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After reading Arshad H and DIA's reviews of this place I had to bookmark it and check it out. As luck would have it, I was in the area and called my cousin to meet up with me and have dinner. It was a crazy day filled with doctors' appointments, some personal news, and I needed a minute just to eat good food and forget about it all. Thats what food is for me, escapism. Especially, if its a great hole in the wall with amazing food and service. This is where things are a bit different from my experience vs others. As far as my food experience: The Food was great. However, for me customer service was a bit rushed and ruined my experience. They have a 90 minute window to get the tables turned around. Because of limited seating, if you come during rush hour, get ready to keep the eye on the clock. I didn't like that. My cousin ended up coming a little behind, and they started the clock from me being there and not from her , and even though i ordered myself ahead of time , i was very uncomfortable with the behavior of one of the hostesses towards not only me but my cousin who should have been shown respect and grace. The other one with the short pixie was nicer but If someone has a disability and cant move as fast as you want, its not fair. I was soo rushed that my experience was tainted and overshadowed by the food I had consumed. I typically eat slow, I hate being rushed, and I cant rush stuffing my face. That doesnt work for me. Im also not a sloth, but Jesus guys. Food, 3/5 customer service during rush hour, 1/5. They were out of mango sticky rice for dessert, and I was there before rush hour had started. I was sat in the corner of the restaurant in the back against the window near the bar. It basically felt like a "time out corner" and I couldn't move. My hand accidently dropped water because the hostess' energy was soo intense that my reflexes just weakened. I tried to clean up the water myself and she snapped at me. Would I go back and eat there INSIDE? no. Would I order to go and eat privately at home without feeling rushed? Maybe. Because the food was good. What did I order? Chicken pad thai, appetizer: spring rolls, and other stuff. See photos. Again, food was good, service sucked due to the hostess rushing me and my party out. She was rude, I didn't like it and I usually let things go. It ruined my excitement of wanting to try this place. If you go, be mindful of the rush hour time and of your 90 min window.
We were so excited to try this new Thai place in Tustin. We put our name on the waiting list and waited for our seats to open. The interior is fun and festive. There are two rooms with tables and booths. The staff was friendly and helpful. We ordered egg rolls, Khal Soi, Pa Thai, and Papaya Salad. We also had Thai Tea and sticky rice. We enjoyed the food, but asked for more soup with the noodles because it was kind of dry. Overall, the food was decent. The one negative for us was the price. We felt the portions, just two shrimp with the salad were small. Our bill was close to $90 for three dishes? With tax and tip, we paid over $100. It just seems a bit pricey. The small portions and the bill make this a place we probably will not return to. Overall, it was okay.
I visited Chiang Rai and had an average experience. It's located in Tustin. Food: The food here is pretty good. The papaya salad was my favorite. The pad thai was good as well. The khao soi noodle soup was very flavorful. However, it did not have enough soup in it. It was mostly noodles. The servers were nice enough to give us more soup. I enjoyed the sticky rice as well. Service: The service was average. I recommend putting your name on the Yelp waitlist since the wait time can get long. Ambiance: The decor inside is nice but seating is a bit limited.
If you wanted to argue with me and say this place is a 5 star, I'd absolutely capitulate immediately lol. I think the ingredients and the food quality is definitely 5 star, but the dishes that we ordered just weren't to my personal palette. My husband and I got a khao soi, papaya salad, and gang hung lay. I thought they were all tasty, but not exactly the thai flavor profile I was used to. The khao soi was probably as good as it gets, but I'm just not a fan of that dish personally. The papaya salad was sweeter? than I expected. I was expecting that tart, dankness that typically comes with papaya salad, but this was more of a sweeter fish sauce oriented flavor. Still good though! I thought the Gang Hung Lay was quite good, but again just not what I prefer flavor wise. It was like savory and tart/sour? Pork was cooked quite well but didn't really absorb the flavor of the broth which I think is fine. The restaurant was packed! Before we for there and after we got seated. Decent amount of parking in the plaza. You kind of have to flag staff down due to how busy they are, but they're friendly and helpful.
My friends from Vegas came to visit for my birthday, and they love Thai food, so I thought there was no better place to take them than Chiang Rai! We made it super close to closing, so they actually took our orders while we were still waiting outside so the kitchen could start making our food before they closed. There were a couple of times when we thought we were going to be seated soon because we were next in line on the waitlist, but it seemed like they were prioritizing some of the larger groups first. FOOD: I strongly recommended the Roti with Yellow Curry, and it ended up being my friends' favorite! We also got the Egg Rolls, Chicken Satay, Pad See Ew, and the small Tom Yum Soup with Chicken. The Tom Yum was a little too spicy for me tonight even though we ordered medium spice. Thankfully, I had my Thai Tea to save me from the heat! Regardless, we enjoyed everything and left feeling very satisfied. Unfortunately, I didn't get lucky with trying their Mango Sticky Rice again because they had already run out of mangoes for the night. Oh well, another reason to come back! We ended up getting the Fried Banana with Ice Cream instead. It was just okay for me, but my friend really enjoyed it. Overall, another satisfying meal at Chiang Rai, and I'm glad my Vegas friends enjoyed it too!
