541016 Mon Jul 21 16:16:08 -0700 2008 46 4 Pacific Northwest 0 3889189 Hello Hounds. I am visiting Seattle for the month and I have a serious craving for thai food. I took the advice of city search and went to the best thai food in Seattle (http://seattle.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/thai_food) and I was left disappointed. The food at Sea-Thai was just above average so I hope it is not the best that Seattle has to offer. I have been to Typhoon is Portland and it was fine but not spectacular and a little on the pricey side for what you got. A friend suggested Thaiku but I wanted to reach out to chowhound for suggestions. Mon Jul 21 16:16:13 -0700 2008 211927 brodiehound 1 3889256 There is a past discussion if you search for it. My 2 cents are: Thai Siam on 15th and 83rd for some of the hottest, good thai in the city. Thaiku is pretty good, too. Vieng Thong on MLK is probably around the most authentic. It is Thai-Laotian, but is probably more Thai. Thai Tom on the ave in the U-district is divey, but doesn's disappoint me. But I like divey places and some people have said that it is heading down hill. I'll have to try it to believe it. Mon Jul 21 16:38:55 -0700 2008 3889189 164782 BallardFoodie 2 4979618 You are very correct about Thai Siam on 83rd! Their food is delicious and fresh. Wed Aug 26 10:34:48 -0700 2009 3889256 1104652 boycadence 2 5138755 ugh, thaiku. i hope this isn't the best seattle has to offer. Wed Oct 28 16:52:24 -0700 2009 3889256 44489 casspants 1 3889440 I really like Mays in Wallingford for "upscale" Thai, May Ploy in Ballard for everyday (and delivery!) Thai in Ballard (owned by the same family as the best Thai take out downtown May Phim) and Racha in Queen Anne for variety and soup noodles. I used to like Jai Thai in fremont but it is on the sweet side. Years ago I used to go to Siam on Lake Union and really enjoyed some of their dishes, but it's been years. I've never liked Thaiku - way too oily and flavors lacking. Nor do I like Thai Tom much - I've found their food lack-luster. I also dislike Thai Siam - boring food (IMO). Caveat - although I lived in Thailand as a teenager for a little while, it's been a long time since then, so who knows if my picks are truely "authentic" or just tasty. Mon Jul 21 17:44:39 -0700 2008 3889189 156153 akq 1 3890131 Are you able to get out to Issaquah? Noodle Boat in Issaquah is my personal favorite and has been praised frequently in the past on Chowhound as some of the best Thai in the area. Mon Jul 21 22:55:19 -0700 2008 3889189 23500 Chrome_CW 2 3892703 I second Noodle Boat. I haven't had better Thai in the greater Seattle area, and the menu has some interesting alternatives to the usual. Tue Jul 22 17:51:52 -0700 2008 3890131 21066 jencke 3 5129709 We tried Noodle Boat last night--the "Cookbook Chronicles" blog post finally made me want to drive all the way to Issaquah. http://www.thecookbookchronicles.com/blog/?p=2564 It was great. We had two of the dishes shown in the blog--the game hen ("volcano gem hen" on the menu) and the Queen of Banana. Those were fantastic. We also had a starter that was like Yum Woo Sen, which I love but isn't easy to find. It was pretty good except we all disliked the fishiness and crunchiness of the little dried shrimp. Our friends had regular stir fry type dishes that you'd find on any thai menu, and while they liked them, they weren't particularly special. Noodle Boat has all those standards you find everywhere, but they have quite a lot of unusual (for Seattle thai restaurants) dishes. I'll go back to try more of these. You can't see this place from the road. Turn into the Denny's on Gilman, then go east through the parking lot. It's at the end next to the nails place. Sun Oct 25 13:44:10 -0700 2009 3892703 12186 christy319 4 5140516 That's great that you had a good experience there. I have been there now a number of times and have enjoyed it very much. I don't recall seeing the Queen of Banana. What exactly is that? Thu Oct 29 10:45:36 -0700 2009 5129709 1091568 kgreig 5 5141697 Check out the blog post I linked--there's a photo and description. Thu Oct 