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We were really excited to dine at Lom Wong given all the praise it receives, but this was the most underwhelming Thai meal we have ever had. We tried several dishes that we were certain (or at least had hoped) would stand out. Unfortunately, most of the dishes felt strangely one-dimensional. YAM MANUANG BORAN (green mango salad - $22) leaned heavily sour without enough sweetness, salinity, or nuttiness to reach a bliss point. A good Northern Thai salad can be aggressively acidic, but the best ones find a balance where no single flavor dominates. The coconut cream was meant to temper the tartness, but it just never quite got there. HOI SHAE NAM PLA (Scallop crudo - $26) was the low point. I love scallops, particularly their delicate sweetness and texture, so a Thai preparation built around lime, chili, and fish sauce sounded exceptional. Unfortunately, the scallops themselves had a distinctly fishy taste, separate from the intended funk of the fish sauce. The clean sweetness I associate with fresh scallops was missing. In a raw preparation as minimal as crudo, freshness and quality of the seafood have to carry the dish, and they simply did not. GAI TAWT WON PEN (fried chicken - $15) was cooked past the point where the frying added texture and flavor. We did enjoy the flavors, but it was more fried than flavorful. TOM YUM HAENG SEN YAI (stir-fried rice noodles in tom yum sauce - $32) was surprisingly muted, especially for a tom yum preparation. The dish was fine, but it lacked the subtle wok-kissed character that would have added depth. "Fine" is also not particularly compelling at $32 for a noodle dish. KAENG PHET CHARINDA (curry beef shank - $30) was the strongest dish of the meal. The beef was tender and the curry had considerably more dimension than the other dishes. It was the one dish that gave us a glimpse of Lom Wong's reputation. Aside from the food, parking was inconvenient, pricing was ambitious, and service was underwhelming. The inconvenient parking was to be expected on a busy weekend. We would happily oblige if the food was worth it, and it simply was not worth the effort. The pricing also made the meal harder to overlook. With ambitious pricing, I expect a corresponding degree of ambition and precision in dish execution. Instead, too many dishes felt merely adequate and some missed badly. We don't mind paying premium for food that is distinctively well-executed. I just never felt that payoff here. Regarding the service, our host made us feel welcomed, but our server was underwhelming. We were there celebrating my wife's and my son's birthdays (within a week of each other). The host warmly acknowledged the occasion upon our arrival with "We definitely have to send some desserts on the house for you guys!" We were not expecting anything complimentary as we were genuinely just celebrating. We had every intention of ordering the crème brûlée that we had been anticipating anyway. What was disappointing was that our server never even asked whether we wanted dessert before closing out the meal. At that point, the disconnect in service had taken any remaining enthusiasm out of extending the meal. Nothing was egregiously wrong with the service, it just felt largely perfunctory rather than particularly attentive. Perhaps it was intentional to allow us to experience the authenticity of a Thai village/town experience and dine quickly without being bothered (which i appreciate). Perhaps the server was attempting to save us from further disappointment by sparing us the dessert. I am sure the Lom Wong that everyone raves about exists. We certainly did not meet it and I'm perfectly comfortable remaining strangers. Michelin awarded Lom Wong a Bib Gourmand, but stopped short of any star. Based on the experience we were served, Michelin's restraint on the latter feels considerably easier to understand than its generosity on the former.
This spot has been on my list for a long time, and I finally had the chance to try it! We started the meal with the green papaya salad (YAM MAMUANG BORAN) and the fried chicken wings (GAI TAWT WON PEN). The salad was refreshing with a great, crunchy texture. The chicken wings were a standout, golden and crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and so deeply flavorful that they didn't even need the dipping sauce. For mains, we ordered the stir-fried crab in pong garee curry (BOO PAD PONG GAREE), the crispy pork belly curry (BA BUEY KHLAK TI), and the tom yum seafood pad see ew (TOM YUM HAENG SEN YAI). The stir-fried crab was hands down my favorite dish of the night. I admit that I love crab, but they were generous with the crab meat, and the rich pong garee curry sauce was delicious. The tom yum stir-fried noodles had a pleasant touch of heat balanced out by a bright acidic kick, accompanied by plenty of fresh seafood. The crispy pork belly was tasty, though my husband got one piece that was oddly cold in the center. The only dish I would skip is the stir-fried bok choy, it was totally ordinary and definitely not worth the $12 price tag. Overall, the food was spot-on and the service was great, even if the prices felt a bit steep.
