Every single dish we ordered was spot on, even the plating was almost identical to the other dishes posted on yelp. Very impressed. The Pad Thai: This was the star of the night. The noodles were absolutely perfect. They had an amazing texture and were not mushy at all. Even better, there were zero broken noodles in the dish. Every strand held its shape beautifully. The Green Thai Tea: It was completely well-balanced and refreshing. It had a distinct tea/matcha flavor and was not too milky or overly sweet like other places. The Papaya Salad: Incredibly vibrant and packed with flavor. Plus, the shredded papaya had a satisfying, fresh crunch with every single bite. The dumplings: The wrapper has good texture and never gets mushy, even while sitting in the soup. The broth was wonderfully nice, rich, and creamy. We had an amazing experience here! Our waitress was incredibly polite, helpful, and provided wonderful service throughout our entire meal. She was also highly accommodating to all of our requests. We will definitely be back again! read more

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The mango sticky rice, papaya salad, and pineapple fried rice were amazing!! The service was great as well. Sophia was super sweet and very attentive. My family and I will 100% be back! read more

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Our party of four went to Nara Thai for a Sunday night dinner. The food, service, and decor were excellent. There was also live music that night. Each dish was very nicely and uniquely presented, and all were delicious! read more

First time here, tried the crying tiger and pad thai. What stood out to me was the interior, prob one of the most aesthetic thai restaurant in this area. The interior was modern and even the bathroom was beautiful. The crying tiger was very tasty, good tenderness but the portion was too small based off the $40 price tag. Pad thai wasnt over oily, it was good as well. Servers were attentive and nice. On the more expensive side but would come back read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

Great place if you're looking for an ambient lighting and aesthetic dining. Like some of the other comments mentioned they only have few vegetarian meal options like the curries. But their noodles dishes do have oyster/fish sauce, which is pescatarian friendly but not vegetarian (if you are a strict vegetarian) friendly. However, the server did explain this to us after asking for my party's dietary restrictions. So I am happy that they did voice this before we ordered, unlike some other restaurants that just say they can't guarantee everything is vegetarian. Other than that, I loved their cocktail options and the roti + curry was flavorful! Would probably not come back again due to my own dietary restrictions but great for those who aren't strict vegetarians. read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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Overall, this place was okay. Love the location in Orchard Hills but this plaza definitely needs more stores. It's almost like a ghost town past the Pavilions store. When walking inside, this place was beautiful. Love the dark themed vibe and tall ceilings. I have to say, it's pleasantly clean and the service was very good. We ordered the thai sausages and papaya salad for appetizers. The sausages were really flavorful. I just wished that they were cut better and provided more garlic. The salad had great seasoning, though I don't get the presentation with the wooden stick inside. Also, I never had it with raw green beans, which gave off a weird raw veggie flavor. For mains, we ordered the panang curry with chicken and the pad thai with shrimp. The curry was nice and aromatic, flavor was great. However, nothing mind-blowing. The pad thai however, was probably one of the better ones I've had. The noodles were very chewy and the flavor was fantastic. The shrimp was nice and plump, absolutely nailed. We ended with the mango sticky rice, which was delicious. I would want to give this a higher rating but my issue was the price and this is on top of the 4% surcharge they include. It's probably one of the higher price spots in the area for humble thai food. Also, it's a little weird that they have to act like a fine dining spot. There was absolutely nothing different other than serving the food in fancy bowls and plates. I do like the no children for dinner policy... probably should post it on the door though rather than just the website haha. read more

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I came here for a date and it was so amazing! My boyfriend and I loved the ambiance and the food was delicious. We also really enjoyed the service that our server Angelita provided, she was very attentive and kind! read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

FYI they dont have anything vegan or vegetarian// they cannot make anything without fish sauce and oyster sauce. The ambience and the service is great though, just not the taste of the food. I recommend going to other Thai places in Irvine if you are looking for stronger flavors and any vegetarian options. read more

Amazing food! I got the namtok filet mignon and I loved it! Great flavors that comes with either a jasmine rice or sticky rice with coconut flavor. The service is great and super friendly. Nice ambience as well. read more

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The best Thai food we have had, it was so worth the hour drive! It will now become our go to spot! The shrimp rolls were absolutely delicious , and the pad Thai amazing ! read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

