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    Thai Chili Express

    4.2 (305 reviews)
    ModerateThai
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Order Thai Chili Express Takeout or Delivery

    Thai Chili Express Photos

    Business Info

    THAI CHILI EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Thai Chili Express

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    Menu
    Megha R.

    I frequent Thai Chilli Express several times a month as it's a quick and consistent option for lunch during the work week. My usual go to is their tofu pad see ew. It's always made to my requested spice level and has plenty of flavor. I've also tried their ready to go curries and side dishes which are also a great choice if you're pinched for time. Their staff are friendly and helpful. I sometimes bring my own beverage container for their yummy Thai Iced Tea and they will fill it as long as it's clean. There's limited seating inside, maybe 5 tables at the most. The only thing is that it can get quite busy noon and you may need to wait 15-20mins, if you order off the menu vs the ready to go items.

    Pad See Yew with beef

    Dawg... pad see ew and crab fried rice.... Happiness guaranteed. Go here all the time love it!! Epic!

    Garlic Noodles with Large Panang Curry with Beef and chicken
    Andrew T.

    This place is a solid grab and go type of restaurant. Workers here are friendly and the service is good. They already have most of the food out in the trays so you would just need to pick what you want. There is not much seating inside. The garlic noodles are flavorful and go well with the variety of different dishes they have there. They have different types of curries as well as different types of Thai noodle dishes. The sugarcane juice is also very refreshing, and they make it fresh. Everything I've tried here has been enjoyable.

    Garlic Noodles with Tamarind Fish
    Yeebing T.

    I've come here a couple of times with a friend whenever we felt like getting some quick Thai food. The woman serving is always friendly towards us, and there's decent ambiance and a small amount of nice, clean seating that we can usually sit at to enjoy our food if we're not in a rush. There's no bike racks nearby, however, but you can park your car in the parking lot for the grocery store across the street or pay the meters on the side of the street. I usually find the food to be good, but I think today might've been an off day. Normally I get the rice with either spicy or tamarind fish because the strong flavors of the fish usually go well with the rice, but I decided to try getting the garlic noodles this time with tamarind fish. The garlic noodles made the food a bit too salty in my opinion, but that's something that I could normally look past. The issues I had was with the texture, which felt rougher than last time, and the flavors did not make up for it. I enjoy the mild flavors that they had, which was also present here, but the fish felt like rough tofu and I questioned if it was indeed tofu before feeling something that vaguely looked like a small bone. I'm not sure if it was, however, and I guess I probably should've been more careful, so I'll give them a pass over that. On a lighter note, the food is cheaper compared to some other places and is pretty fulfilling, though that's not saying much when most other places in the area are over ten dollars. I think I'll probably have to take some time off from this place before I'm willing to try again.

    Mary N.

    This is such a great spot by SJSU. The price and portion size make this a great deal for students. Our food was packed with flavor and they are always so fast with their service. There's a couple tables on the inside but most people just grab to-go. They do a special combo version called "drunken pad Thai" that y'all must try.

    Pad See Yew with Tofu
    Shih Fa K.

    This is my go-to place for Thai food in downtown San Jose. I usually order the Chicken Pad See Ew, but recently, I tried the tofu, and it was delicious. The service is always great here, and the ambiance is very casual.

    Tofu Basil Fried Rice
    Sirena L.

    Whenever my partner & I are thinking about getting Thai food, That Chili Express is our go-to. We have only ever picked up orders to-go, but they are quick and consistent every time and it's easy to call to order in advance. Plus you can easily customize each order for the protein you want (including making things vegetarian/vegan) and the spice level. He always goes for the pineapple fried rice with tofu, finding that other places just don't seem to do it as well as Thai Chili Express. Being a noodle fiend, I usually go for Pad Kee Mao or Pad See Ew, but I've also had the Thai basil fried rice. Being somewhat particular about noodle dishes, I will say I've had some that I prefer elsewhere, but it's still solid here, and again reliable and consistent. I enjoyed the fried rice as well. Portion sizes are good if you have a big appetite or want some leftovers. We'll definitely continue coming here!

    Madie C.

