It was my wife's birthday, and after spending the day in Princeton, we decided to stop for dinner at a Thai restaurant on our way back home. Somerville is an area we had never explored before, and while searching on Google, we found many good restaurant options. We finally decided to try Origin French Thai. All day it rained heavily, and by 7:30 PM it had become quite dark. Finding parking was a little difficult. Even though there is a municipal parking lot right next to the restaurant, getting a spot still took some time. One thing we really liked was the whole downtown vibe. The streets on both sides are closed for cars, and people can sit outside along the sidewalks, which gives the area a nice European-style atmosphere (though it was raining that day) We had a reservation booked already (highly recommended), and we got a comfortable couch table in the back section overlooking the restaurant. The ambience was really nice -- dim lighting with an Asian-inspired theme. They also have another seating section inside, so the place is actually bigger than it looks in some photos. We ordered: * Tom Yum Goong Soup - Easily one of the best Tom Yum soups I've ever had. After such a rainy day, it felt extra comforting and satisfying. 5/5 * Noodle Curry Shrimp - Crispy noodles soaked in gravy with shrimp pieces and a red coconut cream-based curry. Absolutely delicious. 5/5 * Red Curry Chicken - The gravy felt somewhat similar to the noodle curry dish to me, but it was still really flavorful and enjoyable. 4/5 Overall, the entire experience was wonderful. The food truly made the evening special and created a memorable birthday dinner for us. If I'm ever passing through this area again, I would definitely come back. read more

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Stumbled upon this place in Somerville while listening to some live, local music a few stores down. We shared their sampler, and split my go-to order of mussels for every Southeast Asian establishment I venture into. High quality ingredients and flavor surprisingly given the suburban, modern area. It gladdens me to see more Thai restaurants get love in Central Jersey! read more

Recommended to me by a fellow yelper at an event, I had to try Origin French Thai while in the area. It is located on Division street, a permanently closed-off side street with many great local businesses which provides great people watching and ample room, and it was a beautiful night, so my friend and I decided to dine outside. The little time we spent inside, I got the impression of a party-like atmosphere, but I'm unsure if they perhaps had an event going on. Now to the food! There was an extensive menu, with traditional Thai dishes and some interesting fusion. We opted for more traditional options, I ordered the Pad See Ew. It was amazing, this dish is always a favorite, but I felt like at Origin it had even more depth in its flavor. To start out we ordered the curry puffs which were gone too quickly, I was skeptical of the thin liquid that comes with them but you have to have it together- it really adds a nice acidic touch to the puffs. We finished with a fried ice cream which was good and what you'd expect. The service from the waitstaff was friendly and attentive. Our water cups never ran dry! read more

Origin French Thai - Golden Curry Puffs - these are amazing, do not skip the sauce, it brings them to the next level. - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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Went here for early dinner with our visiting family. We ordered fried red snapper in chili sauce and curry puff. Both tasty and delicious. This place was packed on Sunday night. Friendly server and nice. We stayed and eat outside, their patio dining. read more

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If you're craving Thai, check out French Thai. I truly enjoy the food from the restaurant every time I go. The ambiance is warm and cozy. It's great for date night or a friend's night out. To start off we had the Tasting Appetizer, which consisted of Golden Curry Puff, Shrimp and Taro Dumpling, Peking Duck salad. For my entree, I had the noodle curry which was so yummy. The sauce was my favorite part. I could just eat the sauce on its own, but the noodles were the only thing I'd say was my less favorite 8/10. The green curry was the entree my friend ordered and she was raving about the dish. The way she was talking about I'd say she would give it a 10/10. She did mention wishing they gave her more rice so she order another side of it. My sister got the pad kee maow and let's just say her plate was clean by the end of our dinner 10/10. Overall highly recommend read more

Origin French Thai - Pad kee maow - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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I can't say enough good things about Origin - French Thai! The food was absolutely delicious and very cost-effective for the quality and portions. On top of that, the staff was incredibly kind and friendly, which made the whole experience even better. We ordered the Gra Praw with chicken, Royal Massaman Curry with chicken, Pad Khing with chicken, Tom Yum Soup, Suko Thai Curry with chicken, Pad See Ew with tofu, and Pad See Ew with chicken. Every single dish was packed with flavor and perfectly prepared. For me personally, the standouts were the Suko Thai Curry and the Gra Praw - both were bursting with flavor and truly memorable. I highly recommend this spot and will definitely be back soon! read more