Following our disappointing trip to Siam Station in Irvine, you could say we were pretty determined to find a Thai restaurant to help make up for that experience. Thankfully, Yelp gave us no shortage of options to choose from, but even with all of those choices, it didn't take us long to decide on checking out Chiang Rai next. I mean, with how tantalizing the photos of their food looked, how could we not? As we walked up to Chiang Rai, the first thing that struck us was how bright and colorful the restaurant is, which definitely adds to how lively the place looked. More importantly, though, the menu here is fantastic! Although it has been updated in the time since our first visit, it looked almost entirely the same, outside of a few tweaks here and there. Alongside usual staples, like Pad See Ew, Yellow Curry, and Crab Fried Rice, there are so many interesting Thai street foods, Chiang Rai local dishes, and less commonly seen things to try! No lie - even if we had tried twice as many dishes as we already have, I would still have so many more I would want to try! -- (#34) THAI SKEWER COMBO - Beef Tongue, Chicken Thigh, Octopus, Sticky Rice (Soy Sauce, Egg, Salt, Flour)...$20 (for 4) Overall, all of these were quite tasty. The Beef Tongue was tender, the Chicken Thigh was juicy, and the Octopus was cooked well. Funny enough, the Sticky Rice just might have been my favorite, though - love how it kind of tasted like salted egg! -- (#19) KHAO SOI BEEF CHEEK - Khao Soi Curry, Beef Cheek Stew, Jasmine Rice, and Cucumber Salad...$25.95 This didn't really catch my attention on the menu, but this was actually one of my favorite dishes here. The beef cheeks were impressively tender and the curry was thick, rich, and creamy. I could devour a whole plate of this! -- (#25) BAMII PU MOO DANG - BBQ Pork, Crab Meat, Egg Noodles, Bean Sprouts, Chinese Broccoli, Cashew Nut, and Side of Soup...$26.95 Honestly, this might be the best version I've had of this dish! The BBQ pork was just okay, but all of that delicious crab meat more than made up for it and the noodles had a really nice bite. Mix it all with a splash of the soup and enjoy! -- THAI TEA SLUSHY...$8.95 On such a warm night, this was so good! The consistency wasn't too thick or icy, it wasn't too sweet (save for the whipped cream), and there was a decent hit of Thai tea flavor, too. -- CHA-SOM - Organic Orange Juice with Thai Iced Tea...$7 I had never seen this on a menu before and it was pretty decent. The orange juice gave this an acidic and refreshing element while the Thai iced tea added a bit of creaminess and sweetness. -- THAI ICED GREEN TEA...$6 I've had hit or miss experiences with Thai Ice Green Tea in the past, but this one was terrific. This one definitely felt a little sweeter, but the tea had a sort of brightness to it that I liked. -- (#20) MIDNIGHT CHICKEN WITH ROTI - Fried Chicken Wings (Night Market-style) Topped with Fried Onion Served with Sweet & Sour Sauce...$22.95 This was awesome! All of the wings were pretty big, super crispy, piping hot, and so moist. They were well complemented by the fried onions and sweet and sour sauce, too, and tasted so good wrapped in the roti. -- (#22/#23) NAM PRIK MUENG - Ground Chicken in Curry Paste (Nam Prik Ong), Green Chilies Paste (Nam Prik Noom), Fried Vietnamese Pork Sausage, Boiled Egg, Fried Pork Skin, and Steamed Vegetables...$29.95 It's great that the new menu has split this into two dishes, as I'd skip the Nam Prik Noom. While it wasn't bad, the spice got to be a bit much and just can't compare to how flavorful the Nam Prik Ong was. Also, the fried sausage wasn't too shabby, but it was kind of oily. -- (#33) MUN NURE FRIED RICE - Fried Rice with Beef Fat, Green Onion, and Crispy Garlic...$25.95 My mistake for assuming this was cooked with beef fat instead of having chunks in it. That being said, this was still really good. Most of the fat were just small pieces and the rice was cooked really well. Yum! In addition to how good the vast majority of what we tried tasted, the service has been just as positive. Each time we've been here, the workers have all been so warm and kind. Plus, they're happy to try to accommodate any modifications/requests (as best they can). The one thing about Chiang Rai that I don't love is how some of their prices feel a little higher than other Thai restaurants out there. That being said, I don't think there's any question that they have so many unique dishes and that almost everything they have tastes great! As such, the difference in price definitely won't deter us from coming back to try more in the future...like the next time we're out here again! FOUR AND A HALF STARS easily rounded up.
We have only taken out here but the curries we had were delicious! Ordered to go on their website and took 20 min for it to be done like it was promised. Briefly went in the restaurant for pick up, they have table and bar seating nice interior. Got the beef cheek and fish cake and pork curry. Beef cheek curry (8.5/10)-generous chunks of beef curry wasn't overly spicy, rice cooke well, had good aroma of coconut. Pork curry (7/10)- pork bit too fatty broth was interesting, not my fav but good amount of pork Fish cake (9/10)- surprisingly crispy for take out has 5 patties super flavorful and fish sauce that comes with it helps cut through fattiness. Overall delicious food can't compare to Manao since menu it very different chiang rai has more exotic items. Would love to try the fried rice next visit
Amazing Thai food!! Probably one of the best in Orange County. Everything we tried has been delicious. The service, however, could be friendlier. Also, when we paid the tab, they didn't let us know about the 18% service fee, so on the card reader, we tipped again! Of course it is our responsibility to always read the bill carefully, but usually the server will clearly let you know that the service charge is already included in the bill. We felt like they were intentionally trying to trick their guests by not letting you know because when we brought it up to our waitress, no one even apologized. Definitely left a bad taste as we were exiting the restaurant.
This place is super cute Thai Place in Tustin. It does get super packed & busy here, even on a weekday. Good thing they have Yelp waitlist, which is different from the Long Beach Branch. I've been here a few times and my frequent must get dish is the Khao Soi. Khao soi: really good combination of sauce/soup and noodles. Noodles are perfect texture. I personally like my dish spicy and with lots of lime juice. It is a bit on the heavier side because of the coconut cream/milk in the soup but it is delicious. Papaya Salad: Super refreshing. Also love it spicy. You can definitely adjust your spice level as you like. I would definitely get this again. Laab: It was refreshing and delicious, however, not my favorite thing here. I would probably bass on this. The menu is overwhelming, they have both southern and northern styles but overall recommend. There are so many different dishes to try here.
