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    Orchids Cafe

    4.2 (32 reviews)
    ModerateThai

    Orchids Cafe Photos

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    Orchids everywhere
    Dave D.

    There are some restaurants and businesses that mystically pull you back over and over again. Orchids is one of those places. The food? The pleasant setting? The before 6pm specials? As I have considered the allure of this Thai restaurant that also claims to specialize in "Continental Cuisine" all of these come to mind. Orchids is located in a plaza whose exterior reminds one of the fact that it is an old building that was never retrofitted for the 1990's much less the 21st century. However Orchids sits in the middle like a blooming flower rising from the squalor. As you enter this small dining room the quiet resonance of Thai music soothes your angst while the presence of beautiful orchids removes any thoughts of the larger plaza or the world outside. A large white board displays the daily special and your menu offers many classic Thai options plus a few items that one can associate with Franco-American (No, not the canned ravioli but dinner choices that hint at the classic but were designed with American palates in mind. So no worries about overly French sauces.) Cuisine. My first recommendation GO THAI! The Tarragon Chicken I chose on our last visit was well ... Not very good. Neither was the Cream of Carrot soup which my taste buds anxiously searched for the taste of carrot rather than thickener. However, my dining partners made the Thai choice and were very happy. That has been our previous experience the Thai was simply and deliciously prepared. But ... and here is why I struggle to understand why we return. The service is so so slow and as evident on our last visit but affirmed from past visits the servers cannot give any insight into the food that is being served. If you have any other plans for your evening forget them because you will never make it there on time. Just remember keep breathing in the scent of those beautiful orchids, the soothing music of Siam, and the flavors of the meal ... No need to rush outside to that old plaza and the highways of the world. Don't worry you won't be rushed. A final note ... If it is very cold outside it will be cold inside so be prepared. I am guessing those orchids have some insulation because their flowers remain beautiful. Giving 3 stars because even with slow service that can't give insight about the menu and cold winds blowing in from winter streets the food (Thai) is good, the pre-6pm special is a good deal, and the music with those orchids chases the ugly world away for awhile (A long while ...).

    Menu
    Wilson C.

    Decided to try this place out. Not far from hamilton mall and stockton college. For apps ordered lrb chicken and somtum salad. Both were fresh and light, but needed a little extra thai herbs. Entrees were chicken green curry, nice spice and taste, and the panang curry w half rack lamb. The lamb was delicious. Tender and cooked medium rare as i asked. Will definitely be back for this dish. For dessert we tried the coconut and coffee ice cream. It was homemade and perfect after this spicy meal. I could of ate 12 scoops of this. Overall food was 3.5/5. Place is small and you can hear everyones conversation. Drafty door was chilly. Cant remember our server name, but she was a young blonde woman. She was really helpful and would come back thanks to her.

    Thai Tea...mix mix!
    Diane C.

    Best Thai food in town. Be prepared to wait very long though. :)

    Masaman curry

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    18 years ago

    The best Thai restaurant in South jersey. If it was in NYC it would be the second best, since Sripaprahi will always be my number one.

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    15 years ago

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    15 years ago

    This place is delicious! It is small and cozy with great service and food to match.

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    11 years ago

    Great food, great pricing, Generous Portions and delicious desert and a great homely ambiance. Would give higher than 5 if possible.

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    15 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    16 years ago

    Food was pretty good to just ok. Price and value are amazing. 10$ for three courses. Service is also good.

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    11 years ago

    This is my go-to restaurant for curry. Light yet packed with flavor. Quite and calm atmosphere. Always leave happy and satisfied.