A unique experience and incredible food that I will talk about the rest of my life. So cool to try Thai dishes from multiple regions and all done extraordinarily well from a culinary perspective. Delicious and great presentation. We came in a group of 5 and arai kodai (chef curated menu) is mandatory for that size group but sooo worth it. Admittedly our spice tolerance is 0 so even some of the dishes described as "minimal spice" were super spicy for us, but some of them really did have no spice level. Service was friendly, attentive, and professional. We went in late April and I'm not sure what all the dishes were called but some of our favorites were the refreshing mango salad (with dangerous pieces of spicy chili), fresh scallops, tom kha soup, and crab curry. Everything was super good though and 10/10 would love to come again!
We tried several things, and this review will be of our top two favorites! Hoi Shae Nam Pla - the scallops were so tender with delicious chili (a little kick) lime, garlic, fish sauce! Lots of layers and loved the savory citrus, perfectly balanced with garlic slivers. Gai Tawt Won Pen- signature Thai fried chicken dish! My daughter's favorite, the crispy crunchy crust was perfect for the juicy chicken. Came with a bright chili dipping sauce! What missed was the cocktails. Everyone has different tastes, but for us, both cocktails lacked the balance we were hoping for. Madame Madame (too tart and crisp) and Sol Thaniya (too earthy and spirit -Gin- forward. We were seated in the back (a different building) after you past a little bit of storage and the restrooms and an open area they said would be used when it's cooler. It was cozy, with about five tables and eight barstools. It feels intimate, inviting, and the bar was fully stocked. Service was excellent!! From the greeting to the food runner, everyone was welcoming.
We were very excited for our second visit to Lom Wong, although it was a letdown compared to our first visit. I understand a "menu refresh" as it was explained to us, but getting rid of popular items like the pork belly curry was rather disappointing. The green mango salad seemed like a smaller portion than the first time, and the flavors weren't there like before. Plus it took over 30 minutes before it arrived as our first item. For mains we ordered the beef shank curry and curried crab noodles. Both dishes were on the spicier side, but especially the noodles which were too spicy and maybe should have been mentioned by the waitress ahead of time. Also, the noodles reminded me more of a Vietnamese style cold noodle dish than a traditional hot Thai noodle dish. At least the banana split was still great.
**July 2026: Thursday Night** We wanted to end our trip on a high note so we decided to try Lom Wong, a 2025 James Beard Award winner! The fact that the restaurant was very close to our Airbnb, and did not require a reservation also felt like a sign to make the visit. The spot is definitely trendy, and parking was tricky. Uber/Lyft would be my recommendation, but there is a paid parking garage down a couple of streets. We didn't need a reservation since we had a small party, but I would recommend if if you're coming with a party of four or more. We sat at the bar and ordered four dishes from different categories, which was a great way to sample the menu; though honestly I think we probably could have gotten away with just 3 dishes for a party of 2. We tried Yam Mamuang Boran (old-style green mango salad), Boo Pad Pong Garee (crab curry with ginger), Tom Yum Haeng Sen Yai (dry tom yum with wide noodles), and Naem Khao Tot (crispy rice salad with fermented pork sausage). The noodles and salad were definitely my favorite though everything was seasoned really well and incredibly flavorful. What I loved most was how thoughtfully prepared everything felt. The restaurant has a really sincere, home-style feel, and you can tell the food is rooted in tradition while still feeling special and elevated. It was the perfect final meal for our trip, and I'd definitely come back again.
Prepare for a flavorful walk through the history of Thailand with a menu comprised of family recipes from different regions, offering an amazingly authentic village-style Thai dining experience. The food is served family style but everything tastes so good you will always wish there was more (I could live off their curry crab). The atmosphere is cozy like being seated in your grandparents' kitchen and the staff is welcoming like family. But be warned that many dishes are not for the faint of heart and have a healthy kick of heat to them!
