A charming neighborhood restaurant with a cozy, home-style ambiance and a full bar that perfectly complements the experience. The food was absolutely outstanding--its creativity and bold flavors truly set it apart from other Thai restaurants. Each dish was beautifully presented, with a level of detail that felt worthy of Michelin recognition. Every plate had a unique and distinctive flavor that left us genuinely impressed. Chef Tobb did an incredible job, and you can clearly taste the passion and care put into every dish. The presentation alone was stunning, but the flavors elevated the experience even further. To top it all off, the service was excellent. Our servers were warm, attentive, friendly and consistently checked in to make sure everything was perfect. I'll definitely be coming back with friends and family to explore more of the menu--especially since they offer new specials every month. Highly recommended for delicious food and a wonderful experience!!! read more

See all

Food here was delicious, although priced for the neighborhood for sure. Really enjoyed the pork jowl fried rice, Pad Thai, and Nam Tok in particular. Great vibe inside with some really cool art on the walls, and love the circular windows on the side of the building as well. Would have been 5 stars but we were very abruptly told we essentially had 5 minutes to wrap up our meal, pay, and leave the table less than 1.5 hours after our reservation time, for another party's upcoming reservation. For a table of 6 with 2 small kids that we were managing throughout the meal, this was quite unexpected and we didn't even get a chance to try dessert, which we'd been excited for. The reservation confirmation specifically mentions that the table is reserved for 2.5 hours for parties of 6, and we weren't told of the upcoming reservation when we arrived, so this was a really unpleasant end to what was otherwise a great meal. read more

Payakk - Squid and creamy salted egg - yummy little bites - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

It's rare to find a restaurant that stays consistently exceptional visit after visit. We've visited Payakk four times, once each month they've been open, and it has always been spot-on. Having traveled to Thailand multiple times and dined at many restaurants there, Payakk has become my gold standard for Thai cuisine. This is not your standard-fare Thai restaurant. The menu changes monthly with creative and unique offerings. What truly sets them apart is Chef Tobb, who puts her heart and soul into every dish. Her level of sophistication, balance, and execution is incredible. Every plate feels intentional, refined, and beautifully presented, and the complexity of her sauces is remarkable. Additionally, Ting provides warm, attentive hospitality that makes you feel genuinely welcome every time. The attention to detail and the elevated approach to traditional flavors make them truly exceptional. Even if you think you've had great Thai food before, Payakk will raise the bar. read more

Came to celebrate vday!!! We originally had a 7pm reservation but swapped to 5 since we were not doing the prix fixe menu. When we arrived, there was already a few tables sat and by 6pm, the tiny restaurant was filled. Payakk is such a cute, neighborhood spot that is tucked in the Oakland hills. The ambiance is eccentric with it's pop of color walls and decor -- I loved it! Since it was our first time here, we opted for the pad thai, rib eye, mushroom puffs, and coconut rice with fish. Rib eye: delicious, cooked perfectly, and paired wonderfully with the sauce on the side Pad thai: not your normal pad thai, comes with head-on shrimp and crab meat. Yummy, but wished it was a tad bit more flavorful Mushroom puff: the star of the show! The filling is flavored perfectly with a flaky crust. The sauce on the side also complimented it so well with it's touch of sourness Coconut rich with fish: tasted great when you had it with the fish. Nothing special. Service was good, very friendly! Perfect spot for a date night or girl's night read more

See all

Everything about our dinner was exceptional. We had 3 fish dishes - crab, branzino & shrimp fat fried rice and they were delicious. The sauce on the branzino had us using any scrap to scrape it off the plate, we didn't want to miss a drop. We also had tofu & potatoes and green beans & mushrooms and we scraped the plates on those, too. The service was amazing; our server was attentive & explained the dishes to us thoroughly. We tried a couple of the house cocktails & the one I had, one with tequila, is a new favorite for me. From the minute we sat down until we left, we were just happy to be in such a warm, welcoming space read more

Exceptional food, great service, uniquely charming ambiance. I'd go as far as having a special date here, great with friends, family, but definitely charming all around. Food is great to share, dessert is fantastic. Overall an insanely slept on restaurant. It's a hidden gem in Oakland tucked away in the hills. The chef is incredible. Best Thai food I've had in the US. read more

