For four Fridays in a row we dined here after yoga. It was our Friday thing for a minute to take class, pick up a case or two of bevies, then check out a BYOB place within vicinity. My partner fell in LOVE with this place so we stopped sampling what's around and kept returning here. You cannot beat the space. This is the old Garlic Ninikuya location, the converted house on Waialae across from Times and Longs, that has the tree planted in the middle of the house. Seating is outside or inside, but we prefer outside. It gives oasis, even though you're right on a busy street, you feel like you've been transported someplace exotic as the tree and plants are accented with an. eclectic East Asian decor. The food is generous, although some of the plating can read pedestrian. We always get the Panang curry and try a different curry or dish along with it. The pricing is a dollar or two under most of the Thai restaurants around. Have I had better Thai food? Sure. But for an overall experience I so much prefer the serene setting here, as well as hearty portions, kind service, BYOB option, and supporting an independently run Kaimuki eatery. The food is good, I'd give it a 4. The atmosphere is a 5. Definitely do dine in. Fun as a pair or with a group. read more

Came on a Monday afternoon. Got summer rolls, pad see ew, panang curry, and a Thai iced tea. This place is such a cute little hide away with a tree growing in the middle. The food was so good, all warm and delicious. Had a bit of a wait for the check but the atmosphere makes up for it. The host and server were attentive and sweet. This is such a cute hidden gem, I wish I knew about this place earlier in life. I'd love to come back. read more

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Red Elephant rocks! We have been in Waikiki for the week and eaten at beautiful restaurants on "The Strip" but were looking for a change of pace. Our son who is a University of Hawai'i Manoa shared he had driven by this neighborhood gem numerous times but never tried before. So our group of five thought we would give this ThaIRISH restaurant a go! Wow! We were pleasantly surprised to discover this excellent authentic Thai cusine in Honolulu, Hawai'i! The relaxed setting with iconic Buddas, Elephant and Thai art is simple, inviting and warm. Our host and server was Taylor who was extremely friendly, gracious and great Irish smile! We ordered the classics (I inserted our selections in the photos given my severe dyslexia) Each dish was equally fresh, eye appealing and delicious! From the "Best Pad Thai I have ever had" comment from my discerning wife who judges a Thai restaurant's cusine by its Pad Thai is saying alot! Wow! Very impressive offering we haven't been able to get even in the "Best" Thai restaurants in San Francisco. Our son managed to make sure there were absolutely NO leftovers on the plates before he ordered the Manago sticky rice. It was perfect closure to an extraordinary meal. Bravo to the chef for making it happen. I talking with Taylor we learned the owner is her uncle Dr. Stephen Foley, MD an OBY/GYN and University of Hawai'i alum as Keck School of Medicine. As a former hospital CEO on the mainland I can appreciate this extremely difficult work. The Honolulu Ohana is blessed to have Dr. Foley a fellow Irishman on Ohau serving patients, new babies and extraordinary ThaIRISH cusine. Bravo! read more

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*3.5* due to protein quantity Came here on the weekend shortly after opening, Not too busy. Service was friendly and fast. Had to order the special - appetizer which was more like a main dish size surprisingly - crispy fried rice salad. Sooo good. Crispy rice with a hint of citrus acidity mixed in at the end. Could do with more lime on top as well. crunchy texture pairs well. Also tried the evil jungle curry - with chicken - curry sauce was good with coconut milk packed in. not spicy at medium, would consider thai hot next time. very small quantity of chicken, but had other veggies in there. Would like to see more appropriate protein amount in dish. Lastly tried the pad kee mao - at first sight - the noodle seems more pale and bright then what I was expecting. However, the flavor was still there despite the color. Ordered with the shrimp - had maybe 4 pieces. Again should have more in quantity. Noodle texture was just right and bouncy and chewy. read more

