Located not too far from Paramount Theatre, there's very little seating. The place is also small. Ordering can be done on the self serve kiosk or at the front with a staff member. Food takes quite a while. Thai basil (4/5): flavor was good. Chicken was tender. Good amount of basil without it being too overpowering. Tap to pay is accepted. Overall GaiNoi is a small bustling place. Food take a while but they got quite a bit of customers and a small working staff. read more

GaiNoi - R1. Thai Basil - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

Amazing Thai eatery. I came here two times already for an affordable dinner and it has got me wanting to come back. It is an order at counter get served later kind of restaurant, but the quality of food is really good. The portion wasn't too heavy and flavor profiles were on point. My favorite was the veggie and chicken rice bowl, as it had the perfect amount of garlic and savory notes. The ambiance is very casual so this is meant for a low stakes meal. Self serve water is available as well. read more

GaiNoi - U2. Udon Pad Kee Mao - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

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It might be small, but I wouldn't exactly consider GaiNoi an old school "hole in the wall." Why? First of all, it's very clean and modern inside. Most holes in walls don't use compostable utensils and organic ingredients. The music is mellow and service is prompt and helpful. The steamed chicken is moist and on point. So is the chicken broth and dipping sauce - not too salty. The price is great for the quality, especially if you order from them directly. I got a weekend promotion which included a free drink so I got a Thai ice tea! Located 1.5 blocks from the Fox and the Paramount and behind the 19th Street BART station, it's great for a healthier option if you are trying to grab a quick bite before a show or just hanging out on the weekend. read more

GaiNoi - K1. Khao Man Gai (Traditional steamed organic chicken with dipping sauce and a cup of chicken broth) - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

Why is it always the case that random hole in the wall restaurants are so darn good? Besides being far and few between, Gai Noi hits! Was visiting the office today and off on a random stroll. Intrigued, I walked in because the place was pretty packed, so obviously I had to investigate what type of shenanigans was happening. Surprise surprise! I ordered the garlic chicken and it didn't even survive 2 mins. I demolished it. Sure fire spot for a quick grab to eat. Portion size was perfect. Not too much, not too little. I did enjoy the side of veggies to accompany the savory chicken. Yup! Definitely coming here again when I have to go into the office. read more

GaiNoi - Garlic Chicken - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

Food is amazing. Flavor is on point. I just love the food here. Probably have order from here a week straight. And love that Thai Iced tea. read more

GaiNoi - R1. Thai Basil - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

GaiNoi opened where Saap Wing once was. An hole in the wall with 2 tables for dine in. Sparse decor. Basically take out. Steady flow of patrons. Offerings: appetizers, fried rice, Khao Man Gai, rice bowl, noodle, desserts.. Drill: order at counter, pay, food ready in 10ish minutes. Bites: spicy eggplant (13.95) -abundant serving of fresh tasting white rice to soak up gravy from eggplant & eaten with same. -fresh eggplant pieces, slightly stir fried with chicken, intermixed with red & green bell peppers, basil, chili pods. Tasty, worthy! 4.5 stars. Metered parking nearby. read more

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I live next to this restaurant, and it is one of my favorites in the neighborhood. The food is very flavorful and generally healthy as well. I can tell they use fresh ingredients and prepare every dish with care. I usually go for the Thai Basil with tofu - served with bell pepper, garlic, and a fried egg on top. The staff here is very friendly as well. The restaurant is small, but there are a few seats available. read more

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The curry was quite good and reasonable prices as well. I ordered a slightly less common Thai dish and it was very interesting to try and came with lots of different ingredients. They allow you to choose spice level as well so I got it just how I like. There wasn'ta lot of seating space though so keep that in mind. We were able to combine two tables to seat 4. The waiter was very nice and helpful when we had questions. Good place for a quick bite. read more

GaiNoi - N6. Khao Soi - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

Super tasty and reasonably priced! I got chicken pad Thai and I liked how I could add other veggies I can't usually add with Thai dishes, like bell peppers and broccoli, and green beans. Yum! read more

I wanted it to be good, because it's a block from my apartment. I got the Grilled Chicken Thigh with rice. It comes with a little salad and what I assume was broth, but seemed like hot water with onions. Chicken had decent flavor but overcooked. The rice was mushy, but there was a decent amount of it. I also got the crispy chicken skin, because I love chicken skin. Honestly I don't know how it's supposed to be served, but I would have liked it less well done. For $26 there is better value at other neighborhood spots. read more

Very fortunate to have stumbled across GaiNoi. I've visited a few times now & while I want to try more food items I just can't get over the Udon Pad Tom Yum with beef (+$2). Great portion size & savory veggies to accompany the meat & noodles. The service time for walk-ins is pretty reasonable during lunch hours. The location is smaller and while I've been there you can only comfortably sit 2 people at a table - I do hope this restaurant gets more traction to move to a larger area. read more