Finally got to try Lom Wong after hearing so many praises and recommendations from others. Unfortunately, for us, it was incredibly bland and underwhelming. I really want to believe it was a fluke. Rushing to get food out quickly to mimic Thai street food is not desirable when quality is sacrificed and the customer is paying almost $40 for a plate.. I will say the food came out within minutes of ordering. Our server was nice and patient. I needed some extra time to look over the menu and he didn't rush us to order even though he was very busy. The food was so lackluster and it pains me to say that about a Thai restaurant. Every dish was just missing something, whether it was some spicy or citrus. Every dish was very one dimensional. The Boo Pad Pong Garee, or stir fried crab curry, was dry and underwhelming. It was missing spice for me. There were huge chunks of crab though. The Naem Khao Tawt, or crispy rice salad, may have been my favorite bite of the night. It had a great balance of textures and flavors. It was refreshing and helped cut through some of the dryness of the crab curry. I loved the cured pork sausage. Tom Yum Haeng Sen Yai, or the stir fried flat rice noodles with squid, wasn't terrible. I love flat rice noodles and they had the distinct char that you would get from wok cooking. Loved that. The flavors overall weren't bad. Just again, underwhelming and lacked a good balance of flavors. I would have liked more spice, citrus, and umami. We did not care for the creme brûlée duo. The hibiscus one was soooooo intensely sour that it was almost inedible. It was very bright though. The lemongrass one reminded me too much of a savory lemongrass soup that I couldn't enjoy it. Some of the spiel and verbiage that the team had was a little pretentious and awkward. I saw them "kindly" kicking out a table for sitting past their reservation time. I've never ever seen a restaurant do that before. Really not that bad but really not worth the $20-$40 price tags either. I'm open to coming back and trying other dishes. I really think I may have came on a bad night.
Came here two times and the food never disappoints me! The fried chicken is always my go to dish because it has that rich garlic aroma and is very juicy inside. It tastes even better with that Thai chili sauce. I didn't take the photos of all the other dishes but they were all super delicious. The first time when I came, the service was impeccable - they were nice, attentive, and patient. The second time was a bit disappointing. It took a really long time for one of my friends' dishes to come. But when we checked with them, we were told "it will come when it's ready." I understand that they were busy at that moment. But they could have told us in a better way. Overall, I always look forward to dinning here. And this is definitely one of the best Thai restaurants in Phoenix!
This has to be my longest review ever. But so worth it. Lom Wong's serves the kind of Thai food you simply can't find anywhere else. It's so good that I'll forever be sad I have to drive 30 minutes to get it. One of the coolest parts of the experience is the menu itself. It's divided into sections featuring dishes from different regions of Thailand, making the meal feel like you're traveling through the country one plate at a time. Everything was incredibly flavorful. The Boo Pad Pong Garee was outstanding. The crab was already de-shelled (thank you!), and the curry powder was balanced perfectly. It added flavor without overpowering the sweetness of the fresh crab. The BBQ pork in the Bamee Mu Dang was unbelievably tender and packed with flavor. The crispy fried bits (garlic and herbs, I think?) took it to another level. I rarely eat many carbs because I'm usually trying to be disciplined, but I couldn't stop eating this dish. The Kaeng Kua Hoi was simple, elegant, and delicious. The mussels were bursting with curry flavor, and the sauce was too good to leave behind. Everyone at the table ended up pouring it over their rice. The Hoi Shae Nam Pla appetizer was another highlight. The scallops tasted incredibly fresh, and you could tell the seafood throughout every dish was selected with care and intention. Service was exceptional. Even though the restaurant was nearly full, everything arrived surprisingly fast and piping hot. Our drinks were never empty, the staff checked on us regularly, and they even wished us a happy anniversary. A few minor cons: * You don't get to choose your spice level (or at least we weren't asked). The spice level was perfect for my husband and me, but our son found it slightly too spicy, even though he still enjoyed the food. * Parking is atrocious. Not really the restaurant's fault. It's just part of being in downtown Phoenix. * The desserts felt a little out of place. One option was a banana split, and another was a fusion crème brûlée split between hibiscus and lemongrass flavors. Since the rest of the menu is so thoughtfully focused on regional Thai cuisine, it would have been nice to see that same philosophy carried into the dessert menu. Overall, this place delivers a unique dining experience. Absolutely, 1,000,000% worth the drive. My family and I are super happy to have picked this place for our anniversary.