I was finally able to try this place out!! I came here once before but the wait was over an hour and we couldn't wait so this time I put us on the yelp waitlist ahead of time (you have to be within 3 miles I believe) and walked around Daiso while I was waiting. This place is definitely worth the wait though! We pretty much ordered everything lol but the star of the show was probably the crying tiger and tom yum soup. I love the vibes in here too- it instantly feels like you're transported to somewhere in Thailand. Definitely a great spot to go to with friends! Even though it was super busy when we went the service was still great. Chiang Rai is for sure in my Thai rotation!
The food at this place is beyond phenomenal. I have absolutely no notes for the chef. If I really had to find something to nitpick, it would be that their location is far too small for how outstanding the food is. The service here was also exceptional. Everything came out hot, delicious, and timely, delivered with nothing but excellent customer service. The restroom was very clean. The nicest touch about this place is that we happened to be there just as they were closing and were one of the last tables still seated. Rather than rushing us out, they allowed us to peacefully finish our dinner. After ensuring that all of our food was delivered and our drinks were filled, the most heartwarming thing I've ever seen at a restaurant happened: every single staff member came out to dine together like a family. They had prepared a pot of soup, and literally everyone, from the back kitchen to the front of the house, sat at a long table together to dine and chat. What a beautiful way for a restaurant to incorporate family into their staff. There was no separation between the Asian and Latino staff members; everyone sat together, united, and genuinely looked happy to be sharing a meal. I absolutely love this.
Chiang Rai is a Michelin guide Northern Thai eatery that is serving up some authentic and high quality food. This spot is located in a plaza with a decent amount of parking spots. They do not take reservations, but they do have a Yelp waitlist you could join. Inside, they have some very festive decor and a good amount of seating. For their menu, they have a diverse selection of Northern Thai dishes to choose from. Wifey and I ended up getting a spread consisting of the Thai Tea Slushy, Isaan Sour Sausage, Pad Thai with Shrimp, and the Wagyu Beef Boat Noodle Soup. Everything that we had was delicious and all of the staff were very friendly and welcoming!
Join the waitlist in advance! Once you are seated, service is quick and friendly. The place smelled of fish sauce, and decor was bright and fun. I knew it was going to be good as soon as we sat. We ordered the Khao Soi Noodle Soup with Soft Shell Crab, Pad See Ew with Chicken, and the Khao Pad Ka Pow (Thai Basil Fried Rice) with Shrimp. Everything was absolutely delicious and portions were generous. I personally loved all of the textures in the Khao Soi Noodle Soup. Creamy and lightly spiced curry, bouncy fresh egg noodles, combined with the fried Soft Shell Crab and a few fried egg noodles for more texture... oh mama! The fried rice was everything we wanted in this dish too. Green beans and tomatoes added pops of freshness, perfectly plump shrimp, and that fried basil on top! So good. I was also happy to see the Pad See Ew included actual chinese broccoli and tasted like that signature delicious wok taste. I washed this all down with an icy diet coke. Perfection. Highly recommend this place. Would love to return and try more dishes!
28 days ago
The wifey and I have been wanting to try this spot ever since she saw it on TikTok. We came on a Friday afternoon and were seated right away so that was great! The dishes came out surprisingly fast and service was attentive Roti appetizer: 5/5 You can't go wrong with roti, fluffy and crispy roti dipped in yellow curry literally fills my soul Spicy basil thai fried rice: 4/5 Had a nice kick to it and was what you'd expect out of a fried rice. Nothing too crazy, wifey wasn't too big of a fan of this but she likes noodles more than rice. She did say the rice was a tad mushy Tom yum with seafood: 4/5 It was a tad more on the sweet side but I really enjoyed the flavor and the generous amount of seafood that was included Pad see ew tofu: 4.5/5 I'm a pad see ew lover and it's hard for me to be disappointed unless you rly mess it up. The flavor and texture were on point and I thought this was delicious Beef tongue skewers: 4/5 Superrrr tender since these were sous vide. The green sauce was great with these as well! Pork skewer:5/5 Holyyyy this was sooooo good!!! One of my favorite things I had here. It was like thit Nuong on steroids. So juicy and flavorful Fried pork belly: 4/5 This reminded me of a great katsu. The breading was nicely coated albeit I wish it was a tad more seasoned. This paired nicely with rice but I don't see myself ordering this again, I would probably go for the crying tiger next time Mango sticky rice: 5/5 I'm not a huge dessert person but wifey really liked this dish. The mangos were like perfect, not too sweet, and not too soft. I actually ate a lot of the mangoes. Sticky rice is sticky rice, hard to mess up unless the mangos are too ripe. Inside felt very homey, not too upscale that it lost its natural theme of food stalls. Service was great, we'll be back to try new dishes! read more
11 days ago
After reading Arshad H and DIA's reviews of this place I had to bookmark it and check it out. As luck would have it, I was in the area and called my cousin to meet up with me and have dinner. It was a crazy day filled with doctors' appointments, some personal news, and I needed a minute just to eat good food and forget about it all. Thats what food is for me, escapism. Especially, if its a great hole in the wall with amazing food and service. This is where things are a bit different from my experience vs others. As far as my food experience: The Food was great. However, for me customer service was a bit rushed and ruined my experience. They have a 90 minute window to get the tables turned around. Because of limited seating, if you come during rush hour, get ready to keep the eye on the clock. I didn't like that. My cousin ended up coming a little behind, and they started the clock from me being there and not from her , and even though i ordered myself ahead of time , i was very uncomfortable with the behavior of one of the hostesses towards not only me but my cousin who should have been shown respect and grace. The other one with the short pixie was nicer but If someone has a disability and cant move as fast as you want, its not fair. I was soo rushed that my experience was tainted and overshadowed by the food I had consumed. I typically eat slow, I hate being rushed, and I cant rush stuffing my face. That doesnt work for me. Im also not a sloth, but Jesus guys. Food, 3/5 customer service during rush hour, 1/5. They were out of mango sticky rice for dessert, and I was there before rush hour had started. I was sat in the corner of the restaurant in the back against the window near the bar. It basically felt like a "time out corner" and I couldn't move. My hand accidently dropped water because the hostess' energy was soo intense that my reflexes just weakened. I tried to clean up the water myself and she snapped at me. Would I go back and eat there INSIDE? no. Would I order to go and eat privately at home without feeling rushed? Maybe. Because the food was good. What did I order? Chicken pad thai, appetizer: spring rolls, and other stuff. See photos. Again, food was good, service sucked due to the hostess rushing me and my party out. She was rude, I didn't like it and I usually let things go. It ruined my excitement of wanting to try this place. If you go, be mindful of the rush hour time and of your 90 min window. read more
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Olivia N.