29 18:06:45 -0700 2009 5140516 12186 christy319 2 3935923 I see pretty much unanimous praise for Noodle Boat - but am I the only one here a little underwhelmed by it? I've been there twice, and have failed to taste anything that is really exceptional. What dishes do they excel in? Disclosure - not a big fan of Thai food, but I do like Racha (?) in Queen Anne and some of the stuff at Siam on Lake Union. Wed Aug 06 14:37:12 -0700 2008 3890131 108835 HungWeiLo 3 3936020 Racha in Queen Anne is one of my favorites. Very flavorful food! Wed Aug 06 15:13:52 -0700 2008 3935923 13821 bbqer 3 4943120 Noodle Boat Was really fantastic. Try the #1 (gosh I cant remember the name of it. It has wide rice noodles, really fresh crisp veggies, and a spicy basil/chili sauce. SOOO good.) Their Pad Thai is...ok. A little red saucy for my taste. Thu Aug 13 08:53:05 -0700 2009 3935923 1091568 kgreig 1 3892260 Didn't think Thaiku was anything special, and actually quite dissapointing. I wouldn't recomend it, or it's sister restaurant across the street 'la carta de oaxaca'... both bland and generally uncharacteristic Tue Jul 22 15:03:59 -0700 2008 3889189 23762 Papa Kip Chee 2 3895275 Aww...I like Carta. I agree with the disappointment with Thaiku. My suggestions are Tup Tim Thai on lower Queen Anne or Kwanjai Thai over the hill in Fremont. Both are dives, but haven't let me down when I'm in the middle of a massive larb gai craving ! Wed Jul 23 14:55:07 -0700 2008 3892260 100229 emcityjill 3 3904701 Tup Tim Thai is a new favorite with a fun staff. Kwanjai Thai was my old neighborhood standby- delicious but on the sweet side. Tried Thaiku a couple weeks ago- It is a great place to eat at- not just get takeout from- more one the spice oily side- but came across as more authentic tasting. Any of those I mentioned above are great places to eat at or do takeout from. Sat Jul 26 20:37:41 -0700 2008 3895275 72839 natalie.warner 1 3895806 I'm a big Thai food fan and I personally really like Thai One On on Lake City Way in N. Seattle and Tawan Thai in Fremont. Jai Tai in Fremont used to be really good a few years ago but recently the flavors are bland and the dishes are mediocre. Thaiger Room in the UDistrict is pretty good considering the price and location. I got through college eating there at least twice a week. Wed Jul 23 17:39:11 -0700 2008 3889189 212590 twj 1 3896352 Based on a CH recommendation, we have now been to W. Seattle to Buddha Ruksa twice in 5 days. Fabulous! A quick drive on 99! Wed Jul 23 21:51:44 -0700 2008 3889189 122816 zoogrrrl 2 5133686 I went there this past weekend, and I was not impressed. Maybe because I went to Lotus of Siam about a month ago, but the Crispy Chicken Garlic dish was overrated. The chicken was dry and it tasted burnt. It might have been an off night. My partner did enjoy his Trout Salad. We were both not impressed with the Spring Rolls. Mon Oct 26 23:07:01 -0700 2009 3896352 144921 adeptation 1 3902192 I just found out about Appe Thai on "The Ave" in the UDistrict. Their Pad Thai is excellent but make sure you order the original pad thai and NOT the red pad thai. Fri Jul 25 15:45:00 -0700 2008 3889189 212796 BK5 1 3913702 My favorite is Thai Tom on the Ave, and I'm not sure why it's so polarizing. It just tastes like good food to me. The peanut sauce is unbeatable. My girlf's favorite is Jamjuree on 15th (Capitol Hill). Go to Rom Mai Thai on the North end of Broadway for Green Papaya Salad (you kinda have to demand the most spicy to get any heat at all) and Mango Sticky Rice, though the main courses are kinda sub par. Tue Jul 29 21:42:37 -0700 2008 3889189 189325 cscsman 2 3922755 My favorite is Noodle Boat--most extensive and interesting menu and high quality generally...if only it weren't out in the burbs. Runners up: Sea Thai, Bai Tong, Thaiku, Vieng Thong and May. At Sea Thai you have to order wisely: I reccommend sticking to "renoo's specials" or "specials from the white board". Get something with the southern thai curry paste if hot food is desired-it's no joke. As others said, Vieng Thong's best attribute is Lao food, but everything I've had was quite