GaiNoi - U1. Udon Pad Tom Yum - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

I loved the food here! Khao Mun Gai is one of my favorite dishes and theirs was very tasty. I asked for dark meat and the skin on chicken thigh was perfectly poached and juicy! The ginger garlic rice complemented the dish well, the fermented soybean sauce was super flavorful and the cucumber and greens were fresh. Calamari was a bit overcooked with some tough bites, but overall good. I'll be back when I'm in Oakland! read more

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I ordered the R1 Thai Basil with chicken, and it was by far the worst Thai meal I've ever had. The egg was overcooked and hard, and the chicken was also overcooked, plus it was ground chicken, which I've never encountered in Thai food before (it's usually whole pieces). The dish was heavily overseasoned and extremely salty. Worst of all, I ended up with food poisoning afterward. It wasn't severe, but moderate, and it spoiled the last two days since eating there. The other dishes I saw looked better than mine, so perhaps just avoid the R1. read more

In the are ding business so I tried GaiNoi. Only a few people in the restaurant at 1pm on a Friday. Looking over the menu they have a lot of dishes I haven't heard of before and must try next time. I opted for pad see ew with beef. My dish was delivered to my table in about 5 minutes piping hot. Flavor was great, portion was just the right size. Maybe a little heavy on the soy sauce. Overall, a great place for a quick lunch. read more

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I don't think any of us nailed our main entree. I got Chicken Pad Thai "Thai spicy" it was not spicy at all. It also wasn't smoky, wok flavored. Just kinda of lightly sweet. Khao Man Gai Tod was like a thin katsu type chicken. Rice and chicken. Green Curry smelled very good. Garlic Ginger rice was the second best thing we had. The best being the mango and sticky rice. Best mango I have ever very had. Will be back to try Yellow curry and maybe the ramen. read more

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It looks like a simple dish but many just don't do it right... until we got to trying this one. The chicken was so delicious and moist. Their dipping sauces were chef's kiss It is the closest I've found to being comparable to Rooster and rice. And those fried chicken skin? Mm.. chips but tastier.. and it comes in a big ass box. read more

GaiNoi - Fried Chicken skin.. definitely worth the calories - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

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I have been getting the Thai Basil chicken with brown rice (med spicy) and it is so yummy. I haven't gotten anything here that isn't delicious. The only thing I'll say is that I prefer the brown rice over the ginger-garlic rice for this dish. I tried the latter out of curiosity and the rice was super stuck together but the brown rice blended more easily with the ground chicken. read more

Great taste and affordable prices I love the rice chicken dish and pad Thai noodles. read more

Flavorful Thai Food in a Cozy Oakland Spot GaiNoi is a small, hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant in Oakland, and while there's limited seating for dining in, it really shines as a takeout and delivery spot. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up having it for lunch two days in a row. There's nothing flashy about GaiNoi, but they get the basics absolutely right. Every dish is packed with flavor, and they offer a variety of options to satisfy different tastes. At around $15 per dish, portions are generous, making it a good value for the quality. Overall, if you're in the mood for some unassuming but delicious Thai food, GaiNoi is a fantastic choice. My Criteria: 5 stars: The best food I have ever had, or an excellent option given the price. 4 stars: Good food, a restaurant I look forward to trying again. 3 stars: Good food, a restaurant that I am indifferent to. 2 stars: Below average experience, will not go again. 1 star: This restaurant should be closed. read more

Ordered to go, the food was decent. Pad Thai was good, but some of the noodles were dry. The yellow curry was good and the chicken satay was delicious! We had sticky rice with mango for dessert that was good. I really liked the Thai iced tea because it came in a bottle and they gave us ice cup. read more

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I found this place by accident while driving around the side streets of downtown Oakland. My GPS told me to flip a left turn on 19th St from Franklin, and I found myself in front of Gai Noi. What a cool looking storefront! Decided on some Chicken & Rice takeout and some Egg Rolls. Well, to be exact, it was: - Khao Man Gai, mixed white/dark meat, skin on - Crispy Egg Rolls, 5 pcs I've been to several chicken and rice places, and Gai Noi does something different. My KMG was a balanced meal. It had chopped pieces of chicken, moist rice, and then a small salad. If you go here expecting a big slab of chopped chicken on rice with a few pieces of veggies for decoration, well you will be disappointed. Oh, the eggrolls were crispy, with shredded carrots and cabbage inside. This is a place that would probably be good for lunch or simple dinner. I'll be back to try other dishes read more

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Great food. Delicious recipes. Nice servers. I liked this place. Will visit again next time I'm in town

