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    Tara Thai Cafe

    4.0 (285 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Seafood, Noodles
    Open 10:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    TARA THAI CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Fried Banana
    Susan U.

    Casual & Friendly Version: I live just a short walk from Tara Thai and have been coming here for years. The same owner has been running it for as long as I can remember, and the food is always delicious! Everything tastes fresh and full of flavor. Whenever I crave for mango sticky rice or pad Thai, this is my fave spot. The staff are super friendly and make you feel right at home. It's so nice having a spot this good so close by -- great food, great service, and super convenient location. Definitely one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants!

    Chicken Satay...tough and stringy.

    We ordered several items. Something was definitely off with the chicken satay. Chicken meat looked strange. Like it was very shredded looking and very hard to chew. Flavor was off. Wondering if they use Lab created meat. It was that strange! Chicken in pineapple fried rice was normal and very good. I don't think we will order it again.

    Yellow chicken curry
    Evan F.

    Had the always great shrimp wonton soup tonight. Excellent placer and wonderful presentation. A real treat to start a meal.

    Pad Se-ew Noodles
    Kendal S.

    Our experience at Tara Thai Café was fantastic. First things first - the waitress. She was amazing and honestly stole the whole show. Her kindness carried the entire experience. Just good vibes all around from her. We started with two traditional drinks: you can't go wrong with a cold Sapporo and a little sake to set the tone. To start we ordered the Tom Yum soup with shrimp. Now listen, they have a large size on the menu, but pro tip: you can ask for a small portion, which is perfect if each person wants their own. The spice level? Perfect. The flavor? On point. And they don't skimp either - five big shrimp in there. I mean, I wouldn't have been mad if they threw in five more, but hey--beggars can't be choosers, lol. Next up: beef salad - SO FIRE. The beef was actually mad tender (which, let's be real, is rare sometimes). You could tell they took their time with it. WHEW. Respect. (My bad on no pics, that's how fire it was) Then the spring rolls came out. Now spring rolls are hard to mess up - and they didn't. Light, crisp, just how they should be. Finally, the main event: Pad See Ew. Some might say this is a Mount Rushmore dish when it comes to grading a Thai spot. And if this was a test? They passed with flying colors. It HIT. Honestly, everything did. Big fan of this place. Great food, great vibes, and a small, cozy setting just a few blocks from the beach. And shoutout again to our server - she was just amazing.

    Wonton Soup.
    Jennifer B.

    After spending a fun 4th of July lunch and brisk walk by the shore with a couple of fur babies, Hubbers and I agreed we should pick up food for dinner. (We were dog sitting and we didn't want to leave the pups home alone as one of them is terrified of fireworks - and we knew they're gonna be going off all night.) The first Thai place we went to was closed due to the holiday. This was next to check if they're open. Luckily, they were! Hubbers and I went through the menu and ended up with a list of goodies to order. He stayed in the car with the pups and I went in. The weirdest thing is no one was tending to this whole place. I figured they were at the back somewhere. I said a few hello's and no response. I half yelled, and still nothing. I even tried calling (yes! Their listed phone number!) and nobody answered. So, I walked out. But while walking out, a lady walked in apologizing for the wait. For a few quick seconds there, I debated if I should stay and order or just keep walking out... ... but the idea of not leaving the pups alone to get food (even more especially) for 4th of July won out. Since there were no customers, I assumed the wait wouldn't be that long, so I put the order in and as I expected, I was walking out in no time. WONTON SOUP: Broth was tasty and had depth. The wontons were full of flavor. The veggies were good sidekicks. We liked it. CRAB FRIED RICE: My favorite of the lot! They were very generous with the crab. Each bite was guaranteed a piece or at least a taste. The aroma was enticing. What I find kinda odd was a quarter slice of tomato beneath the whole thing. (It's a filler, I know.) Neither Hubbers or I ate it. Otherwise, this dish was a meal in itself. BEEF PANANG AND LARB SALAD: These were Hubbers' picks and I wasn't really in the mood for either. However, he said he liked them a lot. THAI CHICKEN BBQ: Chicken was pretty juicy and tasty. But it's comparable to other Thai places, it has that familiar and common taste. But I liked this as well. FOOD: 4. SERVICE: 2.5. Someone should always be manning the front, right? Another couple walked in a few minutes after i put my order in, and like my experience, no one was there to welcome them in. (That lady took off to the kitchen to put my order rollin', but she was still gone too long.) VALUE: 3.5. PARKING: Private lot. OVERALL: 3.25. Yes, everything had to be reheated, but they turned out really good anyway. I'd return, if only for the crab fried rice... yum!

