Everything about this restaurant is great! We were eating late after organizing my dad's house so there weren't a lot of restaurants to choose from. But Bua Thai is open until 10pm Fridays! The place is very soothing and calm, plenty of open tables and lots of greenery. Wait staff is so nice, very soft spoken and patient. We ordered the Mushroom Dumplings ($12) to share and then I ordered Tofu Pad Thai ($14). My friend ordered Tofu Pad See Ew ($14). Food came out quickly and it was all so delicious! We will definitely be returning here! read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Mushroom dumplings - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

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The portions are very reasonable and prices are about $18 a plate. We called in the order and we got two boxes one of pad Thai chicken and one of pad see ew beef and it was lovely. Very authentic very Hardy. Totally coming back here. The inside is very quaint yet modern with some neon lights. $48 for pad see ew, pad Thai and 1 order crispy rolls read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Pad See Ew - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

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Like Jessica's a month ago (see her review), my take-out coconut lemongrass soup was missing the promised green onions and cilantro. The broth was good, but there was very little pork, and the few little pieces included were overcooked. The crispy rolls were good. read more

Amazing Thai spot in Albany. Came here with my girlfriend and this was a perfect date night spot. Loved the ambiance in here and it wasn't too packed due the rain the night we went. Our service was great as the food came out fairly quick and was amazing. Full of flavor and the portions were great for the price. Loved this place hopefully will be back soon read more

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Always a pleasure, great service, tasty well prepared food. Can't ask for more! A fine Mother's Day Eve meal for the busy lady in my life!

Family dinner for six. When I asked where folks wanted to go, two of my brothers independently suggested Bua Thai Kitchen. Sure, we're down for that. A reservation was made for 6pm on a Friday night. Never knowing how bad traffic would be, we left home early and arrived way to early. We grabbed a parking space in their small let and felt lucky because there was only on other space plus a handicap space. We didn't realize that two cars could also park parallel close to the building. Street parking is also very tight. This is important to know because this restaurant appears to do a very healthy delivery service business. It seemed like many of the drivers picking up orders chose not to park properly, making it difficult for others to pull into parking spaces or even just into the lot itself. We observed at least one driver who parked near the building and ran inside, leaving his lights on and his driver's door open. The restaurant can't be blamed for this behavior; it's beyond their control. There were a few occupied tables when we entered. We were seated at a two-top that was next to a four top. It seems like more restaurants are using USB-C ported LCD lights lately. Much more useful than those silly LCD "tea candles" that provided zero light. Menus were presented as were glasses of water and two carafes. Our server came over several times to see if we were ready to place our order, but it always takes forever. We finally ended up with: Green Salad Rolls - 4 - Fresh, crunchy, and delicious with the accompanying peanut sauce. Roti with Yellow Curry - 4 - The Roti was perfection. The Yellow Curry Sauce was a bit on the thin side. Thicker would adhere better to the Roti. Roti with Peanut Sauce - 4 - Same great Roti. Peanut Sauce flavor was decent but there was some separation of oil from the sauce itself. Crispy Rice Salad - 4 - A bit too sour for me from the lime but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. Pumpkin Curry with Tofu - 4 - Perfect over rice. We ordered everything mild so everyone could eat all that we ordered. The vegetables were cooked well. Spicy Green Beans - 1 - This was our least favorite dish. The Green Beans were simply tough and stringy. Pad Thai with Chicken - 4 - Was good. As expected. Seafood Eggplant - 5 - Dish of the evening. Although no one got a taste of every ingredient, what I got was quite tasty. Pla Rad Prik - 4 - Deep-fried Pampano with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Pineapple and Crispy Basil. There was also an assortment of red, green and yellow bell peppers. By the time we were done eating, we had no room left for dessert. Service was pretty good. Definitely a place worth returning to except for the Green Beans. read more

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===TL;DR=== - Red curry - Seafood eggplant ===TMI=== First and foremost, they NO LONGER have the young coconut seafood curry - not sure why that was in their promo photo since I literally came here for that. After finding that out, had to opt for something else. Can't go wrong with red curry anywhere. Pair it with rice and that's a solid meal. Tried their seafood eggplant.... There were sure a lot of eggplants in there so for all those eggplant lovers out there, this is your dish. I was hopping there would be more seafood. The flavor was good tho and it came on a sizzling plate so that was nice. I've also had their beef noodle soup and spicy wings of heaven here as takeout before. Their beef noodle soup was surprisingly not bad. Wing wise, flavorful but very small. Overall they do a good job on flavors here. read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Red curry - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

