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

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

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

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

See all

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

See all

One of the waitresses made a pretty openly racist remark about me. I am extremely disappointed and will never be visiting this restaurant again. read more

Best Thai food in Berkeley! I'm obsessed with all of their salads and I love the ambience--it feels like you're in someone's home. Authentic. Flavorful. Spicy AF 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

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

It's certainly uncommon for a restaurant to offer a grilled steak and fresh spring rolls on the same menu. I'm not complaining because they serve both things quite well even though I don't associate either dish with Thai cuisine. Again, who's complaining? Not me. They took over the distinctive building on San Pablo Avenue that used to house Potala, the well missed communal vegan spot. It looks a lot sleeker these days, and they offer a lot of appetizing plates that go well beyond the expected Thai specialties. Like I said, I ordered the $30 Grilled Ribeye Steak, a generously thick cut prepared medium rare and accompanied by their spicy house sauce and a side of sautéed broccoli florets and carrot slices (photo: https://bit.ly/3K5hE2Y). Let this be a welcome addition to your steakhouse options. I've also tried the $10 Green Salad Rolls, which were a hearty rendition of spring rolls without the shrimp and plenty of tofu served with the obligatory peanut sauce (photo: https://bit.ly/3E5k0eo). I even had the $10 Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice...twice! (photo: https://bit.ly/3lAJTMT). Tasty indulgence with a sweet milk glaze. I definitely want to branch out with their menu, but dammit, that ribeye is such a good deal. FOOD - 5 stars...a juicy steak and spring rolls might just do it for me AMBIANCE - 4 stars...looks refined in here SERVICE - 4.5 stars...quite attentive and expeditious TOTAL - 5 stars...fusion beyond Thai RELATED - Exploring Albany? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3ebRKbk read more

See all

The food is absolutely amazing. The best Thai food I've had in the Bay Area. Before ordering dessert, I was planning on giving Bua Thai Kitchen 5 stars. However, the service brought it down to 4 stars. I went on Mother's Day so I'm not sure if the service is normally as slow as the day I went. Regardless, I don't think the holiday warranted as long as a wait we had to go through. We first ordered the Seafood Mama Pad Kee Mao and Roasted Duck Curry. We waited for a while before they took our order. It was delicious and we wanted to experience more flavors so we ordered more food. In between, we waited around 30 minutes to order again. Yes, 30 minutes... We ordered an appetizer Sai Aou and dessert Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice. The pattern seemed to be we had to wait a long time to order but the food arrived shortly after. I'd estimate that it was a 5-10 minute wait for the food. The Seafood Mama Pad Kee Mao burst with flavors. We got medium spicy and we tasted the spice but it wasn't overbearing. There were great proportions of seafood to noodle, not skimpy at all. The seafood was pretty fresh too. I also loved the Roasted Duck Curry. Again, there were great proportions of duck and vegetables to curry. It was a perfect amount of sweetness paired with the salty roasted duck. The curry itself was rich in flavor and drinkable. The Sai Aou really caught my eye when I was looking at the menu as I'd never tried it before and haven't seen it on many Thai restaurant menus. The appetizer consists of sausage, onions, peanuts, ginger, and lettuce. It seemed to be a traditional Thai dish but I wasn't quite sure of what the right way to eat it was. I wrapped the sausages in the lettuce and made a lettuce wrap with the other toppings. I also tried it by itself. It was less flavorful than the other two dishes. It felt like it was missing something to it, either it needed more spice or needed to be warmer. I'm not quite sure but it felt like an element was missing. It was still pretty yummy but it didn't compare to the Seafood Mama Pad Kee Mao and Roasted Duck Curry. Finally, we finished with the Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice. The mango was very fresh. Great ratio of condensed milk to rice. Loved the whipped cream. It was good but it was nothing incredibly special. The environment was great. There was live music playing and traditional Thai dancers performing. There's indoor and outdoor seating but only about 2 tables for outdoor seating. After each bite I took, I wanted more. Everything was so delicious and we wanted to eat everything on the menu. My stomach was so full by the end of our meal. Despite the long wait in between ordering, I'd come back in a heartbeat for the food. I can't wait to come back again and try more items on the menu! read more