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This Thai restaurant is off the beaten path on Waialae Ave. we were staying in Waikiki but the drive was worth it. Upon entering the restaurant it felt cozy with low lighting. There was even a Buddha statue on the back wall that was very nice to see. We met friends for dinner and had a large table in the main dining room. There was also an indoor outdoor patio in the other side of the restaurant. The waitresses were friendly and the service was fast. We ordered multiple dishes for our group of six. I especially enjoyed the different curries. The green curry had a spicy kick and the masala curry was flavorful with a rich peanut flavor. The sticky rice paired perfectly with the saucy curries... our group ordered multiple servings. :) To end our dinner we had the mango with sticky rice and it definitely hit the spot! The mango was so ripe and the sticky rice was creamy covered in coconut sauce. Sooooo ono (delicious)! *Parking can be difficult when dining at this restaurant. We parked on a side street near the neighborhood housing. read more

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The business has since changed their portions to normal and has gone back to normal ingredients. Definitely pleased again, hoping nothing will change again!! I really love the food here! read more

Pad Thai and Curry were great. Also, don't leave without trying the sticky rice with fresh mango!

I hardly if ever give a one star rating but the only thing I enjoyed about dinner tonight was the cute decor- service was alright. Soup lacked depth and flavor- Crab curry salty but lacked taste- pad thai noodles were stuck together and peanuts a but rancid but overall taste was subpar -- read more

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I thought that bad Thai food was like pizza... even if it's bad it's still pretty good? Nope. This was easily the worst Thai food I've had in as long as I remember. Maybe it's decent if you live in Kansas but this is Honolulu and we have so many great options. First- the parking lot is tighter than an 80's instructor's spandex. We literally had to move our car to be able to open the door to get out. The food- Papaya salad was crunchy as in hard as a rock in certain bites. Green papaya had turned to stone and I found an entire lime peel thrown into it! Like who wants to bite into that?! And there were entire chilis haphazardly thrown into it. I ate a few pieces that tasted like a cleaning rag. It was gross and pungent. The summer rolls were the best thing we got and usually those are the most boring basic thing on the menu but we were trying to be "healthy." The peanut sauce was literally brown water tho. It was actually pathetic. The green curry with pork was awful too. There was a lot of spice but it was so watered down all we got was heat and no flavor. It was filled with so many veggies and barely any pork or eggplant which should have been the main ingredients. I think they skipped using coconut milk and just used water with the curry paste. I don't know if we hit them on an off night or if they are really putting out such poor quality food on a regular basis but we are not planning to return. It was spicy but flavorless if that makes sense... read more

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If I could give a zero, I would. Disgusting : paid $70 for brown "fresh- summer rolls" . The red curry tasted like sour milk, couldn't even eat it. Avoid this place read more

Another authentic Thai place with good service and great food! I tried the chicken fried rice my first time and it was good portion of food! I love the ambiance because they have a tree growing inside the dining room! Check this place out! Very little parking but you can park across the street at The Times grocery lot and use a crosswalk to get to the restaurant! Just be safe crossing! read more

Nice Atmosphere, But That's About It Red Elephant Thai Restaurant looked promising, but the experience fell flat. The place was nearly empty, yet the service was still slow. The only thing that came out fast was the spring roll--and it was cold, hard, and tasted old, like it had been sitting or possibly returned by someone else. I took one bite and had to send it back. Instead of replacing it with a fresh one, they just didn't bring another at all--no explanation, no apology. It was awkward and confusing. The Pad see ew and Thai fried rice were both bland and underwhelming. For a Thai restaurant, the flavors were seriously lacking. On the bright side, the atmosphere was actually nice and surprisingly peaceful, despite being right off a major street. But sadly, that was the best part of the visit. Wouldn't go out of my way to return. read more

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This is a delicious Thai restaurant that has been around as long as I can remember. The food is always consistently good.

