One of my favorite Thai restaurants outside in Philly. The food, service and atmosphere make…read moreGrandmas Philly a great restaurant experience (as well as delivery/take-out). I will head over this weekend! :)

Had a reservation for 1PM on Saturday. It was very busy inside. Service is slow because there was…read moreonly one server. Everything was lukewarm warm and did not come out hot. I liked the flavor of the khao soi, but did not like that it was pulled chicken. Would have preferred a traditional chicken drum stick. The crispy chives were not crispy at all. The crispy stir fried pork belly was good. Drunken noodles were not flavorful enough, just spicy. Very instagram-able inside with the decor.

Came for a birthday celebration. One of the few nicer places on my short list of restaurants with…read morereservations available, so I decided to go for it. Service was excellent! Our staff were always looking out for us, and making suggestions and recommendations throughout our entire meal, and even helping us with some tips to better enjoy our meal (they saw me sweating in response to the Thai spice). Definitely made this a top-notch experience. Ambience here is great! Love places with *real* greenery indoors and a lot of natural light, like this place, and seats and tables were spread out sufficiently such that there was a nice background chatter without feel too infringed upon by other conversations. We ordered a good variety to share. The spare ribs and the glass noodles dishes were amazing! Everything came out as ready, but it was on a good cadence such that we were enjoying things as they were ready, hot and fresh. I'm no expert on legitimacy of flavors and dishes, but honestly this feels like the most legit stuff I've had in the Thai wheelhouse in a while. To boot, even though we said no to dessert because we had other plans, they came with a candle on a plate to still share birthday wishes. A nice touch! Definitely a fancy occasion kind of place in my books, but I'd definitely make a return trip on another occasion!

KenScale: 8.25/10 Visit: April 2026…read more One restaurant in Philadelphia that I had wanted to visit for a long time was Kalaya, which was featured in the Chef's Table documentary on Netflix in 2024. I was moved by the personal story of the chef Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon in the show, and of course my wife Jun and I would never say no to some delicious Thai food. On our recent trip to Philly to celebrate our anniversary, Jun and I finally got to check out Kalaya (which is named for the chef's mother) on a rainy Sunday for lunch before driving back home. We were very pleased with the lunch at Kalaya, which in our mind really showcased the Thai spicy flavor well. The menu at Kalaya features Southern Thai dishes inspired by the chef's family history. The colorful display of the dishes stood out throughout our meal, but more importantly we also really liked the spicy flavor that felt genuine and soulful. The cute flower-shaped Shaw Muang dumplings with ground chicken were highly recommended by our server and the kick from the Thai chili set the right tone right away. We were also fond of the poached shrimp and cabbage salad with coconut cream (Yum Kalum Bplee) for the delightfully crispy texture. For the main dishes, we ordered one stir fry and one curry. If you have to order just one dish at Kalaya, I can't recommend the colossal crab stir fry with egg (Pu Pad Pong Karee) enough. Served with jasmine rice, this dish offered complex flavor of spicy, salty, sour and sweet that was quite unlike anything I had encountered in a while. As Jun and I were savoring this awesomeness, I wished that I could've eaten this every week. The goat and lamb curry (Gaeng Pae), served with pickled cucumbers and coconut turmeric rice, was also impressive, with rustic curry broth that suddenly hit my tongue with spice blend. Despite that powerful impact on my palate, I couldn't stop myself from enjoying the curry, especially with the coconut turmeric rice that neutralized the curry's spicy kick somewhat. We also shared a side dish of stir-fried local mushrooms (Hed Pad Kratiam) that was solid as well. We were running out of room in our stomach after cleaning up the savory dishes, so we settled with ordering a Thai iced coffee to go before hitting the road. Not surprisingly, Kalaya is a very popular restaurant in the Philly dining scene so getting a reservation in advance is essential. I was a bit nervous on our visit as we were running rather late (by around 30 minutes) from picking up our car from the parking lot, yet the restaurant was gracious enough to honor our reservation. The bright and lively dining space offered quite a fitting background to the character of the dishes. There is a full bar with Thai-inspired cocktails and concise wine list designed to complement the Thai spices well. Kalaya definitely lived up its hype as one of the most important restaurants in Philadelphia; Jun and I were glad to have visited and would be more than happy to come back for our next visit to the city.

Long story short: oh... my god. This restaurant is unforgettable. Hands down the best Thai food…read moreI've had in Philly (and we all know there are plenty of options here!) I got the pad Thai to keep it simple and I'm still salivating at the thought 6 weeks later. (I feel a DoorDash order coming on...) my friend got the pad see ew and she said it was "heavenly." The ambiance is intoxicating. Warm, dark, rich colors and tapestries. Very authentic. Not too loud, plenty of seating (no outdoor.) Very friendly staff!! The wait was a little bit absurd (about an hour to get the food) which is the ONLY reason I had to take off a star. Yes, the wait was that long. But honestly? It was well worth it. I don't always beg people to try places in reviews, but if you like Thai food, you have to try this place. And you can thank me later ;)

Food was delicious! We ordered the firecracker, chicken satay, pad see ew beef, khao soi with…read morechicken, and mango sticky rice. I always order khao soi when it's available and it was flavorful and so filling. Portion sizes were huge. The Thai iced coffee was one of the best I've ever had!! Would come back! There's several parking garages near by as well.