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It rarely gets better than these types of locations. Literally within walking distance from our place. Looks like you're walking up to a neighbors front door upon entry. Well lit decorated entry and dining area. The service is eager to attend to every request. Everything was delicious and there was plenty leftover to take home after ordering for two. Always a plus! We shall return! read more

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Interesting setup here.. looks to be a big house remodeled to be a restaurant? Parking was tight and limited - highly recommend street parking. Both items I ordered were great. I particularly enjoyed the crispiness of their spicy wings of heaven. Not sure about the spicy portion though. Maybe they thought we can't handle real spicy which is true lol. The duck noodle soup felt stacked and I didn't feel like they skipped on the proteins either. It's boneless too so feel free to slurp and eat away! We did noticed the service being slow from water refills to paying the bill. Not a dealbreaker so 4*. read more

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My family and I are no stranger to this place so it shouldn't be a surprise to you that we once again rave the food. We'd like to change it up every time we go and try something different. That's half the fun of going to a restaurant that serves food you're not real familiar with. however my history allows me to have knowledge of this food because the owner is from the exact town that I was stationed in doing my jumps into Vietnam from there during the war. Everyone that works there is so nice and hospitable, and they greet me by my first name when I come in and they love my family. Tonight my wife had the chicken muscleman curry, which was absolutely delicious because we taste each other's foods. We do it more on a share system then ordering one entrée per person. I had the Sua Ring Hai, my wife had the Chicken Masaman Curry, and our daughter ordered the Pa Ka Pao Khai Dow. If you have never been to Northern Thailand, this is how the food is supposed to taste. I would use it as a barometer to compare to other Thai restaurants, but you have to remember that each area of Thailand has its own style of food. This area and style of food is called Issan, from the very tip top north of Thailand in the center literally 15 minute drive from the Mekong river. I like the little touches that they do as well. Certain foods will come with what's called Kow Neo a sticky rice that you pack with your hand and use it to dip up the sauces on your plate like bread. It's a very northern thing. Have fun eating here it's a very pleasant well decorated good fast service cheerful people in a really large menu. And I really recommend you order one of their desserts. One of our favorites is the mango dessert at the end of the mail with the red sticky rice. If you like beer, like I do, you might want to try to order their dark logger from Laos. That was a nice surprise for me to try that absolutely delicious and perfect with the food. read more

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Great experience today for lunch. We came with our 7 year old and shared: - fresh shrimp rolls - egg rolls - shrimp pad thai - Pork larb Everything was so tasty excellent food and authentic as we had it in Thailand years back. Fast service and clean bathrooms. Would return back to try more from their menu. read more

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Such a cute place. And the food was excellent. I enjoyed the green curry rice, the mango and sticky rice and Thai iced tea. The service was great. They've made it Instagrammable, like many places have today. Neon signs and foliage for backgrounds. read more

I've been here before but didn't know it until my kids reminded me. We were in the area and we were looking forward to having Thai for dinner, especially at a place we never been but oh well, the reviews were great. We were seated immediately despite the busyness of the place. We decided to forego our usual Thai dishes and ordered chicken wings, shrimp pad thai and a fried pompano fish with the sweet and sour sauce on the side. The chicken wings came and looked good but taste wise- it was bland and the chicken had a strong "chicken" taste to it- can't explain but I didn't like it. If chicken could be called gamey, then that's what it was. And the chicken wings could've been fried more or it could have been double fried but either way they weren't that crispy. My Pompano fish looked really good but like the chicken, it was also not as crispy as it could be so either their oil wasn't as hot or they didn't cook it long enough I don't know, but I'm not a restaurant so I can't tell you . It's too bad because I was really looking forward to having a fried fish. The one thing that saved the entire meal was the combo dessert that we ordered. It was coconut ice cream with roti and mango and sticky rice. You can't go wrong with dessert so that was fine. It's too bad because I really wanted to like this place, especially after seeing all the good reviews. The service was really good though despite being busy, it was really friendly and warm so the service is at least four stars. It wasn't five star service because she did forget our drinks and I had to ask for it in the middle of our meal. read more