See all

We've been to this chic, modern Thai restaurant more than once, and it's usually a wonderful experience. The decor is gorgeous--lots of plants and a fresh, stylish vibe. Our first visit was great; the food was delicious and well-prepared. We came back for Valentine's Day, but unfortunately, that night was a bit off. Some dishes, especially the meat, were too chewy, and I actually had some GI discomfort after the meal, which is unusual for me with Thai food. I suspect it might have been the Valentine's Day rush or the preset menu stretching the kitchen. Still, I know they can do better, given our prior visit. I'd return on a regular night to enjoy that lovely atmosphere again read more

Payakk - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

The ambience and decor of the space was so hip, I felt severely underdressed. It's a cozy spot with ~10 two-tops, a couple of four-tops and one large table in the back that sits 8. It was empty when we showed up for our 5pm reservation. Food came out super fast. By the time we left at 5:45, only one other table was dining. As all reservations for the rest of the night was gone, I assume it's going to be hopping by 6pm. The beef stew curry was tasty. The meat was tender and flavourful. But be warned, it has a bit of a kick. So if your kiddo is not ready for spicy yet, order something else. The pad Thai was not your typical noodle dish. This was super fancy!! Topped with a soft shell crab, there were crab meat and shrimp. They plated it with a drizzle of coconut milk on the plate's edge. Was super tasty and flavourful. read more

Payakk - Beef curry with a side of jasmine rice (yes, they charge you for rice) - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

My husband, friends and I LOVED it here. Great ambiance, and they had a very tasty menu. It was all so delicious and the branzino was bonkers. We ate it so fast because it was amazing! We also really loved the service, our waiter was really kind and even brought out a baby safe plate for our friend's baby. We hope to become regulars! read more

See all

The restaurant is very unique,very cozy, friendly staff,the chef did a great job on the presentation and the taste of every dish we ordered. I'll definitely will go back and try everything else on their menu! read more

Tried Payakk for the first time and really enjoyed it! The decor is cozy and very inviting. The location is a bit random, but there's plenty of street parking. We were promptly seated, and the staff was very friendly throughout our meal. The food was AMAZING --the pad thai was to die for, and the mushroom puffs were super flaky and delicious. I'd come back for those two dishes alone. We also had the grilled green beans, which were yummy as well. My only disappointment was that they don't offer cocktails! If they did (especially something fun and cute to match the vibe!), I'd definitely stop in more often for an after-work meal/drink. They do have a small wine selection, which is nice, but if they had cocktails this restaurant would be a '5' for me. Overall, a cozy spot with great food and service--I'll definitely be back! read more

Excellent! inventive food, super flavorful, lots of variety. Delicious cocktails! The ambiance is also top-notch

Delicious authentic northern Thai food (the menu changes occasionally, but they keep some customer favorites). Very friendly service in a lovely restaurant. Lots of plants and a mellow 50's-60's soundtrack, though the servers did change that around a bit. We got shrimp and crab dumplings to start, which were ok, but not faves. THEN, we had whole branzino, which was phenomenally good. We've had it both times we've been to Payakk, and both times it was fresh and fabulous. Also got Wai wai Pad see ew Ribeye, which was great. So much ribeye! The noodles were thin, and seasoned perfectly, and the grilled sliced ribeye was perfect. Would definitely do both of those dishes again. Drinks - we just got a Thai iced tea and a lemonade Thai iced tea. Also very good. Happy to have this restaurant nearby and will keep going for dinner. read more

See all

I was excited to see a new restaurant opening up in the sleepier side of Montclair. I went there for a Thursday night dinner. I was impressed with the decor. It has hipster retro vibes - indoor plants, retro posters, turntable and LPs. The menu was interesting for a Thai restaurant. Items not usually seen at other Thai places. The prices were typical for higher end Thai cuisine. $$ is about right. It's not as expensive as Daughter Thai in the Village. We ordered 2 apps and a main. From the menu description I was expecting decent portions. My gripe was the size of the apps. The food was good but I wish there was more. The main Picanha dish was decent sized at $45 but I wish the accompanying rice was not super spicy. A menu warning would be good. Overall I would try the restaurant again when they get their liquor license and try other dishes. read more