I have heard so much about this place over the past year that I had to try it for myself. I get it! It was delicious! Service was wonderful! I asked for a chef tasting of non-spicy options (the Arai Kodai. Mine came to $67 as I wanted extra tastings). Isaiah asked my preferences then went to town! His dance moves while he entered my order were a great touch! The aroma inside is exquisite! Everything around me looked so fresh! I loved seeing all the food around me. I see why everyone loves the green mango salad (yam mamuang boran). Delicious! So flavorful! Just know not to expect lettuce. The fried chicken was tasty but I wished I had asked for not fried options. That's on me. It was certainly good. Very crispy and flavorful. Next time I would just prefer something more unique than wings. The bok choy with garlic (pad pak twang toong) is so good! Very light and tasty. I asked for a side of white rice to enjoy it with. I ended with Naem Khao Tawt. It was again flavorful and zesty. I would have avoided more crispy and pork with this one but again that's on me. It was still tasty. Next time I would ask for more grilled options and something with beef and noodles. The scallops and buffalo tartare sounded fantastic! Would definitely want those in the future! They were out of buffalo tonight. The dueling brule dessert was so good? I'm particular the purple one! So tart! Really wonderful experience and made new friends while here. Parking is a bit of a nuisance, but after 15 minutes I got lucky and snagged a street spot close by out front. Otherwise, it's either street parking, meter parking or nearby garages. Will definitely be back to try more dishes.
We had heard great things about this place and they are part of the Chase reserve Sapphire dining program so we decided we would have our celebration of our 25th anniversary here for dinner They actually had sent an email letting us know parking is pretty tight in the area so we decided to just rideshare here, it's a lot easier. They will open the front gate right at 5 PM on the nose, we had a 5 PM reservation. There was already a line forming for those arrivals. We had booked bar seating in the back room, which is a bit smaller than the front dining area, but cozy Carly was our server/bartender and she was extremely friendly and explained how everything worked. The menu was split into three portions, North, South and collaborations. They'll explain every addition detail to you if you like. As many had mentioned how good the mango salad is, we pretty much had to order that. I didn't realize it would have nice chunks of shrimp in it, that was a fantastic surprise. We also ordered the crab curry, and that was both of our favorite dishes.- it is served with a big bowl of sticky rice, Yum! The other dish we ordered was a noodle with pork, and those noodles were so creatively tasty. Very good. They don't have a set wine list, they have a QR code on the menu since their wines changed so often but most glasses were $15-$17 each they had a nice Sauvignon Blanc and my husband went for the Thai beer Lovely experience!
FOOD: The food was really good here and presentation was amazing. my favorite dish was the papaya salad and the fish. the curry was a bit too salty and the other dishes were decent. i really emitted hope creative they were with the menu. we also tried the panang curry cocktail which was def really interesting. SERVICE: Amazing service, the manager and staff came out to check on us and were very attentive. very polite Ambiance: Very nice and cool decor. Trendy and classy at the same time. good place for drinks inside. also they use incense or scented oils there it smells good
3 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thanks so much!
4 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thanks so much!
4 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thanks so much Frank!
4 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thanks so much!
Some of the best fine asian food I've ever had. Beware of coming here on a first Friday (first Friday of the month) as the streets will be filled with people and parking will be tough. The restaurant was very accommodating to us running late and even gave us parking suggestions. The food was absolutely delicious and it is the perfect date spot. I had the raw shrimp dish that's a weekend special and I was not expecting it to have as much flavor as it did. It was equally refreshing and packed full of zest! The beef shank stew was the perfect amount of spice - bearable but still gives you a kick. The beef was oh so tender and soo yummy. The watermelon salad was definitely a fun play on your pallet. The dried shredded fish was interesting with the sweet crunchiness of the watermelon. Overall, some of the best food I've had in a while. If you're looking for a unique dining dining experience full of complex flavors this is a must! read more
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Alex M.
