YUM! Must Be Thai was great and lived up to the ratings and reviews. I must have been feeling adventurous as I took both my picky child/teen and my picky Asian parents at the same time. Well the risk paid off as all my picky family members enjoyed EVERY dish. Admittedly I am pretty shocked. We ordered: Crispy Fried Calamari: deep fried, chunky tender pieces of calamari that was perfectly portioned for our smaller group Tom Yum Fried Rice: fragrantly fried with a good lemongrass flavor Hat Yai Fried Chicken: light crisp outside and oh so tender and not dry on the inside. Southern Pad Thai: ok Must Be Thai. You get us. This is the first place to live up to my family's level of spice. There is a reason it is marked "SS" on the menu representing "Seriously Spicy". Kiddo and I loved it. NSFCP (Not Safe for Canto Parents) however lol. Overall, we really loved the variety of the regional Thai dishes, flavors, and textures. Can't wait to go back. Hoag Me: read more

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Came here on a Wednesday around 6PM and it wasn't busy! We were able to get seated right away. I ordered the panaeng curry w crispy pork and white rice along with thai tea and my friend got the vegetable pad thai. The panaeng curry was flavorful and heavy. It looked small but made me full quite fast. I had to take leftovers. The pork itself was okay it was a bit overcooked :o The thai tea was alright i've had better and it was a bit warm. The vegetable pad thai was perfect. Noodles were chewy and very saucy. I would definitely come back to get this and add a bit more spice as well. read more

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This place is really popular, so maybe I need to come back and order other dishes. For our visit, it wasn't quite to my taste. They'll seat you once the entire party arrives. I think we only *just* beat the rush. We got the menus and it was our first time there. I think the menu organization is a bit confusing. You have to read every single item to try to find a dish you might want to eat because it's sorted by region instead of by protein type. I think it would have been more helpful to have a menu organized by protein or dish type (e.g., chicken or noodles), with symbols for regions or just noting the region in color coded text next to the dish. Honestly, other way around would have been fine too, flag the protein or dish type with text next to it so if you don't eat certain things, you can scan for these right away. The pixie wings appetizer was the best dish when I went, but sadly went downhill from there. The hang leh curry was too sweet and the meat was tough. The panang curry was okay. Ambiance was cozy but a pesky gnat kept hovering around our food. The menu looked so promising with all the regional choices that lent it an air authenticity. I do feel I hold Asian restaurants in a more Asian area to a slightly higher bar. But tough meat is tough meat. I wouldn't mind coming back only because they have such a huge menu that I'm hoping something else tastes as good and our orders were just misses. read more

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Must Be Thai was excellent--one of my new favorite Thai spots in the greater South Bay! We went for an early lunch on a Saturday and I was surprised how packed it was, but I think that's speaks for how great this spot is. We ordered the pad see you with chicken, pad prik moo krob (pork belly), and the tom yum fried rice with shrimp and calamari. First, these were pretty big portions; three main dishes was great to share because we didn't eat breakfast and were starving, but it's certainly not necessary. Second, I thought the proportions of protein in the dish were sufficient (sometimes I feel like places skimp on the added chicken, for example). And third, everything was so flavorful! I particularly loved the fried rice, but even my boyfriend, who doesn't love pork belly, really enjoyed the pad prik moo krob. There was a good balance of spice in each dish too--you could feel the heat but not too much. As far as ambiance, the restaurant was small and quite busy when we went, but not uncomfortable. It's definitely more casual for a lunch or weeknight dinner than a date night, in my opinion. The food was out quick and the service was attentive, but they also didn't need to do a whole lot other than take our order once and bring out the food. Lastly, I like the variety of regions represented on the menu. Definitely want to come back to try other plates! read more

Must be Thai - Pad See You - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

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I'm surprised there is no review from me for Must Be Thai! I have been bringing the family here for at least 2 years. I'm like totally flabbergasted, rn! Frfr! Nevertheless, let's get into it. First and ultimately, I love a business that makes iT their business to cater to the community they're in! We normally visit for Happy Hour and enjoy their pixel wings and shrimp spring rolls, both a great value. Our go to that is not part of Happy Hour is the Tom Yum soup, always fresh, always delicious, and also a very good price. The service is always fast and efficient. I love the interior decor. It's a bit tight, but very intimate. read more

