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    Esan Thai

    4.1 (69 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Bars, Noodles
    Closed 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Esan Thai Takeout or Delivery

    Esan Thai Photos

    Business Info

    ESAN THAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Esan Thai

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    Reviews With Photos

    Thai 68. Basil Fried Rice
    Tannu S.

    Quick service, casual ambiance and great food. It's a cozy place with generous portions of delicious food. I never visited that side of the town unless it's for Bollywood theater or Kati Portland. However this is another gem of a place right across from the two and really worth trying. To top it off, no waiting like Kati. :) I will go back to try them and I hope you do too.

    Larb chicken and garlic and peppers pork.
    Noi M.

    I had a great Take-Out experience here. We had the larb chicken and garlic and pepper pork which is Thai street food. The staff were friendly and attentive. Ambiance is good. I'll definitely come back for dine in. Love Esan on Se Division st.

    70. Pineapple Fried Rice (vegan with tofu)
    Martina C.

    Well I'm not sure how we never ever tried Esan before but we finally made it!!! I even learned a cool fact that when Macklemore is in town, he gets Pad Thai right here at Esan! So we came with friends who recommended Esan, and who always have great food recommendations. We arrived at 7pm on a Friday evening, and it wasn't too busy when we got there but the service was slow. I ordered an Old Fashioned and my husband had a margarita. My drink took a long while to come but it was good. We ordered fried tofu to start and it was excellent. Definitely light in color and not greasy. I typically don't even eat it but it was so light it was great. I ordered the Pineapple Fried Rice because once I'd seen the photos I KNEW it had to be mine. They made it vegan with tofu added and it would have been 5 stars but it was pretty greasy. Still I ate it ALL up because the veggies were nice and fresh and the pineapple was sweet and juicy! My husband had a red curry and it was good. Too spicy for me because I'm a WIMP with any kind of Asian spices lol. But again delicious and fresh veggies. I liked the food and drinks but the service was lacking and I would definitely ask for less or no oil next time. Other than that yum!

    Charlene P.

    We really loved our meal and drinks. Pad Thai was fresh and flavorful and so was the Pad Se Ew. Sweet and quick service too. Cute atmosphere and the loveliest plates. Definitely recommend.

    70. Pineapple Fried Rice and 44. Massamun Curry
    Ph G.

    This place has yummy pineapple fried rice and curry. It's not too busy to eat here and they get lots to go orders from different apps. The meal is good for sharing with friends or you can get some leftovers for later.

    70. Pineapple Fried Rice
    Brenda H.

    Overall, this is a cute place and the food was pretty tasty. There are a lot of Thai restaurants in Portland, so this is a good option but not a must visit. The sever was quick and kept our interactions short and there were plenty of people ordering take out. We had the Pineapple Fried Rice and the Curry Noodle Special. The fried rice had decent flavor but somehow all the toppings were on one side of the plate? It was on the sweet side for me personally. The noodles were ok flavor, it was interesting to have the rice noodles served on the side. Usually they get sticky without being in a sauce which did happen during the meal. The curry for it was good but would prefer it over rice to help soak up all the flavor. I thought it had a nice kick to it but my partner who loves spicy food didn't agree.

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    2 years ago

    Had chicken pad see ew medium spicy. It was so great. Service was great. All real plants nice atmosphere

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    4 years ago

    Our waitress was really sweet and we loved the food. Portions were good for the price and the drinks were stiff. We'll be back!

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    3 years ago

    Seriously the worst food. No flavor, over cooked rice, under cooked chicken. It's inedible.

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    2 years ago

    Food was wonderful! service excellent. Currently only Take out. Food was cooked superbly, appropriate heat for our requests.

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    Ask the Community - Esan Thai