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Everything was great. We went out for our anniversary and the food and service was excellent. From appetizers to dessert. Parking is good they have their own lot, and prices are high but not for the amount of food and flavors that come with it. We definitely will come back here again. read more

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I absolutely love this place! Bua Thai Kitchen is my favorite Thai restaurant right now, and I don't mind driving out of my way to get there. I refuse to eat at any other Thai restaurants in my area because I'm obsessed with this one. Although I've never dined in, today I decided to order online for pickup to try some new dishes. Their menu is so extensive that I'm convinced everything on it is amazing. The only downside was the spicy basil tofu; the portion was surprisingly small, as if someone had already eaten half of it--almost like I paid for a kid's size. Fortunately, the portions for my other entrees were a bit small but not as much. However, I found that the medium spice level was more like no spice at all, as I couldn't taste any heat in my dish. read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Pla Manow - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

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I've only ever gotten delivery from here, but drive past all the time so will have to sit down sometime. The food is goooooood. And thank god everyone in my house likes Thai food bc it's one of my fave Asian cuisines. The last time I ordered we had pad see ew, the beef noodle soup, and pumpkin curry. Everything was delicious, and the pumpkin curry was bomb. A good balance of protein and veggies, and the sauce is just amazing. I always have a big heaping spoonful or rice on my plate just to soak up all the curry sauce. Must try this place! read more

Food, service, and ambiance were all wonderful. We have come to this location through several iterations, and Bua Thai is certainly the best one. read more

My favorite thai food in East bay after Thai delight closed every dish I have tried is wonderful. i particularly love their pot stickers, Roasted Duck noodle soup , the broth is so flavorful boneless duck slices are tender and delicious! pad seew and coconut pad thai are also amazing ! travels well Take out comes hot and fresh ! read more

I think this might have been the first time my stomach felt literal joy from eating a meal. I had the pumpkin curry from Bua and I was in ecstasy. I can't handle spicy food, so I ordered it mild with chicken. The curry had just a hint of spicy which was absolutely perfect. It was bursting with flavor and the meat and vegetables were fresh. I had the flat noodles last time which were also delicious, but this curry was next level. read more

Friendly & prompt service. Dishes came out quickly. Lots of tasty options. The Panang curry is especially flavorful! Try this place if you like Thai food read more

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I will never get over how delicious this place is, I dream of the coconut lemongrass soup. I've driven two hours for the pad Thai and I will do it again. People who live nearby don't know how good they have it. I moved and now the only Thai places nearby are MID. If you can go here regularly do, is so good and I miss it. read more

We had takeout and ordered the duck noodle soup, the mushroom dumplings and pad see yew. The soup was my favorite, so fragrant and great depth to the broth. We chose mild spice. So nice on a cold night! Grateful for being able to place an order to pickup at 9:00pm. We'll order again!! read more

My food photo taking skills sucks but it's really my go-to place for quick fix of pad-see-ew. I'd rather much do a take out than dine-in, and thankfully this place is really close to where I live! This has great potential for more larger parties though. Service is more "hey I will get it done" but I think it suffices for the type of food it provides. Not too salty, flavorful. I prefer their pad-see-ew, but their pad Thai can use more read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