See all

For those who miss Potala Vegan, they moved from this location and renamed themselves as Shangri-La Buddha Vegan, further up San Pablo. This current restaurant was briefly named Moana's Thai Coconut House, then became its current incarnation, Bua Thai Kitchen (same owners). Confusing, right? SHIITAKE MUSHROOM DUMPLINGS: About as expected, pretty decent mushroom dumplings. GREEN SALAD ROLLS (added shrimp): A bit smaller than your standard spring roll. Fresh! Their peanut sauce is on the more savory end (my preference). RED CURRY: Deeply flavorful & filling-- probably one of the best red curries I've had outside of Thailand. The stewed meat and veg absorb all the sweet spiciness of the curry. Yum~ I'd been curious about this place every time I passed by on weekly Sprouts runs lol. Previously a drab tan, this cylindrical building is definitely eye-catching with a fresh coat of baby blue paint. Hard to tell, but there's a small parking lot behind the building for customers. Upon entry, it's quite humble, very quiet (no music at all). Typically only one person is here serving as hostess/waitress/busser, who's quite friendly and attentive, albeit orders take a while to come out (20-30 mins). read more

See all

SOLID THAI RESTAURANT IN ALBANY. Groupon brought us to this restaurant, and boy did it not disappoint. It was pretty darn good that we've been coming back since, so it is well deserving of a review and recommendation to others who may also find their food delicious! AMBIANCE: 5/5. There's parking available at their private lot to the side of this restaurant, there is also a shopping center across the street with more free parking so it should not be an issue. As soon as you walk in, there's a little foyer area then to the right is the main restaurant and you wait to be seated. Interior is a decent size with good amount of seating, very aesthetic and nicely decorated based on its theme. SERVICE: 5/5. The staff have always been welcoming, friendly, and attentive to the customers. Service is also fairly quick and never pressure you into leaving as soon as you're done eating. FOOD: 5/5. Extensive menu covering various appetizers, salads, soups, noodles, coconut curries, entrees, desserts, drinks, etc. which I'm sure are all so good. There are plenty of appetizer options, but I have always loved getting the Roti with Yellow Curry, Fried Tofu, and Fried Calamari. As the main, I have gotten the Pork Back Rib Massaman Curry, Pad Ka-Pow Kai Dow, and Crab Fried Rice. For dessert, we had to get the Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice in a pool of condensed milk that was so beautiful and was also very enjoyable. OVERALL: 5/5. I like this place. So glad that Groupon gave us the push to try Bua Thai, it is now one of our favorite local Thai restaurants. I suggest checking this place out for some phenomenal service and delicious Thai food! read more

See all

This review is long overdue. I came with a big group for my daughter's 18th birthday in Nov 2023. This was a large get-together with a family of about 15 people. There aren't many places that accommodate that number of people in the Bay Area. Despite our large group, the service was excellent. The owners were so nice, and the food was delicious. We drove here from Redwood City because our family lives closer to the restaurant. We ordered the Pad Thai and it had large shrimp that were expertly cooked. Pad See Ew had perfectly cooked noodles with lots of flavor. You can't go wrong with the roti and curry. Generous-sized roti. The chicken Satay was so tender and delicious. Generous portions. Coconut Lemongrass Soup was spot on! Everything tastes so authentic. Panang Curry is everything you want and more. The green curry was delightfully fresh. I highly recommend Bua Thai and will definitely go back. read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

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

See all

Me and my husband love this place. The food is delicious and the service is excellent. I love the designs and ambiance of it. 100/100 read more

This spot is five minutes from us and we finally tried it! We ordered takeout so not sure about the actual dine-in vibes, but omg the pad Thai is delicious!! Also, this is very niche but they have mango ice cream year round which is my favorite!! So many places only have sorbet and I love a creamy mango ice cream. So grateful to have this spot right next to us! read more