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Came here for a late lunch on a weekday and we were seated immediately. The server was very kind and attentive. We ordered the pad thai ($24) and panang curry ($19). The food was absolutely delicious! My friend thinks it was the best pad thai ever. I'm not completely sold since I think it is a bit pricy, but will be back to try again read more

Must be Thai - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

4.5 One of my new fav Thai restaurants now!! The Penang curry was excellent!! The sauce was creamy and thick with super thin chicken breast slices in it. Definitely a must have if you like Thai curry. The beef Pad kee meo was excellent also. Noodles were cooked perfectly and beef was super thin sliced as well. The Tom yum soup was meh for me. Only because it was really tomato flavored. Every Thai place makes it differently and they chose to go heavy on the tomato flavor. It was good, but not what i want in a Tom yum soup. The saving grace was that it was extremely reasonably priced. It was eight dollars and enough for 4 people to have a bowl each with some left over. I also got the Phad fuqthong. This was excellent. The ingredients were fresh and the dish was perfectly seasoned. Overall, the service was good and the environment was lively. Will definitely go back. read more

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While we enjoy the food here, the waitlist especially the yelp estimate is totally off. We put our name on the waitlist before we got to the restaurant- wait time was 16-30 minutes. We were given a time when we would be seated. 45 minutes later we are still waiting to be seated and the restaurant is closing in 30 minutes! I had checked in with the staff and they assured me that we would be seated and served. This is the second time we've been here where the estimated wait time was way off!! Finally got seated and we ordered our food. Felt rushed to finish as the restaurant was closing. My husband has had it with the wait times and swears that this is the last time we dine here. The food is good but the wait time and service makes it unbearable unfortunately. Will only be ordering to go going forward. read more

Food 10/10 Very clean Quick polite service Food was incredibly fast and we cleaned them up even faster read more

Must be Thai - Mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

Flavor town with reasonable prices so it's a 5/5 from me :) I came for lunch on a Friday and there was a little wait. I heard from friends this place can get quite busy on the weekend. Taste: The pad thai was tangy and chewy. The tom yum was delicious and sour. Parking: They have plaza parking Service: You go up to the front to check in. Despite being busy, they were quick. read more

Must be Thai - tom yum soup with vegetables - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

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We came on a Thurs evening, got pad kee Mao & green curry. Great food (tho pad kee Mao was a touch too oily), attentive service, modern & pleasant dining room. However... - $4 for a small bowl of white rice is robbery. - kitchen's slow. Food took forever to get out. Even tho the food was good, not sure I'd be back. Waiting that long (didn't time it, but I'd guess about 45 min) about killed me after work. read more

Must be Thai - Pad Kee Mao - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

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Food: we've tried this place multiple times before and after they update the menu. Their tom yum fried rice amazed us for sure; definitely our favorite of all. Service: they get very busy so it's always better to get on the waitlist earlier. Their price is definitely more up there compared to other Thai restaurants in Bay Area. Ambiance: vibey and cozy. Small party are more suitable. read more

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A favorite for both lunch and dinner. Anticipated a wait during dinner but the waitlist moves quickly. It's a casual restaurant and expect surrounding chatter, but the standout food makes it a regular date spot for us. We particularly enjoyed the rockfish for a stunning presentation and the fact that it's already been filleted. (I admit I'm not a huge fan of picking out fish bones.) The curry and pad kee mao are also my usual favorites, but I switched it up with the phad fuqthong and was pleasantly surprised! Recommend if you're a fan of kabocha squash. read more