Hi Feskeli, thank you for your feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed the…
We were so excited to try this new Thai place in Tustin. We put our name on the waiting list and waited for our seats to open. The interior is fun and festive. There are two rooms with tables and booths. The staff was friendly and helpful. We ordered egg rolls, Khal Soi, Pa Thai, and Papaya Salad. We also had Thai Tea and sticky rice. We enjoyed the food, but asked for more soup with the noodles because it was kind of dry. Overall, the food was decent. The one negative for us was the price. We felt the portions, just two shrimp with the salad were small. Our bill was close to $90 for three dishes? With tax and tip, we paid over $100. It just seems a bit pricey. The small portions and the bill make this a place we probably will not return to. Overall, it was okay. read more
I visited Chiang Rai and had an average experience. It's located in Tustin. Food: The food here is pretty good. The papaya salad was my favorite. The pad thai was good as well. The khao soi noodle soup was very flavorful. However, it did not have enough soup in it. It was mostly noodles. The servers were nice enough to give us more soup. I enjoyed the sticky rice as well. Service: The service was average. I recommend putting your name on the Yelp waitlist since the wait time can get long. Ambiance: The decor inside is nice but seating is a bit limited. read more
14 days ago
If you wanted to argue with me and say this place is a 5 star, I'd absolutely capitulate immediately lol. I think the ingredients and the food quality is definitely 5 star, but the dishes that we ordered just weren't to my personal palette. My husband and I got a khao soi, papaya salad, and gang hung lay. I thought they were all tasty, but not exactly the thai flavor profile I was used to. The khao soi was probably as good as it gets, but I'm just not a fan of that dish personally. The papaya salad was sweeter? than I expected. I was expecting that tart, dankness that typically comes with papaya salad, but this was more of a sweeter fish sauce oriented flavor. Still good though! I thought the Gang Hung Lay was quite good, but again just not what I prefer flavor wise. It was like savory and tart/sour? Pork was cooked quite well but didn't really absorb the flavor of the broth which I think is fine. The restaurant was packed! Before we for there and after we got seated. Decent amount of parking in the plaza. You kind of have to flag staff down due to how busy they are, but they're friendly and helpful. read more
16 days ago
My friends from Vegas came to visit for my birthday, and they love Thai food, so I thought there was no better place to take them than Chiang Rai! We made it super close to closing, so they actually took our orders while we were still waiting outside so the kitchen could start making our food before they closed. There were a couple of times when we thought we were going to be seated soon because we were next in line on the waitlist, but it seemed like they were prioritizing some of the larger groups first. FOOD: I strongly recommended the Roti with Yellow Curry, and it ended up being my friends' favorite! We also got the Egg Rolls, Chicken Satay, Pad See Ew, and the small Tom Yum Soup with Chicken. The Tom Yum was a little too spicy for me tonight even though we ordered medium spice. Thankfully, I had my Thai Tea to save me from the heat! Regardless, we enjoyed everything and left feeling very satisfied. Unfortunately, I didn't get lucky with trying their Mango Sticky Rice again because they had already run out of mangoes for the night. Oh well, another reason to come back! We ended up getting the Fried Banana with Ice Cream instead. It was just okay for me, but my friend really enjoyed it. Overall, another satisfying meal at Chiang Rai, and I'm glad my Vegas friends enjoyed it too! read more
Following our disappointing trip to Siam Station in Irvine, you could say we were pretty determined to find a Thai restaurant to help make up for that experience. Thankfully, Yelp gave us no shortage of options to choose from, but even with all of those choices, it didn't take us long to decide on checking out Chiang Rai next. I mean, with how tantalizing the photos of their food looked, how could we not? As we walked up to Chiang Rai, the first thing that struck us was how bright and colorful the restaurant is, which definitely adds to how lively the place looked. More importantly, though, the menu here is fantastic! Although it has been updated in the time since our first visit, it looked almost entirely the same, outside of a few tweaks here and there. Alongside usual staples, like Pad See Ew, Yellow Curry, and Crab Fried Rice, there are so many interesting Thai street foods, Chiang Rai local dishes, and less commonly seen things to try! No lie - even if we had tried twice as many dishes as we already have, I would still have so many more I would want to try! -- (#34) THAI SKEWER COMBO - Beef Tongue, Chicken Thigh, Octopus, Sticky Rice (Soy Sauce, Egg, Salt, Flour)...$20 (for 4) Overall, all of these were quite tasty. The Beef Tongue was tender, the Chicken Thigh was juicy, and the Octopus was cooked well. Funny enough, the Sticky Rice just might have been my favorite, though - love how it kind of tasted like salted egg! -- (#19) KHAO SOI BEEF CHEEK - Khao Soi Curry, Beef Cheek Stew, Jasmine Rice, and Cucumber Salad...$25.95 This didn't really catch my attention on the menu, but this was actually one of my favorite dishes here. The beef cheeks were impressively tender and the curry was thick, rich, and creamy. I could devour a whole plate of this! -- (#25) BAMII PU MOO DANG - BBQ Pork, Crab Meat, Egg Noodles, Bean Sprouts, Chinese Broccoli, Cashew Nut, and Side of Soup...$26.95 Honestly, this might be the best version I've had of this dish! The BBQ pork was just okay, but all of that delicious crab meat more than made up for it and the noodles had a really nice bite. Mix it all with a splash of the soup and enjoy! -- THAI TEA SLUSHY...