But good service and funky interior read more

Last night, my train at State Street was two hours late for my commute. I'm a senior gay and need to be safe. I knew where Blue Orchid Thai was and immediately felt welcome and safe. I had a big bowl of Shrimp Tom Yum soup that was perfect in every way. I had the happy hour $5 handmade margarita and it was perfectly made. I want to thank the staff for a lovely time. Now I know where I will go when my train is delayed. Thank you to the staff for your hospitality. read more

I love this place. I love going to karaoke Saturday nights. Staff is friendly and we always have a great time. I love the shrimp with walnuts. It's my favorite. read more

Everything was delicious. Service very attentive and knowledgeable. Will return to this fine establishment!!

First time coming here - found restaurant semi highly rated so decided to give a try. The outdoor seating was nice but food and service was poor. We were one of the only groups (4) in the restaurant, didn't receive any water drinks took forever to come out.. and I ordered a meal of simply chicken and noodles for my kids I specifically asked for no add ins (ie veggies / nuts) upon receiving our food there were peanuts covering the dish. ( my daughter is severely allergic) the waiter gave us a hard time about retuning the dish and almost refused to remake it or take it off of our bill. chef came out finally and remade the dish as requested but after several attempts to send the food back. the waiter never came out to service us again after we sent the dish back until we finally had to get up and request the check. very poor service and food was not good. Would not recommend. read more

Blue Orchid - Pan Asian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Staff was kind and great! They have a good Happy Hour deal for draft beers which brought me in. Food brought me down. I got the larb, hot oil dumplings, and massamman curry. Dumplings were store bought with some veggie mixture inside. Big disappointment but they are cheap. Larb was served with cut up romaine lettuce that made it very difficult to eat. I'd normally expect cabbage slices with larb, but thought I'd give them a try. Larb was bland until I got to the very last bits at the bottom of the bowl. The curry tasted good. It was creamy and subtly sweet. The peanuts were roasted and crunchy. The onions and carrot slices cooked well. My chicken was bland on its own and had some tough bits in some slices. My potatoes were undercooked and also bland, not pleasant to have those in the dish. I wouldn't come back again or order out from here. A friendly staff and good happy are great and its worth giving them a try for a low stakes bite. They have peppermint mints and the vibe is good. read more

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Very tasty. Apps delicious and a good portion of dumplings. Small beer selection. Server greeted us with a " is everything ok" which was strange." The ambiance was quiet because no other patrons were there at about 7:00pm. read more

Will say that the decor of this place was a tad unsettling. The tables and chairs dont exactly match and there is just a lot of open space. However, the food was incredible I had never had a thai curry noodle soup and it was SO good. the walnut shrimp was also a hit. The best part of the food here was that it wasnt too oily like your typical Thai restaurants that are popular in America. Definitely coming back! for those interested they also have late night happy hours friday and saturday starting at 8 pm! read more

Blue Orchid - yellow curry with egg noodles - Pan Asian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I normally end my reviews by saying "I recommend this restaurant". The food was so delicious I have to start my review with "I highly recommend this restaurant". The food was so good I almost forgot to take pictures and say grace. I almost regret eating breakfast because I wasn't able to finish off the silky broth from the Green Curry Noodle Soup I ordered. I called my fiancé to tell him the food was excellent and he would love it too. I also ordered the Crab Rangoon which was so yummy it didn't even need the dipping sauce. The crispy golden wonton bag that held the crab filling was seasoned and fried perfectly. I'm looking forward to eating there again. The server was so kind and had great timing. PRO: Everything I ordered was delicious. I made it in time for the lunch special which came with a small yummy salad and 2 vegan spring rolls. CON: Initially I wanted the Chicken Lettuce wraps instead of the crab Rangoon but the chicken lettuce wraps weren't available, specifically the meat part of it. The server did offer to try to give me an alternative but I politely declined. The Crab Rangoon was a great choice as well. Unfortunately, only paid parking until 5pm every where and it's limited. read more

Blue Orchid - Lunch Special Green Curry Noodle Soup with 2 vegan spring rolls and orange slices - Pan Asian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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My husband and I were looking for a Thai restaurant downtown New Haven where we've never eaten at before. If you would like to have one of the best green curry noodle soups that I've had in a very long time this is the place to go! Our server "Q" was super attentive and friendly! We also had steamed dumplings and spring rolls which were good. But between service, drinks and that green curry soup.... we left very happy and will certainly visit again! read more