I found my new favorite Thai place EVER. I'll keep this…read moreshort and sweet. We found this place through TikTok and they suggested ordering 2 things: the massaman curry and the drunken noodle with beef. Both are AMAZING. I seriously think about the curry every week and crave it all the time. The drunken noodle is to die for. We sometimes pair it with 2 Thai Teas and if we're feeling fancy the Sea Bass is phenomenal. The place is small but always busy. If you do come, get a reservation or you'll be waiting for a while. We will definitely be back!... probably next week

Loved their pad kee mao!! I've been to a lot of the Thai places in Philly and the pad kee mao here…read moreis one of the best. The other Thai fusion spot I used to frequent recently closed unfortunately. The pad see ew, while flavorful, was way too salty. I was chugging water for the rest of the night. Ambiance seemed casual and laid back. I ordered takeout which was done on time and ready for pick up. Did not dine in so can't comment on the service for dine in customers.

We went visited Xiandu Thai a year ago and the food was delicious minus one thing we didn't really…read morecare for. However overall it was some of the best Thai food we had in Philly and we used to live in the area years ago. We decided we had to come back and see if the food was still just as good and the results are in...IT WAS! First the customer service is still really good and the server was beyond friendly and attentive. The restaurant itself is still super quant and perfect for a girls dinner or a date night! Now onto the food! We ordered the Sexy Shrimp appetizer, Pad Thai, Dan Dan Noodles! The Sexy Shrimp appetizer was good but we weren't really a fan of the dipping sauce that came with it. It was like a chipotle dipping sauce but I think the a traditional Thai Sweet Chili would have been better. But my, my, my the Pad Thai and Dan Dan Noodles were Phenomenal! Portion size was HUGE, flavor and spice was spot on and honestly, I wish I could pick up this restaurant and move it to DC where we are located! Still phenomenal and we will continue to return everytime we come back to visit Philly!

Phenomenal place! I love Xiandu Thai and they offer a good deal Happy Hour and their menu overall…read morehas some great options. Drinks are made well and reasonably priced. I love good Hendricks martini But I also do stray away from some of their original cocktails. The Chicken Pad Thai is my absolute favorite here. I always ask for spice and extra peanuts! Never disappointed. The Drunken Noodles are also a go-to favorite. Their starter options are sized appropriately so you'll have room for dinner. Bonnie & Peter are remarkable and they have an amazing staff. Xiandu is such a kind and friendly atmosphere with a beautiful ambiance both indoor and outdoor. Located right on Walnut Street you'll see beautiful views from their full bar (with two TVs) and they also have a beautiful patio with spacious seating. I would recommend Xiandu for a cute lunch, beautiful romantic dinner and a place to really come have some amazing Thai cuisine!

Wow!!! Amazing Thai food in a really warm and comfortable environment. We couldn't decide on what…read moreto eat, so we ordered a bit of everything. The chicken satay lived up to the online hype - so good! The Thai Appetizers Sampler was big and amazing. We took half of the multiple items home. The star of the show was the Panang curry - so smooth, creamy and flavorful. We added chicken which was very tender. Added a few sautés which were equally delicious. Super friendly service. Great experience start to finish.

Best Thai food I've come across. All made from scratch even brought me back to see how they make…read morethings fresh first thing in the morning. Friendliest owner and the best food. I don't usually eat Thai but I strongly recommend this to anyone who's looking for something delicious!

I'm mad they don't give you that many shrimp. Should I be? Perhaps not, but I'll write about that…read more Maybe opt for the chicken dishes that come with plenty of protein. The flavor was on point for the 6 shrimp. Ok size shrimp but nothing overwhelming. Pineapple rice was enjoyed by my bestie. A staple they get at Circles. I really liked the mango rice. This was Uber eats and delivered hot to SoPhilly. I've been to their cozy BYOB before and figured-- why not get the delivery?! Service was way longer than it said. Very slow and changed drivers 3-4 times because it was so slow. Maybe busy night for dine-in, either way definitely don't depend on timely delivery. Extra 30-40 minutes beyond initial estimate.

I've heard so many positive reviews of circles & drive by it often, but I'm only just now getting a…read morechance to try it. The place itself had decent parking out front, I was seated immediately & provided water while waiting for the rest of my party. It was pretty cozy inside. It always sounded odd when people spoke of how amazing their cheesesteak eggrolls are, yes they're a staple Philly food item but still a little odd for a Thai place. I get it now. The cheesesteak spring roll is superior to any cheesesteak roll I've ever had. The spring roll wrapper just makes it so much lighter & crispier & than the inside? Perfection, even when it's scorching your mouth. The chicken puffs were also delicious, especially in the sauce. Someone at our table may or may not have been drinking the green curry like it was soup & we couldn't blame them, it was that good. Highly recommend the pad Thai with shrimp. The thai iced tea was also a 10/10. This is one of those places where I left leaving a little full but oh so content. Can't wait to try more.