See all

My partner and I wanted to explore a new Thai food restaurant. Payakk proved to be a great option for our exploration. Payakk is decorated with charm and sophistication, dimly lit without being too dark, lush plants that aren't overdone and was lively but quiet enough to easily hear conversation. I ordered thinly sliced steak that was cooked to tender perfection. It was accompanied by a tamarind sauce that had a blend of garlic, subtle heat from chili pepper and cool Thai cilantro. My partner ordered breaded pork neck over fried rice. It was clearly prepared fresh at the time of our order. Unfortunately, its oil content was far more than what my partner's could enjoy and likely needed some type of acid or something else to moderate the grease. We both ordered a mushroom and green been side dish that was bursting with flavor (from crispy garlic/other seasonings) and al Dante texture that made it so pleasing! The host and wait staff were kind, courteous and attentive. They had clear investment in our enjoyment, which felt quite warm and inviting. We look forward to visiting again in the future! read more

Food was generally excellent to good, but service was some of the weirdest/worse I've ever experienced in Oakland. Party of 7 with a 7:30pm reservation and seated by 7:40. We were told after ordering (roughly 8:00pm) that we needed to leave the restaurant by closing at 9pm. Food arrived quickly, but they literally served the dessert while we were still eating dinner at 8:45pm. And then at 9:00 on the dot we were told we had to leave. We ordered over $400 in food and drinks and their menu says how they are all about "intention and grace", but nothing seemed to be graceful in this experience read more

Everything we ordered was incredibly delicious with complex flavors! Each dish was artistically and beautifully presented. The service was attentive and efficient. Bank, our waiter was delightful. We ordered the mushroom curry puffs, which consisted of 3 super yummy large puffs. The shrimp satay consisted of perfectly cooked shrimp. The Pad Thai Chaiya was fabulous with a deep fried soft shell crab on top. The Green Lady Tiger Curry had so much tender medium rare rib eye steak that we can make 2 meals out of it. The eggplant in the dish went really well with the green curry. We're excited to have a great restaurant in the neighborhood!! I enthusiastically recommend Payakk!! Go enjoy a really wonderful meal in a warm and colorful environment! read more

This place just opened so I stopped by on my way and got the mushroom Nam prik to go. It was excellent! Great blend of flavors between salad type ingredients and the mushrooms. It's a great appetizer or just as easily, a great side dish. The people are really nice, a Thai family and the place has beautiful ambience, along with a good selection of jazz albums they play on their turntable. The real deal! I will return with a friend and eat there. Can't wait. read more

Just went for lunch and it was so good. Tastefully decorated interior with great presentation and chill atmosphere. Best Thai iced tea I've ever tasted. read more

Payakk - Lunch - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

Easily the BEST Thai restaurant in the Bay Area. Just returned from two weeks in Thailand, and still craving Thai food. Of course, I have my local favorites that I always go to, but decided to do a yelp search to see what else was around. . Found this amazing new Thai restaurant, and oh my God, their food was amazing. Authentic, upscale and creative. Layered flavors, and very very fresh. Particularly loved the savory Tom Kha egg custard, and the crab and shrimp Pad Thai was insanely good-not clumpy or overly sweet like so many places. Can't wait to return. Also, easy parking. read more

This is such a wonderful addition to our neighborhood. The decor is so stylish and we had a great meal. The Pad Thai with soft shell crab was maybe the best Pad Thai I've ever had. A great date night spot. Looking forward to eating our way through the menu. read more

See all

Delicious food, so happy they joined the Montclair neighborhood! The staff were all very sweet and attentive and even the head chef was out bringing plates and chatting with dinners. Great neighborhood vibes read more

Newly open small & cute neighborhood restaurant. They may be in a soft launch as they still need to work out the details- more waitstaff & kitchen timing of dishes when their tables are packed. All dishes were delicious & flavorful. Ambiance was warm & inviting. Friendly service. This restaurant will likely gain high interest soon so make your reservations now. read more

See all

Great ambiance and presentation. Food flavors could be developed more. My fish was not properly cooked, it was completely raw in the center and not in a good way. read more

Beautiful setup with a variety of comfortable and cute tables, just love the whole setup and lighting and feel of being inside. The chilean seabass and pad thai with crab were especially outstanding, and we also shared a delicious custard with pear. All around great dinner and place to linger. read more

I was really looking forward to trying this place, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment. The food completely lacked flavor and substance. Portions looked like they were trying to imitate fine dining, but it just felt forced and pretentious. We even had to order some dishes twice because the portions were so small. Every item was overpriced and not worth it. I expected something unique and flavorful, but it was all aesthetics with no real taste. I've been to many Thai restaurants, and this is honestly the first one that truly disappointed me. The presentation might impress some, but good food should speak for itself and this one didn't. Definitely not worth the hype or the price. read more