good and refreshingly robust, FWIW. Bai Tong and Thaiku each have several unique items and generally high quality...I don't get the "too oily" comment above re: Thaiku, and least not as a general complaint. May has beautiful presentation, fresh ingredients and cool digs. It's menu is pretty slim though, and its dinner pricing is borderline unreasonable. After visiting Sripraphai in Queens, NY recently and enjoying the deep menu and bright flavors, it continues to astound me that in Seattle, with over one hundred thai restaurants, not one of them will come out and serve authentic regional dishes with unabashed spicing and funky ingredients. If so many places are willing to partake in a general Thai restaurant venture with all the typical financial risks, why not approach it from a new angle? Fri Aug 01 13:45:17 -0700 2008 3913702 19098 equinoise 3 4944199 I agree with equinoise’s and christy319’s observations about the general sameness in the dumbed-down Americanized Thai food available in Seattle. I can certainly appreciate cquinoise’s reaction in comparing Sripraphai in Queens, NY to the Seattle Thai restaurants. The same is true for folks like me who have broadly sampled the offerings in the Thai Town district of Los Angeles, where authenticity rules and Thai customers vastly outnumber the non-Thais at most of the restaurants. And then, of course, there’s the gold standard for Thai food in North America, Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas, where Saipin Chutima performs magic in her kitchen. I haven’t tried the Issan dishes at Thai Palms, and I can’t claim to have eaten at all of the 100 or more Thai restaurants in the Seattle area, but I haven’t found anything yet that excites me. Rating the Thai restaurants in Seattle is like performing excavations in a flower pot. What is the best of the mediocre Thai restaurants in Seattle? Is this a question that anyone is seriously interested in? Thu Aug 13 13:25:32 -0700 2009 3922755 58257 Tom Armitage 4 4979806 I would die of happiness if something like Lotus of Siam opened here, or if someplace that was even almost as good, but had northern Thai options, opened. (I do still need to check out Vieng Thong, which I understand in mostly Laotion). Luckily I go though Vegas for work a few times a year and so I get to eat at Lotus occasionally. I'm going to NYC next week--maybe I need to put Sripraphai on the itinerary. Wed Aug 26 11:21:59 -0700 2009 4944199 12186 christy319 5 4980559 Definitely give Sripraphai a shot. I would be overjoyed if we had a place like that, or like Sticky Rice (N. Thai/Lao, Chicago), or maybe best of all, since we have some Lao available here, something like Jitlada (S. Thai, LA). It boggles my mind how SEA can support 100+ Thai restaurants with so very little regional specialization, or even menu variation. Can't some enterprising restauranteur give it a shot? At least give us a Pok Pok outpost. Wed Aug 26 14:44:07 -0700 2009 4979806 19098 equinoise 6 4980739 Just emailed my friends in Jackson Heights to see if they're interested. Dang, I was just in Chicago last week and didn't know to look for good thai. I was recently in LA and ate at Renu Nakorn which was started by the LOS owner but it wasn't that great. Ditto on your last paragraph! Wed Aug 26 15:49:13 -0700 2009 4980559 12186 christy319 7 4982679 Your assessment of the food at Renu Nakorn underscores the skill and finesse of Saipin Chutima. The menu at Renu Nakorn includes many of Saipin’s dishes, but without her touch, the results suffer by comparison. Still, unless the food at Renu Nakorn has taken a huge nosedive since I was last there (which was quite some time ago), I’d be happy to have a Renu Nakorn in Seattle – which speaks volumes about the Thai food available in Seattle. By contrast, the food available in Thai Town in Los Angeles (the papaya salad, prik king moo, or Chinese olives with ground pork at Ruen Pair, the southern Thai cuisine at Jitlada, duck noodle soup at Rodded, the sweets at Bahn Kanom Thai , etc. etc., etc.) is reason enough for a trip to Los Angeles. Thu Aug 27 09:18:48 -0700 2009 4980739 58257 Tom