    Exceptional Pad Thai

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    The Tom Yum noodles were absolutely amazing! Big thanks to the wonderful staff and talented chefs -- you're the best!

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    11 months ago

    I order takeout often from Tara Thai. I love the food and the service! Great people and yummy food

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    Shawna R.

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    4 months ago

    the radna nooddles was so salty. i threw it away. the vermicelli soup was good and not salty.

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    Page 1 of 8

    Tara Thai Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Tara Thai Cafe

    Siam I Am

    Siam I Am

    3.8(645 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Apparently this restaurant is now known as Jeep Thai Eatery. I hadn't dined here for a while and…read moredecided to stop in for a quick dinner. When we arrived it was apparent the "chef@ was also the hostess. As a result we waited quite a while to be greeted and seated. I should note that the chef did arrive about thirty minutes later. I ordered the Waan Om Khom Kluean yellow chicken curry and my guest had the deeb Sao Thai Pad Thai with shrimp. I also ordered a Thai ice tea and the server forgot to bring it. I had to remind her after my meal was almost finished. To me the chicken curry had a terrible unappetizing presentation. It looked like shredded chicken and big lumps of potatoes. In fast that's what it was. While the taste was pretty good, the over abundance of potatoes felt like a filler for less chicken. It was a decent dish but far from one of my favorites. The Pad Thai looked a lot better. My guest said it was good, not great, and that he'd order it again. Now to the price. Nearly $70 including the two dishes, one Thai ice tea and rice. This was not fine dining. I realize they have bills to pay but it was much more than I've paid at other Thai restaurants for similar meals. All parking is on the street. One need a bit of courage to park on PCH as passing cars make it scary to open the driver's door. Cars were flying by in the 40's and 50's and it's a very unsafe parking location.

    While the somewhat smaller portion of BBQ chicken was shockingly juicy and tasty, the other dishes…read moreleft much to be desired. Our larb salad was painfully salty to the point where it couldn't be enjoyed on its own and the kang kio wan curry was somehow watery and bland. Both the pork and beef were overcooked and tough. Unfortunately that the meal turned out to be such a flop, the chicken was the only thing that saved this from being a single star.

    Photos
    Siam I Am - Floyd, the owner   4/13/08

    Floyd, the owner 4/13/08

    Siam I Am - Floyd on 8/12/08

    Floyd on 8/12/08

    Siam I Am - Basil Leaves w/Chicken

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    Basil Leaves w/Chicken

    Taishi Hainan Chicken - Mixed Hainan Chicken Rice

    Taishi Hainan Chicken

    4.4(1.3k reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Hainan chicken has quickly become my favorite genre of food--when done right, it's simplicity…read moredoesn't take away from it's tastiness, and add in the herbs and sauces, and it just makes the perfect meal. With that being said, this is a beyond solid choice for hainan chicken. Delicious. The place is minimal service--you order at the counter and they take it to your table. There is also a self-serve large pot of miso soup off to the side. I appreciate that the dishes come in real plates and silverware which makes the eating experience slightly elevated even though it isn't technically a full service set-up. They also have many options on their menu including Ramen. The food is good and I highly, highly recommend. Please support them if you love this type of food and you're in the area. Also, I saw a good amount of take-out being picked up when we were dining in, so I would assume they do well in that arena either.