Thank you so much, Nini!
2 years ago
4 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Wow! Thanks so much for the kind words.
4 years ago
I've had Lom Wong on my Yelp folder for months now and finally had the chance to check it out. We had reservations and were seated right away. The food was very authentic and so flavorful. Having travelled all over Asia, I have become a snob when it comes to any kind of Asian food so finding this gem in Phx was a pleasant surprise. We ordered six dishes and a dessert. Some were a little too spicy for me ( that's just me, I normally can't handle anything beyond mild ) but it was just perfect for my husband and son who both like spice. The waiter did let us know that they are able to take it down a notch upon request. The atmosphere is modern and inviting. It was such a cute place! read more
4 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thanks so much! We look forward to seeing you again!
2 years ago
4 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Hi Sandra, we’re sorry you didn’t enjoy your brunch with us. Our crab…
4 years ago
Best Thai food I have ever had in Phoenix. Authentic style and great service. Pretty pricey though. Also the desserts are not as good as the main dishes. But overall still a five star. read more
4 years ago
Decided to try something new and never heard of this place prior to coming. Can honestly say this was one of the best restaurants i've ever been to. The staff were very knowledgeable about the food and gave great recommendations. The food was so delicious and had unique flavors. I am going back soon to try out the foods I didn't get read more
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thanks so much!
4 years ago
5 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Hi Niala. When we welcomed you to our restaurant, we let you know…
3 years ago
4 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thanks so much!
3 years ago
3 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thanks so much!
3 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Hi Cindy,…
3 years ago
4 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thank you so much! We’re glad to have been able to provide an…
3 years ago
I just want to start by saying I have had a lot of "nice" restaurants in arizona but this is by far the best one in my opinion. The manager is the absolute NICEST person. I made like 3 last minute changes to my party & they were accommodating every time and were more than happy to help! They treated us with absolute respect when we arrived and gave us a beautiful back story to their restaurant. They have an amazing concept and very authentic food & flavors. I 20/10 recommend this restaurant to any locals or visitors. Look at how amazing this food looks! read more
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thanks so much!
3 years ago
5 years ago
4 years ago
Great food I enjoyed my first trying... back again soon... small restaurant but nice from top to bottom... owner from same province in Thailand. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
5 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
We’re so glad that you enjoyed your meal with us! Thanks for sharing…
4 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Hi Nate. We’re sorry that you didn’t enjoy your experience. I am a…
4 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
Thanks so much!
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
5 years ago
Business owner information
Alex M.
We’re glad we could bring you back to Thailand! Looking forward to…
More info about Lom Wong
218 E Portland St
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Directions
(602) 675-0522
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https://www.lomwongaz.com
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Ask the Community - Lom Wong
Do you have traditional pad Thai?
We don’t serve Pad Thai, and we’re happy to share why. While it’s widely known in the U.S. as a signature Thai dish, it isn’t central to the regional cuisines that inspire our cooking.…
Are there entree options that not spicy?
Theirs is not overly spicy curry; it's actually pretty mild.
Are there gluten free options for people with celiac disease?
Yes, there are many.
How busy does it get at 5-6pm on a Saturday?
Busyc but if you walk in at 5 on the dot we can usually seat you. If you want to be sure make a reservation.
What is the likelihood of being able to walk in on a Sunday night without a reservation?
It’s usually easy at 5PM. The dining room gets filled up, but bar and outside (misters) is easy this time of year. If you’re a party of 5 or more, reservations are highly recommended if you want to sit inside.
What should we wear? We are planning on being around town before hand, but don't want to offend wearing shorts if that is frowned upon.
Very casual space. I wouldn't worry about the dress code. The serving staff doesn't :)
Which dishes are dairy free?
All of them except Boo Pad Pong Garee and Crème Brûlée
Hello! I made a reservation for 1- is the $15 reservation fee refunded when I dine?
Yes!
Do they have vegetarian/vegan options on the menu?
Hi Madhumita, we have one fully vegan dish, hed neung: steamed oyster mushrooms with toasted galangal dipping paste. As fish sauce and shrimp paste are essential ingredients in the cuisines of Thailand and we strive to remain sincere to the recipes…
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