$8.95 On such a warm night, this was so good! The consistency wasn't too thick or icy, it wasn't too sweet (save for the whipped cream), and there was a decent hit of Thai tea flavor, too. -- CHA-SOM - Organic Orange Juice with Thai Iced Tea...$7 I had never seen this on a menu before and it was pretty decent. The orange juice gave this an acidic and refreshing element while the Thai iced tea added a bit of creaminess and sweetness. -- THAI ICED GREEN TEA...$6 I've had hit or miss experiences with Thai Ice Green Tea in the past, but this one was terrific. This one definitely felt a little sweeter, but the tea had a sort of brightness to it that I liked. -- (#20) MIDNIGHT CHICKEN WITH ROTI - Fried Chicken Wings (Night Market-style) Topped with Fried Onion Served with Sweet & Sour Sauce...$22.95 This was awesome! All of the wings were pretty big, super crispy, piping hot, and so moist. They were well complemented by the fried onions and sweet and sour sauce, too, and tasted so good wrapped in the roti. -- (#22/#23) NAM PRIK MUENG - Ground Chicken in Curry Paste (Nam Prik Ong), Green Chilies Paste (Nam Prik Noom), Fried Vietnamese Pork Sausage, Boiled Egg, Fried Pork Skin, and Steamed Vegetables...$29.95 It's great that the new menu has split this into two dishes, as I'd skip the Nam Prik Noom. While it wasn't bad, the spice got to be a bit much and just can't compare to how flavorful the Nam Prik Ong was. Also, the fried sausage wasn't too shabby, but it was kind of oily. -- (#33) MUN NURE FRIED RICE - Fried Rice with Beef Fat, Green Onion, and Crispy Garlic...$25.95 My mistake for assuming this was cooked with beef fat instead of having chunks in it. That being said, this was still really good. Most of the fat were just small pieces and the rice was cooked really well. Yum! In addition to how good the vast majority of what we tried tasted, the service has been just as positive. Each time we've been here, the workers have all been so warm and kind. Plus, they're happy to try to accommodate any modifications/requests (as best they can). The one thing about Chiang Rai that I don't love is how some of their prices feel a little higher than other Thai restaurants out there. That being said, I don't think there's any question that they have so many unique dishes and that almost everything they have tastes great! As such, the difference in price definitely won't deter us from coming back to try more in the future...like the next time we're out here again! FOUR AND A HALF STARS easily rounded up. read more
We have only taken out here but the curries we had were delicious! Ordered to go on their website and took 20 min for it to be done like it was promised. Briefly went in the restaurant for pick up, they have table and bar seating nice interior. Got the beef cheek and fish cake and pork curry. Beef cheek curry (8.5/10)-generous chunks of beef curry wasn't overly spicy, rice cooke well, had good aroma of coconut. Pork curry (7/10)- pork bit too fatty broth was interesting, not my fav but good amount of pork Fish cake (9/10)- surprisingly crispy for take out has 5 patties super flavorful and fish sauce that comes with it helps cut through fattiness. Overall delicious food can't compare to Manao since menu it very different chiang rai has more exotic items. Would love to try the fried rice next visit read more
Amazing Thai food!! Probably one of the best in Orange County. Everything we tried has been delicious. The service, however, could be friendlier. Also, when we paid the tab, they didn't let us know about the 18% service fee, so on the card reader, we tipped again! Of course it is our responsibility to always read the bill carefully, but usually the server will clearly let you know that the service charge is already included in the bill. We felt like they were intentionally trying to trick their guests by not letting you know because when we brought it up to our waitress, no one even apologized. Definitely left a bad taste as we were exiting the restaurant. read more
This place is super cute Thai Place in Tustin. It does get super packed & busy here, even on a weekday. Good thing they have Yelp waitlist, which is different from the Long Beach Branch. I've been here a few times and my frequent must get dish is the Khao Soi. Khao soi: really good combination of sauce/soup and noodles. Noodles are perfect texture. I personally like my dish spicy and with lots of lime juice. It is a bit on the heavier side because of the coconut cream/milk in the soup but it is delicious. Papaya Salad: Super refreshing. Also love it spicy. You can definitely adjust your spice level as you like. I would definitely get this again. Laab: It was refreshing and delicious, however, not my favorite thing here. I would probably bass on this. The menu is overwhelming, they have both southern and northern styles but overall recommend. There are so many different dishes to try here. read more
16 days ago
I was finally able to try this place out!! I came here once before but the wait was over an hour and we couldn't wait so this time I put us on the yelp waitlist ahead of time (you have to be within 3 miles I believe) and walked around Daiso while I was waiting. This place is definitely worth the wait though! We pretty much ordered everything lol but the star of the show was probably the crying tiger and tom yum soup. I love the vibes in here too- it instantly feels like you're transported to somewhere in Thailand. Definitely a great spot to go to with friends! Even though it was super busy when we went the service was still great. Chiang Rai is for sure in my Thai rotation! read more
2 months ago