I've eaten at Origin French Thai once before and I remember from my first experience that I definitely did enjoy. I came here on a Friday night for dinner with my sister and our good friend for a little girls night dinner. We made reservations for 3 for 8pm and by 8pm this restaurant was definitely packed so reservations is suggested. We were seated fairly quickly. We took our time looking over the menu and I will admit the service was a little on the slower side in terms of getting our orders placed. But once we put our orders in our food came out fairly quickly. The food wasn't super hot but it wasn't cold either. For the appetizer we got the tasting appetizer. Which came with 1 chicken curry puff, 2 shrimp and taro dumplings, and a duck salad. We enjoyed the appetizer but the portion size of what you got was sort of off. For instance, when I think of an appetizer I think of it as something you share with the table but the tasting appetizer only had 1 chicken curry puff so only 1 person at the table got to try that while my sister and I each got to try a dumpling. So I guess it worked out but we missed out on trying the curry puff because there just wasn't enough. For dinner I got the pad kee maow and I thought this dish was pretty delicious so I definitely recommend that. read more

Origin French Thai - Tasting Appetizer - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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Very busy Friday night. Service was quick and orders flowed seamlessly. I had their New Zealand steamed mussels app which were small (likely typical compared to PEI mussels) but quite good, in a delicious lemongrass broth. However, I took and chance and ordered their Grilled Squid entree. They were too tough to eat and I had to return them. To their credit, no pushback. I'd go back. read more

Excellent food and ambiance! Great variety and consistently great service. Always an excellent experience. Highly recommend if you love Thai food! read more

Had a great meal as usual. Food was great and came quickly after ordering. One of our fav places and it's BYOB. The setup is comfortable - sat at a table for 4 w another couple and easily were able to have a conversation. read more

This place is super cute. The services was amazing everyone was so friendly . We went for my friend wedding dinner and we had such a good time. This place is also BYOB which was dope. The food had so much favor . If your in the area this is a place to go to..... here are some of the meals and dessert I must say their coffee icecream was soooooo Delicious.... read more

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Honestly I ordered my food at the wrong location. But everything went smoothly. The food was good and the pickup smooth. The service was rapid. I did not eat in the restaurant but the decor and ambiance was very beautiful. read more

If you're going to celebrate a birthday be ready to get hit a with $25 charge even if you bring your own damn cake . Then asked for extra tip after .. shall I give them my underwear as well .. read more

Nice concept of fusion Thai tucked away on Division Street. Service was friendly, though sometimes a bit slow. We tried the tasting appetizer, which was good, but really small for the price, and there was only one small golden puff. If you have two people, it's barely enough to share. We went with the pad kee maow, and the specialty monk fish curry dish, both of which were good, but again there wasn't that much fish. The menu looked pretty diverse, with options like bison and wild boar, which I would be interested in trying, but overall, the quantity could use some improvement. read more

Used to frequent here and then it just fell off of the radar, went back tonight and boy did I immediately remember why I loved this place so much. Always have loved French food as a kid growing up in the UK & as a young adult got introduced to Thai. Just so greats staff are so friendly and accommodating. We had the house salad, shrimp and crab spring rolls, sea bass special and a rib eye special. Everything was absolutely amazing. The peanut dressing on the salad was so good with a hint of ginger. Sauce fit the spring rolls was zesty and fresh. Sea-bass was perfectly cooked in a delicious sauce with sushi rice. The rib eye melted in your mouth. Both served with various greens. So stuffed couldn't even look at dessert! Next time !! read more

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My wife and I absolutely love this place. We've never had a bad meal. It's the only place we order duck and it's always fantastic. The food quality is some of the best in town and we've been everywhere. In a town where Somerville has great restaurants, Origin sticks out as one of the best options they have and it's BYO. read more

Origin French Thai - Tasting Platter - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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I've been here a couple times and wanted to love it but there's always been something missing for me. The pad kee mao is not one of the best I've had, and also one of the more expensive ones I've tried for the portion size. Also tried the tuna pizza. The wasabi on it was good but I felt like it was missing some kind of sweet soy based sauce. read more

Origin French Thai - Tuna pizza - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