I went to take out fried chicken and it only had 2 pieces in it and cost about $17 ?? On the menu it looked more and that's why I ordered but oh well... read more

Red Elephant - This is $17 ! I should've went to Kentucky or something. - Thai Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Not sure why this place has such a high rating. Our experience fell way below expectations, just like another reviewer had mentioned. We ordered the duck curry ($25), which came with barely 2 tiny duck meat nothing like the picture on the menu. The curry itself was average at best, lacking the depth and flavor you'd expect from a Thai restaurant. It also didn't come with rice, which we had to order separately. At that price point, every other restaurant in the area includes rice, so this felt disappointing. Next, we got the pad kee mow and paid extra for chicken, only to find almost to none in the dish. Definitely not worth the upcharge. Service was also just average. I asked for a straw, and the server never returned. I eventually had to get up and go to their station to ask again, only to be told they had just one straw left. If she had come back and said that directly, it wouldn't have been an issue. Also, the serving plate was chipped. The outdoor seating area was nice, but there were a lot of flies and service was slow overall considering there were barely any customers (only 2 tables including ours). When it came time to pay, the server brought over the device immediately and stood there watching as I selected the tip, which felt pretty uncomfortable and pressured. Overall, I wouldn't return or recommend this place. read more

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I just wanted to state for the sanctity of Mathnasium of Waialae that we are sorry for having our parking lot locked where it used to be open in the past for the customers of the red elephant. Mathnasium of Waialae had an agreement with the previous 2 owners of the Red Elephant and Siam Garden to allow parking in each others lots when we were very slow or closed. Now, all of the sudden the new owner of the red elephant is refusing our members from using the red elephant parking lot when they are virtually empty. That said if we can't share their parking between 3 and 5 pm on weekdays when they are or on the weekends when they have no customer's or are very slow we cannot allow parking in our lot when we are closed. which including all evenings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday's. Please know that parking across the street at Times and Longs or on the other side of red-elephant can get you towed. It is a shame too because I know from our security footage that all five of our spaces have been utilized many evenings on many different nights for many a couple of hours after 7:00 pm and most from hours from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm on Fridays when we are closed. The agreement worked awesome for over 6 years and the new owner is refusing to continue the agreement. read more

Had the Fried Calamari which was very good. Massaman Curry with chicken and the crab curry stir fry both very tasty. The description of the crab dish was misleading as it described it as "crab claw meat stir-fried and was surprised to get multiple claws with meat inside. Service was very good and efficient and the outdoor area (open but with a roof cover) was delightful. read more

Very tasty classic Thai food with express pick up (drive through at rear) and awesome indoor dining ambience with lovely service. Had it twice this week because it's so good. Green curry was also good, but be sure to order rice with it. read more

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5th star for the service and attention at the from of the house I've been here on a few occasions and never got around to penning my review. So here goes- Located at the north western gateway to Kaimuki is a red building, home to the Red Elephant. If that direction doesn't help you, then know it is on Waialae before you hit MacDonald's. If you pass Mac Donald's, you've gone to far. And if that doesn't help you, then know it is on the north side of Waialae Ave, across the street from the Kaimuki Center; where Times, Longs, Hi State FCU and other merchants are located. OK, now that we all know where they are located, let's go on about the food. Mild Medium and Hot are the levels for the sauces and curries. Portions are relatively large so you're better off going with a few and dine "family style". Fish patties and egg rolls are pretty basic at most Thai restaurants including the Red Elephant. If you're lucky enough to dine with those who know Thai cuisine then, you will be able to graze through their ethnic dishes with no problem (just remember! Mild Medium and Hot.... be sure you get that specified) read more