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I especially liked the seafood based items here, but overall I think for Thai food, I have other favorites. Their noodles and curries don't quite stand out to me in flavor. Restaurant is small so anticipate a wait if coming for peak lunch or dinner. TIP: Get on the Yelp waitlist! ETA is variable but better to have a spot than not. I waited maybe 20 additional minutes while idling at 1st in line. RECS: + Tom yum fried rice ($24.25) is exactly as you'd expect, with an addictive tom yum flavor + Crispy fried calamari ($14.10) was DELICIOUS. The batter was perfectly crisp and well seasoned, and the squid was so plump. I loved the dipping sauce which reminded me a lot of nuoc cham! PASS: + Hat yai fried chicken ($18.95) had good pieces of chicken but I should've gotten an appetizer for fried chicken wings instead. The sticky rice that came with this was incredibly dry + Green curry ($18.95) could be better for the price, it's pretty washed out by the coconut milk read more

Must be Thai - Pad See Ew ($18.95), Crispy Fried Calamari ($14.10), Hat Yai Fried Chicken ($18.95) - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

Take out service is in consistent. I made a take out order online, pick up said ready around 5:13-5:23pm. Got there around 5:20. Asked for our order then they said it won't be ready for another 15-20mins. So I waited and just kept asking and nothing. They give no confirmation on their website on whether your order is really order so you have to continuously ask. read more

Must be Thai - Order confirmation - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

More like a 3.5! Went at 6pm on a Sunday and there was a wait. A popular spot near the mall. There weren't that many toppings on the tom yum noodle soup. The noodles were over cooked. The pad see you was good though. Decent flavor and good texture. The papaya salad was refreshing. Good app read more

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This may be a late review, but better late than never. In 2024, I visited a friend (whom I haven't seen in years) who was visiting her father in Saratoga. We were looking for a Thai place nearby and ended up going here. The restaurant is fair-sized, clean, unpretentious, modern and welcoming. Service was fast and friendly since we were the only customers at that time. Food was okay, I was expecting it to be sensational because of the price. We ordered the following (though I forgot the name of the last one that's in the picture, it looks like a larb salad): Tom Yum: 3/5 It was a bit on the sweet side. I prefer my Tom Yums savory. Pad Thai: 3/5 Pad Thai was okay. Larb Salad (if it was called that): 5/5 I loved this salad. Mango with blue sticky rice dessert (sorry, I forgot the name): 5/5 My friend's father loved it. read more

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Made reservations for 10, received text from them saying "table was ready" we let them know we were there but they chose to ignore/honor our reservation, made us wait then eventually ask us to put our name on the wait list before they would accommodate us. After 30 minutes we decided to go next door to Tony and Albas pizza and had the best time with the owner and staff! Their food was great, they celebrated the bday boy and provided excellent service which made up for the lousy service we received from Must be Thai restaurant and staff. read more

This place was delicious! Service was fast and friendly too. We got the Pad see ew, Pad Thai, Rockfish, Tom yum noodle soup, Fried calamari, and Pixel wings. They got the noodle texture DOWN, and fried appetizers tasted high quality too. Crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. The only thing I'd say is that the appetizers were pretty pricy for a couple pieces, especially the wings. But overall, definitely worth checking out!! read more

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I was in business complex and decided to try this restaurant. It was a lunch hour and the restaurant was quite busy a sign of good place to try. The menu was extensive categorize regional favorite's from street food, northern, southern and coastal areas of Thailand. I decided to go with the Bamee Moodang Hang, a classic street food. For the drink, I went with Purple lemonade (butterfly pea) since they ran out of Ginger Honey Hot Tea. Food came fresh from the kitchen and took a bit time. It was savory and delicious but a bit too salty to my liking. It could use a less Sauce. The reason I gave 3 is because I was so disappointed that they ran out or don't have the Ginger Honey Hot tea an easy one to make, unless the kitchen ran out of ginger or honey. Will try other offering they next time. Overall not bad place to try Thai Food. read more

Must be Thai - Bamee Moodaeng Hang - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