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To celebrate a new chapter in my life, my family thoughtfully took me out for dinner. My only request was Asian food and to my delight, I was surprised and taken to Bua Thai Kitchen! Living in the neighborhood, I'd pass by the restaurant daily but never knew what was behind the doors. With a spacious seating area, modern decor, and pop music, plus local dining--this is a hot spot for Thai food in the area! My family had such memorable experiences thanks to Ken; especially my Pop who spoke in Thai with him. He was fun, knowledgeable, and charming. I enjoyed our back-and-forth conversations talking in Japanese as well. We were checked on occasionally and our food came out relatively quickly. You'll find typical and traditional Thai dishes ranging from appetizers to entrees, specials, and more. My family feasted and shared family style. We enjoyed the Zesty Taro Puffs, Larb with Pork, and Som Tum as starters. The taro puffs were subtly sweet, starchy, and crispy. The Larb was flavorful and the Som Tum was crunchy and slightly sour. I also ordered the Spicy Green Beans with Pork, Mahi Mahi Pumpkin, and Coconut Pad Thai. Everything was fresh and colorful! The curry was coconut forward and full of veggies, the green bean dish was well-sauced, and the Pad Thai was sweet with ample protein. To end our night and celebration we shared Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice! A first for me and a new favorite--a combination of sweetness and coconut that I won't forget. We ordered to our heart's desire so takeout boxes were necessary. Thanks to my Pop, I've found my new favorite local Thai restaurant. Not only is the food superb but the service makes you feel welcomed and so special; I'll be back and taking others too! Bua Thai Kitchen is bright blue and easy to spot off San Pablo Ave. with a parking lot in front. read more

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This place is amazing. Y'all have earned a loyal customer. Coconut lemongrass soup Garlic steak fried rice QUALITY. SEE YOU SOON read more

Pineapple fried rice: 8/10 Spicy basil fried rice: 7/10 (was delicious, but we ordered spicy and got mild). Spicy wings of heaven: 7.5/10 (tasted amazing, but were tiny) read more

As a frequent shopper of Sprout's, we pass Bua Thai regularly but never got around to trying them out. While meeting up with some friends for dinner last night, my wife was attempting to look up a different Thai place by a different name, but inadvertently pulled up Bua Thai instead. Super glad she did, because the food was delicious! While the rest of the table oddly all decided to go for the Pumpkin Curry, which they all raved about, I opted for the Cashew Nut, which I found delicious! All entrées offer your option of white or brown rice, as well as an optional choice of protein of your choosing for an additional fee. For dessert, most of us opted for the Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice, which I also really enjoyed. Consisting of a bowl of sweet sticky rice on top of a pool of condensed milk, drizzle of chocolate, with a side of whipped cream and topped with a cherry. The interior is done very well and is very aesthetic, and the front is very nicely decorated with plenty of holiday cheer. Service here is very friendly and never pushy, so we never felt pressured to pay the check quickly after our meal and leave. Parking is available for free in their own private lot, as well as street parking directly on San Pablo. So glad we finally tried this place out, because it is now definitely our favorite local Thai restaurant! I could continue to heap praises on this place, but there's not much more that I can say that has not already been echoed by over 100 Yelpers already. If you haven't already, you should seriously go check Bua Thai out! read more

Maybe I caught them on a bad day since I went near closing. I ordered the pad ka-pow Kai Dow and it was nothing like the photos. First, it was overly sweet and salty, inedible. Secondly, the portions were off, with 5 cups of rice and 1/2 cup of meat/veggies. The presentation made the meat seem more plentiful but underneath it, was all rice. $20 and it's inedible. I will not be revisiting. read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Pad Ka-Pow Kai Dow. Don't order this. - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

Came late on a Monday night in November around 8:30 PM. Only one other party in the small dinning room but I can see that they have a brisk takeout business. Kids were super hungry so we ordered pad-see-yew with pork, duck curry and mint leaf chicken. All the dishes were very delicious and came out promptly. Service was attentive but not overly so. Will be back to try other dishes when I'm back in town. read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Pad See Ew with chicken - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

When Lori told me about the duck noodle soup I was immediately interested because I love both duck and noodles. I suggested it to Nina for lunch today and she was interested too, so this where we met. We each ordered duck noodle soup, Nina w/ egg noodles, while I had mine w/ wide noodles. I had Thai tea and Nina had jasmine. We shared an order of the mushroom dumplings to start. Unlike the first time, they came out hot and they were delicious, w/ mushrooms and crunchy bits comprising the filling, w/ a tasty sauce to put on them w/ a tiny spoon. The interior decor is more colorful is than I remember it being. When our soups were brought we were surprised at how big they were and at the generous amount of duck and how plentiful the noodles. There were also pieces of halved baby bok choy. It was fabulous, tasty and perfect for today's chilly weather. I finished every bit and I think Nina came close to doing the same. The broth was complex and flavorful. Unfortunately I didn't think to take any photos. Maybe next time. A few others were eating in and even more came in for takeout, both individuals and delivery services. The bathroom was filled w/ plants, both real and faux. It was clean and functional. Nina was as delighted w/ her meal as I was w/ mine and we will be back. read more

