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