Let me tell you about our first rodeo at Shiki…read more We pulled up excited, walked in... and I ain't gonna lie -- the place looked a little drab. Not "health department issue" drab, just "could use a fresh coat of paint and a pep talk" drab. I started second-guessing all those glowing reviews like, "Did these folks eat at the same place?" Then came the entrance situation. The host stand was vacant. No "please wait to be seated" sign. Just us standing there like we were about to audition for a sushi commercial. So we start to seat ourselves when the lone waiter -- and I mean lone ranger -- glances over and says, "Just a minute." Oh. Copy that. We did the walk of shame right back to the door and waited properly this time. After sitting a spell, he got to us and took our order. Now bless his heart -- that man was running ragged. Every table was full and he appeared to be handling the whole dining room solo. Plates, drinks, orders, probably washing dishes in the back too. We waited... and waited... and waited. It was pushing 30 minutes before the food finally touched down. Now let's talk about the decor. The inside could use some TLC. Maybe a little facelift. Maybe some brighter lighting. Maybe a plant that's alive. But hear me clearly: What the front of house is missing, the chef in the back is absolutely making up for. From the first bite of that ginger salad to the last grain of rice, I started wondering if I'd accidentally walked into an episode of Iron Chef. That salad was crisp and fresh, the soup was on point, and then my salmon hibachi showed up like it had something to prove. And let me tell you -- that salmon was spectacular. Cooked just right. Flavorful. Tender. Seasoned like somebody back there cares deeply about their craft. That chef can flat-out throw down on the grill. Great food. Great flavor. Zero complaints about what hit the plate. Price? Outstanding. Party of two ate for under $50 at a sit-down restaurant -- and that's including a 30% tip. In this economy? That's practically a public service. So here's where I land: (4 out of 5 stars) If service had been quicker, we'd be talking five stars without hesitation. But I'm giving grace here because that waiter looked like he was one espresso away from levitating, and the place was packed -- which, by the way, is usually the surest sign the food's top-notch. We'll be back. And next time, we'll walk in with patience... and maybe a snack in our pocket just in case. Bottom line: Don't judge this book by its cover. The outside may whisper "meh," but the kitchen is singing hallelujah.

The service, once again, was outstanding! The ambiance is always super welcoming, and the…read morerestaurant is consistently very clean. We started with the jalapeño calamari, which is always so delicious. We also ordered the spicy tuna tartare, and it was incredibly fresh and packed with flavor. I got the hibachi salmon, and it was honestly some of the best salmon I've ever had. My boyfriend ordered the hibachi shrimp, which was also delicious. The rice and noodles were so flavorful--I could honestly just eat those and be completely happy. We also tried the vegetarian lovers sushi combo, which came with a tofu roll, an avocado roll, and a cucumber roll. Everything was very fresh and super tasty. Another great experience, and it's no surprise that we'll definitely be going back!

Went here on Saturday evening following an 11am football game. It was moderately busy, but we were…read moreseated right away. I didn't take any photos, because I was initially not planning to review, but I was so impressed by the experience I had to share a review. We had 2 massaman curry dishes (one tofu, one chicken), a panang curry, and a shrimp fried rice. The food was absolutely delicious, every bite was perfect. The sauce was so rich and flavorful, the veggies were cooked perfectly, and the proteins were tender. We also had a phenomenal Thai tea. I've come here before for the noodle bowl chicken lunch special, which is my favorite dish in the world, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn all their other dishes are equally as excellent! Our waitress was fast and helpful. Would highly recommend to anyone in Tuscaloosa looking to have a great meal near downtown/the strip.

Second time eating here and first time dining in, honestly the Cali roll was still good but…read moreeverything else was not. The tuna roll was notttt good and my friend couldn't eat her pad see ew and it had a very bad smell.

AMAZING!! Don't let the small amount of reviews fool you, this place is perfection…read more The service is with a smile and genuine. The ambiance is extremely relaxing and near meditative, think waterfalls and peace. But the food....? WOW. I'm only in town for 1 week and I've eaten here 3 times. Go for the spice stay to sample everything!!

Clean,great ,food and friendly!!!! This place is local to me…read morewe eat there often.... Always good!!!

"How would you rate your experience?" Poor. On a road trip, looking for lunch. Used "OPEN NOW"…read morefilter on Search- this place is closed for two-week holiday per the note on the door. I should have CALLED AHEAD. Lesson learned. Edited to 5 stars because I couldn't delete my hangry review.

Pretty good Thai food. Crab Rangoon has a rather crabby taste (sometimes I prefer more cream cheese…read moretaste) edamame nice and salty. Friendly staff, pad see ew was solid but forgot to take a photo.

The absolute best service ever! It was our first time and she was so kind and patient with us. The…read morered curry and egg rolls were our favorite!

Awesome food for the price and excellent service! This is a town favorite and one of my favorite…read moreplaces to go in the summer.