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Are you a fan of Thai food? I don't know about you folks, but I am proud to say that I do enjoy Thai food (although I am not an expert in Thai cuisine). If ya wanna follow someone who knows Thai cuisine, check out my Yelp buddy - Peter Y.'s review. Besides my normal Thai restaurants I hit up at Market City Shopping Center, or the other Thai restaurants in the Pucks Alley area, "Red Elephant Thai Cuisine" was another Thai restaurant I had on my radar for the longest time, but I kinda held back from coming here. Why did I hold back? Because I was worried about the parking situation. But the parking issue is now solved, as I found out that this Thai restaurant actually had a private parking lot in the back of the restaurant. Just look for a "yellow flag" type of sign that says "parking," & upon driving your car off of Waialae Ave., follow a little alley/driveway that will lead you to a private parking lot. Where is the Red Elephant Thai Cuisine located? Ya can't miss it! If you know where the Kaimuki Shopping Center is, it's just across the street (mauka side), as you will see a very bright red looking house, and that is where you'll find this wonderful Thai restaurant. I met up with my lunch buddy for lunch while I was on vacation, as both of us have never been to this Thai restaurant before. The restaurant was quite cozy looking and clean. It was beautifully decorated and had both outdoor & indoor seating. The day we dined here, we elected to do indoor seating because the host had mentioned to us that if we ate outdoors (there could be flies). Upon getting seated, the menu & water were delivered quickly. After looking over the menu, we ordered the following items : 1. Thai style Frrrrrrried Chicken. 2. Stir-Fry Vegetables with Chicken. 3. Pad Thai with Shrimp. What can I say about the grub? You don't have to guess what I would say about Frrrrrrried Chicken! If it's frrrrrried & chicken, garans Bruddah Fran is 1st in line! The vegetable stir-fry was delicious, but maybe I should have ordered it with some rice? Or sticky rice? As for the Pad Thai noodles, although it was good, it sorta had a tangy/ketchupy (I make up my own words! Lol) taste, which is not my bag, baby. Nice decor, great service (but we were the only ones eating lunch in the restaurant that day, Lol!), & delicious Thai grub. Overall, it was a great meal! Minus da tangy ketchupy Pad Thai! Lol! read more

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There are many things to like about this place. First of all, they have parking! Granted, it's a small lot and the driveway is ultra-narrow (you will be praying that there won't be someone trying to get in/out at the same time you are), but at least they have parking, and they have a "parking" banner up so you know where to turn to get into the lot which is behind the building. Secondly, the building is very visible - just look for the RED house on Waialae Avenue, across from Long's. If you're planning to dine-in during lunch, you don't need to worry about making a reservation - seems like they aren't that busy for lunch service, or they do more takeout. We were the only ones dining in on a Friday afternoon. They have inside and outside seating. The waiter warned us that there would be flies if we sit outside, so we opted to sit inside, but since the restaurant is open-air, you still can't escape the fly situation (there was one buzzing around throughout our whole meal). The food - excellent! We ordered the pad Thai with shrimp, mixed vegetables with chicken, and the fried chicken appetizer. The fried chicken was very crispy and not oily. The mixed vegetables were really yummy. The pad thai is more red in color than other places (might be due to the Tamarind?) making it very tangy, but still amazing in flavor. I will definitely be back. read more

Phone lines get very very busy on a Sunday evening at 7-8pm. Had to go to the physical location to order takeout. Very kitsch ambiance and vibe, with a lot of young diners. Parking entrance is directly to the left of the lit up red building, and additional parking at the Mathnasium building further left. Parking is tight.. Ordered the drunken noodles with shrimp, green curry with chicken and pad pring king with beef. Be easy on the staff - they were constantly running around attending to some service or another. Took a while for the food to be ready however staff were very kind and gave me a complimentary thai ice tea! Which was surprisingly very strong, not to sweet which was very much to my liking. Food was top notch, piping hot, and I inhaled it all! Had enough leftovers for another filling meal! Price points are a little high, but not terrible. The shrimp was fresh! As were the veggies. And the beef did not taste gummy at all. The beef stir fry had that smokey taste from the wok which was very good. One of the best Thai foods in town, very very high up! read more

Red Elephant - Thai Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Red Elephant & Thairish Cuisine - A Fresh New Chapter Red Elephant & Thairish Cuisine is a beautiful evolution of a longtime favorite. There's a fresh energy here while still honoring the authentic Thai flavors that made this place so special. The food is consistently outstanding. My favorites are the larb, perfectly seasoned with fresh herbs and just the right kick, and the chicken basil, bold, savory, and cooked to perfection. The papaya salad is incredibly fresh with that perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy. The tom yum is rich and comforting with a vibrant citrusy heat, and the Thai iced tea with lime is refreshing and unique--such a perfect pairing with the meal. And you absolutely can't leave without the mango sticky rice--sweet, creamy, and the perfect finish to an amazing dining experience. What really stands out is the care behind everything--from the quality of the food to the warm, attentive service. You can feel the pride and intention in every detail. Red Elephant & Thairish Cuisine is not just continuing a legacy--it's elevating it. Highly recommend supporting this new chapter! read more