We had a lovely meal outdoors recently and service was prompt and friendly. From a vegetarian point of view they were able to modify several dishes with tofu and veggies! Our meal was served piping hot and with a decent portion size. However, I will say my meal felt a little bland but made up for in freshness of veggies and ambiance. Not the best thai food I've had but for the location, service and options its a decent spot to have a meal and catch up with friends. It's also BYOB which is helpful. Looking forward to trying their curry dish next time. read more

Origin French Thai - Pad Kee Maow Dinner - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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Amazing spot, in the heart of downtown Somerville, vibe is casual but classy, dark interior, excellent staff and food. Num tok, bison special, soft shell crab and Pad thai all great among other things read more

Impressed with Thai restaurant. Classy interior. Smaller restaurant on Division street which is a pedestrian only. Service good. Duck entree was crispy,well flavored and filling. read more

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Origin Thai has been a main stay in Somerville, NJ for a long time. I remember going here decades ago when it was half the size. The good news is that it has expanded while not losing any of it's charm or great cuisine. This is a more upscale Thai restaurant than others that we have been to, with interesting, warm decor and possible seating near windows to watch as locals walk by on a pedestrian alley. BYOB is always favored and the food and service was very good. Origin has been a consistent, clean, welcoming restaurant for years and afterall, isn't that what you want in a restaurant? read more

Wonderful BYO place! The service is great and ambiance intimate for a girls night out or date night. read more

Origin French Thai - Muscovy Duck Breast Dinner - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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We've been here here a number of times and have always enjoyed the food, service and ambience. The servers are well trained and are always at hand without being intrusive. The food is well portioned and served in a timely fashion. Highly recommend this restaurant for a truly wonderful experience read more

I came in for a group dinner with coworkers on a Tuesday evening and it wasn't too busy. We were able to combine the tables together for our seating. It was also BYOB, so some of us brought in some wine. The service was pretty prompt and the servers were attentive. I order the Chilean sea bass which came with a side of rice. The flavor was pretty amazing, though for $35 I expected a slightly bigger portion. Nevertheless the experience was good in this French Thai restaurant. read more

Origin French Thai - Mixed appetizer. - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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Origin is must visit when in Somerville! Food: everything we had was delicious. The mushroom soup shocked us as it was rich, creamy and very flavorful. The mussels were delicious and had a very well seasoned broth. The massaman curry was our favorite! It had tons of crab and we loved the peanuts and avocado. The pad Thai was great and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. Ambiance: the restaurant is a lot larger inside than it looks. It's beautiful, dimly lit and warm inside. Service: several servers came over to our table. Each of them was very kind and they brought everything out for us very quickly. read more

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Great restaurant. Very nice and attentive service. My water cup was always filled up (and I was thirsty)! Food is delicious and good portions. Outdoor seating available. Highly recommend. read more

Origin French Thai - Pad See Ew Lunch - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

Great vibe, quick service, good food. Not a big Thai food guy so I found the filet mignon and thought it wouldn't have as much focus as the others, but I was happily wrong. read more

Origin French Thai - Steak Au Poivre Dinner - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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Live free, Thai hard!!! Excellent pad thai and pad see ew! I made lunch reservations for 10 people and had to change the time to later, just a half hour before our original time. They completely accommodated us with a long table set-up and chilled our BYOB wines on the tabletop. We had very tasty starters of Foie Gras and and a trio that was simply delish! (These were listed in the tabletop menu.) For our mains, my kids really enjoyed the Pad Thai and Tofu with Veggies in Garlic Sauce (they also offered curry sauce). We also had Pad See Ew with beef and asked for 2 more of the same dishes but with very spicy chicken and tofu. All were amazing! For dessert, young and old enjoyed their Mango with Sticky Rice which was perfectly sweet. Great service throughout and a great time! Here, you can live and let Thai! NOTES/TIPS: **Park in LOT 4 (metered) and go through the alley. The restaurant will be right in front of you. LOT 4 is at W. Main St (between Union St & Division St). **This restaurant is on a lively street closed off to traffic. **Indoor/outdoor seating. **Wheelchair-accessible. Bathrooms are labeled for Men and Women BUT each can be used by either and all. read more

Origin French Thai - Foie Gras- very tasty and good! - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

