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    Bua Thai Kitchen

    4.5 (251 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Noodles
    Closed 12:00 pm - 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

    Bua Thai Kitchen Reservations

    Order Bua Thai Kitchen Takeout or Delivery

    Bua Thai Kitchen Photos

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    BUA THAI KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Intimate
    Outdoor seating

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    Christian M.

    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

    Seafood Eggplant
    Dexter D.

    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.

    Red curry
    Aly C.

    ===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.

    Shrimp Pad Thai
    Adem M.

    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!

    Edison H.

    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*.

    Thomas B.

    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.

    Heliana M.

    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.

    Chicken Spicy Wings of Heaven
    Sharon B.

    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.

    Veg shrimp rolls
    Mary R.

    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.

    Pla Manow
    Soo K.

    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.

    Panang Curry Beef
    Kathy S.

    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

    Pad Thai

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Good consistent tasty food. We eat here regularly or take home. We normally order the pa ka prow kai dow, papaya salad, and pad see ew.

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    2 years ago

    Bua Thai Kitchen has excellent food, fast service and pleasant staff. I highly recommend this restaurant.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Hi, Grace! Thank you for your review! We hope to see you back again!

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    Thank you Eve!! We hope to see you back again soon!

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    どもありがとうございました。

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    2 years ago

    It was delicious! Best in Berkeley if you ask me!!! I will be back! We got take out this time, but look forward to dinning in next time!

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    Page 3 of 7

    Bua Thai Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Bua Thai Kitchen

    Are you open today, Christmas? No answer on phone but reservations look available?

    Sorry for late response Yes we are open I thought 3 hours ago the electricity outage

    Are the dishes overly sweet with added sugar?

    No, things don't taste like there's a lot of sugar. The staff is are very accommodating, so you could request no added sugar.

    Is there a lunch menu?

    We have all day menu because we included the rice to main dishes you only paid for an extra rice Thank you.

    Can they accommodate a gluten free diet?

    Yes all of curry dishes are gluten free Thank you

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Bua Luang - Feel walm and cozy while dining.

    Bua Luang

    3.8(357 reviews)
    0.4 mi
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    Outdoor seating
    Healthy dining

    Lunch Special $22 Chicken Satay appetizer and Cashew Nut with Tofu. $6 Thai iced tea with coconut…read more Tofu was well seasoned and surprisingly more delicious than the chicken satay which was already pretty decent. Really nice flavor profile with plenty of umami, spices, and oil to provide fullness. Thai Iced Tea tastes like the premade stuff I'm familiar with at many restaurants. Good food but not necessarily worth going out of your way to try.

    Normally we really love this place but last night we were planning to eat there and arrived at…read more8:35. Their hours say that they close at 9 pm. In the past, while there, we've known them to stop taking orders at 8:45. We were ready looking forward to eating there and really disappointed that they didn't seat us. For people looking to eat here, make sure you arrive at least 35 minutes before closing and for the restaurant, you might want to be more clear on your listings what time you actually stop serving. We did however find a really good Thai restaurant alternative that we wouldn't have tried otherwise and they are open until 10 which is nice., We don't normally eat so late but last night we had some unavoidable delays. We wish they had been more flexible and clear on the hours of operation.

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    Bua Luang - Patio area seating in the sunny day. Perfect for dining and drinking.

    Patio area seating in the sunny day. Perfect for dining and drinking.

    Bua Luang - Kao Mun Kai. One of the most popular Thai street food dish. Now available for everyone to enjoy.

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    Sistory

    Sistory

    4.3(296 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Just want to give a shoutout to Sistory's lunch plate which is fabulous! The lunch special includes…read moreappetizer, entree, salad, scoop of rice and Thai tea/coffee. The food is fresh and tasty as always!

    My best friend and I grabbed dinner together at Sistory! Our initial plans didn't go through due to…read morethe holidays, but we're happy to have checked off a new spot. I've always wanted to dine at Sistory for brunch, but coming in the evening, it wasn't too busy. There was a steady flow of customers and take-out orders. The restaurant is warm, cozy, and quaint. There are several tables for pairs or parties of four, plus some artwork displayed. There was only one server who was juggling customers, but we were well taken care of. My best friend and I shared Roti Dip, Pad Thai with Chicken, and Yellow Curry with Tofu. The roti was so flaky and warm! The Pad Thai tasted good and was typical of the ones I've had. The curry was robust and flavorful! Being mild, it was a bit spicier than we had anticipated. So if you have a low spice tolerance, keep that in mind! We also got Thai Tea, which was refreshing! Portion sizes were good, and we took our leftovers to go. Sistory Thai Kitchen is an addition to the Albany and North Berkeley area. I wouldn't mind coming back to try their brunch! They're located off San Pablo Ave. with street parking out front.

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    Sistory - Kanoom Jeen Nam Ngew/ traditional dish from Northern Thailand

    Kanoom Jeen Nam Ngew/ traditional dish from Northern Thailand

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    Funky Elephant - Pad Thai Old Skool

    Funky Elephant

    4.0(437 reviews)
    0.4 miWest Berkeley
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    A friend of mine is a cook and he recommended this place so we had to try it. 10/10 highly…read morerecommend. Parking is a little tough, it's a small lot but there are street parking around. For a Saturday night I found parking pretty quick since there's not much else going on around. The service is incredible. Our server was super nice and attentive to our table giving us plenty of water and suggestions when we couldn't figure out what to eat because everything sounded good. All I can say is, everything we got was flavorful and delicious. I wish the portion sizes were bigger for the price tag it came with but it was all delicious all the same. Of course I got their nam kow, which I will admit is not as great as champa garden's but still worth getting. Again, the price and portion size is not the best but still delicious. My new favorite dish of all time is their yum khai dao. It's a bunch of fried eggs with salad on top that has a tangy sweet spicy dressing tossed on it. I'm a sucker for fried eggs so this is easily my favorite dish. We got both their savory roti and their sweet roti and I recommend both. The sweet roti comes with ice cream and their roti is covered with condensed milk. It's actually the perfect way to end the meal with something sweet after all the savory or salty dishes. We also got their grilled beef short ribs, drunken muscles and the O' Breakfast Grilled Pork. The pork and grilled short ribs were both so good we all almost didn't want to share with each other. The next time I come back, I will go for the pork and the fried eggs salad along with both roti's. 10/10

    Tucked away in between Philz and Homeroom is Funky Elephant. Small interior with only about 5-6…read moretables inside with outdoor seating. The motherland curry was a joke of a portion at $21. The container was half full. There was a side of noodles and garnish that went along but still tiny. The flavor was there at least. The old school pad Thai wasn't really anything special either. The strawberry matcha latte was another miss. Super bitter. The service was nice.

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    Funky Elephant - Cozy corner spot

    Cozy corner spot

    Funky Elephant - Papaya salad

    Papaya salad

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    Bua Thai Kitchen - thai - Updated May 2026

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