This is one of my favorite thai places in the east bay. Someone else introduced me to this place and I'm thankful every time I come here that they did. There is a small parking lot which makes it a very convenient place to dine in (they have a mix of indoor and outdoor/patio seating) or do take out. Love the khow soy. It is a little intimidating when an entire chicken leg is staring you in the face but it falls off the bone and easy to tear into more bite sized pieces. Flavorful rich broth plus well cooked chicken (note: not dry) and crispy noodle pieces leads to a well balanced dish both in taste and texture. I've had the pad see ew as take out and it's a solid dish. Will definitely be back to try more of the menu. read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Khow soy - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

Really good coconut pad Thai. The food is quickly served and service is friendly. Older restaurant. read more

Bua Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Albany, California

Listen I absolutely love Thai cuisine and have been to many Thai places in the East Bay!! This place Bua Thai Kitchen has some of the best Thai food hands down!! My husband and I were looking for a new Thai spot to try when our first choice fell through!!! First let's start with parking, which is not the best! They have a very small parking lot and so that means you may have to park on the street depending on the time that you go! There is a nice decor and a decent amount of seating. The building resembles a house with a bright blue color. This may turn you away, but their menu and the aroma will keep you intrigued! We dined in around lunch with no reservation (11ish) and so it wasn't busy! The smell instantly hits you in your nose when you enter the restaurant. We started with two Thai ice teas, for an appetizer we ordered the ground chicken larb salad and for entrees ordered the fried chicken with fried rice, pad ke mao and pad see ew. They were all good but the highlight was the chicken and fried rice which had so much flavor! Dine in a second time within a week lol, and this time we started with the ground pork larb, and yellow curry with roti! The curry had so much flavor that by the time I could enjoy it my husband had demolished it all! lol. A sweet yet savory taste and the naan was fresh and hot! The larb salad was on point once again with even more flavor since we ordered the ground pork! We ordered two pad kee maos this time and my husband loved his as he order his with pork and I had mine with chicken! The noodles are flat and thick and soak up all the spices! I love the addition of the egg, cabbage and peppers in this dish! I think that we are addicted and will definitely dine here again and this time we will take pictures! read more

Surprise by the food Good more than expect The curry we order are the best Pad thai is the next love Tofu with egg plant is kind of salty that make we need more rice read more

See all

Great menu nice interior too. Heading back from Tahoe. We needed a quick and simple early dinner and found Bua Thai kitchen not far from the freeway. We were pleasantly surprised by the extensive menu. There's something for every taste we got papaya, salad, pad Thai and a a really nice noodle soup. The service was prompt and very personal. We were asked if we wanted it mild hot or Thai hot and I got one hot and the salad, We got Thai hot. It was really a nice balance and not crazy heat. When we arrived, no one was in the place, and by the time we left, it was mostly full. Prices are really reasonable and I would rank it as one of the best all around Thai restaurants. I've been to in the past couple years. read more

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

I think this place is very overrated. I ordered some food last week to take out. Spicy fried rice with shrimp: wanted 'hot', came out mild, taste is very average. Ordered Classic Fried Rice- medium spicy, came out zero spicy, pretty average as well. Both fried rice were a bit dry, I guess they used less oil. Ordered Pad Prik Khing Basa Fish (hot) but again spice level was not hot at all. But the worst part is that there were very few fish pieces but full of green beans. Very disappointed with this order as basa fish is so cheap and they could have given more fish but they loaded with green beans instead! I don't think that I will go there again. Imm Thai is so far the best thai restaurant in Berkeley area. read more

Cutest Thai Restuarant in El Cerrito! If you like Thai food, then you will like this place. It's very cute for date night. Me and my gf went for dinner in October and it felt like we were there for Valentine's Day lol read more

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

One of the best Thai restaurants in the Richmond-Berkeley area. Been coming here ever since it opened and it has never disappointed. Clean interior with trendy decor. Flavors always concentrated and on point! Great value for the amount you get. Will be coming back to explore more of the menu! read more