Armitage 8 4982715 I ordered some of the same dishes at Renu that I get at LOS and Renu was very average by comparison. I do have a list of other places to try when I'm in the area again so I'm looking forward to that. Thu Aug 27 09:27:03 -0700 2009 4982679 12186 christy319 9 5002899 This article is basically my wish list, which sets out some of the better regional Thai offered in S. California. Please. Just. One.... http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-fo-thaiside19sep19,1,4370313.story I reviewed the "northern" menu on Lotus of Siam's website and must say that dishes similar to at least a few of these items were available at Thai Palms on Rainier, a Lao-Thai place which I have rated favorably elsewhere. As noted, you must locate the "take-out" menu to get the Lao specialty items. I'd imagine that Vieng Thong could make some of them also. Can't proclaim the quality approaches LOS, as I've never been to Vegas. Thu Sep 03 13:12:59 -0700 2009 4982715 19098 equinoise 10 5003154 The quality of Thai Palms or Vieng Thong doesn't approach LOS, however, it is extremely good, and I am so sick of hearing people complain about Thai in Seattle only to hear they haven't trekked to either of these places. Thu Sep 03 14:36:17 -0700 2009 5002899 66403 dagoose 10 5003207 Linda Burnum’s list of L.A. Thai restaurants is Interesting. By focusing on “regional” Thai restaurants, she apparently excluded all restaurants serving Central Thai cuisine, which of course is a distinct regional cuisine on its own. How else could one explain her exclusion of places like Krua Thai, Sapp Coffee Shop, Ruen Pair, Rodded, and the many other excellent and authentic Central Thai restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area? Thu Sep 03 14:53:49 -0700 2009 5002899 58257 Tom Armitage 3 4994239 sripraphai was probably one of my favorite eating out experiences. fresh, authentic and delicious. my chowhound buddy took me there and i still dream of that place. yes, so far seattle has left something to be desired in the thai realm. i usually go to araya, because it is close. but i am going to have to check out sea thai next. Mon Aug 31 16:57:46 -0700 2009 3922755 236904 smellymel 1 3923720 The Seattle Times food writer had a summary of good thai places today : http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/allyoucaneat/2008/08/thai_food_shoutout.html Personally, I like: Tawon Thai - Fremont Kaosamai - Fremont Racha - Queen Anne Fri Aug 01 21:50:43 -0700 2008 3889189 85878 stolenchange 2 3957717 I second Racha. They have very fresh food, great soups too. Plus, they have a full bar (very hard to find in Thai rest.) Thu Aug 14 14:07:55 -0700 2008 3923720 48766 lemiller610 1 3941407 I don't know if it's the best thai in seattle but this is our longtime fave, kaosami thai in fremont. http://www.kaosamai.com/ This is my fave: Gai Yang, Somtom combo for $12.95: ½ Cornish game hen marinated with Thai herbs and spices and barbequed to a golden brown. Served with Somtom salad, sticky rice & a dipping sauce. Fri Aug 08 12:10:14 -0700 2008 3889189 104156 thevioletpear 1 3956948 Have got to agree with Buddha Ruska (West Seattle) for the best Thai in Seattle. They have daily specials that are interesting and not just the typical. The place is gorgeous, but not spendy, and the take-out (which we get often) is great. Thu Aug 14 10:30:52 -0700 2008 3889189 19577 BorntoEat 1 3962894 My pick would be Thai Siam on 15th Avenue NW. I just wish it wasn't way the heck the other end of town from where I live. We used to be big fans of Teak House in Normandy Park--the Massaman beef was the best I've had. But the ownership changed and the new folks were just so much less friendly and pleasant than the former owners, we drifted away. I have to admit, the food hadn't gone significantly downhill--I just missed the people! We should probably give them another chance nows that they've had time to settle in. I never saw what all the fuss was about with Bai Tong. It was okay, nothing special, IMHO. It's main virtue for us was that it was about ten minutes from home--and then they moved. The Seattle Times