The food at this place is beyond phenomenal. I have absolutely no notes for the chef. If I really had to find something to nitpick, it would be that their location is far too small for how outstanding the food is. The service here was also exceptional. Everything came out hot, delicious, and timely, delivered with nothing but excellent customer service. The restroom was very clean. The nicest touch about this place is that we happened to be there just as they were closing and were one of the last tables still seated. Rather than rushing us out, they allowed us to peacefully finish our dinner. After ensuring that all of our food was delivered and our drinks were filled, the most heartwarming thing I've ever seen at a restaurant happened: every single staff member came out to dine together like a family. They had prepared a pot of soup, and literally everyone, from the back kitchen to the front of the house, sat at a long table together to dine and chat. What a beautiful way for a restaurant to incorporate family into their staff. There was no separation between the Asian and Latino staff members; everyone sat together, united, and genuinely looked happy to be sharing a meal. I absolutely love this. read more
Chiang Rai is a Michelin guide Northern Thai eatery that is serving up some authentic and high quality food. This spot is located in a plaza with a decent amount of parking spots. They do not take reservations, but they do have a Yelp waitlist you could join. Inside, they have some very festive decor and a good amount of seating. For their menu, they have a diverse selection of Northern Thai dishes to choose from. Wifey and I ended up getting a spread consisting of the Thai Tea Slushy, Isaan Sour Sausage, Pad Thai with Shrimp, and the Wagyu Beef Boat Noodle Soup. Everything that we had was delicious and all of the staff were very friendly and welcoming! read more
Join the waitlist in advance! Once you are seated, service is quick and friendly. The place smelled of fish sauce, and decor was bright and fun. I knew it was going to be good as soon as we sat. We ordered the Khao Soi Noodle Soup with Soft Shell Crab, Pad See Ew with Chicken, and the Khao Pad Ka Pow (Thai Basil Fried Rice) with Shrimp. Everything was absolutely delicious and portions were generous. I personally loved all of the textures in the Khao Soi Noodle Soup. Creamy and lightly spiced curry, bouncy fresh egg noodles, combined with the fried Soft Shell Crab and a few fried egg noodles for more texture... oh mama! The fried rice was everything we wanted in this dish too. Green beans and tomatoes added pops of freshness, perfectly plump shrimp, and that fried basil on top! So good. I was also happy to see the Pad See Ew included actual chinese broccoli and tasted like that signature delicious wok taste. I washed this all down with an icy diet coke. Perfection. Highly recommend this place. Would love to return and try more dishes! read more
Plenty of parking spaces. The waitlist is long, depending on when you go. We ordered Yellow Curry, Mango Sticky Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice, and Pu Kari. The Yellow Curry with mild spiciness was still spicy for me, but tolerable. It comes with one bowl of white rice. The curry was very creamy and delicious. The Mango Sticky Rice was delicious and sweet. The Pineapple Fried Rice contains curry powder, and it was delicious as well. The Pu Kari was soft crab (no shell), and it was very flavorful and yummy. Honestly, every dish was delicious! Recommendation(s): - Yellow Curry - Mango Sticky Rice - Pineapple Fried Rice - Pu Kari Service: 5/5 Tip(s): - Restrooms available - Waitlist can be long read more
We stopped by Chiang Rai in Tustin for some of my favorite Thai food in OC. The inside has nice vibes and can accommodate groups, but the wait can be long. Every single dish we ordered was delicious. The classic Khao Soi has a very flavorful curry broth and a generous, crunchy pile of crispy egg noodles on top; we added the sliced beef and it was really good. Our friend got the dry Khao Soi, which was a great choice also. Other friends got the beef dish that was solid. The chicken satay skewers were decent and came with some tasty peanut sauce. The roti with yellow curry was awesome. Then we finished with the delicious mango sticky rice. Chiang Rai delivers excellent, highly satisfying Northern Thai food in OC. Every item is solid, making this my go-to Thai place. Do not pass on the Khao Soi. Pro Tip: Order both the traditional wet and dry versions of the Khao Soi to share so you can try the contrast between the broth and dry noodles. read more
Came here with a friend for lunch and the spot was already pretty packed when we arrived. Luckily we're in a smaller group of 2 and was able to get seated right away, but bigger groups would have had to wait. The staff were super friendly and nice and helped us make some recommendations on the menu when we were debating between dishes. The interior is also super decorated and cute with lots of Thai inspired items and designs. We ended up ordering roti combo (with fried chicken) and crab fried rice and both were delicious! The portion size was also quite large and we couldn't fully finish the dishes. Overall a great place for Thai food and would recommend! I'd love to go back and try more dishes. read more
I had high expectations of this place since the Long Beach location was great. However, this location fell short of my expectations. I tried to come here right when they just opened on a Sunday at 12 pm. Note, get there at least 30 minutes before they open. People will come early, just to be seated fast. I still waited for an hour, even after coming at 12. When I got there, the tablet to put down your name to check in wasn't working. I had to ask one of the workers to check the tablet. Tables are super close to each other. The interior of the restaurant is beautifully decorated. However, the food was disappointing. The only food items I liked was the roti curry and the papaya salad. Literally, almost every item that my family ordered was too salty. I was a bit embarrassed that I took my family here. One annoying thing was that we ordered papaya salad. It usually comes first in the meal. I understand that they're busy, but we had to ask them 3 times about the salad. They didn't bring the salad out until the very end. It felt like the workers didn't seem to care much. I do not plan on coming back here. I rather wait at the Long Beach location and eat delicious food there. If you do want to eat here, I suggest coming after lunch time. There seemed to be no wait, after 1 pm. read more
Business owner information
Olivia N.