    I ordered pad Thai for pick up. Luckily I decided to take a few bites before leaving the parking lot because I found a piece of hair mixed in the noodles. I went back inside and asked the worker if I can get a new order made after showing them the piece of hair. They accommodated me and got it done within 10 minutes. Besides that the flavor of the pad Thai is pretty good. I got medium spicy but it wasn't spicy enough so I would get it spicier if I come back for some. Fast service, limited parking, and the portion size isn't bad.

    Pad Thai
    Kevin L.

    Located right by SJSU, the interior is quite small. The ambiance is relaxed but the kitchen seems quite busy. Pad Thai (3.5/5): The texture of everything was superb. The shrimp tail was easily separated. The tofu and chicken were perfect. Both were good sized chunks. The noodles could use improvement. They were all stuck together making the dish mushy. Nonetheless it was alright. The price is a bit high too. Tap to pay accepted. Overall Thai Chili Express has some pretty alright food with a hefty price tag.

    Pad See Yew (mild)

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    6 months ago

    Favorite place to get eggplant tofu curry with rice! Delicious every time and it is so close to my downtown work!!!

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    Page 1 of 8

    Ask the Community - Thai Chili Express

    Are they still doing combo plates here?

    Yes, monday to friday, saturday is cook by requested.

    How much are their lunch combos now?

    Hi! Did they stop doing Yelp delivery for this restaurant? I loved ordering from here. It's hard to get away from work to pick up lunch and this place never disappointed. Food was hot and perfectly made every single time. Hopefully just a glitch!!!!

    Hi, you can order from yelp or gubhub.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    People searched for Thai 76,972 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

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    Must be Thai - Pad See You

    Must be Thai

    4.0(2.5k reviews)
    3.9 miWest San Jose
    $$

    YUM! Must Be Thai was great and lived up to the ratings and reviews. I must have been feeling…read moreadventurous as I took both my picky child/teen and my picky Asian parents at the same time. Well the risk paid off as all my picky family members enjoyed EVERY dish. Admittedly I am pretty shocked. We ordered: Crispy Fried Calamari: deep fried, chunky tender pieces of calamari that was perfectly portioned for our smaller group Tom Yum Fried Rice: fragrantly fried with a good lemongrass flavor Hat Yai Fried Chicken: light crisp outside and oh so tender and not dry on the inside. Southern Pad Thai: ok Must Be Thai. You get us. This is the first place to live up to my family's level of spice. There is a reason it is marked "SS" on the menu representing "Seriously Spicy". Kiddo and I loved it. NSFCP (Not Safe for Canto Parents) however lol. Overall, we really loved the variety of the regional Thai dishes, flavors, and textures. Can't wait to go back. Hoag Me:

    Came here on a Wednesday around 6PM and it wasn't busy! We were able to get seated right away…read more I ordered the panaeng curry w crispy pork and white rice along with thai tea and my friend got the vegetable pad thai. The panaeng curry was flavorful and heavy. It looked small but made me full quite fast. I had to take leftovers. The pork itself was okay it was a bit overcooked :o The thai tea was alright i've had better and it was a bit warm. The vegetable pad thai was perfect. Noodles were chewy and very saucy. I would definitely come back to get this and add a bit more spice as well.

    Photos
    Must be Thai - Online Yelp waitlist available. check in on the iPad when you arrive.

    Online Yelp waitlist available. check in on the iPad when you arrive.

    Must be Thai - Pad See You

    Pad See You

    Must be Thai - Pok Pok Lao/Papaya Salad ($12.90)

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    Pok Pok Lao/Papaya Salad ($12.90)

    Khaosan Thai - Big thanks to our customers for your support

    Khaosan Thai

    4.1(1.2k reviews)
    5.4 miCambrian Park
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Wheelchair accessible

    Delicious Thai food with a comfortable and dog friendly outdoor patio! We went on a Saturday…read moreafternoon and there was no line. We ordered the roti, crispy pork belly, sausage, Laos style papaya salad, and a khao soi to share between 3 people. All of the food was absolutely delicious but we felt like the portions were a little small for the price. The pork belly and sausage were both ~ $23 and didn't come with as many pieces as we thought it would. This was some of the crispiest roti I've ever had! I loved the curry dipping sauce on the side and the nice crunch of the cucumbers. The pork belly was slightly overcooked, a little hard but the flavors were great! The sausage tasted house made, it had a great tang to it and I loved the variety of dipping sauce. We ordered extra spicy/hot for the Laos papaya salad but it was definitely medium. The khao soi was very comforting on a cold day and the broth was rich and creamy. I'd definitely come back if I was in the area!