Came here on a Saturday afternoon at 12:30pm and was seated promptly after arriving. My boyfriend and I ordered three dishes and a thai iced tea. The Sai Aou was delicious! A solid 4.5/5. The herbs added a nice balanced freshness to the meatiness of the sausages. I'd say I want the sausage to be a little juicier but still such a solid dish. The Coconut Pad Thai an absolute 5/5 for me. The coconut milk added was so fragrant and added richness to the dish. I loved how saucy the pad thai was. There was a generous amount of shrimp, tofu, and chicken in the dish. Goly, that shrimp and tofu was so tender, I had to steal my boyfriend's share of the shrimp. The Larb was a 4/5 for me! We ordered the pork larb with spicy heat on my boyfriend's request and he was struggling with the heat, but I think it was perfect. We ordered a classic thai iced tea to wash it down (4/5). The fish sauce was very light and slightly sweet which complemented the ground pork well. The herbs added freshness to this dish as well and I loved the crunchy texture that the toasted rice added . I personally think the acidity of this dish worked so well with the rich coconut pad thai. Definitely order these together! *We didn't order it this time, but an honorable mention to their tom yum soup because it is also such a great dish. They add mushroom in their tom yum and it absorbs the tangy flavor of the soup so well. There were only two waiters but they were very attentive with checking in on us during our meal and refilling my partner's water. They played popular music and the celebration of Lao's new year on the t.v. Our server, Ken, is always so kind and even told us about a celebration of Lao New Year nearby. This is my third time to Bua Thai and the first and second time as both in one day! They do not disappoint! Will definitely be coming back to enjoy the great service and food. read more

See all

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

Please treat all customers the same..... 3.5 Interesante space on San Pablo Went with the family was an experience Still felt the wrong energy read more

We loved everything. Favorite Pad Thai ever. Tom yum soup was also amazing. The service was spot on and food came quickly. The setting was really nice for 6 of us. We all agreed we made the best choice. Most importantly, we'll be back. read more

I was looking forward to trying this restaurant because I've seen such great reviews. We ordered to go and I know sometimes it's better to eat there, but nonetheless, I was disappointed with my meal. I ordered the coconut lemon grass soup it said in the description that is topped with cilantro and green onions. But mine didn't come with any of that. It was basically a bowl of mushrooms with a couple pieces of tofu. Very disappointing. !!! I'm might try again and eat there and order something different. read more

Food was excellent! Service was wonderful and the ambience was busy, but calm. I rarely find a Thai restaurant in the US that provides authenticity, yet this spot is that rare. You have to check them out. Super cute decor, but I forgot to take photos because I was busy eating and catching up with friends. Also, I totally forgot as well to take a photo of the Pa Kow Pow Ribeye - chef special is a MUST! The flavors were to die for read more

See all

Food - 4 Service - 4 Value - 3 We came here for dinner about a month ago, and while we'd rate this 4-stars -- it was only our 2nd favorite Thai restaurant in the area that we've tried (we'd rather that other Thai place 4-stars as well though). The roti here was really good, but the other dishes we got (crab fried rice and Thai Basil Chicken) were a fair value. The crab they give you is actually fresh crab which is nice but the crab fried rice overall was a little too bland for me (and I usually complain at other places about food being too overly seasoned). read more

Food: 10/10 so yummy! The mango sticky rice plating was suuuper cute! My pad see eaw was also amazing. The rib eye was very tender. Service: 10/10 you know it's authentic when they have their kids running around Ambiance: very clean! Ample parking Came here on a whim and now it's one of our favorites read more

See all

One of my "go to" spots for amazing Tom Ka soup, usually with prawns. Indeed, all the soups are delicious. The pad Thai is fluffy, with just the right amount of spices and nuts. Try the mushroom dumplings! read more

Dining are was very nice and clean, service was very attentive. We ordered a bunch of dishes and they all amazing good I love coconut milk soup and their special Coconut Pad Thai. I will definitely be back soon. read more

See all

Their Thai yellow curry is delicious! I ordered via UberEats and was pleasantly surprised. I've ordered this same dish over 5 times but I definitely wanting to try other items on the menu. read more

I get takeout from Bua Thai at least weekly and there's a good reason: it's simply the best. I've had a lot of Thai food in the East Bay, but once I had Bua Thai I immediately knew I had found my new go-to. Their pad thai and their pad khee mao are better than any I've had, and their curries are also fantastic. The staff is friendly and kind, and the service is remarkably fast. Multiple times they have simply re-made my order for free after an error that was on my end. Ken in particular is a real homie Highly, highly recommended! read more