This place is right across the Westfield mall. The wait time was around 30 mins on a Sunday evening, so better to join the waitlist. It is a nice cozy dining area, slightly loud, but can talk. The server was sweet and helpful. We started by ordering the Thai iced tea, wouldn't recommend getting it. The pad kee mao and the paneng curry were great!! The cherry tomatoes in the pad kee mao added a nice freshness to it. We ordered it to be medium spicy for both dishes, and it was just the right balance of spice. The price for the Thai iced tea and the soda bottle was a bit pinching, but overall a good place. read more

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Best thai I've had in South Bay! My friends and I ordered the Chicken Pad thai, Panang Chicken Curry, Beef Pad See Ew, and Tom yum fried rice. So much flavor in all the dishes! My favorite was the tom yum fried rice with huge chunks of seafood. Honestly everything was a hit here! No notes aside from the fact that the portions seem small for what you're paying. I mean, $4 for a small bowl of rice on the side bumped my panang chicken curry meal to roughly $23. No leftovers either! Service was pretty quick and they were nice. The place itself was packed on a wednesday around 7PM. Decent amount of seats with wooden benches as seating (be careful we almost tipped the entire bench over). Overall, definitely my favorite Thai restaurant in the South Bay so far! read more

Must be Thai - Panang Chicken Curry ($18.95) + Jasmine Rice ($4) - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

Love this place! I come often with my family. Service is always good. Our favorite dishes to order are the pixel wings, green curry, pad kee mao, and anchan rice. Sometimes we'll get additional dishes as well. The Thai milk tea is also amazing. One thing to note is that their spicy dishes are quite spicy. I always ask for mild spicy and it's still very spicy, so if you are sensitive to spice I would probably recommend to try something else. Can't wait to be back! read more

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the curry had very strong coconut flavors which i was personally a fan of. pad thai also solid but a bit too sour for my liking location super close to valley fair which is convenient. get on their yelp waitlist a bit before to minimize wait time. it felt like they were rushing us out a bit at the end, but they were pretty busy on a weekday evening so i understand read more

Must be Thai - Pad Thai, Curry - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

If you are a vegetarian, you have very limited options so. Check before you go Had dinner here. Food taste was below par, service was good, ambiance is ok We ordered Green papaya salad which was good The Green curry was bad, no taste and tasted watery Pad Grr Paw was also not good. Will not return read more

Must be Thai - Pad Grrr Pow - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

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Pitiful portions, but great flavor. Still hungry after spending $23 on this chicken parang curry. They used to fill this container up, but now only 25% full :( read more

Must be Thai - Parang Panaeng Curry - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

They have a waitlist, which is good to know before coming since it is pretty small inside. Service was solid. We were checked on frequently, food came out quickly from the kitchen, and any trash was cleared promptly. The interior is clean and has a very homey feel. It's a small restaurant, so plan accordingly if you have a larger group. They have two tables that can accommodate about six people, while parties of two to four should be fine. - The calamari was crispy with a light, flavorful breading, almost like a beer batter, and the squid inside was juicy. - The tom yum fried rice was flavorful and actually tasted like tom yum seasoning, though it leaned on the mushier side. I personally prefer drier fried rice, and I think the sauce used made it a bit soggy. - The tom kha gai soup was sweeter, tangy, and thick, but I have had versions elsewhere that I preferred more. - The Thai tea was strong and sweet and paired perfectly with the food. You really can't go wrong with Thai food and Thai tea together. Overall, a solid spot with good service and comforting food. read more

Very very close to authentic food from Thailand !! The papaya salad reminded me of the one I had in Bangkok. Pad Thai was made special with the fried dry shrimps. The ginger lemon tea was a soother. Quick service and cozy ambiance's seating space is limited though. read more