So disappointing. We were here 5-6 months ago and loved it. Tonight was a completely different experience. We had the Tom Yum soup, Pad Thai, and Green Curry. It was all bad. Pad Thai was sweet and had zero spice. Tom Yum again no spice and a bit of a funky flavor. The green curry, which I loved last time was a thin, runny soupy concoction. To top it off the wait staff was terrible. Didn't ask how hot we wanted the dishes, never came back to refill our water, never came to ask how we were doing. I had to get up and find our waitress to order the curry. While the first two dishes came out in less than 5 minutes we waited 30 minutes for the curry to show up. Crossing this one off my list. read more

Red Elephant Thai Cuisine packs on the heat and flavor in their dishes. Rich, bold, and aeromatic, each dish has a unique flavor chart with each bite. Parking is available in the rear, has limited parking, and drive with caution. There's a narrow alleyway between Red Elephant that leads to the back for their parling. Lot Staff members are friendly. Inside looks clean and organized Payment Cash or credit cash Parking In rear Restrooms Located in the back read more

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Awesome food and vibe. Love the giant mango tree growing in the middle of restaurant . read more

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I've lived in Kaimuki for over 20 years but I finally tried the Red Elephant, a recommendation from a friend. If we are judging by food and ambiance alone it is a 5 star. The food portions are a decent size but the taste was better than most Thai restaurant we've been to. We gobbled down our food so no pics but we had the Papaya Salad-10, Beef Green Curry-10, Shrimp Pad Thai-9 and the Thai Coffee-8 not strong enough. The ambiance has a Thai Style decor and kinda feels like a restaurant in Thai land would be. read more

Ordered the drunken noodles, and the spring rolls. The spring rolls was chewy, barely anything in them, super small, and over fried. Absolutely horrible, went in the trash, the drunken noodles was terrible as well, those were under cooked, with over cooked chicken, and had a total of 2 vegetables in them. Will never go back to this place again. If you're looking for good Thai food go somewhere else. read more

Dine in or order take out, we haven't been here in over 10 years, but recently this has become our favorite neighborhood Thai Restaurant. At least twice a month. Location: Wai'alae Avenue across Longs and Times Market. Near Palolo Triangle. Parking: Located in back of this house looking restaurant. Next to Mathnasium. Ambiance: Local neighborhood casual Service: Friendly Thai Hospitality. Food is prepared quickly. Fresh and hot. Food: What we ordered: Our usual Thai fare: -Khao Yum Naem (CrispyRice Salad)-Love the crispies -Tom Yum Soup with Chicken-outstanding flavor -Yellow Curry with Beef -Pad Kee Mao with Beef -Satay Chicken Sticky Rice read more

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Authentic and yummy Thai food, wish the quantity was a little more. I am extremely picky with my Thai food but flavors are on point. The staff is decent as well. The only downfall is the parking. read more

ALL food was extremely bland, luckily I had some lime and herbs to impart some semblance of flavor...otherwise I would not have eaten anymore of it. How does a Thai Restaurant mess up Pad Thai? Almost $50 for 3 items with no taste and I had to use my own ingredients to doctor them up? No thank you! I do not recommend nor will I be returning. read more

Fried chicken came out raw. Curry and pad thai noodles had no flavor. Curry was watery and flavorless. Pad Thai noodles was slimy and tasteless. I can make better Thai food! Restaurant was cute inside and clean. They need add flavor to their food!!! read more

We've ordered here in the past because it is fairly close to home. This time it just was not good. Portions are rather small and seemed a bit too salty. I made the mistake of ordering instant noodles, which is exactly what it is. Cheap quality. Though we ordered curry mild it was still a bit too spicy for my liking Will not be back. read more

Red Elephant - Thai instant noodles, pineapple fried rice, lemon beef salad and mild duck curry - Thai Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Their food is delicious! Seems more loyal to the real Thai cuisine and not Americanized Thai cuisine. We always prefer the original, unaltered taste of ethnic cuisines. The only minor issue is that this merchant does not code as Dining. Oddly, it codes as Doctors/Physicians, at least via Discover card. I can't comment if this is also the case for Visa, Mastercard and American Express, yet. read more

