It is difficult to find good Thai food in Orange County. So when you find a place that brings the authenticity to food, it raises my attention. The biggest judge of Thai food is my mother-in-law as she owned multiple Thai restaurants through her life. Do they do everything perfectly at Chiang Rai, no. But do they do their specialties authentically and with the quality that a Thai cook appreciates, YES. I'll speak to what she vouches for. The Issan Sausage, a definite starter. Pad Thai with Chicken, solid choice. Khao Soi Noodle Soup with Sliced Rib Eye, definitely a favorite. The restaurant is semi-small, so there isn't a ton of seating. As others have noted, try to go during off times if you don't want to wait. My family speaks Thai which tends to gives us a little more attention at Thai restaurants. But the team here is very attentive and helpful regardless of whether the customers speak Thai or not. We have stopped going to certain restaurants that don't treat the customers with respect and we continue to dine at Chiang Rai without any hesitation. 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

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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

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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

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Wow. I had this place about a week ago and it changed my flavor palate. I have never had a thai place that had consistent flavors and every dish amazed me. We got so many items, we ate all of it before I could take pictures. Pad thai 5/5: i loved the tang and just how chewy the noodles were Crying tiger 4/5: i wish it was a little bit more medium, just a little tough Pad see ew with beef 4/5: beef was extremely tender but i prefer pad thai over pad see ew Papaya salad 100/5: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE PAPAYA SALAD and this one had the perfect umami kick with great spice. I can not recommend this place enough, I have recommended it to several people and they aboslutely loved it as well. The workers are so kind and its so unique looking inside. It truly is authentic and I can not wait to come back. read more

Whew, make sure to come early because the waiting list when it opens is no joke! Parking can also be difficult, as the lot is shared by multiple businesses. We heard the hype from online and had to try. The interior is pretty cozy, with some bar style seating in addition to tables. It can be a pretty tight fit when busy, though I like the feel of it. I ordered the Pad Mama, which was unique with its thin noodles and consistency, but not sure if I would get it again. I much preferred my friend's yellow curry. There is so much on the menu here that I would have to come back to try more things for sure. read more

Chiang Rai - Pad mama - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

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

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This place is good. It isn't a cheap Thai place but if you want quality you have to pay. The dishes are incredibly flavorful, so much that I recommend order dishes family style to make sure you don't have too much of one dish. Almost everything we ordered was delicious except the Branzino which was recommended by the server. It was tender but lacking any flavor which was the exact opposite of all their other food! read more

Chiang Rai - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

Lowkey didn't wanna write this review because I wanted to gatekeep this spot, but Chiang Rai is sooo good. The interior is nicely decorated, and the wait isn't too bad. We got the oysters (very large and pretty fresh), skewers (chicken gizzard - my absolute fav im so glad they have these AND the spicy sauce was sooo good, and octopus), pad thai (noodles were chewy and flavorful), and chicken wings with roti (the wings themselves are huge and the sticky sauce is delicious). The servers were also so nice and would check up on us pretty frequently to make sure we had what we needed. Will definitely come back so - can't wait to try more foods on their menu! read more

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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

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Came here after trying the Long Beach location literally a day after and it was just as good as the first location. Definitely recommend this place, food is great, service is good and the decor is amazing. Staff is always great! Pad thai was good and we also ordered the curry soup, super flavorful! read more

Chiang Rai - Pad Thai with a fried egg. - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

Saw this place on my IG reels and bookmarked this place. From the outside, Chiang Rai looks like a small unassuming place, but this cozy little restaurant is putting out some big flavors! They received a Michelin Star 3 yrs in a row! The customer service was amazing and we got our food FAST! For apps, we ordered the Roti w/ Yellow Curry (delish) and Som Tum Thai (papaya salad- amazing). For our mains, we had Khac Soi Beef Curry (beef cheek stew w/ rice- delish), Chicken Pad Thai (delish), and the Green Curry with Chicken & Rice (YUM). The portions were generous and we ended up taking home enough leftovers for another meal! Give this place a try! read more

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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

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Probably my favorite Thai spot in oc at the moment. Not your typical American Thai spot as it has tons of options you never see on the menus such as steamed branzino with spicy lime sauce, Khao soi, and other northern Thai specialties (too many unique things to list). Definitely come here ready to explore other things besides pineapple fried rice, pad thai, and pad see ew. The fried enoki mushrooms were great, as were the beef tongue skewers. Khao soi is a must and I liked the dry style. Tried the crab kart most recently and that was awesome as well. The fried chicken was also amazing as well as the steamed branzino, which might be my favorite dish. Can't wait to come back with a large party to try more. read more

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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

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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

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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

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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