    I ordered the Pad Thai (seafood) and Pad See Ew (shrimp), and the total came out to about $50…read more Unfortunately, both dishes were pretty underwhelming. Everything tasted just okay, very mediocre overall. The Pad See Ew had a weird bitter aftertaste that made it hard to enjoy. The Pad Thai was also disappointing; the noodles were clumped together and lacked flavor. We didn't finish either dishes. For the price, I expected much better quality and taste. Probably wouldn't come back.

    Photos
    Khaosan Thai - Khao Soi in the front and yellow curry lunch combo in the back

    Khao Soi in the front and yellow curry lunch combo in the back

    Khaosan Thai - 🇹🇭crispy pork belly ($16)🇹🇭

    🇹🇭crispy pork belly ($16)🇹🇭

    Khaosan Thai - Papaya salad

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    Papaya salad

    Fox Tale Fermentation Project - Funk Bowl w/ Red House Kimchi ($18)

    Fox Tale Fermentation Project

    4.8(195 reviews)
    0.4 miDowntown
    $$

    Absolutely one of the most unique spots in downtown San Jose. Fox Tale Fermentation Project somehow…read moremanages to feel like an experimental brewery and community gathering space all at once. The fermentation concept is woven into everything from the beers and botanical mocktails to the food and it actually works incredibly well. The drinks are creative without feeling gimmicky, and the flavors are layered and thoughtful. The food was surprisingly memorable too, especially how vegetable-forward dishes still felt rich and satisfying. The atmosphere has this warm, artsy, almost hidden-gem energy that makes you want to stay for hours. What really stands out is that the place feels intentional. You can tell the owners care deeply about craft, community, and creating an experience instead of just another brewery. Easily one of the coolest and most distinctive food/drink concepts in San Jose right now.

    I need to start off by saying I never had good vegetarian food. I hate vegetarian food. I am a meat…read moreeater and need it for every meal. Fox Tale Fermentation is a small place like a Japanese ramen shop. My high school classmate suggestion this place and I thought she was vegetarian. I asked her why this place; she wanted to try it out but she's a meat eater. I'm down to try new places so we went. When we went, it was really crowded for a Thursday dinner time. A lady saw my cane and offer her table to sit at so I felt seen. You pretty much order at the front counter; you pour your own water. Front counter was so nice to us as we try to order. We got the funk salad and kombucha. We didn't order a lot because we wanted to try the place. When we got to our table, it was near the door. Our funk salad came and it was hefty mf. It was a bowl of salad all right. So you know how I said earlier that I don't like vegetarian food? OMG I was amazed. The best salad I've eaten. The vinaigrette was so good; it was citrusy. My salad was cut into small pieces so it wasn't big that I need to cut it. The sweet potato was sauteed. The princess sauerkraut was so good. I don't like sauerkraut at all but it was divine. I never tried kombucha because I thought it was dirt tea. I was wrong. It has the fermented taste and I never knew. After trying it, it's not something I would order again. I liked how I was eating "healthy" food after I ate bad yesterday. I don't have that bad bloated feeling. It's very wheelchair friendly and restroom is unisex. The restroom is clean. The establishment is clean. I would go here again if I have a vegetarian visitor. This place rocks!

    Photos
    Fox Tale Fermentation Project - Caesar salad

    Caesar salad

    Fox Tale Fermentation Project - Arancini ($12/2)

    Arancini ($12/2)

    Fox Tale Fermentation Project - Spent Grain Miso Paste ($16)

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    Spent Grain Miso Paste ($16)

    Thai Chili Express - thai - Updated May 2026

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