We've been Origin patrons since they probably opened a good 20 years or so ago. The food there is always good sometimes better than others but pretty consistent. Overall they have a few standout dishes that we order almost every time we go, such as their raw tuna pizza, duck salad, pad Thai, as well as their lamb and during the summer season softshell crabs, which are to die for! Went with friends last night and were immediately seated at a nice quiet table in their back room. Service was friendly and very non obtrusive but efficient. And I have to say, all of our meals were exceptional! From the tuna pizza & duck salad to my lamb shank (amazing!!). Their Chilean Sea Bass was a hit and my foodie friend practically licked the bones on his Pla Rad Prik (crispy whole fish with a spicy sauce.). All of the accompanying sauces were truly works of art. Subtle & complex. Bravo Origin! Excellent job. See you in the spring if not sooner! read more

Had dinner here last night. This was my first time at this location- I have eaten at the Basking Ridge and Morristown locations (same/similar menus). One of my favorite dishes has been the Filet Mignon in Poivre Sauce. Normally, it is a perfectly cooked, tender steak. What I was served last night was nowhere close to an aged, prime tenderloin. It was cooked as requested (medium rare), but was tough and stringy. The cut truly felt like more of a pot roast than a filet. I did not say anything at the time because I was not paying for dinner and did not want to embarrass my companion. I hope this location is not cutting corners by purchasing inferior meat. The atmosphere was very nice and the other dishes that I tasted were okay- just not my steak. Also wanted to note that Somerville had its annual holiday parade last night. Roads leading to the restaurant were closed to traffic-. Given that we had a reservation, it would have been nice to have been notified of this so we could plan around the parade route and timing. Made us late and we had to walk a good distance from remote parking locations. read more

One of my absolute favorite Thai restaurants, and most definitely the best in the area. The food is consistently unmatched and the restaurant is in a great location to take a stroll afterwards. The seared tuna was cooked to perfection and the duck was in the most delicious sauce with a mix of well complemented vegetables. 15/10 will come back. They make it hard to not order the same thing every time! read more

Origin French Thai - Shrimp appetizer and tasting appetizer - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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Amazing food as always! Tried the basil with your choice of meet. It won't disappoint read more

Origin French Thai - the interior of a restaurant - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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Prob more 4.5 but because it's always on point I'll round up. Place is on division. Great location. Good options. More upscale fusion Thai. We've tried many things all have been very good. Drunken noodles is prob my favorite but you can't go wrong with any option. read more

As soon as you step, you're struck by the dark and mysterious atmosphere. Definitely a great place to take someone for a date. I was intrigued by what French Thai food would be. I may be naive, but I don't think I've still had it. I tried the Panang Curry with crab. Not sure what Avacados or crab have to do with Thai or French food, but I'm also no expert. What I can say is that it was pretty tasty! I think too crabby to eat the entire dish by yourself, but I was pleased with the amount of crab meat and all the veggies...even the Avacado Service was quick, friendly, and they nicely packaged all the to go orders! read more

Origin French Thai - Crab Panang Curry - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

We have been enjoying Origin both in Somerville and Warren for over a decade.The restaurants have changed hands over time, but the menus remain the same. The service is gracious and efficient. The food is fresh and well prepared. We continue to enjoy the pad thai with shrimp, the crispy tamarind roast duck and the grilled salmon. We have tried most of the Thai restaurants and return to Origin as our staple...it is BYOB. read more

On a gorgeous Al fresco October afternoon we enjoyed freshly made hors d'ourves, scrumptious beautifully spiced lunch entrees and spectacular desserts on the patio. Really, really good curries, noodle dishes, soft shell crab special -- ALL so yummy!! You get an amazing value here; will totally come back THANK YOU! read more

Origin French Thai - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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This little gem of place! My third time here and I always need to leave a review because YUM. This BYOB place is a great restaurant, always busy on the weekends but if you call in advance they can always accommodate. The apps were delicious, I was not a super fan of the escargot (could have been creamier) or the tuna salad. I think the tuna portion was tasty but a little small to share. The main courses were all delicious, I def recommend the Pad See ew with beef... read more

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My family and I have been coming here for over 20 years and it's perfect every time. This Thai food is equally delicious as the food we ate in Thailand! The staff is so sweet and patient, the vibes are amazing for a date, catch up w a friend, or spend time w family. We LOVE this restaurant!!!!!! read more

Love everything I've tried here and they're BYOB! I feel like every table takes advantage of this because I saw a wine bottle on each table. One table even had a bottle for each person LOL. Their weekends are really busy so I recommend getting a reservation. I've had their pad thai, royal massaman curry, and duck and everything is so good. You really can't go wrong with any of your choices. Last time we went, we got this fried crab salad appetizer and it really was the perfect start to our dinner. Will be back for more date nights! read more