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Blue Orchid is a unique restaurant that serves a variety of Thai drinks which are awesome! They also have really great noodle soup options. I really enjoyed the Khao Soi! I was very surprised to see it on the menu! Their crab Rangoon are delicious as well! They are nice and crispy but not drenching in grease because that's never fun! They also serve veggie dumplings with hot oil. I like veggie dumplings but many places will not serve them with hot oil as they do with pork dumplings. I am happy this is on the menu because of their deliciousness! these are dear and near to my heart. They also have a really excellent happy hour which is more than most these days! The owner is very kind and I love the support they have to the LGBTQ community! read more

I love this new place and the owners are super kind. We received free Thai iced teas which was so kind. It's pretty affordable here and I would recommend checking out. There are some cool items I got the fried dumplings, which were delicious. I also got the yellow curry soup with egg noodles and that was so good. I wish the tofu was seared before but still yummy. Also got the basil udon. I preferred the curry soup because it was more flavorful. Finally, got the Thai iced tea lava cake. It was very good. The Thai tea flavor wasn't strong but it was good. Would recommend coming here and trying it out. read more

This place is seriously a hidden gem. The food was so fresh, tasty, and authentic. Will definitely come back to try other noodle dishes ! read more

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Just a quick update to say nothing has changed in the last year and 50+ visits to this restaurant. A+ all around and you are missing out if you don't come by for the delicious food and drinks! read more

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Ordered takeout from Blue Orchid. They have a nice veganizable menu, and the curries can be veganized. I was very impressed. A note was included in my order that vegan items are not made with fish sauce or shrimp, so I am assuming the sauces are house made. Therefore, I feel confident that if you indicate your meal is vegan or that you have allergies, you will be taken care of. The Glass Noodles with Mock Duck and the Hot Oil Dumplings were stand outs for me, the Vegan Green Curry Soup is also delicious, but could be spicier. Next time I will ask if they can include more chilis. Four stars because of the solid food and attention to detail. I would recommend ordering from here in the future. read more

Got takeout from here tonight and I very much regret this choice. We ordered crab rangoon, black noodles with shrimp, pineapple fried rice with chicken, and to drink we got the fruit punch and the lychee drink. The best part of the meal were the drinks, both were very tasty (and the only reason this isn't a 1 star review)! Everything else was a total disappointment. The pineapple tasted fishy, which was so odd with my chicken fried rice, so I ate around it. I would give the fried rice a 6/10. And my wife couldn't even eat her noodles because the shrimp tasted like they had gone bad, a completely wasted meal. The crab rangoon was alright. We'll find somewhere else to try next time in New Haven. read more

Love this place...great food, cocktails, friendly service and a nice low key , relaxed atmosphere! read more

Blue Orchid - Happy Hour Lemon Drop - Pan Asian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Relatively new place with authentic SE Asian food. The owners were friendly and truly a family run business with the waiters being the sons of one of them. If you dont like spicy food, suggest you say so, as some of the dishes were a little spicier than expected, such as the soup and one of our friends was not a big chilli fan but the rest of us ate with gusto. higky recommend you check this out and save room for the mango ice cream and coconut rice - delicious! read more

SO! After my less than stellar experience back in may, one of the owners reached out, and I came back to blue orchid my next time in new haven. AND I AM SO GLAD I DID. Mike and his daughter (I unfortunately didn't catch her name) were beyond wonderful. The violet lemonade, alcoholic and virgin, were refreshing and delicious, the hot oil veggie dumplings some of the best dumplings I've ever had, and oh goshhhh the spring rolls- We ended up ordering more to go. Actually everything we tried was just yum. My first experience was definitely a fluke, and I will for sure be back! read more

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Amazing owners, amazing food. One of my favorites places in New Haven. Definitely my favorite dish is the Blue Orchid's Spicy chicken. But also the Zuki and the Basil Udon are amazing. Definitely you must try all their appetizers. read more

Blue Orchid - Blue Orchid's Spicy Chicken - Pan Asian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

This new spot is roughly the East Asian equivalent of Sherkaan, both for creativity and for portion size and pricing. So that's the kind of experience you want to be in the mood for when you pick up the menu, and when you do -- order the appetizer platter and the violet lemonade. Order other things, too. I went with pineapple fried rice because today (Jan 6, 2021) was a DAY and I wasn't up for complexity. It's good! It tastes interestingly tart and goes well with chicken. Back to the appetizer platter -- the hot oil dumplings are world-stoppingly good. Everything else is fine, and you'll want to try the pork toast because it's unusual (and good), but the dumplings are WOW. Also a burgeoning obsession -- the violet lemonade. Delightfully sweet-tart. Delicious. Delectable. Delovely. I am stupidly euphoric about the violet lemonade. read more