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The restaurant is vibrant and decorated with festive colors. I ordered the Tom Kha ($21.95) with seafood option (+$8), Pad Kra Prow Eggplant with ground beef ($22.95) and comes with a small side of rice, Thai Iced Geen Tea ($6), and Mango Sticky Rice ($13.95). The food is tasty; a good place to come enjoy with family/friends and share everything family style. There were plenty of menu items I wanted to order, but it would be too much for one sitting. This just means I have to revisit again! I took off a star bc the ground beef in the eggplant dish was so chewy, it was getting stuck in-between my teeth. I spent ten minutes in my car trying to get it out (good thing I had floss). The fish in my seafood tom kha soup was very dry, like fish jerky. I ended up just taking it out. Overall, the food was still good and very much enjoyable. I'd come again and give other menu items a try. read more

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Khao soi with soft-shell crab: 5/5 my favorite dish here. You need to order family-style though since it's pretty salty. 2 whole crabs and they're not small. Pad Thai: 4/5 The chicken is pretty dry, but everything else is great. Maybe try a different protein when you order Pineapple fried rice: 5/5 No notes. Not something we order every time, but it's good. Roti combo: 3/5 nothing special about fried chicken wings and it's just 2-3 roti cut into quarters with curry sauce. They also wouldn't let us buy another chicken wing so the 4 of us could each get one. Mango sticky rice: 5/5 when they have it, you MUST order it. The service is pretty quick due to the insanely high demand. The Latino cooks in the back are VIBING and it's good to know they're allowed to have fun back there too. This restaurant is one of our consistent go-to places when introducing friends from out of town. read more

10/10 Pad Thai (Beef) - Deliciously flavorful and the beef was incredibly tender. I always ask for extra peanuts because it adds such a satisfying crunch to every bite! 10/10 Khao Soi Noodle Soup (Sliced Rib Eye Beef) - This dish was so satisfying. It has a thick, heavy base that's very similar to a soup curry, and the quality of the ribeye was top tier. It was super tender and delicious! 8/10 Egg Rolls - These were just okay. Heads up that they are veggie egg rolls. I didn't actually order them, and I wouldn't get them again next time. 10/10 Thai Ice Tea -This was perfectly sweetened and had a great taste. I would definitely order it again! Mango Sticky Rice - I am not a huge fan of this dessert in general so I will hold off on a personal rating. However, my friend thought it was delicious and finished the whole thing in one sitting! Cost - Pad Thai (Beef) $22.00, Khao Soi Noodle Soup (Sliced Rib Eye Beef) $22.00, Egg Rolls $11.00, Thai Ice Tea $6.00, Mango Sticky Rice $13.00. read more

Chiang Rai specializes in Northern Thai cuisine. They have a large menu to choose from and great decor. My group settled on some items to share. Pad Thai (chicken) - $19 - This dish consisted of rice noodles tossed with egg, tamarind and fish sauce, bean sprouts, peanuts and chicken. Chicken was tender and overall I fell this dish was good but I felt I have tried better in Bangkok. Som Tum Thai - $17 - This was made of shredded green papaya, lime juice, fish sauce, tomatoes, peanuts and shrimp. It was refreshing and crunchy and had great flavor. Khao soi (chicken) - $19 - Made with a rich coconut curry broth, egg noodles, and topped with crispy noodles, this had a lot of depth of flavor. This is one of their more popular dishes and I can see why. Goong Kan - $23 - This consisted of shrimp with shell on sauteed in a curry sauce. I'd probably pass on this, there was nothing unique about this dish. Mango Sticky Rice - $14 - The mango was so sweet and delicious here! The sweet and sticky riced paired with it and was the perfect way to end the meal here. Thai iced tea - $6 - Solid Thai tea option here, though it is on the sweeter side. Overall I enjoyed the khao soi and mango sticky rice. I definitely need to visit again to try some of their other specialties. read more

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The food here is good but honestly service could be a little bit better. I understand the confusion because we had the same name as the group waiting next to us but I wish they checked our phone number as a part of the confirmation process. We waited for our turn at #1 on the waitlist for 2 hours and they kept giving our table away and apologizing for the misunderstanding. That being said, I still love the little store and the neon signs they have hanging remind me of the street food scenes when I travelled to asia. The vibe of the place is really chill yet at the same vibrant and bustling like how it would be if you were at a street food stall. The crying tiger is hands down my favorite pick of the night and the yellow curry with roti is unforgettable. The meat was perfectly cooked and paired wonderfully with the sauce which was tangy and cut through the fattiness of the meat beautifully. Perfectly savory and sweet, curry balences out with crispy roti and I also topped it on my rice as well. The waitresses were sweet and consistently check in on us too. The quality has not changed and is still easily one of my top picks for when I'm craving Thai food. read more

