Found this "Hot & New" spot, courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Yelp listings and with Cha Thai freshly open not even a week at that point, (went on Saturday, 9/8), what better opportunity to see what this place was all about. Literally was parked in front of a different venue, but something told me to hop on and see what was new in the area and found the restaurant in fairly close proximity. Guess I was feeling lucky that day & rolled the dice. Glad I did, too as this place was also vegan & gluten free welcoming.
The venue:
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The location is nestled snugly among several various other establishments in Gateway Centre, San Ramon and by the looks of things from the outside upon approaching the entrance, it was clear that business was already booming. Upon entering, we were greeted to a nicely thought out open format of various seating arrangements, from a few bar stools at the very front bar area, to some higher seated per-pair tables, window seating with outdoor view area, to your standard high back leather bench shared row accompanied by a table with two chairs across from it, sufficient for 4 per table. One large party opted to combine a couple tables in order to comfortably accommodate all which was quickly done by the gentleman who bustled around assisting all. We were told to choose any seat we'd like and the friendly wait staff would be with us shortly. The restaurant was adorned by decor to include several traditional style religious icons and a colorful piece on the far wall of some sort of metallic design work of beautiful koi fish.
The offerings / menu:
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Ranged from the lunch combo's of typical Thai standard items including a variety of curries and noodle dishes, to the appetizers, several salad choices, soups (9 selections here), noodle dishes, wok items, chef special items, curry dishes, "street food", side dishes, desserts & drinks. Protein choices ranged from chicken, beef, pork, vegetable, shrimp, calamari and tofu in addition to your desired spice level.
What we chose:
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-Veggie Egg Rolls: Served perfectly golden brown and crisp, not oily with sweet & sour dipping sauce. 4 stars
-Fried Tofu: Simple, yet perfectly executed. My friend's first time sampling tofu & he even went back for second's. 4 stars
-Crying Tiger: My friend was in absolute heaven over this Chef Special served with Jasmine Rice of grilled marinated beef steak served with a spicy thai dipping sauce which was cooked to a perfect medium rare, as requested. 5 solid stars from him
-Pad Thai: I requested this veggie style with tofu and my taste buds were immediately sent into a mouthwatering flavor sensation with each and every freshly-flavored & brightly colored bite with sauce made from scratch each day (we later found out during the course of the meal) and a bountiful amount of mixed vegetables cooked to a crisp and not at all overdone with a generous amount of perfectly golden brown tofu.
5 well deserved stars based upon incredible flavor and gorgeous presentation.
****The Pad Thai was absolutely exquisite in flavor and not greasy in the least with wonderful rice noodles balanced with an array of colorful veggies. Never have I had one as good as this!
Service:
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The gentleman named "B." was clearly very attentive and made it a priority to ensure each and every patron was happy with their meal and took some extra moments to introduce himself and speak to us well as the other tables who sat nearby and all who literally praised the service and quality of their meals. As far as I could see, all the nearby customers cleaned their plates. No to-go box needed as the contents of every plate was happily scarfed down upon. Our table included. If I could give this area a 6th star, I would! 5 Stars!
Washed mine down with a lovely Thai Tea (it's a must for me) and a couple sodas for my friend and we were both beyond satisfied with our experience.
Let me add that with such a freshly opened location, it can understandably challenging for the owners to anticipate how many may be coming in. I am completely confident that once the numbers are a bit more solidified as far as daily guests, staffing will also reflect this, although B did more than an exceptional job on his own ensuring every plate was delivered straight to the tables as soon as they were prepared by the chef, piping hot, full of incredible Thai flavor-punch & plated very neatly. Wonderful gentleman who took a great deal of pride across the board.
The verdict:
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I am craving more Pad Thai and there is absolutely no place else I'd go to ever again for it. I also cannot wait to return to sample more of the veggie friendly eats available as well as see how this lovely establishment continues to grow & become a highly sought after meal ticket in the area! This is Thai-perfection, from start to finish!
Now, boys & girls - repeat after me, "One, Two, Cha-Cha-THAI!"
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