We are regulars here but...... two of the last five times we have been to Mali Thai the chef/cook was new and don't fully trained. I love Thai food but it's turned into a hit or miss restaurant. Service is always excellent. read more

I have ordered takeout from Mali Thai three times in the past two months. The last time was Monday, 03/11/24--this time, I didn't pre-order, and it was around 2:30 p.m. and quiet so that I could look at the space with a different eye. I noticed that the have live music on certain nights and had more ambiance for evening out or a date night. I spoke to the person who took my order the first time. She knew the menu, and she made constructive suggestions. She reminded me to include beansprouts" to my list of no's. She had a positive attitude and made me feel welcome. I have specific issues regarding food. It is equally challenging to articulate them; 1. I easily choke raw, cooked, stringy food like carrots, cabbage, peanuts, and bean sprouts. 2. Low or no added Salt..including Soy, Tamari sauce, or MSG. 3. No fried food that is hard to chew. 4. No Cilantro - while I love Coriander, Cilantro's seed, Cilantro will ruin a dish because it tastes like soap to me. - According to "23 and Me", 13% of the world's population feels the same. 5. Chewing food is also tricky, so food must be soft, with no perfectly cooked veggies. Soup or dishes with delicious sauces, creamy desserts and iced creams are my go-to choices. I can tell much about a restaurant from their soups. I met Mali, the owner. I explained my need for more broth, and she was kind enough to adjust the price accordingly. read more

Love this place! We ordered pad kee mao, pad see ew, Tom kha Kai, and green curry chicken! All phenomenal! Great staff! Will be back!

I went here on a recommendation from a neighbor, even though it is 40 minutes away. Upon waiting an hour for our food I was still thinking it would be worth it. Boy was I wrong!!! Just look at the picture of this "sweet and sour pork"!!! it's not even edible! The calamari is cooked to rubber as well, and to top it all off , there is no rice with the curry! Which hey, that's probably not edible either! Now, after wasting my evening and spending $70 for inedible food, my family and I will sit down for a nice bowl of Cheerios. read more

Mali Thai - "Pork" ha! - Thai Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

Very nice family run place very clean. The good quality food, portions are large and the prices are reasonable. I wish that you could get the dishes spicier. read more

I love eating here, dining in that is. Ordered take out for the first time and super dissatisfied. The crab puffs came with no sauce ‍. I was told there were no mangos for the sticky rice, but I still ordered the sticky rice as I could do without the mangos. There was no sauce and a very sad square blob instead, see pictures below. No forks, napkins, or condiments. read more

Mali Thai - The sad sticky rice. - Thai Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

This was our first visit to Mali Thai and we loved it! We came on a Friday night around 6pm and were seat immediately. The food and service were great. We will definitely return! read more

The worst Pad Thai that I ever had. Clumps of noodles, bland taste, one piece of chicken, no cilantro, peanuts, carrots and very little bean sprouts. Don't waste your time or money on this restaurant. read more

Absolutely delicious meal with authentic fresh flavors and healthy vibes. The service was amazingly friendly with a welcoming attitude. We are very impressed with this new restaurant and so happy to have them in the neighborhood. Can't believe it took us this long to finally come in for dinner. Thank you ! read more

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I ate at this establishment on January 5, 2024. I ordered the sweet and sour chicken and my husband ordered the yellow curry. My chicken was like leather. I am unsure if the cook is inexperienced, intoxicated, or both, but I've had better chicken from a convenience store. My husband said that his curry was "OK". We will not be back. read more

Not bad for my first visit (lunchtime), definitely coming back. Is it "real Thai" ? Pretty close and the sauces are delicious read more

Finally got a chance to try and was not disappointed. I ordered the calamari appetizer and the chicken pineapple fried rice. Everything was amazing and I can't wait to try some other items off the menu for my next visit read more

Food is good but they still have no consistency on spice level. I've ordered medium spicy and gotten a meal with no spice whatsoever. So the next time I ordered spicy and got a meal so hot I couldn't eat it. Last night I ordered medium (2) for me and hot (3) for my husband. We both tried each other's dishes -- the medium was medium but the hot was mild at best. No wonder why they now have a sign in the restaurant saying they won't refund if the spice is too hot: people have no idea what level to order bc you never know what you'll get! read more