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If you like Thai food, you will start to notice different regions and flavors from those areas depending on which restaurant you visit. While there exists another popular Thai restaurant around the corner, we decided to visit this establishment for that very reason. Food was delicious! There are a few opportunities to improve here and there but let's highlight the goods! Pad See Ew was chard well and had a good depth of flavor. Noodle had a good bounce with every bite. Table loved it so much that we ordered a second plate. Unique thing is that the second dish was a bit more sauce forward. Consistency was a bit at question and debate at the table, but still good nonetheless. Roti... is amazing here. This is something you just need to get with extra roti to finish out the sauce. So delicious!!! Host service is well and accommodate our request for a baby seat. There are a few times we had to flag people down but nothing to highlight as they were busy tending to various tables collectively as it seems. Inside is small to midsize in terms of tables. Best to call in early and check on availability. Otherwise, you will have a decent wait time during peak hours of lunch and dinner. Parking isn't bad here. You can park at the inside lot and walk around the building. This will help digest the food/feast on the way back to your vehicle. Perhaps grab tea from a nearby shop (Omomo) while you wait? Overall, great place for delicious food. :) read more

This place has been on my list for a while and I'm glad we finally tried it. We started off with two skewers and the beef tongue was easily the best bite of the night. It was so soft and juicy and paired perfectly with the sauce they provide. PSA keep the skewer sauce to it with other items! The mushrooms were really good too but not for $5. Then our Pad mama came out. It was good but the most underwhelming dish of the night. The basil was a nice touch though. I wouldn't get this again. The roti combo came out shortly after and is definitely a staple for first timers. The chicken paired perfectly with the skewer sauce and the curry with the roti was delicious as well. I would come back to try other items on the menu (they have about 100 items total!). However, I will say the service was okay because we sat at the bar and no one came to refill our waters. Other than that, it was a great first time experience, some of the best Thai food I've had in SoCal. read more

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We came on a Sunday right when it opened and we were seated right away. Food was very flavorful. I love their papaya salad & pad seew. Green curry can be a little thicker, but overall really good. Steamed mussels wa a little tough, but the lime sauce makes up for the flavor. You have to come when it opens because it gets really busy. read more

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My favorite Thai restaurant in OC and well deserved of their Michelin credentials (although it's priced in). It can be on the expensive side for Thai food, but I thought the quality of the food and large portions alleviated the cost. The food was superb and you can really taste the freshness of the ingredients and the bold flavors. Parking is easy to find, but can be a bit of a walk because of the structure of the strip mall. Food/Drink- 5 stars Som Tum Kai Tod- everything about this dish was divine. The chicken was juicy and perfectly fried. The salad had so much flavor. And the sticky rice was perfectly cooked, and stayed warm throughout our menu due to their presentation. Highly recommend it, but expect to get your hands dirty Aom Nure- the soup was a great way to round out the whole meal. Pad Mama- this was really good, and I'm glad I tried it over the more mainstream noodle dishes. Perfect wok hei and plenty of flavor Service- 5 stars Food came out pretty quickly and servers were pretty attentive. It can be a bit crowded on the seating though because of how small the restaurant is Bottom Line Excellent food and you can see the Michelin recognition. Do expect higher prices, but the portions and quality are there read more

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Ordered takeout so cannot comment on service or ambience. Khao soi crab was a little sweet for my liking but still pretty good! read more

Chiang Rai - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

Found this gem when trying to book a reservation for 8 people. Other Thai restaurants did not take reservations so this was a great start. When we got there they were so busy, but that also meant food was good. Ordered a lot of dishes and honestly love them all. Very authentic Thai taste. Food came out fast, did not have to wait a long time. Inside was just too loud because of many people, but other than that everything was great. Will definitely come back to try other dishes. read more

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There are two locations - Tustin and Long Beach and this place has a lot of parking so don't fret. Came in a on Friday night around 6:00 to wait around 30 minutes for a party of 4. They do close the waitlist around 8 even though they close at 9. We ordered the following: 1. Fried enoki mushrooms - Yes - delicious but it was kinda oily 2. Fried pork belly - exactly what you think it would taste like but it was delish - I needed to order a plain fried rice for this 3. Pad thai - it was okay 4. Crying tiger - I liked this a lot 5. Crab fried rice - generous amount of crab and the green sauce was really good 6. Khao Sri with chicken - flavorfulllllll Just be prepared to wait, get yourself on that yelp waitlist and enjoy some good food. We got a little greedy. read more

Quaint restaurant with delicious Thai food. The Khao Soi Noodle Soup was flavorful from the broth and crispy soft shell crab. The soup was more of a curry consistency - viscous and creamy. The Poo Kari was tasty from the egg sauce over the soft shell crab with rice. It's a small restaurant so space is tight, but the interior decor makes it look like you're eating on the Thai streets. Service could be better because the bar surface was dirty and there wasn't a designated server so I had to flag one down to order and get the bill. read more