just reviewed Thai Thai in White Center and gave it good marks. I haven't been there in an age, but I remember it being pretty good. Might have to try it again soon. Sat Aug 16 16:57:24 -0700 2008 3889189 27327 MsMaryMc 1 4921822 I used to love Mae Phim, a little hole-in-the-wall gem downtown close to Pioneer Square, 94 Columbia street. Although I don't know how it is these days, it's been a while since I've eaten there, but normally people would get things to go because the place was packed. Every dish used to be $5.50, fresh and fast. Thu Aug 06 01:35:52 -0700 2009 3889189 1099580 Lnixon 1 4929370 In my search for good thai (I've been to most places mentioned here and....eh. They're all the same*) I checked out Phayathai on Lake City Way (~89th) last night. It has great reviews from the daily and weekly papers and is #1 on Yelp. The food was good, not special or spectacular, but the weird/bad thing was the Glade air fresheners plugged into the walls. What could they be thinking?? All you could smell was chemical fragrance. *Haven't been to Vieng Thong, Noodle Boat or Buddha Ruska yet, though. Sat Aug 08 16:34:07 -0700 2009 3889189 12186 christy319 2 4940669 Kwanjai has been my absolute favorite for the 4 years I've been in Seattle. The food is fresh, comes out in literally a few minutes, and the chef noodle dish is addicting. I have out fo town guests who request Kwanjai on each visit. I only went once, but I really liked Kritika in Greenlake. I don't see the point in paying Racha prices. It's just ok food, and Thai should be cheap. May has tasty food, but I have this hang up about Thai food being inexpensive. Tup Tim Thai has gone WAY down hill. I went a few weeks ago and will never go back. The food was borderline gross, and the service was obnoxious. The waiter constantly interrupted our obvious engaged conversation to make juvenile jokes - not even to ask about the food. He also made fun of a friend's food allergy. I am a gregarious jokey person & I coulda killed this guy! Wed Aug 12 13:13:57 -0700 2009 4929370 140849 burritobelle 3 4940966 Why should Thai be cheap? Quality ingredients cost money no matter what kind of cuisine you are serving. Just because something is traditionally cheap, doesn't mean it has to stay that way. Arun's in Chicago has certainly proved you can take Thai food upscale. Please note, I'm not defending Racha, as I've never been there. Wed Aug 12 14:35:20 -0700 2009 4940669 86802 vanillagorilla 1 4943132 What about Thai Kitchen in Bellevue? Their chili pepper fried rice is the stuff dreams are made of. And their traditional Pad Thai is so wonderful. Tangy, not covered in a sweet red sauce, noodles are still firm and springy. hmm, might need to pay a visit today! Thu Aug 13 08:54:48 -0700 2009 3889189 1091568 kgreig 2 4981573 I also love Thai Kitchen...They make a great somtum, serve sticky rice, but my all-time favorite dish there are the spicy chicken wings - fried and then coated in a sauce of chili paste, peanut sauce and basil. I haven't seen it on their menu recently, but I think they still serve it on request. Wed Aug 26 21:49:35 -0700 2009 4943132 56183 soypower 3 4985510 mmm, I will have to ask about the wings, that sounds awesome! As simple as it is, I also enjoy their fried prawn appetizer. It's really nothing more than prawns wrapped in an egg role wrapper, with a vinegary plum sauce. But sometimes simple is better, right? I love their Tom Kah Gai. It's really a great blend of sweet, rich and salty without being cloyingly coconuty. (is that a word? ) Fri Aug 28 08:18:15 -0700 2009 4981573 1091568 kgreig 1 4989603 I tried Vieng Thong last night. I liked what we had but it wasn't so great I'll make the drive from Phinney again. Sat Aug 29 21:14:17 -0700 2009 3889189 12186 christy319 2 4990996 Did you try the dried beef? Amazing stuff that make a trip across the bridge totally worth it for me... Sun Aug 30 16:12:07 -0700 2009 4989603 56183 soypower 3 5003877 I didn't. I'm not really a beef fan (except for a great steak) but I'll recommend it to my husband if we go there again. Thu Sep 03 20:22:45 -0700 2009 4990996 12186 christy319