Did not know this restaurant existed til my daughter mentioned it to me. She asked me, "Can we check this place out? Umm ok. Food was A-Ok, I can't really rave about what was my favorite but my parents mentioned oh the soup was their fave. Lol Regardless, quick friendly service, seating of I think at most 20? Perfect for the neighborhood. read more

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When my family and I dine at this restaurant, we appreciate the upscale ambiance that sets it apart from others. We eat a lot of Thai food, so this place is our go-to for a fancy dinner out! The customer service is very good--helpful and attentive without being intrusive. We all love the food; the flavors are consistently excellent, and the variety of gluten-free options, including gluten-free soy sauce, is a big plus for us. It's reassuring to know that everyone in our family can enjoy their meal without worry. Parking is generally easy to find, making it a convenient and enjoyable choice for a pleasant afternoon or evening out. read more

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Ms. Bua was kind Enough to call me personally !! Thank You Miz Bua. Now I await my order !!!! read more

We had a very good meal here, and the staff was very patient as we asked about what was in all of the dishes They were also extremely patient when our dinner stretched out to a four hour discussion and they started closing the place around us read more

Update review: the manager at Bua reached out regarding my previous review and offered to provide the same meal but this time vegetarian for free to make it up to us. Woody was exceptionally kind and generous, we really appreciated this offering. We took him up on the offer and the order was indeed vegetarian with lots of vegetables, the curry was cooked to perfection with a generous amount of tofu. All was delicious. We super appreciate this generosity and they have won us back. They will remain our go to Thai spot Thank you so much Woody and the folks at Bua Thai! read more

The food was so good. It had a nice ambiance. The yellow curry was good I added chicken, it had a nice kick to it. I believe my friend had the papaya salad which had a kick to it as well. Along with the chicken satay also of these I would recommend. The Thai ice tea was so good we got it all the different ways offered and they are a must try! read more

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The food was just ok. We ordered the pad ka prow rib eye, pad Thai, and Coconut lemongrass soup. 1) Pad Ka Prow Rib Eye - the taste is good but we've had better. It does not taste like it's rib eye. It is too chewy and no fat. We ordered medium spice and it was too spicy. The table next to us ordered the same thing and complained that his was also too spicy. 2) Pad Thai - too sweet and lack flavor (except for the sweetness ). The noodles seem to be off. 3) Coconut Lemongrass Soup. The flavor was good but not great. Chicken was seriously overcooked. Wait staff mostly ignore us even though we were 1 of 3 in the restaurant. We do not have a problem with the ambiance. It was ok. read more

I remember this place being the location for the old Shangri La and have been super curious about trying this place out. I recently came on Mother's Day weekend for dinner and came in while there was a cultural performance with music playing. It really set off a great vibe. I couldn't help but notice the beautiful interior and plants. It was really busy so food did take a while to come out but it was worth it. We ended up sharing the spicy fried rice and papaya salad (spicy). I LOVE spicy but I think I underestimated how spicy they can make their food so I might order more on the medium side next time. Thai tea was really good as well. I have even ordered on DoorDash a few times and the food has always been on point. I love Thai food so I'm glad to add this to my roster of Thai places that are close by my place. I really suggest checking this place out. read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Specials - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

I ordered the yellow curry and asked for it to be as mild as possible. The flavor was a bit compromised because of that, it wasn't as rich as I usually like it. Service was a bit slow, but effective. The ambiance is really like a bistro with soft cover songs and dim lights. The fried calamari we shared was good and crunchy. We ordered the fried bananas with coconut ice cream for dessert and it was good. I do feel that prices were a bit elevated for the flavors in my mouth and the attention we received. While being at Berkeley, I will certainly try several other Thai food places before I come back here. read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Fried banana and coconut ice cream, it was just delicious!! - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

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Service was excellent, and the flavor of the food delicious, with amazing spices! I had the spicy eggplant, and the eggplant was undercooked - yuck (reason for 4 stars). The restaurant was uncomfortably chilly, which is why it's a maybe. read more