Chiang Rai - Poo Kari - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

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If you like spicy food, you can't go wrong with any dish here. If you don't like/can't eat spicy food, there are still many dishes that are so tasty even without heat. This place is almost always packed. Try going at odd hours during the week or weekend. Parking is tight and awkward but people tend to leave here and there if you're patient. All the servers are so sweet and will help you pick out the right dish. We've been here so many times and still haven't tried everything on the menu!! read more

Went here for a girls night and had a wonderful time. They have an extremely long wait times especially weekends so make sure you have time on hands. Their many is huge! Not kidding! It was hard to choose from. But the food was delicious and we ordered a bit too much!! Has absolute fun night! read more

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One of my favorite Thai restaurants in the area! This place gets busy, so I recommend arriving early or joining the Yelp waitlist before you head over. Everything I've tried has been delicious and the food is consistently on point. I always order the roti combo and tom yum soup. If you're ordering takeout, I'd add an extra 30 minutes to the estimated pickup time. Every time I've ordered, the food has taken longer than the quoted wait time. Service is quick and always felt rushed. Overall, great food, okay service, and worth the wait! read more

As another reviewer mentioned, we really wanted to LOVE this place too. Felt like we were transported back to Thailand upon entering the restaurant. Impressive decor with friendly servers. Khao Soi bowl presentation looked great but the broth was really sweet for some reason, over-powering the other flavors. We asked for med-rare Crying Tiger steak but ours was well-done, and the dipping sauce was super sweet too. Not sure of that's the flavor profile they were going for here but it was really busy so we might try again later Notable Mention: Thai Green Tea was delicious read more

Chiang Rai - Thai Green Tea was TASTY - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

The atmosphere and vibes inside is super lively and authentic. The decorations add a nice immersive experience. drunken noodles: 7.5/10. yummy but on the more oily side. I got it level spicy and that was a pretty good spice. chicken satay: 7.3/10. yummy chicken skewers, but the meat was a bit on the drier/chewier side. came with a thick almond butter based sauce? khao soi: 8/10. delicious !!! crispy noodles AND regular egg noodles. the texture and flavor was perfect ! comes with onions, lime, and pickled veggies on the side to make to your liking. staff is very friendly and attentive :) read more

Chiang Rai - crab curry, pad see ew, dry kao soi - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

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This vibrant Thai restaurant near Tustin was such a great find! We ordered the Leng Zapp, steamed branzino, roti combo, chicken satay, fried chicken, and Thai tea slushie. It was definitely a lot of food for two people, and we happily had leftovers. We went around 4:30 PM and luckily didn't have to wait too long, but by the time we left around 6 PM, there were a lot of people waiting outside. The servers were very nice and accommodating, and I loved the colorful interior design. My favorites were the roti combo and the fried chicken, which was crunchy, flavorful, and really well done. The Leng Zapp and steamed branzino were also delicious, especially if you enjoy sour soups. Overall, great food, fun atmosphere, and definitely a place I'd come back to! read more

Wowza! Everyone talks about Manaoo but Chiang Rai may be my new favorite Thai place!! Everything we ordered was spectacular and we can't wait to come back! We got: Jor pu (crab dumpling)- so much crab and perfectly crispy. The homemade sweet and sour was amazing. Gang pla (Fish curry)- lychee in curry with sea bass!? Who knew.. my far one of our favorite dishes. Pad Kara Prow (with chicken) - so much flavor and with the chicken it felt lighter and so so good Midnight chicken with roti- perfectly fried and the inside deliciously tender. Khan Soi Noodle Soup- definitely a must try! It is one of my favorite dishes and then using the additional broth/curry over rice is perfection. Som tum Thai (papaya salad)- loved their salad- could've been a bit more spicy but they brought all the spice condiments over so that problem was quickly fixed. Thai Bua Loy (sesame balls) - perfect way to end the evening (even with an overly full belly) with the perfectly chewy-sesame filled balls with coconut milk. We've done take out but the inside ambiance feels that of a street restaurant and just gives all the best vibes. All the waiters and waitresses seem to help each other out--which is nice as you never feel neglected. Will absolutely be back. read more

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Excellent courteous service Respectful and polite service advisor. Wonderful Waiting area read more

I recently came here with my sister. She kept on hearing her friend talking about Chiang Rai so wanted try it out. Food was very good but it's more on the pricey side for Thai foods. We had the crying tiger (grilled usda rib eye), som tum kor moo (papaya salad with grilled pork neck and sticky rice) and the beef curry with bamboo shoots. They were not only delicious but beautifully decorated. The meat was so tender on the crying tiger. My sister loved it and thought that was the best Thai food for her compared to all the ones she's had lately. :) read more

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