The food was absolutely delicious! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. Highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

This place was hopping. Had to get an early reservation time for dinner via Resy. Hard to believe they have open for 3 years. Service was fantastic, started the meal with chicken pot sticker w/ spicy peanut oil sauce, mango avocado salad then tried the Chilean Seabass and Drunken Noodle. All were excellent. The timing of the food to table was so on point. This has become my favorite Thai place in Orange County. read more

Nara Thai is an upscale Thai restaurant in Irvine that opened in 2023. It has an elevated and high-end atmosphere with an intimate ambiance. When we walked in I really liked the dim lighting and the candles everywhere. We made reservations online ahead of time and were seated immediately for a party of two. THAI ESARN SAUSAGE ($14) - this was flavorful and I loved the char. I also liked the varying accompaniments like garlic, lime, and chilis for added flavors. This was my favorite dish. 4.5/5 THAI STYLE FRIED CHICKEN ($17) - this was crispy and I liked the sweet chili dipping sauce. There were only four pieces and I wish there were more given the price. 4/5 CRYING TIGER FILET ($40) - we ordered medium rare and it was slightly undercooked and chewy but the flavor was decent. It was also super spicy (for us) and addicting because of the nam jim jaew. I thought it was the star of the dish but I would've preferred they put the sauce on the side instead of drizzling it all over the meat so I could control the spiciness. 3.5/5 DRUNKEN NOODLES ($23) - we ordered it mild and were told it was a 2-3/10 on the spice level. There was a decent spice and I thought this dish was just okay. 3.5/5 For cocktails the yuzu offering ($18) and butterfly bloom ($18) were light and refreshing. The green aura ($16) was one-dimensional and just okay. I noticed that some of their cocktails were either soju-based (no hard liquor) or were non-alcoholic (although not explicitly mentioned) so beware when you read the ingredients. We also ordered the thai iced tea ($8) which was more tea-forward than others I've had. It was not as sweet and had hints of sweetened condensed milk instead of the typical heavy cream. It was one of the better ones I've had at restaurants. We finished with Nara's mango sticky rice ($17) which looked cool and was decent. Some of the dishes were flavorful while some were more disappointing. The cocktails were just okay. The prices were on the high side and some of the portions didn't match those prices. The interior was really cool and is a great spot for a nice night out. read more

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Soooo the service kinda ruined the whole experience. It is over price mid tasting Thai food which would have been acceptable with the ambiance but the service was just so bad we could not get past it. We were forced to give the max tip since we were a party of 6. One person was veg and they said almost every item had fish sauce. Never been to a place that couldn't omit that. The guys ordered a pitcher of beer they delivered the chilled glasses 10 mins before the beer and the apps even came before that, no apology just attitude when we asked. Food was just okay , will not return. There are better options. read more

The ambiance and food were great, along with friendly service have made our dining experience memorable. read more

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Ambiance is great, food is amazing, but on top of it all SERVICE is fantastic. I highly recommend this place if you are craving for Thai Cuisine read more

Alright I came here for early dinner and ordered the pad krapow (ground chicken, basil & chili). The positives: they use high quality ingredients, the chicken and vegetables were very fresh. The presentation of the dish looked amazing. My only constructive criticism is that the seasoning and flavor was off. The dish was too sweet. It didn't taste like the traditional Thai dish because of the sweet aftertaste. Overall I like this restaurant, it is clean, the service is good and location is very convenient. read more