Nestled between Saint Louis High School and McDonalds is one of my favorite Thai restaurants. They have both indoor and outdoor seating with bright colors and artifacts from Thailand. It makes you feel like you are in Thailand. Their food is tasty, their prices are reasonable and I always get excellent service. ***** Highly Recommended ****£ Overall: ***** one of the best Thai Food: ***** tasty Value: **** reasonably priced Menu: ***** good selection Ambiance: ***** like Thailand Service: ***** excellent Parking: *** limited, go before they open, in the evenings they have next door, or Kaimuki Shopping Center and cross the street RATINGS & RECOMMENDED ORDER: Khao So Kai (my favorite dish!) = A Pad Kee Mao with Beef = A Basil Stir Fry with Fried Fish = A Fried Fish with Sweet Chili Sauce = A Green Curry with Shrimp = B Sweet & Sour Fish = B Pad See Ew (my daughter's #1) = B Massaman Curry = B (more to come) Website: https://www.redelephantthaicuisine.com/ Yelp: https://s.yelp.com/BiVBpHBEPB RATINGS KEY: A = Really Good - one of the best B = Good - would order again C = ok - similar, nothing special D = Not very good - wouldn't order F = Terrible - avoid read more

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The $22 shrimp panang curry had 4 shrimp in it. Everything was ok flavor, but I would not come back to this place.

This place is my favorite Thai place. I happened to find it years ago through food delivery. I've been trying to make a goal of eating every item on the menu it's that delicious. The spice is actually hot too! Can't wait to eat again. One of my regular favorites is the fish patties. read more

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Swore I wouldn't go back to this overpriced dive years ago but here I am giving them a second chance. Total fail, ordered the Thai chicken appetizer which should be cut up boneless sections of deep fried, crispy chicken with the sweet chili dipping sauce. This was three whole wings and two drumettes right out of a Costco frozen package. So lame and so manju. The two curry dishes were barely decent, little watery and lacking in taste. Sticky rice for two was more for one. Nobody in the place except the woman on her device as I walked in to tell me there's your order, now leave. Well, I certainly learned my lesson again on this dive. I'd be surprised if they last more than a couple of months. read more

One of the top Thai restaurants in town! Located on Waialae Avenue, I always drove past this restaurant, but the big elephant painting and the cute outside seating area caught my eye. We finally decided to try this place out yesterday and we're so glad we did! Parking: Their parking lot is located BEHIND the restaurant. Please keep in mind that the parking entrance is narrow and only fits 1 car to pass through. There were about 8 parking stalls, but additional parking was available next door at Mathnasium. Fortunately for us, there was an available parking stall at the time we went (Sunday ~6pm). Food: Papaya Salad (Lao style) - quite spicy and fish. As it's a lao style, it is more pungent than the Thai style papaya salad. Regular appetizer portion. 3.5/5 stars. Pad Kee Mao - the menu stated that it was spicy, however, to us, it wasn't spicy at all. The sauce was on the sweeter side. The basil was a nice touch to the dish. 3.5/5 stars. Thai Fried Rice - this was my favorite! Very flavorful and a quite large portion size. 4/5 starts. Service: We did a takeout so not exactly sure about the service. However, they seemed to be quick and attentive. The older lady greeted us with a big smile when we entered :) I'm so happy we finally tried this place out. It's so convenient as it is in my neighborhood and I know this will be my go-to when I'm craving Thai food! read more

Needed my Thai fix and wanted to try someplace different that my regulars. Hubs also home for a short trip with the boys so know he would want some soup. - Tom Yum - YUM. Just the right amount of sour, and choke seafood inside. - Crab Fried Rice - it was good but I'm never satisfied with it. It's too sweet for my taste, and not crabby enough. - Evil Jungle Prince - super tasty. Lots chicken and bamboo - Eggplant with Pork - Sauce a little cornstarchy for me, but still really tasty. - Spring Roll - they wrap it in paper. So it wasn't as crispy as it probably could have been. Over all, we enjoyed it. Chose medium heat which I think could be a little spicier...everything tasty without all tasting exactly the same. Think I have a new place to add to the rotation. read more

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