    Lots of food, but a bit underwhelming…read more Went after an after workout dinner. Theres a decent parking lot in the plaza, so no issues parking. Ordered the original Hainan chicken. There's complimentary broth at the side wall. The broth was pretty good. The chicken came out, and was a bit too chewy and probably overcooked (had a dry feeling to it). Also, the rice seemed a bit clumpy. It was a bunch of food though. Probably will pass next time around.

    Photos
    Taishi Hainan Chicken - Inside

    Inside

    Taishi Hainan Chicken - Original Hainan Chicken Rice

    Original Hainan Chicken Rice

    Taishi Hainan Chicken - Menu p.4 (February 2024)

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    Menu p.4 (February 2024)

    Thai Dishes MB - Coconut Shrimp Soup

    Thai Dishes MB

    4.0(1k reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    Came in for a quick soup for this cold and this was the perfect place for it!…read more Service was friendly and attentive. My Thai tea was perfect and so was my iced water. I got the Tom yum chicken noodle soup and it was a hearty serving it came with a side salad. Everything was yummy in both dishes,only down fall for me would be that I cannot request it spicy. Yes they give you chili paste, powder and pickled chili but none of it was spicy enough. That's just a personal preference but the soup alone was so flavorful and full of noodles and mushrooms. I could not have asked for more perfect serving of soup lol I appreciate the specials, a lovely place to dine in solo or with some friends.

    It has been years since I've been to Thai Dishes Manhattan Beach but today I made it back to this…read morespot. I've always been a fan of their lunch specials and I was curious to see how it is years later. Their lunch specials now is what they call "Street Food Lunch." They've got 20 different items for $15.95 to choose from and each dish comes with their house salad with sesame dressing. This lunch special is served until 2pm daily. I was impressed with the variety that the Street Food Lunch menu offered. I love how they had some classic favorites as well as unique dishes that aren't commonly found. They had House Noodle Soup, Ba Mee Hung, BBQ Roasted Duck, Mint Leaves with Ground Chicken, Cashew Nut Chicken, Kao Pao Crispy Pork Belly, Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork Belly, Pad Thai Noodles with Shrimp and Chicken, Ba Raan Noodle Soup, Kao Soi Chicken, Mixed Vegetable, Garlic Pepper Pork, Spicy Eggplant Tofu, Spicy Fried Rice Chicken, Tom Yum Kai Noodle Soup, Pad Kee Mow Chicken, Pad See You Noodle with Beef and Chinese Broccoli, Kang Karee Chicken, Kang Pad Beef and Green Curry Shrimp. Certain dishes you could substitute protein for an extra $1 or add egg for $2. I was actually pleasantly surprised that several of the dishes already included egg. It was hard to choose from the good variety of items but my friend and I chose to get their Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork Belly and their Kao Soi Chicken. The Kao Soi Chicken was beautifully plated. It came with a tall stand of fried egg noodles on top of coconut curry broth with chicken, egg noodle, onions and pickled package. The Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork Belly came with lots of pork belly with stir fried Chinese Broccoli and sides of white rice and fried egg. Both dishes were delicious! I loved the creamy, rich coconut curry curry broth from the Kao Soi Noodle. There was lots of tender chicken in the soup and it paired well with the egg noodles I also tried my friend's dish and appreciated the crisp pork belly and flavorful Chinese Broccoli. The Thai flavors were on point! I definitely want to come back and try more of their Thai Street Food. I enjoyed lunch here very much. Not only were the entrees flavorful, they were also large in size. I even had enough for dinner. I am excited to try their other dishes like the Tom Yum Kai Noodle Soup and the Kang Karee Chicken.