Heard about this through Resy, I believe. I liked the upscale vibe & interior design within the photos. My father being vegetarian, we usually go for Thai, Mexican & other veg friendly cuisines. I liked the small square footage & ambience as we walked in. Btw, you will want to create a reservation--otherwise be prepared for a wait. We were promptly seated & ordered our drinks & apps. I had the Shrimp Blankets, which is a new dish not featured on the Full Menu. They look very interesting. However, as I bit down, I discovered the shrimp was not de-shelled. This made the crunch a bit weird for me, as the tempura was softer than the shell & crumbled away. I think it would be better if they de-shelled & de-tailed the shrimp. Though, I know people eat whole shrimp in the East more often, so if you are used to that you may like it. My dad had the tofu wraps & enjoyed them. However it seemed the Tofu mixture was cooked a while ago & the dish was simply "fired" upon order. This lead me to the notion that the apps came out way too quickly. As we were eating them, we felt a bit pressured to get our main dish orders in. This is not a place for you to kick back & lounge around with friends for 1.5 hours. Because of the small sqft. it seems they want a quick turn around for tables. I would not recommend this restaurant for an intimate date. More of a quick foodie date. My dad had & loved the Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao). I wish I could say the same for my Crying Tiger skirt steak. The presentation was a bit marred by the filet slices being smothered in sauce. The meat was not completely sliced through & tough & seemingly undercooked in some areas. They don't provide a knife, so it made it a bit of a challenge to work through the pieces & the last bite was hard to chew & get down. The sauce was fine. I think $40 is a bit too much for the steak dishes.. but the price includes the "Irvine premium". I would recommend you at least try this place once, & try your favorite dishes to judge it against other Thai experiences. & whether or not the premium process are really worth it. Service was great overall. No complaints really, except feeling a bit rushed to order the main courses. read more

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The service is always incredibly warm and the ambiance is beautiful and perfect for everything from a casual dinner to a date night. The food is absolutely delicious. Everything tastes fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared. You can really tell they care about the quality of their ingredients. One of the biggest reasons we keep coming back is that they cook without seed oils, which is surprisingly hard to find. It's so nice being able to enjoy amazing Thai food without having to compromise on ingredient quality. Highly recommend if you're looking for authentic, high-quality Thai food with excellent service and a great atmosphere. We'll definitely be back! read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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Nara brings a elevated take on thai classics, with a cozy and fun environment. My favorite is the namtok filet mignon, super tender meat with a fantastic seasoning of lime and toasted rice. Service is always fantastic, with servers happy to recommend favs. read more

The food was not bad, but the service definitely did not match the upscale atmosphere or the price point, especially considering the additional 4% surcharge and 20% service charge. read more

Food was good but terrible and rude service charging 4% surcharge and mandatory 20% tips. With no recommendations on food, over ordering but no reminder, small table letting party of 5 sitting in 4 person table seats, when customers started eating, servers asked us to move to a bigger table because no place for food, bad arrangement of food serving. We managed dishes ourselves cuz they are busy standing there and holding food looking at us managing the table for them. Asked for plates changing but all they did was taking the plate away but no new plates exchanged. Really really really rude services read more

Love the food! We got the green curry, namtok filet mignon, and Thai fried rice. Green curry was our favorite. Didn't have to wait for long for table read more

The food was outstanding, and the service was over the top. The restaurant was decorated with authentic Thai vibe. read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Pad Krapao was outstanding. - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

I've had a number of incredible dishes at Nara Thai Kitchen to a point I've almost tried everything. Incredible food, MSG-free, top-tier flavors. I discovered this place as recommended by my friend and have been in love ever since. It's my favorite Thai restaurant by far and I'm very particular about cuisine. Service has always been fantastic, especially courtesy of the owner Micheal and one of the lead servers Sophia. I've always felt tended to and given a great experience each visit and not a single dish has ever missed the mark. The ambiance is unique; Sundays have a performer with live saxophone and singing in the evenings which is a great touch for dinner. Everything about this restaurant receives 5 stars from me. Thank you Nara Thai Kitchen for a dining experience which never misses its mark - thank you to Sophia for wonderful service with a smile delivered at all times without fail. read more

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First Time Dining Just This Past Saturday. Friendly Hostess While Checking In, Who Was Also The Order Taker & Server!!! Very Quaint Small Restaurant & Pretty Dim Even During The Morning/Day. Probably Had Between 10-12 Tables. The Dishes I Tried Was Good For The Area & For What It Was. Not As Authentic As I've Had, At Other Thai Restaurants. read more