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[Food] - Pad Thai ($18.95): Lots of places make Pad Thai a standard in their restaurant but this definitely is one of the top places that make it delicious! No complaints from me! - Pad See You ($18.95): Pretty decent, but I'm not sure I would order this again personally. My friends all liked it though. - Penang Curry ($18.95): Super yummy! Unfortunately you can't adjust the spice level, so if you can't handle spice, I'd skip or get a side of rice. I enjoy this mild/medium spice though! Super addicting! My favorite dish of our entire meal - Fried Calamari ($14.10): I felt like it could be a bit more crispy, but overall it was pretty good, especially dipped in their house made sauce! - The EX Rock Fish ($31.90): We were recommended this by the waiter and quite enjoyed it. Crispy and delicious with their house made sauce! Loved that they removed the meat from the fish so we didn't have to struggle through picking out the bones. - Tom Yum ($8): Pretty good but personally I feel like it's a bit too sweet. - Pok Pok Lao ($12.90): Papaya Salad was pretty good as well [Service] - Friendly, helpful, fast [Ambiance] - Moderately-sized & casual - Indoor & outdoor seating [Overall] - Would come back and order the Penang curry & Pad Thai again as well as try other their other dishes! - Wish they could've adjusted the spice as my friend can't handle any spice at all, but I understand some dishes can't be changed. I can handle the spice but I just felt bad for my friend. read more

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FOOD: 3 SERVICE: 4 AMBIANCE: 3 VALUE: 3 This review is based upon our most recent visit. We noticed that there were some changes to the menu and we overheard a waitstaff saying that they were not serving dessert because they were too busy. We ordered: Summer Rolls - I mean this is not a bad imitation Vietnamese roll. But if that's what I wanted, I would have gone to a Vietnamese restaurant. Phad Fuqthong - a mess of a dish, everything was pretty much in pieces and it didn't have any distinctive Thai taste. Pad See You - this was another strange dish, it was a classic Chinese beef chow fun! Missing was the egg and any Thai flavor. We suspect that either the head chef was out or they changed chef. This used to be one of two "go to" Thai spot in this area, but unfortunately we are now down to one. YMMV. read more

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Came here on a Saturday night with two friends. The pad Thai was dense and pretty good, and the green curry was also really good. The tom yum was alright. The inside of the restaurant is really cute and it's close to the main street of Santana Row. It was very lively, so it might be a bit hard to hear if you're quiet or prefer a calmer atmosphere. Service was fast and friendly, so no complaints. read more

Must be Thai - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

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Brought my work crew here for our quarterly lunch event. There was a mix of vegetarians, picky eaters etc and we managed to get something to appease them all. The heat levels here are higher than other places so best to stick to medium/low. Even medium might be too spicy in some dishes. Some of us also got the fresh coconuts, the coconut was a bit too mature though and the water was not as refreshing even though they attempted refrigerating it. So I would recommend avoiding it. Oh, and I tried calamari for the first time ever! It tasted like fish, very soft and without a fishy smell. I loved it! Not sure if they made it well or calamari just tastes this good. And we got loco coco for dessert. It was amazing! Not an overwhelming level of sweetness to knock me off as well. read more

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Havent't been here for years but remembered it was very good last time i tried it. Arrived around 6:30 on Wed evening and the wait for a table wasn't too bad. Only 5 mins or so! The servers r very quick and move like a well oiled machine. Usually get the pad thai but opted for something different the Green curry. (I didn't specify spice level which i should to mild next time). My green curry had a kick! The silent spice that u feel afterwards in ur stomach. Paired with the blue rice. (I saw they have pink raspberry rice now as well). Flavor wise i felt it was different from traditional green curry which isnt bad but i think not my favorite. Friend ordered a Panag curry spicy which is his usual and didnt have any issues with it. Overall a nice dinner at Must Be Thai! read more

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Such a cute new place! Crystal was so sweet, patient, and welcoming. She made the experience even better, and I'll definitely be coming back. read more

It's always busy for a reason! My first attempt at trying this place, the wait was too long. So I came back when I had visitors from out of town. Tip: You can add yourself to their Yelp waitlist if you're close by Our order: -Crispy Fried Calamari The best calamari!! Soo tender with a light, crisp batter -Hat Yai Fried Chicken The fried shallots were flavorful! Only comment is the raspberry sticky rice should just be called pink sticky rice. No raspberry flavor at all, it's just pink. It could have been cooked with more water too -Khao Moo Daeng Crispy pork over rice? Can't go wrong. Sauce + jammy eggs are a bonus -Southern Pad Thai The spicy was actually spicy. Delicious nonetheless!! -Pad See You A classic dish of flat rice noodle. For a table of 4, I think we could've ordered maybe 1-2 more dishes. I like how the menu is divided by regions - another reason to come back and explore the rest of their menu! read more