I went here with my family on the day of their grand opening. We were a party of 5 and super excited to try this new place as my mom and I are avid Thai flood lovers! First of all, the classic Thai dishes we ordered were fantastic. The flavor was authentic and the portions were good. We had the Panang curry, pineapple fried rice, Tom Yum curry fried rice and pad Thai. I also got Thai tea that was delicious. We also had the mango chicken that was not that good, it was sort of bland and definitely was not a traditional Thai item. I would recommend to stick to classic dishes as they cook them very well. If you want extra spice, their Chile powder is awesome! Be careful tho, it's much spicer than you'd expect. Minus a star because the service could definitely use work. It seemed like only one of the front of the house workers was actually taking orders and running checks, perhaps the others were not trained to do so (there might have been a language challenge too). Although it took some time for us to be tended to, our server was super nice and checked up on us throughout the meal. I highly recommend if you can have patience for great food. read more

Got takeout. It was ready on time and aside from missing extra sauce (I paid for) our order was accurate. Soups are large servings. Entrees are shareable, if you're not too hungry. Spring rolls are sliced into small pieces. Good for sharing, if there were more. Taste was really good. We couldn't tell difference in "Medium heat," and "Hot." Both were a little spicy. Waitress helped me get my large order to car in one trip. I look forward to my next visit. read more

If you're on the hunt for authentic Thai cuisine, this is the place! Since moving to Oro Valley from the SE Valley of the Phoenix Metro area, we've had no luck finding great Thai food. Our meal tonight (Pad Thai w/chicken and Panang curry) was flavorful, well-spiced, and took us back to our many visits to Thailand. Table service was pleasant and attentive, if a bit slow, but since they are just recently opened and getting organized I don't see this as a major detriment. We will definitely return and bring family and friends! read more

It's been 9 months since my last review and this place is still so delicious!!! Always consistent. The portions are a great size and they can definitely make it spicy for you. I always take it to go but I should dine in as they've made the inside look so nice for dinner time!! read more

I've eaten at Mali Thai a few times and I've not had one bad meal. When dining in the service was great. When I've ordered for pickup it's still hot when I get home. Inside the restaurant is nice. Plenty of room btw the tables. read more

The food is great. Better than other Thai options. We had ok service the first time and good service on our second visit. I liked the Pad Thai and my wife enjoyed the tofu and vegetables. read more

I give this restaurant a 5 star rating because the food is knock-out delicious! We enjoyed the stir-fried Mango Chicken as an appetizer. The Mango sauce is decadent -- ooey gooey sweet and spicy (medium spice level) awesome. I had the Chicken Panang (medium spice level) which is so delicious the next day even -- warmed up. My husband always gets the Pad Thai (spicy hot level) and says its the same every time GOOD. We were there on a Wednesday night and there were 5 tables with multiple people dining in and the take-out orders kept the staff busy. Highly recommend this little gem of a restaurant. read more

Excellent food, super fresh and clean. Excellent and friendly service and ambiance. I highly recommend!!!

My husband and I have been looking for a good Thai restaurant in Oro Valley or even within a 45 min drive. We tried a few and we've been disappointed UNTIL NOW. I had the best Thai in Phx so every place we try I compare to that and Mali Thai lives up to my expectations. I had Pad Se-ew with talapia and my sweetheart husband had the Massaman curry with chicken. We both got level 2 spice, perfect for us. There were plenty of ingredients, no skimping and the flavors were wonderful. Next, the place had almost all the tables full and a constant flow of take-out orders. Abby and another young lady & 2 cooks in the kitchen was the entire staff. Abby was a very good representative of the restaurant. She acknowledged each table, made sure water was topped, ensured everyone knew where their order was in the que, and didn't make us wait for a box or the check. I have one more pet peeve at restaurants and that is the taste of the water. Mali Thai's water was filtered and very good. I have nothing but positives for this place. They are hidden in the Safeway parking lot and worth seeking out. read more

Great food and service, especially for the inconspicuous strip mall environment. Their curry was excellent. If you are usually one to order medium or hot, go a level down. You've been warned...in a good way. read more

Small portions, just okay food and a BIG price tag. Money can be much better spent elsewhere.