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Food was pretty good, cocktails were okay (a bit too sweet on one but mostly good). Drunken noodles were delicious and their curry was normal (good). I'd recommend the lettuce wraps for an appetizer. 3 stars mainly because there is a random 4% charge for no reason added to all checks which isn't gratuity (wth?). If it was solely food I'd say 3.75/5 Lesser annoyance was the AI voice response when calling, couldn't understand anything. read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Menu - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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I found this Thai restaurant on Yelp and I'm glad I did. When we arrived I did t expect to find such a pretty restaurant. Smaller in size but so nicely decorated with a cool upscale vibe. We didn't have a reservation but the owner/manager quickly offered the high top wood table. It was perfect. The server ran the whole floor - she has to be one of the sweetest hard working positive servers I've seen. She was great! The food was delicious. We each had a Pad type dish and started with the amazing chicken lettuce wraps. Nice size servings and no complaints at all! I will definitely be back and I'll make reservations next time. It's pricey but it's the whole experience you pay for. Try it! read more

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High end thai resturant, was a given since its in Irvine. For the price of the short rib curry I wish they would at least give you another piece. However I will tell you that is some of the best I've ever had and I would order it again. The yellow curry was also quite delicious. I was surprised at how much I liked the salad to be honest. The only bad thing is when you try to to-go your food since the bowl was porous. Great service with no wait time since we had a reservation. The restaurant was quite packed so I would recommend making a reservation if possible. Saw lots of couples in the resturants and looks like they could do about 3 or 4 families. I would come back read more

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Stopped in for a date night here yesterday, and was pretty blown away. Beautiful restaurant, amazing food, great service left us immediately wanting to make this a frequented spot. Food (5/5) - Large menu with steep prices, but delivers on quality and presentation. We shared orders of: Moo Ping, Giant Prawn Pad Thai, and the ground chicken Pad Kra Pao and everything was delicious. The pork skewers were so rich, complemented with the citrus-y sauce served with them; the pad thai was cooked well and so were the prawns, grilled to perfection and not dry inside; the pad kra pao was a tad salty but the flavors were VERY prominent and great regardless. Service (5/5) - Showed up a bit early to a reservation, and got greeted nicely and sat early at a gorgeous wooden table in the middle of the restaurant. The servers were very on top of refills/pre-bussing plates and checking up on us. Lovely people that work here! Ambiance (6/5) - This might be the first restaurant i've been to where the decor possibly impressed me more than the food. i hope life for whatever interior designer you folks hired is going exceptionally because i was in awe at how detailed, elegant and cultured this place is! While i will say this restaurant is tiny, they made the absolute best use of what they have with the bar, open kitchen being classy while providing atmosphere for the rest of the dining area, packed full of quirky decor and earthy dinnerware/plates we loved. A must recommend spot for a fancy occasion! read more

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Nora Thai Kitchen has a great cozy vibe--modern but still feels like a real Thai spot in terms of ambiance. It's a small place, maybe 10 tables, so it feels pretty intimate. We had the Pad Kra Pao with filet mignon--super tasty, but the filet was an extra $13, which felt a bit much. The Panang curry was just okay; good spices but could've had more flavor and the chicken was a bit on the drier side. Drinks were a mixed bag--the mango soda was $9 and not very fizzy, but the Thai iced tea was solid. Service was great, super friendly, but there was a surprise 4% charge at the end of the bill (not a tip or service charge, just a cost increase due to "rising costs"), which was a little confusing and disappointing to see. Overall, nice spot with great service and decent food, but a bit steep in terms of pricing. read more

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The prices are pretty high and I would not return because of that but the service was amazing and the quality of food was good. The ambience was just as good as the Service. If you're looking for a nice dinner for you and your spouse, this is a great place if you're bringing your family expect a hefty bill. read more

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Generally speaking, you expect that Thai restaurants in the US have a certain minimum quality and class of services. Let's talk about our experience today. First the menu. We ordered Tom Yum Gai, beef Penang, Drunken noodles, extra rice and spring rolls. First the service is so slow. You would not expect it that way at lunch time on Saturday. That aside, having been to thousands of Thai restaurants in the US and traveled to Thailand every other month, I think we have a good sense of what the flavor should be. I. find it really strange why both the beef Penang and the drunken noodles taste exactly the same - sweet and mildly spicy. This is not even the Americanized Thai flavor, let alone a Thai flavor profile. When we ordered beef Penang, she asked us whether it should be medium rare or what. We were a little confused by the question as we never order a steak with a Penang but said medium. I normally don't order steak on the side of what gets mashed up on a curry any way. A cheap cut of beef is usually fine. We then discover that when we got the bill, we were not charged $22 as written on the menu but $42 as they looped on a healthy mark up for the steak. And as we surveyed the bill they also levy, a mandatory 4% fee. What is going on? Small portions, monotonous flavor, slow service, a feee that we did not ask for and a hot environment is what we paid for. It turned out double what any other Thai restaurant would charge. NEVER GO THERE. Go someplace else. read more