Origin French Thai - Appetizer special - fried crab salad - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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This is my second time coming to the restaurant. The first time was last summer with a friend, and we happened upon it while strolling and thought the outdoor seating looked inviting. We both had a lunch salad and unfortunately other than that it had strawberries in it, I don't remember much else of the salad itself, except that it was delicious. We also had the iced Thai tea - wonderful!! Sometimes Thai tea can be overwhelming sweet - this was not. Last evening my husband and I were debating which of our regular places to eat at. I kept suggesting places I knew he hasn't been. He is very much a creature of habit and I think the Irish in him leans him towards basic "meat and potatoes". In other words, he isn't very adventuresome. But last evening he said: "I don't know, what about that Thai place on Division?" I spun around, still holding his hand, and said "let's go!". It was busy. It wasn't cold out, in fact, weirdly, November 11th was 70 degrees! But it was rainy, so no outdoor seating. We were seated very quickly at the first table against the left wall. There was a large party to our left, about 8 people, and in the middle of that front room, a long table with about 10 people. Yet, it wasn't overly loud, which was both surprising and nice. A young lady brought water and menus. And then we waited. That is the reason for only 4 stars - it took a good 15 minutes - and we were ready to leave at that point - before she came back for orders. I don't blame them really, we understand the lack of resources right now for wait staff - but we were hungry and felt if it took that long just to order, this might now work out for us that evening. I'm glad we waited since I know my husband and we wouldn't have gone back if we had left. We placed our orders - we hadn't realized it was a BYOB until it was too late, and since there are no drinks listed on the menu, we struck with water. I did, however, order the aforementioned Thai iced tea. This was served quickly in a mason jar-style mug. We shared the mussels. They came out quickly and piping hot. The broth is a mixture of green and red peppers, onions, and lemongrass. I had to let my husband know not to try and eat the lemongrass - I accidently bit into pieces and boy was I sorry! If you have even done it you understand; hard, tough, and bitter. Great for fragrance and infusing flavor, just don't eat it! lol But they were large and good, and the peppers and onions in the broth were a nice touch and very yummy themselves. I ordered the Lad Nar Pan, fried flat rice noodles with Asian broccoli in gravy sauce. Choice of chicken, beef or shrimp. I got the chicken. My husband ordered the seared tuna, medium. Our meals came out fairly quickly after the mussels were done. I tasted the sauce his tuna was plated on and it was really good - a sesame ginger sauce it tasted like. He also had a bowl of white rice, a goodly mound of pickled ginger (YUM!), and droplets of chili sauce along both sides of the plate. I believe the tuna itself was bedded on wilted Asian broccoli. He ate everything - he said it was really good! My dish was piping hot and smelled heavenly. And it tasted the same. The gravy was a rich, dark brown with a lot of flavor going on. I could taste sweetness, but not the main profile in the flavors. The noodles were wide and had to be cut to eat without making a mess, and the chicken was tender and plentiful. Twice during the meal, a very loud sound system came on to sing Happy Birthday. WOW - it was loud!!! It only lasted maybe a minute though, and we both had to giggle just a bit as it was not a traditional rendition of that song, and gave the place a cute flare. After our main meal, we thought we would be offered a dessert menu, offered tea/coffee. Nope. I had to ask for dessert - so not knowing what else was available, I ordered the fried ice cream I had heard about here. We each got one and the waitress laughingly said "oh, no sharing here!". The presentation is lovely. The plates come out with the single ball of fried ice cream centered on a raspberry sauce with some blueberries scattered on the plate and the waitress has a saucier filled with flaming liquid which she pours over each and presents the flaming dish to each of us. But that is where the rave for this dessert sadly ends. It is one single scoop of vanilla ice cream in a very lightly fried dough that gets a bit tough and chewy. We should have shared one. They run $10.00 each and I didn't finish since the dough started to taste "greasy" to me. We paid quickly and exited as they were getting very busy with more folks coming in and we didn't want to linger. If we had known to bring wine, or if we had coffee or such, maybe that would have been different. The place has a quaint atmosphere and is inviting. I love that they kept the old tin ceiling. All in all a good meal. Would we go back? Yes! read more

Origin French Thai - Pretty art work - Thai Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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