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This will be our 2nd time dining at Must Be Thai-- overall a solid, family‑friendly meal. The Tom Yum soup was the standout, it was very delicious! It was savory, and aromatic -- a perfect starter. The Pad Prik Moo Krob delivered great texture with crispy pork and a spicy‑tangy sauce. The non‑spicy Pad Thai with chicken was mild and comforting: noodles were tender, sauce lightly sweet, and the chicken was cooked through -- great if you want no heat. Service was friendly and the place felt casual and relaxed. Would recommend for anyone craving reliable Thai classics. read more

Went here for a family lunch today and was not disappointed! Service was great and our waitress was attentive, refilling our water often and helping us out when needed. As for food we got the tom yum fried rice, green curry, navy seal the deal (cuttlefish dish) , papaya salad, fried fish ball, and fried calamari, flat spicy rice noodles and two orders of blue rice. I really enjoyed the Tom yum fried rice and thought it tasted like mama noodles, especially loving the squid on there which was perfectly chewy. The flat spicy rice noodles were a hit with the family and was extremely flavorful and had the perfect texture. The green curry was also another highlight of our meal! Everything was very tasty, the only thing I probably wouldn't order again would be the Seal the deal cuttlefish dish, just because the flavors didn't stand out our to me and I thought the sauce was too pasty. On that note, I definitely want to come back and try other items from their menu! read more

Must be Thai - Green curry, tom yum fried rice, fried calamari, spicy flat rice noodle - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

Oh boy, what a great place this is! I remember eating here a few years ago, and I know we liked it. So we came here on a Saturday for dinner after spending a few hours at Santana Row. They have a waitlist system through Yelp, which was convenient. There was quite a line to get in, but they do let you order a drink while you wait. The insides are nicely decorated, and the tables are well set up. The atmosphere feels a little rushed, but that's understandable given how popular this place seems to be. The menu is pretty unique with items that you don't normally see in a Thai restaurant, and I love that they've organized the menu items based on regions in Thailand - north, south, etc. We ordered the Tom Yum Fried Rice, Sriracha Noodles, and Khao Soi after a lot of back and forth. The Sriracha Noodles were the highlight for me. Piping hot, spicy, and soft flat noodles full of umami. My mouth's drooling just thinking about them. The Tom Yum Fried Rice too was fantastic! It was like a traditional Chinese fried rice had an affair with the Tom Yum soup, and they had this flamboyant kid. LOL. It had this amazing crunchy element that took it to the next level. The Khao Soi was good, but the other two dishes made it look ordinary. And it did need some salt TBH. They give you a whole chicken leg with it, and it's really well cooked. The service was quick and friendly. I know that we are going to return to try some of their other dishes. Must be Thai is definitely in our top 3 Thai food restaurants list in South Bay right now. Highly recommend! read more

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The best Thai food I've had in San Jose! Their pad Thai is very refreshing and you can adjust spice levels. Second best is the summer roll with tofu. Very fresh with crisp veggies and a delicious peanut sauce. read more

Must be Thai - Pad Thai and summer roll - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

This little unassuming spot across this street from Valley Fair is a Thai Supestar. I've seen this place several times and never thought about going in. My loss because it is fantastic. I had the the Crispy Fried Calamari, which was a nice twist in an Italian favorite. Great flavor with little kick of spice. The Hang Leh Curry (ah, pork belly) was simply fantastic. It was the star of the show. I could have eaten two servings of it. The Thai Fried Rice brought it altogether like Thai ringmaster. It was quite impressive. Everything was fresh, delicious and generous. For an encore, the Loco Coco might have been one of the best desserts I have ever had. The combination of sticky rice, lychee, fruit and ice cream is...my goodness...spectacular. Feast your eyes on this. read more

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