Would give 6 stars if I could... Ventured over to Blue Orchid last night for dinner, and coincidentally walked myself into one of the better Happy Hour menu's I've ever seen. The happy hour goes until 7:00pm, and offers substantial drink/food discounts for cocktails and appetizers. 1/2 of the owners was working behind the bar, and provided the perfect level of customer attentiveness, while also assisting to navigate me through the menu & any questions I had. The best Dark&Stormy I've ever tasted (made with fresh lime juice) was $5... Hot oil vegetable dumplings (steamed per - owner's suggestion), $4... Edamame, $4 as well - all of them delicious, particularly the dumplings. For the main dish, I tried the Suki (spicy glass noodle) with chicken. I was told it was the spiciest thing on the menu, though they are more than willing to address your spice preference. The dish came out hot and very fresh tasting. Truly a mastery of the addictive Thai spice - it makes your nose run, but you can't stop yourself from going back. read more

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Saw that a new spot was opening up here and was excited to try it. Everything we ordered was very tasty and flavorful. Highly recommend the appetizer sampler to try their variety of different apps. My boyfriend especially liked the pork toast appetizer and I was super excited that they had udon noodles on the menu. Very happy with our first trip here to this super new spot and look forward to trying other things from their menu. read more

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Terrible takeout. For starters we had tiniest containers of rice ever which wasn't even cooked. How do you send undercooked rice ?! The food was bland at best. Pineapple curry and another rice dish both like soup. Flavorless soup. Will never order again. read more

My partner and I were riding our bikes around new haven to enjoy the warm weather and decided to stop for a bite when we saw the sign for Blue Orchid, and it turned out to be a great experience. We sat down and ordered some appetizers while talking to the owner and found that this place is queer and AAPI owned :) Our food was delicious and the presentation was just as lovely. Check it out! read more

Blue Orchid - Crab Rangoon - Pan Asian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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The restaurant is super big and there's an outdoor seating area in the backyard. The food was good, we got two noodle soups and the size was good. The owner and servers were all very nice and attentive. Would definitely recommend going. read more

Blue Orchid - Restaurant (indoors) - Pan Asian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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This place is delicious! Stumbled upon this place by driving through the neighborhood and it's really good Asian fusion food. We ordered the sampler (AMAZING) & two different soups. They were really good. The super nice owner also gave us the violet lemonades to try & they were really good too! They are still working on getting their liquor license so you can't buy anything but you can BYOB!!! You have to try this place out it's a great ambiance too. read more

Blue Orchid - Soups & Violet Lemonade - Pan Asian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

New place on the block. I was happy to see a new Thai place in town, later on I realized it wasn't really Thai it's fusion which is fine. The food was ok, I thought it was overpriced for what you get. It wasn't that spectacular and there's definitely better places with better portions for equal pricing or even less. The honey walnut shrimp was almost $12 for 6 pieces of shrimp and didn't even come with rice which I found odd. I honestly could have just walked to the market and made this myself. The lychee rose tea was actually the best part of the meal but it's super tiny and was $4. Dumplings seemed to be homemade but weren't that good to be honest. Not a lot of flavor which is odd cuz it was with the hot chili oil which gave no depth to the dish. I might come back one more time just to give another chance as I always do but for right now I'm skeptical. read more

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Disarray Initial impression was simultaneously positive and negative. Neg: 7pm reservation and there were 4 other people there when we got there. Pos: When we sat down, we were immediately told by the bartender (and waiter) that we still had 2 minutes to lock in any happy hour pricing, which I always appreciate. Ordered 2 drinks and 2 apps. The drinks took 18 minutes. To reiterate, there were 4 other people dining there. While that was happening, the apps came, and eventually water maybe 15 minutes in. Also my drink was poured table side, spilled on the table, and not good. Apps: The steamed dumplings were good! The spring rolls were average - not memorable, but not bad. After all that came and went we were still waiting to order dinner. There was no opportunity to order because the 2 total employees were busy running around doing who knows what with 6 total guests. Finally ordered, and the food came out pretty quick. The Basil Udon with beef was proper spicy, but had maybe 6 pieces of beef. The glass noodles with shrimp had good noodles, but the shrimp didn't appear to be fully cooked. If this places gets a trained wait staff, a trained bartender, and understands how to portion the food it has a real chance. And I feel a bit bad because the bartender/waiter was trying really hard. I'm not sure what he was doing running all over the place back and forth to the kitchen area all the time with a nearly empty restaurant, but he was trying hard, and he's definitely not being setup to succeed there. read more