    Photos
    Thai Dishes MB - Pot Stickers

    Pot Stickers

    Thai Dishes MB - Thai Dishes Welcomes You

    Thai Dishes Welcomes You

    Thai Dishes MB - Green Mango Salad

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    Green Mango Salad

    Swan Thai - Entrance during sunset

    Swan Thai

    4.2(1.5k reviews)
    6.4 mi
    $$

    Fantastic date lunch the other week with the wife, sitting outside on their beautiful back patio…read morewith the wide open ocean view on an amazingly warm March afternoon. We ordered the $16.99 lunch specials which I feel is a good value for all you get. Wife ordered the red curry with chicken which was delicious and I ordered the hot basil with chicken and they both came with soup and salad. The waiter made a mistake and told us the soup of the day was Tom Kha (spicy coconut) for which we were hoping but what was brought out was more of a broth. It had a lot of flavor though, I will say that, so I was pleasantly surprised. Salad was tasty with house sesame dressing and my hot basil chicken was FANTASTIC. The portion size was very good and I even took half of the chicken home to enjoy another time. Note the lunch special is offered from 11:30am-3pm Monday through THURSDAY....I am not quite sure why. They really should include Fridays. The Thai Gimlet with basil and lemongrass was a wonderful and creative cocktail...so good, I ordered two! Service was friendly and attentive. And of course, nothing beats that view. An overall wonderful date lunch!

    DO NOT COME HERE esp DURING HOLIDAYS…read more They are doing some shady stuff here or trying to scam people. ALWAYS, always check your receipts. Small or big. Most people either in a rush or having too much of a good time and drinking will not notice or have time to check. Came here for Mother's Day 2026. Extremely busy. When the bill came they added and tacked on 5 EXTRA ITEMS that racked up to $200. Something was off good thing it was checked before charging the card. It would've been a headache. Immediately checked in with them and they made an excuse saying someone else must've messed up. Someone wasn't paying attention and made a mistake or they're adding extra items in there. That could add up imagine how many tables they get per holiday. I've been wanting to make a review of this place years ago also but never got the chance when I took my dad here for Father's Day and his birthday. Extremely rude customer service.

    Photos
    Swan Thai - Dining after sunset

    Dining after sunset

    Swan Thai - Enclosed and heated seating area. It's warm even in the winter rain!

    Enclosed and heated seating area. It's warm even in the winter rain!

    Swan Thai - One of the best pad thai in town!!

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    One of the best pad thai in town!!

    Phuket Thai Restaurant - Delicious Phad Kee Mao

    Phuket Thai Restaurant

    3.8(599 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    Free parking

    Really good food, nice atmosphere, a little noisy, but that was more the large 12-person party…read moreadjacent to where I was sitting. Quick and great service. I came in later in the evening as I had just flown in and was staying nearby. This is super close to the hotel I was staying in. I was seated quickly, and my server brought me a menu. I asked about the spice level of the dish I got, and they were able to tone it down. I ordered the spicy seafood dish. My server asked if I wanted rice, and, whether white or brown, I ordered brown. Where I live, rice comes with it, and I didn't think anything of it until I got the bill and saw a $2.50 charge for the rice. I didn't even finish the rice because I thought it was part of the dish. I didn't need the rice; if I knew it was extra, I just wouldn't have ordered it. I'm not sure if that is standard on the West Coast or in this area. Other than the rice snafu, I was really happy with this restaurant. I really wanted some mango with sticky rice, especially after the table across from me got some, but I was so full. I might have to go back later today to have an order, as I absolutely love that dessert. Anyway, I enjoyed my meal and would certainly come back here in the future and I highly recommend.

    Food was so delicious. Flavors were THERE! Presentation made it even more delicious…read more Service was amazing. Our host was so attentive, when we had questions about the menu, she described the dish and even offered recommendations. Ambiance was a chill, clean and a great place to have a nice dinner night.

    Photos
    Phuket Thai Restaurant - Best of the Beach 2025

    Best of the Beach 2025

    Phuket Thai Restaurant - Thaitini drink

    Thaitini drink

    Phuket Thai Restaurant - The dining room and bar of Phuket Thai Redondo Beach.  Best Thai Restaurant in the Southbay.

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    The dining room and bar of Phuket Thai Redondo Beach. Best Thai Restaurant in the Southbay.

    Tara Thai Cafe - thai - Updated May 2026

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