Karuna's has great things about it like the ability to get food at a high spice level (the highest…read morespice in town for Thai and on some days it can get quite spicy at the highest level of 5/5. Good place to go less spicy at if you generally eat less spice). I also like the tofu here. The food is usually good but can also be hit or miss. I find that 1 out of a few times the tom Kha soup and the curries can fall flat in terms of flavor complexity and are too salty. They are often good just not consistently. They have a couple noodle dishes that I find more consistent. All items with V can be made vegetarian. They are also very vegan friendly.
Here's what I have tried here:
-Rad Nah Flat rice noodles stir fried with kana or broccoli in a special gravy with choice of protein. I get mine with fried tofu at the highest spice level 5/5 or 4/5 if I am in the mood for less spicy. This dish is one of the main dishes that has been consistently good for me here and I almost always get it here.
-Tom Kha soup: It is not my favorite Tom Kha in Tucson (my fave Tom Kha in Tucson is at Seasons Eats) but on good days it hits the spot for me. I get it with half fried tofu and half vegetables which they didn't charge me extra for here. The problem is that once in awhile it's less good and falls flat with less complexity and too much salt. I typically get Tom Kha soup at the highest spice level. It's still a go to for me here since it's good most of the time I have tried it and I like to get it with the Rad Nah Flat rice noodles.
Pad Kee Mao: Fresh rice noodles or bean thread stir fried in red curry sauce with garlic, Thai chili, onion, bell pepper, broccoli, straw
mushroom, baby corn, and basil. For this one I like to make a change to wide flat rice noodles instead of the thin noodles it comes with by default. I get it with fried tofu. This dish is fairly consistent for me and I enjoy getting it from time to time.
-Yum Pak salad: Thai eggplant, carrot, snow peas, onion, broccoli, cilantro,cucumber, and Chinese cabbage in a tasty lime dressing. At the highest 5/5 spice level it definitely got spicy for me which can be the case sometimes with Thai salads at the highets spice level. but I also had it with a Poh Thak soup at the highest spice level so I think both built up for me together. This one wasn't my favorite because I am a little picky about how I like my eggplant ( I liked softer and very cooked typically) but I could see myself getting it again if in the mood, maybe at a 4/5 spice depending on my mood. I only tried it once.
- Poh Thak soup
Spicy soup with fragrant broth of lemongrass, ginger, galangal, basil, & lime. I get it with fried tofu. I really liked the flavors. At the highest 5/5 spice level it definitely got spicy for me but I also had it with the Yum Pak salad salad at the highest spice level so I think both built up for me together. I still very much enjoyed it and would get it again, maybe at a 4 out of 5 spice depending on my mood. I only tried it once.
-Red Curry: Red is my typical go to curry I always get or at least start with at Thai places. It's usually good but unfortunately the curries here, which are usually my go to in Thai restaurants, are very inconsistent for me. Sometimes good and sometimes too salty and not complex. I tend to prefer to get curries, especially red, in Tucson at Nattha's Bann Thai.
-Panang Curry with Straw Mushroom and Tofu: Fried tofu simmered in panang curry with coconut milk, straw mushroom, bell pepper, young jackfruit, carrot, chili & Thai basil. Fun to see young jackfruit on the menu here. Unfortunately the curries here, which are usually my go to in Thai restaurants, are very inconsistent for me. Sometimes good and sometimes too salty and not complex.
Pad Thai vegetarian: I only tried it once here but it wasn't for me, at least that one time I tried and I didn't get it again. The sauce was too bland for me.
It can get pretty crowded here on some weekend evenings as it's not a big space. The service is usually good here in my experience. I'd come back for my favorites or to try something new but I do keep in mind that it isn't always consistent with some dishes fluctuating in flavor sometimes and therefore sometimes prefer to go elsewhere for Thai.
My general rating system:
1 star: I would stay away
2 stars: Has some good things about it but I generally don't recommend.
3 stars: Pretty good. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back but a decent place
4 stars: Great place. I would go back.
5 stars: I highly recommend stopping whatever you are doing and making plans to try it out! An Evie favorite!