While exploring Starkville today, I happened upon this wonderful establishment, and it proved to be…read morea marvelous discovery from start to finish! Stepping inside, I was immediately struck by the impeccable atmosphere and immaculate cleanliness. The decor is thoughtfully curated, creating a serene, modern, and thoroughly inviting setting. The venue may be an intimate little spot, but it exudes real taste and charm. The service was top-tier from the moment I arrived gracious, efficient, and extraordinarily warm. To begin, I ordered an iced coffee as my drink of choice for the day, which arrived with impressive speed. It was wonderfully smooth, crisp, and mixed to absolute perfection. For my main course, I selected the Thai Noodle Bowl from their special menu. I was also deeply impressed to see such thoughtful, well-crafted vegan options available. When the bowl arrived, it was an absolute culinary triumph vibrant, wonderfully fresh, and rich with divine, beautifully balanced flavors. Between the spotless environment, stylish decor, and exceptional hospitality, this establishment earns full marks from me. A complete hit I shall most certainly be returning

Great food great service and fresh food. I enjoyed the spring rolls. The drunken noodles were…read moreawesome.

Another excellent addition your list of Thai restaurants in Birmingham!…read more They've only been there for 6 years and I finally made it. Even though I didn't dine in, I appreciated the beautiful decor and the attention to detail. Gone from their early days during the pandemic when they were take out only to their newly renovated and larger dining area. There's nice bar with stools nearly centered in the restaurant. Employees are more friendly than you can imagine. Located on 280 near the Greystone entrance, YYST is on the right in a small quaint strip shopping area that's raised "above" 280. So if you're driving by you can see YYST by looking up. There's no outdoor seating, but plenty of tables and chairs inside with seating at the bar. They are quite proud of their Yelpies 2025 award for "Beloved Birmingham Business" which sits at the front entrance. Their menu is comprehensive with the right amount of dishes to satisfy. Every "Thai" place seems to have their own take on most dishes and YYST is no different. Their "recommended" entrees include Mango fish, Pad Thai Chakangrao, Massamun Short Rib, Pad Thai Wings and Panang New York Strip. Then they also have "Signature Plates" whose menu descriptions had my mouth watering. There's also stir fry, curries, salads, and even a lunch menu. Since I wasn't dining, I was going to do my litmus test and try their version they call Beef Drunken Uncle noodle. I also ordered their Fresh Basil Shrimp Rolls, and Bangkok market fried rice. I waited at the bar for about 10 minutes when my packaged meals arrived. I was offered a glass of cool water as I waited at the bar. The rolls were wrapped in saran wrap and I would guess were probably made a couple of days ago. Nothing wrong with that except I got unlucky and rice paper wrapper was almost crunchy. They were a little heavy on the use of lettuce, but each had 4 large fresh shrimp. The taste wasn't anything spectacular BUT their version of the dipping peanut sauce saved it. Yom Yom Yom! The fried rice was delicious. Tossed in a wok with eggs, onions, chinese broccoli and their house sauce, I had beef added as the protein and it was delicious. My Drunken noodle was very good! This traditional street food inspired dish is a classic. Wide noodles tossed with snap beans, garlic, onions, bell peppers with thai chili and basil, their version is quite good! It had great flavor and an excellent representation of the drunken noodle. Next time I might have to pay extra for a fried egg on top. Yom Yom Yom Yom! I'm glad I finally visited YYST. I am looking forward to returning and this time dining in. The Panang New York Strip and Mango Fish have my name on them!

The space is lovely and the server was very attentive. The menu has a nice assortment of…read moretraditional Thai dishes, some with unique spins. I started with the duck duck larb and ordered drunken noodles with shrimp for my main and ordered both traditional thai hot. The prices are significantly higher than other Thai restaurants I have visited but I certainly don't fault them for making a living. The larb was a bit dry for my tastes and lacked the richness of duck fat It was beautiful but fell a little short. There was no fish sauce or lime to be found. Larb should be vibrant and fresh and it was just bland. Despite ordering Thai hot, there was literally one dried pepper on the dish. The drunken noodles were gorgeous and nicely plated with perfectly cooked shrimp but again, no heat. Pad Ki Mao is traditionally filled with fresh beans, onion, bell peppers and chilis. This was just sweet noodles with only a few vegetables. While both dishes were good but way off the mark and certainly not the spice level I ordered. After watching me add several spoonfuls of peppers to the noodles, the server admitted they didn't do Thai hot as I ordered but instead "American Thai hot" which seems to be no spice at all. It felt very disrespectful bordering on racism that Americans can't eat spicy food and they somehow knew more about my palate than me. Had she told me they don't serve Thai hot when ordering, it would have been fine and I could have gone elsewhere. Especially at the high price point of the menu, Yum Yai greatly missed the mark for me and I will not return.

Amazing atmosphere the employees were really sweet and very informative. Took me a while to figure…read moreout what I wanted and the employee that was serving us was really sweet. Talk to me through the menu and helped me decide which one I wanted. And the food is so good totally recommend to anybody who wants authentic Thai and some really good spice.

What a great restaurant. The food is amazing. It's fresh and made to order, so if you don't care…read morefor spicy you can ask for zero heat. I like the Sweet and Sour Chicken so much that I haven't tried anything else. The portions are large. My husband and I usually order one plate and an extra rice and split our food. It's always plenty. The wait staff are kind and attentive.

oh, I love The Green Papaya, I've been coming here for delicious Asian foods for years ; all the…read morestaff are friendly ,clean & attentive to the guests. my food is always steaming hot when brought to the table & portions are generous. I have recommended this restaurant to many friends & all have enjoyed dining here, great food + reasonable prices.

This place is fabulous. The food here is next level fresh and delicious. The entrees come out…read morecooked to order and hot. The service is friendly and efficient. The interior is always clean and welcoming. Today I tried the beef lo mein. Absolutely perfect. The best dish I've had. The flavors were blended beautifully.