I initially thought this was a sit-in restaurant. When I arrived I found out it was a hub for…read moremultiple food businesses. Pick-up or delivery only. Very busy. My order was for curry chicken, shrimp pad seew, fried bananas and white rice. The over all flavor was ok. On the sweet side. The curry was good but a little sweet. The stir fried noodles were ok. The fried bananas came with a container of honey with sesame seeds. This was good but the fried bananas were good on their own and did not need the extra sweetness. The white rice was dry and older. The Thai tea was good. Over all, you can park outside quickly for pick-up or get your food delivered.

I stopped by today again because last time i just found out this hidden gem spot. Today my husband…read morecraving Thai food, curry dish. He got Panang curry with chicken. I got spicy chicken wings and drunken noodle extra spicy. Woww everything is good. Love it. Food is delish!! Ps. Drinks menu looks yum. Got thai iced tea this time. Will definitely come back :)

Enjoying lunch at Mawn felt like I had won the lottery!! If you know how hard it is to secure a…read morereservation than you know the feeling! So you might stumble across info for the best times to secure a walk-up reservation and they'll tell you to arrive at least by 10:30am Thursday through Saturday as Mawn opens at 11am. But let me tell you how I pulled up in front of Mawn at 10:40am on a Thursday and there was already a line of about 15 people!! Mind you, these people have PEOPLEZ as quite a few were holding spots in line for others in their party who could now casually stroll up to the line since their spot was secured by their people. I'm telling you have a game plan! If I knew then what I know now I probably would have got there at least by 9:30, seriously. My party got waitlisted as soon as we were just one person away from entering the restaurant and we had to wait for another 40 minutes. Fortunately it was a nice day so we just walked around the neighborhood and came back and got in. It's a small quaint place that only seats about 28 people. You'll feel like your visiting your favorite relatives home. You'll glance around at the other guest and feel like WOW i'm one of the few who finally made it into one of the most coveted highly acclaimed restaurants in Philly! Now let me see if it lives up to the hype! haha! I started out with the pear melon salad. It was light and refreshing. I thoroughly enjoyed the citrus notes and the pear slices. I would have never thought to add the pear but that really complimented the salad well. I was told that a MUST try is the head on soft shell shrimp. At first I wasn't thrilled about the thought of eating the head but said what the heck, lets go for the full experience! If you love softshell crabs you'll love this! There was nothing off putting about it. It simply taste like delicious premium shrimp in a fish caramel sauce with a hint of thai basil and chili. It was wonderful. I could have gone for a second round but I wanted to try other items. I enjoyed the seafood fried rice..this is similar to the crab fried rice but included uni roe and caviar with saracha on the side so you can regulate your heat level. I'll say this, while I enjoyed the seafood fried rice and the bonus elements of it, I was not a fan of the texture of the rice itself. Perhaps it's just my preference. The rice was light, fluffy and slightly sticky in texture whereas I prefer more of a thai fried rice which is dry, slightly firm and non-clumpy texture. But that's not taking any cool points away from Mawn. It's just my preference that i'm mentioning in case anyone else goes in expecting a different texture. I love the team service aspect at Mawn. Our waiter emphasized that we're not bugging anybody if we need anything we can stop any staff person walking by. I love that. Beef Noodle soup is delicous here. So is the yellow curry noodle soup. The fish is really good here too. I didn't realize I could have requested for it to be deboned (probably because I was talking to much lol) But my waiter was kind enough to come over and help me debone it when they saw I was struggling lol This was the first time I ever had a green thai tea! It was really a treat. Not overly sweet. Nothing but pure deliciousness here! And a super helpful warm friendly staff.

Great service and great food! The place is small so it makes sense that it's so hard to get a…read morereservation. I love a good BYO, so I can splurge a bit more on the food and not worry about the cost of alcohol. For a party of three, we order 5 appetizers and shared the all star fried rice, which was a perfect amount of food. We got the beef skewers, which were definitely a favorite - the meat absolutely melts in your mouth! The papaya salad paired well with this, as it was tangy and refreshing, especially on such a hot day. The scallop crudo was a special for the night, but I think they should add this to their permanent menu because it was definitely a standout! The all star fried rice at $54 was also well worth it. I am often disappointed by dishes like these due to the lack of "stuff", but there was crab throughout and a generous portion of roe. I was a little disappointed however that there were only 2 scallops at that price. Overall, each dish had impeccable flavor, great presentation, and a good amount of seafood for the price.

A neighborhood Thai joint. Had authentic flavors, fresh papaya salad and sweet green curry (could…read morebe spicier), and solid drunken noodles. Intimate space they're friendly - gave a free Thai tea with a purchase of $50 and above.

Just arrived in Philadelphia and l didn't want to go anywhere to find food in the rain. Ordered…read morethis on Postmates. Delivery didn't take too long. Always a fan of fried tofu so I had to try it. It's fine, unfortunately it wasn't crunchy since it was delivery, but still good. The chive cake is very flavorful! But the star of this show are the crispy wings! 10/10! Crispy, flavorful, delicious. Definitely want to stop by and eat in restaurant to try other things.