Was in town and craving some Kai Soi so i found this spot on Yelp! The place was quaint and we were hungry. I got the Kao Soi with chicken and my friend wanted the crab fried rice, but they were sold out, so she got some chicken satay and shrimp pad thai. I was a little disappointed with my Kao Soi, it lacked the depth and melding of flavors that I love in the dish, but the chicken satay was good and my friend liked her pad thai. The lady working was kind. read more

GaiNoi - Kao Soi - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

The hype is real. I've been eyeing this place for a while and finally came in with hubs for a quick weeknight dinner. This place is on the smaller side, very casual and set-up for takeout. There is limited seating if you're trying to eat in, but it is possible and it is clean. We were the only ones there for a while before another couple walked in, also for dining in. The order: angel wings, chicken pad thai (for me), chicken pad khee mao (hubs), and mayo sticky rice. I wanted Thai iced tea but they were out (they keep pre-made tea in bottles that can be grabbed from a fridge, along with various other drinks). The pad Thai was PERFECT. Very well balanced, with perfect color and the perfect amount of sauce. It was such a joy to eat. The pad khee mao was thoroughly enjoyed by Hubs, who ordered it spicy. He typically requires garlic chili sauce for this dish but was content with the dish as is. I samples his and was impressed, spicy was indeed spicy and it had a great flavor. The angel wings were good. They came out piping hot (as did our other dishes) but we were able to enjoy them. It's a bigger order than it seems on paper. Our meal's end came to a delightful end with the mango sticky rice. Sooooo good. I'll never finish a meal here without it. Where do they finds this perfectly sweet and tender mangos?? They truly are dreamy. I'm moving close to downtown here shortly and I promise you, this place will see me often. 10/10. I'm almost concerned about the place blowing up in popularity for selfish reasons, but it certainly deserves it. I'll order their khao soi soon if I can at all bring myself to order something other than pad thai. read more

GaiNoi - Mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

Gai Noi was an excellent option for a light meal before the concert, it's right next to Franklin parking and a block or two from Fox Theater. Thai Street food is clearly winning in our book! It's a small spot but the selection of entrees and appetizers are big! You order at the counter and they'll bring it out to you when it's ready. The young lady at the counter was very helpful and patient while we were picking out some appetizers and dishes! As a group we share all the entrées and my dinner companions know the drill. Chicken skin, veggie egg-rolls, angel wings, pad sew eh, calamari, chicken skewer, pad Thai shrimp omelette, chicken fried rice, basil eggplant w/ tofu, and fish cake... the best dishes of the night was the pad sew eh, flat noodles perfectly executed w/ the dark soy and the char from the hot wok...chef's kiss! Also deliciously prepared w/ the basil eggplant w/ our choice of tofu. They made it in exquisite form w/ the eggplant charred well and not mushy and savory flavors to match! We enjoyed everything as the dishes were delicious and thoughtful and the snacks were what we needed before the concert. Khxbkhuṇ māk! read more

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Stopped here for lunch and had the bento box. The food was very well made, the service was excellent, and overall a very good experience.

For me Khao Soi (Curry Noodles Soup) is recommended Kua Gai Noodle and Grilled Marinated chicken Thighs over ginger garlic rice is good also read more

GaiNoi - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

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I didn't see any reviews mention vegan-friendliness, so I decided to check it out myself and report back for my vegan comrades out there. Yes, you can ask for something to be made vegan and they'll make a special note of it (IDK, just gives me more confidence that they know what they're doing and I don't have to inquire about every sauce and such). The vegan pad see ew came with fried tofu and was very tasty! It had that nice smoky flavor you get from wok stir fries (wok hei) and the ingredients seemed high quality in how flavorful they were. Like the mushrooms somehow taste more mushroomy than the usual casual place, if that makes sense? As for the cons -- too oily even for restaurant food. It feels like they are just absolutely drenched in oil. Between this and Thai Basil in Berkeley, I would say they each do different things well, but Thai Basil probably has a slight leg up for me, especially value ratio. oh, and my noodles were clumped together after my 5ish minute walk home, but I think that's just how it is with this type of noodle. If that bothers you, make sure to eat it fresh/sit-down. read more

GaiNoi - vegan pad see ew - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

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This is a little hole in the wall by 19th street bart. I've ordered take out and dined in. The restaurant itself is small with only 2-3 tables. It seems more of a grab and go place. You can order online, through phone, or in person. Food comes out pretty quickly. I've tried spicy eggplant with chicken, crab fried rice, taro and curry puff, crispy chicken skin, khao soi, and thai basil with chicken. You can adjust spice level for certain dishes. I ordered medium the first time and tasted more like mild, but I can handle a good amount of spice. I have loved everything single dish I've tried. My favorite was the khao soi and it might be the best khao soi I've ever had. The curry broth was so flavorful, creamy, and had enough spice. The dish had both crispy and regular noodles, which I don't normally see. Pro tip, on Saturday if you order certain foods, you can get a free drink. Highly recommend this place! read more