Hi Pretty, we’re sorry to hear that. We know everyone has different…
Yelp me, Yelp you! Stopped by Chiang Rai in Tustin and this place definitely satisfied our Thai food cravings! We had about a 15-20 minute wait before getting seated. The restaurant is a little cramped inside, especially when it gets busy, but it was clean and had a nice casual, lively atmosphere. It definitely feels like one of those popular little spots where people are constantly coming and going. We ordered the crispy pork belly over rice, Khao Soi, and of course had to finish with the mango sticky rice. The pork belly was crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside, and went perfectly with the rice and sauce. But the Khao Soi was the star for me--rich, creamy, flavorful curry broth with tender meat and those crispy noodles on top giving it that extra crunch. Very comforting and packed with flavor. And that mango sticky rice! Fresh, sweet mango with creamy coconut sticky rice. Simple but sooooo good and a perfect way to end the meal. The portions were generous, the presentation was beautiful, and everything tasted fresh. Even though the space is a little tight and you may have to wait, the food made it worth it. Definitely a place I would come back to because there are still plenty of things on the menu I want to try. Yelp me, Yelp you! read more
Was excited to try this place since I've seen it all over my social media... We ordered just a few dishes since it was just the two of us and we were planning to have an early dinner. Fried chicken with sticky rice: 3.6/5 * Chicken was juicy and crispy but lacked the flavor I was expecting. Kinda just tasted like regular friend chicken. Sticky rice was dry (if you've had Hanuman eatery, their fried chicken is 10x better sorry). Khao soi with beef: 3.9/5 * Strong, aromatic flavor but wish they gave more curry/soup. Noodles were more cut up than I was expecting (not really in long strands that I personally prefer). After a couple bites, it became too salty and I had to add rice to the soup. The beef was tender but very thinly sliced. Crying tiger: 4/5 * Tender and juicy but not much flavor. The tamarind sauce carried the dish. Kinda just regular beef you can get better elsewhere. Thai iced tea: 4.2/5 * just a regular Thai tea, nothing special but I liked it since it wasn't as sweet as others. Overall a good experience, service was fast and staff were friendly. Come early otherwise there will be a wait (restaurant is on the smaller side). I can see the appeal but Hanuman still wins in my heart (': read more
This restaurant fits a lot of people into this tight space. The environment is fun and colorful. Love that they use Yelp waitlist, it was so helpful. We were seated at a relatively small two seater in the middle of the restaurant, which is not ideal, people ran into my chair, my hair, to me the entire visit. We ordered quite a bit of food and drinks and this table there was just not really enough room for everything. The food was the star, the khao soi was so delicious. The condiments served a nice contrast to the rich flavors. We also got panang curry, pad see ew, and Thai tea's. The meats in all the dishes were tender and everything was so tasty. We ordered the crispy pork belly and the khao soi sauce on the side to go for my daughter and she devoured it. We loved everything. read more
I'm sorry but the price does not reflect the food at all Everything was extra extra greasy and the pad kee mao was like al dente??? Got mango sticky rice to-go in a big box just for it to have a wad of sticky rice with coconut milk/cream that's so thick it can't even be poured out. read more
Business owner information
Olivia N.
Hi Amy, we’re sorry to hear your meal didn’t meet your expectations.…
3 months ago
I love this place! They do yelp waitlist when you're within 3 miles of the location. There's plenty of parking shared with other businesses. The weight isn't super bad on a Friday night. We waited maybe about 30 minutes. The service is super quick. They bring out the food right away. We got a variety of dishes to try- the newest one being their pork curry. The pork was the perfect amount of crisp and fatty. The chicken wings were also really crisp but I felt like the roti was nothing special. The Khao Soi is salty, but some people like that. It's good to share but would be hard to eat alone because of the salt levels. They are really generous with the soft shell crab- Each bowl came with two. read more
21 days ago
Green and reg Thai tea yummy I enjoyed the green curry and khao soi too; there was plenty of food for one serving I'm not the biggest fan of soft shell crab, but Chiang Rai's was great We also tried the fresh oysters but it didn't taste very fresh read more
This place is definitely worth the wait. The service was excellent and the staff was quick with the food. This is probably one of the best khao soi I've had in LA and I like ordering roti on the side to dip in it. They papaya salad is excellent as well. I got the beef tongue Kao pra and it was good but I would pass on it next time. I would skip the Thai tea as well. Their pad Thai was so good. I love the ambiance and decor as well. Definitely will be coming back read more
We ordered the papaya salad, green curry, crying tiger, pad see ew, cashew chicken, and mango sticky rice. Everything was delicious, especially the green curry. The only minor downside was that the chicken in some of the dishes was a bit tough and not as juicy as I would have liked. Overall, though, I really enjoyed the meal and would definitely come back to try more of their dishes. It's a popular spot so be prepared for a bit of a wait during busy times. The staff were friendly and attentive, and the food came out surprisingly quickly. I also loved the interior decoration and the ambiance is great for gatherings. read more
IMO the best Thai restaurant in OC. A lot of the Thai restaurants here in the OC that I frequent they all serve the same dishes all the time, with Chiang Mai I at least see some different items. The khao soi for example, that thing is delicious, a curry broth with crispy egg noodles and extra ribeye steak, I would order that again and again. The midnight chicken was also delicious, the chicken was so well cooked. If I lived closer to this place I would probably go here once a month. read more
i decided to try this thai restaurant on a whim and it did not disappoint! we waited over an hour since we came at a peak time on the weekend but i'm glad we stuck around. we ordered: -thai tea -roti with yellow curry -pad kee mao/drunken noodles -spicy basil fried rice every dish was a hit!! the drunken noodles and fried rice were so savory and aromatic, and the yellow curry paired with the roti was so good. we requested a refill of the roti since we couldn't get enough of the first batch. even the thai tea was amazing! this spot definitely exceeded expectations and will be my go-to thai spot in south oc. it would be great if a reservation system besides just the yelp waitlist was put in place so that we could reserve ahead of time. read more