The food is very good, but the restaurant has some hidden charges. When I noticed there is a 4% charge on my bill I complained to the wait staff. She told me that the 4% charge was listed on the menu, which is true, but very tiny font. Anyway, that left a bad taste after a high quality meal. read more

The food is excellent, but what really sets this place apart is the atmosphere--the music is amazing, with a fun, vibey, almost lounge-and-club feel that makes the whole experience stand out. The drinks are just as impressive as the food, and the beautiful Tulum-inspired design and architecture give the restaurant a stylish, upscale energy! read more

Came here to use the Amex $100 Resy credit. Ambiance and dish presentation were nice. Price was high for what you get so we likely won't be back, but we overall did enjoy the food. For the appetizer we got the papaya salad ($18). The salad was surprisingly big and tasted fresh. I'm glad I got the sauce on the side because it was spicy for me. I enjoyed the tomatoes, green beans, and peanuts in the salad. For entrees, we got the grilled salmon green curry ($36) and the pad thai with crab ($39). The salmon was ok. It was small, not super tender, and the curry flavor didn't go that well with the salmon. For $36 for 1 piece of salmon and rice, this dish wasn't worth it. The pad thai was yummy though. The flavor was rich, and I enjoyed the crab pieces. I asked for less sauce/salt, but the crab meat itself was too salty. read more

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We made a reservation one week in advance for four adults and one baby. However, when we arrived at the restaurant, the waitress and the owner would not allow us to bring the baby stroller inside, and they also did not provide a high chair for our baby. We politely suggested that the restaurant should at least offer a high chair for customers with babies, but the owner immediately said they did not have one and showed no willingness to help. When we mentioned that many restaurants provide high chairs for families with children, the owner responded very rudely and told us to go to another restaurant if we wanted that service. The situation became very unpleasant, and the owner even used offensive language toward us. This was terrible customer service and the worst attitude from a restaurant owner we have ever experienced. We will never come back and do not recommend this place to families with children. read more

I have seen videos of this restaurant and have wanted to try it since! After having my fair share of dining at Thai Restaurants (and being a Lao person who's very familiar with Thai dishes), this would rank 4th on my list. First, the service was nice and the server was sweet. She was attentive and would check up on us. The ambiance was really chill and lowkey, I can see how the decor draws from natural elements. It is a pretty dim restaurant, so something to keep in mind if you have trouble seeing. The food was good, but not the best that I've had. If I'm ever craving Thai food and the other restaurants that I like aren't open, then I would consider this place. As an appetizer, we ordered the crispy shrimp rolls. They came out hot and fresh. Overall a 7.5/10, I would want to try something else next time. For my drink, I got the White Lotus and it was yummy, came in a pretty lotus holder as well. 8.5/10 And for my entree, I got the cashew chicken that automatically comes with a side of jasmine rice. This dish wasn't spicy at all and the flavor was a nice sweet but savory sauce. I would say this was the highlight of my dining experience, giving it a 10/10! For dessert, you can never go wrong with mango sticky rice. The mangos were soft and yummy, the rice was warm. It was your run of the mill mango sticky rice. Overall, pretty good Thai place, but there's better out there at more affordable prices ‍ read more

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Absolutely gorgeous restaurant with breathtaking decor and beautifully presented dishes. However, the service was super slow on a Thursday afternoon and it took us 45 mins to get our entrees. The flavor profile was very similar to other local Thai places that charge a lot less so you're definitely paying for the ambiance. If presentation and ambiance is what you're looking for, Nara is absolutely perfect. If you're looking for an authentic Thai meal, there are a few nearby places that offer the same. read more

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First time trying this place! The food was good - we had the pad thai, tom yum fried rice, and a side of roti. I really liked the pad thai and tom yum fried rice, but the roti was a bit too oily for my liking. The staff was very attentive and friendly and the ambiance of the restaurant was very well decorated. Definitely recommend trying this place for a date night! read more

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