A great little whole in the wall. It's clearly focussed on takeout and excels at it. They're fast and friendly and the food is delicious. The best bang for your buck in the area! read more

GaiNoi is a cozy Thai restaurant right by the intersection of 19th St. and Broadway in Oakland and serves up delectable portions of various Thai cuisine: steamed chicken, fried chicken, chicken curry, fried egg rolls, you name it. I ordered the steamed chicken which came with a side of garlic ginger and soy dipping sauce on top of a bed of garlic ginger rice, and I was blown away! The price is just right for the amount of food you get, too. They sell their own bottled Thai Iced Tea and Thai Iced Coffee, along with mango sticky rice for dessert. I'm looking forward to coming back here to try more of their menu! read more

GaiNoi - Steamed chicken plate 5/5 - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

I came here before a show at the Fox after seeing the glowing reviews and thinking that I could get a quick dinner, but sadly, this place missed the mark. For my main dish, I got the tofu and vegetable green curry and brown rice. I will give them that the veggies were fresh and plentiful. The brown rice was good, too. However, the curry had very little taste and no depth or complexity. It had a decent spice kick, but other than that, the only flavor I could make out was sweet. That was disappointing. I also ordered the fish cakes which were much better. The fish and herbs tasted fresh and zingy. So two thumbs up for the fish, one half thumb up and 1.5 thumbs down for the curry. But the employees were very nice, so normally, that would make this a decent 3-3.5 that I'd pick up food from whenever the mood was right... ...but what brings this place down from a solid 3-3.5 to a 2 is the wait time. It took over half an hour to get my order. Curry and fish cakes from an essentially take-out place don't justify that much of a wait time, especially when equally mediocre curry can be had from just about anywhere else more quickly. read more

Food is SO good! Came here randomly on a Sunday and have come back multiple times since. People are very friendly and everything is cooked to order. Best thing to get is the khao soi. The noodles suck up all the flavor and every bite is delicious. If you like crab then also try the crab fried rice. Generous with the crab but made fresh so it's not overpowering. read more

Absolutely delicious. I enjoyed the eggplant dish with chicken and mango sweet rice. If there's a line, scan the barcode on the window and order online instead of waiting in line. Convenient water and utensil dispenser. Sweet spot. read more

I found this spot randomly by searching "hot and new restaurants" and this place popped up with only 8 five star reviews. I usually don't get an opportunity to try new restaurants immediately, but I'm so glad I gave this place a shot. Many different southeast Asian cultures (Cantonese, Vietnamese, Singaporean) has their own interpretation of Khao man gai and it all tastes very similar. However, instead of opting for the steamed/boiled chicken, I ordered the khao man gai yang (grilled chicken thigh) and it was SO good. Perfectly seasoned and not dry at all. Additionally, each meal comes with a side of chicken broth-- very light, not salty. Service was great-- the owners were attentive and even made sure we had all of the proper fixings for our dishes. This is a great spot if you're looking for a guilt free meal. Definitely adding this spot to my list of rotations. read more

Was hunting for food on a cold, windy afternoon in Downtown Oakland. Saw this small hideway. Slownon weekend so food is cooked to order. They don't have the usual thai fare so was apprehensive. Boy, I was proved wrooong!!! The tofu in the veggie bowl was fresh, brown rice chewy and the broth had just the right level of heat. You know the food is good if you feel full and your palate feels fresh and you want more They should sell the broth as soup. The fried tofu wasn't greasy, was crisp. Salads greens were a great accompaniment. I couldn't resist ordering crab fried rice to go. Looks like I will be coming here often. read more

GaiNoi - Veggie Bowl - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

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Amazing crab fried rice and reasonably priced. Also ordered green Thai curry medium spiced. It's a good amount of spice, not dialed down!

Great little spot in Oakland serving food thai food. Ordered takeaway and it was ready quickly. Portion size was good and the flavors were great. read more

I think their Khao Man Gai (original steamed chicken over ginger rice with peanut sauce) may be my new fave Asian comfort food dish in Oakland! The chicken is so silky tender, and the ginger rice is so subtle and flavorful! For a 2 person mom & pop operation, they're speedy and they did a great job of packaging the food to go! It's more of a take out place, but there are a few tables if you want to sit down. I also appreciate that the menu is focused - they know their strength ... the khao man gai & khao soi! And oh the mango sticky rice is on point!! Bonus: on Saturdays you get a free drink (eg Thai ice tea or Thai coffee or soft drink) if you get one of their core dishes! read more

Unassuming hole in the wall restaurant, friendly staff, and the khao man gai is legit. Haven't tried the rest of the menu because the KMG is that good. read more