2 months ago
Solid food and quite an extensive menu! It is very loud inside so this is not the best place to have a conversation. Service was prompt and my party was seated quickly. I would love to return to try more of their menu! read more
I stopped by this place on my way back to San Diego while I was taking a road trip. There was plenty of parking since we got there a little after peak lunch hour. The restaurant itself is tiny and packed with ppl so we opted into sitting at the bar so we can get seated faster. The decoration was very cute, felt like I was in Asia again. It def gave the aesthetic of a Thai restaurant. For food I order the famous curry noodles - forgot the official name but it was delicious! However, really spicy so beware if you cannot eat that much hot stuff. They also had matcha Thai tea and it had lots of flavor surprisingly. You can't taste the hint of matcha with the sugariness of the Thai tea drink with milk. The crispy pork belly was crispy and didn't taste like it has been sitting for a while like other restaurants. I would recommend but I told think I would come back due to the long wait. read more
4 months ago
Had a wonderful dinner here tonight after seeing so many tik tok videos on This place! The restaurant is small but has plenty of seating .. but they are busy so there will be a wait. Service is quick. Placed our order and the food came out really quick. We had the chicken satay, roti combo that came with Thai chicken wings and roti with a bowl of curry to dip with, some pad se ew chicken, Thai style papaya salad, khao soy with sausage, and ka na moo krab(crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli) Everything was delicious! My fav dish was the khao soy it was savory goodness! Green Thai tea was ok.. needed less milk and more of the green Thai tea I feel read more
Business owner information
Olivia N.
Thank you so much, Kourtney! We’re thrilled you enjoyed your dinner…
4 months ago
Definitely recommend joining the yelp waitlist since they get really busy. The food is good; I wish I could order everything off of the menu. Their best items are the mango sticky rice and the roti curry. I will say, since they are so busy, they will check in every so often, so you really have to be able to order asap and ask for anything you need upfront. Also, it is very pretty in there. read more
4 months ago
Ive had a lot of Thai food in my life and Chiang Rai is one of the best I've ever had... My mom in law brought me here for the first time last week and it was so good I was back a couple hours later for just a side of the roti and curry cause I couldn't stop thinking about it!! The fried rice is great and so is everything honestly, We've ordered so much from here and there's never any complaints! I've never craved the same place so much, The curry is sooo good !! If you her it you HAVE to get a side of roti and if you're not getting curry you have to get the roti and curry as an appetizer! The whole place is decorated like you're in Thailand, And with the food tasting so authentic, Lunch feels like a little mini vacation ! The service is great and the waitresses are always sweet and helpful even though they get BUSY ! I hate that I'm writing this and not having it for dinner cause now my tummy is rumbling D; Love you Chiang Rai !! See you soon ! read more
Went for a friends bday today for lunch with a group and we did family style. Everything was so delicious, I was so impressed! My friend joined the waitlist when we were 3 miles out so that helped with the waiting time. I didn't have any expectations coming here though bc I'm from LA and am not as familiar with the thai food scene in OC. But overall very impressed. read more
Wait was shorter than expected. We were estimated about an hour but sat in about 35 minutes. Their kao soi was good but really dry and needed sauce on the side. Their yellow curry was good but I was expecting slightly more spice. The mango sticky rice was also decent but the mangoes were slightly sour meaning they weren't ripe enough yet. read more
4 months ago
I had visited the Long Beach location some time ago and was excited to see a new location in Tustin. We arrived just before lunch time/opening and there were already a few parties waiting. We were seated as soon as the restaurant opened. The space is colorful and lively. Once seated, the server came by to take our order rather quickly and we were still reviewing the menu so asked for a few more minutes. With the instream of to go customers and seating, we did not get approached again for our order for another 20 min. The tables on both sides of us received their orders before we even placed ours. That being said, the food was delicious, albeit on the pricier side. We ordered: Khao Soi with Shrimp, Fried Rice and Papaya Salad (this was spicy!) Overall, we enjoyed our lunch, but now know to go in knowing your order so you can put it in as soon as seated. read more
Business owner information
Olivia N.
Thank you for visiting our Tustin location and for sharing your…
The yellow curry with the roti was probably my favorite dish as it was packed with flavor. The pad see ew with the beef was really good and the noodles hit the spot. Pad see ew with chicken tastes the same but I prefer the beef more. The mongolian beef and the beef in the panang curry was pretty chewy. The panang curry itself was okay, felt like it was lacking flavor. The amount of the rice they serve with some dishes is relatively small. It's a pretty casual spot and the staff are kind. Do expect to wait a while in line as they only do a waitlist system and get very busy. Plenty of parking out front. read more
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More info about Chiang Rai
608 E 1st St
Tustin, CA 92780
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(714) 714-0082
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https://www.chiangraitustin.com
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Ask the Community - Chiang Rai
Since they do not take reservations, how busy do they get on Saturday evenings? Is there a wait and if so how long on average? 20 min, 45 min, 1+ hours?
Last time I was there, I waited like 40+ minutes.
Does Chiang Rai Tustin take reservations?
Yes, they did when we went in February! Called the night before.
Is this the same as the one in long beach?
Yes. It is the same as Long Beach but a little different some of the menu .
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