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    4.4(657 reviews)
    45.5 mi•Fishtown

    Hype is warranted. I booked ahead for to celebrate my birthday on a Saturday night, and opted for…read morethe bar because I wanted to do à la carte (tasting menu is required at the tables on weekends). I tried: + Thai iced tea + kanom jeeb nok - bird dumplings + yum nam khao tod - crispy rice salad + kalum tod nam pla - cabbage side + lohn tai pla - coconut milk and ground pork gravy with fresh turmeric root, galangal, and lime leaf, served with nam pla kai tom, crudité and jasmine rice + pla nung manao - steamed whole branzino + Passionfruit coconut shaved ice Wow, pretty much all bangers. Top highlights were the yum nam khao tod, lohn tai pla, pla nung manao and shaved ice. So good!!

    The menu offers a wide variety of unique, Thai-inspired dishes, with portions that are generously…read moreAmerican sized. Unfortunately, my experience with the service was mixed, and at times the staff came across as patronizing and difficult to work with. As a walkin, I was able to get a table without a reservation. I asked the waiter to tell me more about the restaurant and the menu, but rather than offering any additional explanation or recommendations, he essentially read the menu flyer to me. I found this unhelpful and somewhat dismissive. After my meal, I completed the receipt and was preparing to leave. Before I had gotten up from the table, the bartender approached to collect the receipt and asked me to physically move so they could retrieve it. I found the interaction unnecessarily aggressive and uncomfortable. After taking the receipt, they did not speak to me or clear the table while I was still there. Despite the experience, I left a 20% tip. The host, however, was warm and welcoming when I left, so my impression is that the quality of service may vary depending on who you interact with. More generally, I would expect staff to allow guests to finish their visit before insisting on collecting a completed bill and receipt. As a person of color, the interactions I experienced also left me questioning whether I would feel comfortable returning on my own. I would hope the restaurant takes feedback like this seriously, because the food and menu concept are interesting, but the service experience could be improved.

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    Grandmas Philly - Pad Kee Mao "Drunken Noodles"

    Grandmas Philly

    4.2(603 reviews)
    45.2 mi•Avenue of the Arts South
    •$$

    I personally always enjoy coming to Grandma's. The food has always been delicious and I'm…read morepersonally a fan of dishes coming out as soon as they're done. I do recommend making a reservation as they can be pretty slammed on Fridays/weekends. The Srirachi wings had a nice crunch to them while still keeping the chicken juicy inside. It would've been nice to have an even amount of wings to drumsticks though, as I like flats more, but thats just a personal preference. The crabmeat fried rice was amazing, a really good portion of chunks of crabmeat mixed in so each spoonful had some. The duck curry was a "Grandma's special" so a much bigger portion and cost - but reasonable. The duck wasnt dry and had a good flavor throughout, not relying on the curry to give taste. The curry also had a hint of sweetness to it which complements the greasiness of the duck. The papaya salad felt very refreshing - we got it at level one as to not overpower our taste buds with all the other food. I did get some chili pepper on the side to add in later. My one recommendation is having Thai peppers as an option instead of dried chili flakes. I much prefer the taste of fresh Thai pepper to add the extra heat. The mango sticky rice is always a favorite. The mango is soft and ripe, the right amount of sweetness. They also mix pandan in with the sticky rice for a more impactful umami (Im also a big advocate for pandan in desserts).

    My daughter and I tried Grandma's Philly and ordered quite a few things to share. We started with…read morethe curry puffs, which were pleasantly delicious and filling. They were stuffed with curry chicken and potato and had great flavor. The Tom Kha soup was another standout for me. The coconut milk and lemongrass broth was flavorful, with plenty of vegetables and chicken. I also tried the salmon in a basket, which was definitely something different. I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't spicy, but that's just my personal preference. My daughter ordered the curry shrimp skewers, crab fried rice, and crispy whole fried fish. The crispy fish was good, and we both enjoyed the crab fried rice. It had good flavor, but at $37, I personally didn't think it was $37 good. That was probably the biggest disappointment for us in terms of value. Overall, the service was good and the ambiance was dimly lit with beautiful decor throughout, we enjoyed trying different dishes and the food had some really good flavors. I'd come back to try some of the other things on the menu.

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    Orchids Cafe - thai - Updated October 2026

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