Excellent food, and very helpful service. Due to health concerns, I am gluten free. They were very helpful in deciding what would be best, and how things could be modified to make it appropriate for me to eat. Plus, the food was delicious!! read more

Really good food. I ordered the chicken pad Thai. Really great flavor. Pretty decorative plate too. read more

Mali Thai - Thai Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

1st time here and not disappointed. Service was excellent and the food was great. The restaurant was clean and had a pleasant atmosphere.

Our favorite Thai restaurant of any we have been to throughout the US. Always fresh and top quality ingredients. Tastes great every time. I will say I am boring and usually get the red curry, but have also had Tom Yum soup, Pad Thai, Pad se-ew, garlic noodles and mixed vegetables. All fantastic and prices are great. Highly recommend! read more

Fantastic Tom Yum soup with deep, complex flavors of lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal. We also tried pineapple fried rice which was a welcome departure from typical American Thai. The rice had warm flavors of turmeric, raisins, cashews, and then the sweetness of pineapple. Very good. The service was attentive, kind and detail-oriented. The dining room is simple, clean and comfortable. I will definitely make this a regular spot in Oro Valley! read more

The food at Mali Thai is absolutely delicious... all of the layerings of spice and flavor that make Thai food so complex and mouthwatering! My absolute favorite is the green curry, I literally dream about it! Absolutely delicious! The atmosphere is clean, airy and calm. They had a great mix of music playing in the background, pleasant and happy without being distracting or intrusive. The service is consistently excellent, with kind, pleasant and cheerful staff. This has truly become my favorite restaurant! read more

Excellent food, easy ordering and top notch customer service. Loved it and will go back!

I managed to visit Thailand 5 times without EVER tasting Thai food. I know. I know. I've regretted it ever since. So, I can't make a comparison to their homeland. I finally tasted it in Australia, then Scotland, England, and now here in Seattle, Lubbock, and Tucson, Arizona. It's easily among my top choices for food. Mali Thai, is about as good as I have had in ANY of the countries I've eaten it in. MAYBE the place in Lubbock was AS good, but it's close. If you like Thai food you will LOVE this place. I got take out, and can't wait until I visit in person... or order another 23,885 take outs. Yes!!! It's THAT good. In fact. To avoid sounding like the owner I'm deliberately dialing BACK my praise. Well done, Mali Thai.... see you soon... often. Oh... I got the chicken satay and the penang chicken. read more

Food was excellent.. we ordered the glass noodle with beer, chicken pad Thai, and pork fried rice... our appetizer was Mali plater with egg rolls, crab and cream cheese puffs, pot sticker and Butterfly shrimp.. Desert was mango sticky rice... Yummy ... read more

I ignored my gut feeling after getting the wrong items on an order to go. Tried them again 3/4 weeks ago . Hardly any chicken in Massaman order. Item extremely small portion! Pad Thai was so dry had to use TJ's sauce to eat it. I will never go there to eat or get a take out order again. I realize the costs of food has increased tremendously, but the quality and quantity aren't acceptable. read more

So fresh! Had the spring rolls, mango chicken (so good) and mango sticky rice which was out of this world!

It really is sad that it's so close and not very good. Nice people but not authentic. Go to 4 seasons on miracle mile if you want Thai after you try Mali. You will never go back to Mali again. Papaya salad and chili fried rice or drunken noodles omg read more

We are so happy to have found this restaurant in Oro Valley! Our most recent visit was exceptional. We were treated so well with kindness and thoughtfulness and they gave us the best recommendations. The food was delicious. We will be coming back again and again! read more

Good food Drunken Noodles All food made great Staff good Cooks are amazing Very nice relaxing restaurant read more

My goodness this place is good! I've been hoping to find a good Thai restaurant and this is the place. The staff is so kind and friendly. And the food is fresh and delicious. The menu isn't overwhelming. I highly suggest trying the pad soon sen. read more

The food was tasty, spiced according to the level I asked for. Service was very good. Had dinner and enjoyed the glass noodle dish I ordered. Will come back again. read more