Great cozy vibe, very nice service and fantastic food. We had the green curry with steak and the pad Thai. Both were very good. Would def come back again read more

Super great crab curry (seasonal) but please consider takeout as a majority of your neighborhood has little kids and it's much more convenient ... would probably order weekly if they do and I know other families that would too! read more

Another fantastic dinner at Payakk last night! What a gem of a neighborhood restaurant... lovely interior and amazing food. Green curry with eggplant was the favorite but all six items we ordered were amazing. And they now have beer and wine! read more

Beautiful ambience and exceptional cuisine. I fully recommend this restaurant and hope it gets the recognition/patronage it needs to survive because it's a true gem read more

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here last night. The ambience is cozy and artful, the service attentive and the food beautifully prepared. A lot of care and attention has gone into creating a beautiful meal experience. Even my 8 yo daughter enjoyed her coconut crab noodle kid dish, which came w huge, flaky chunks of crab meat. Highly recommend the Chilean sea bass served in an aromatic, light broth and the spicy and savory sliced grilled beef dish. Every table was reserved or occupied on an early Friday night. It's a little restaurant tucked away on a quiet, neighborhood street, but obviously the good word has gotten around! read more

Such a fun neighborhood place filled with buzz! Delicious and creative small plates and entrees, Thai flavors you will recognize but with a California twist. We sampled about half the menu, the favorite was the steak curry (tiger king, I think). However the standout: the MOCHI for dessert. We literally had to wait a half hour for it after our meal, and I felt bad taking up the table as the line went out the door. We were thinking it couldn't possibly be worth it, but oh it was! There was one superbly fresh pillow with a whole delicious perfectly ripe strawberry in the middle, then one with toasted coconut filling was out of this world! Never had anything quite like it. Next time we will order it in advance since it seemed like it took some time to prepare. Definitely give this place a try, there are a few delightful surprises in store. read more

We just had an incredible Valentines dinner at this restaurant. They prepared a multi-course dinner that was well balanced, and deliciously executed. The atmosphere was warm and wonderful and the staff was really on top of their job. My only comment would be that the person that was doing the wine pairings was a little overbearing and pretentious. The wine pairings were OK. The food was amazing. The person recommending the wine pairings had done sparkling lines to go with the beginning appetizers, which I thought was really pushing the flavor pallet with too much sparkling and sweetness against a very light menu. I don't think they need this degree of forwardness in a very warm and enjoyable experience. The staff and the owners are more than enough to make you wanna come back. I hope this restaurant is very successful and in the neighborhood for a very long time. We are very lucky they chose this location. read more

The food is incredible. Much more diverse then other Thai restaurants. The service is excellent. And the ambiance is stylish. A+

Food was authentic and delicious! Neighbor was quaint; space was beautiful and comfy. Service was friendly and the food came out fast despite a full house. The restaurant only opened 10 days ago and they are already doing great!! read more

Flavorful food, interesting combinations, beautiful ambience, very accommodating staff.

Food is amazing; best upscale Thai in Oakland + in a really cool building. Steak was great

This was a wonderful surprise find. The food was so well prepared and beautifully presented, in an atmosphere of warmth and simple beauty. I would highly recommend this place for its unique food and an atmosphere in which you can have a conversation with your table mates. read more

My wife and I got a babysitter to go for a date night and it was worth it! Vibe is awesome and food was incredible. Very upscale in flavor and presentation. Loved the seafood pad Thai. Best pad thai I've ever had. Also loved the shrimp coconut curry lettuce wraps and curry short rib. Will be coming back!!! read more

My wife and I had dinner at this cool restaurant on Thornhill. We live in the neighborhood and we're hopeful that a really good restaurant would finally move into this space that seems to be changing ownership relatively frequently. We were impressed with the interior decorations and the intimacy of this restaurant. We first noticed that we were greeted warmly, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The restaurant was full when we arrived, but we had dinner reservations. I would say the food was probably the best Thai food I have tried. Growing up in the Bay Area, I have been to many many Asian restaurants, as well as a number of Thai restaurants. The food was perfectly cooked. Serve served and presented. The chef/owner came out and spoke to us about her cooking techniques and philosophy. She was a really cool, intelligent and informed person. I would highly recommend this restaurant and I am definitely going back. read more