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    Eem

    Eem

    4.4
    (1.7k reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    Easily one of the absolute best culinary experiences in Portland, offering a fun and unique take on…read moreThai BBQ. Between the vibrant energy, outstanding service, and incredible depth of flavor across every single plate, it completely lives up to its reputation. Arranged Marriage Cocktail (5/5): A super fun, balanced drink with a great zing and zest from the ginger and lemon that lightens up the richness of the amaro without feeling overwhelming. Sweet & Sour Fried Chicken (5/5): Ordered the small portion (6 pieces of boneless fried chicken), which served as a perfect crisp starter. The chicken is juicy, crispy, and packed with flavor. It was great either as an extra side of protein or a standalone dish. White Curry with Brisket Burnt-Ends (5/5): While $24 might initially seem a bit steep for curry, it's worth every penny and all the hype. The curry base features a rich coconut flavor paired with a surprisingly comfortable heat. It was loaded with tender and flavorful brisket burnt-ends along with huge cauliflower florets. Smoked Pork Krapao (5/5): super well-balanced. The smoked savoriness of the tender pork pairs with a crispy fried egg, fresh veggies, and the deep umami saltiness of the fish sauce. Logistics Tip: Expect a lively, energetic atmosphere with upbeat music that gives the restaurant a fun club-like vibe. A Friday evening visit for a party of two surprisingly had a quick 30-minute wait, which is easily spent exploring the safe, walkable neighborhood until we got a text notification. Both main entrees include a generous side of rice, making the meal very filling. Parking in the immediate area is somewhat limited, so plan to park a block or two down the road.

    My family and I stopped by Eem for lunch and for a group of five, they actually had a bit of…read moredifficulty accommodating us during the lunch rush on a walk-in. We ended up seating outside on the patio at a table for four with an extra chair. The inside of the restaurant can get pretty loud, so if you're looking for a more quiet dining experience, I would certainly recommend requesting a table outdoors. Between the five of us, we ordered a large order of their BBQ fried rice, a large order of their sweet and sour fried chicken, white curry with brisket burnt ends, and wok fried yu choy. This ended up being plenty of food and we even had leftovers to take home as well. If you need any recommendations from the menu, your server will be more than happy to provide options. Of the dishes we ordered, the one I enjoyed the most was the sweet and sour fried chicken. The boneless chicken thighs were incredibly juicy and the exterior was craggly, crispy, crunchy and well-seasoned. Like good fried chicken, the dish did not taste oily at all. The other dish I really enjoyed was the brisket fried rice. You really can taste the "wok hei" in this dish. There's a smokey, charred flavor in every bite and they're really generous with how much brisket is used in the dish as well. The only critique I had food-wise is I thought the burnt ends in the white curry were a bit dry and a little tough. The cut of brisket was too lean so it didn't have the melt in your mouth texture you typically associate with slow cooked BBQ. That said, my experience as a whole at Eem was otherwise incredible. Service was fantastic, cocktails were creative and well-balanced, and pricing was well in line with expectations. Definitely would stop by again for a meal.

    Photos
    VIBES
    VIBES
    Wok fried yu choy
    Wok fried yu choy
    Chopped BBQ Fried Rice

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    Chopped BBQ Fried Rice
    Hat Yai

    Hat Yai

    4.3
    (821 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$

    I haven't been to Southern Thailand, but I have spent enough time in Malaysia and Singapore to…read morejudge roti canai/prata, and the roti and curry here is really excellent. You can watch them frying the roti in front of you, they have a great flavor (they're a bit on the thick side), and the curry is absolutely sublime, with an incredible depth of spices without being hot. I also really enjoyed the freshness and textural blend of the "rice salad," with great cucumbers and herbs, although it was too spicy for my dining companions. I admit I didn't think the fried chicken was anything special--the chicken was moist (even the white meat), but the outside could have been crunchier. But I'm not the biggest expert in fried chicken, nor in pad thai, and both were certainly competent even if not as exceptional. Sticky rice was also cooked perfectly.

    5 star food with excellent service - very welcoming and knows how to upsell lol…read more Food Orderd: 1. Fried Chicken Roti Combo - holy fried chicken crispy, combo comes with 1x leg and 1x thigh cut into two pieces. Curry was delicious and balance, excellent when dipped with the crispy roti or fried chicken. Pickled veggies were a great pairing and sweet and sour added another dimension. 2. Pad Thai - glistening noodles served inside an egg omelet. Very solid pad thai - sweet, sour, salty. Don't forget to add the fresh shrimp, these were cooked perfectly and plump. I recommend the restaurant should take the shrimp tail shell off for us. 3. Thai Basil Lemonade - solid lemonade, NEED more basil flavor. Overall, I'd come here again to eat and try other items as well. I'll give it a 5 star for now but more 4.5.

    Photos
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    Quarter leg fried chicken

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    Quarter leg fried chicken

    Esan Thai - thai - Updated August 2026

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