Best Authentic Thai Restaurants around Boston

[coweepooh]

Sooo, been digging around a little and came across some reviews for Thai places in Boston that we should try...we love Thai food and Cambodian food and most Southeast Asian cuisines, so we're super excited to give some of these Thai places a try--would love to get some recs on what dishes to order at each of these places and if theres a special day we should go or ask for a special menu or some specialties that really make the restaurant unique :)

Please let me know if I left out a Thai place that should be here too!

Thanks!!!

Dok Bua

Crispy Duck

S&I

Khao Sarn

Brown Sugar

Montien

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Khao Sarn
250 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446

Brown Sugar Cafe
1033 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215

[Otm_Shank]

S&I is my favorite place in Boston.

Rod Dee in Brookline has excellent Thai food as well - I find their noodle dishes to be outstanding.

[somervilleoldtimer]

I really like Ronnarong in Union Square, Somerville, formerly Great Thai Chef, right on Union Square plaza. The tom yum noodle soup is so good!

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Great Thai Chef
255 Washington St, Somerville, MA 02143

[fredid]

We love S and I Thai - find it the most interesting. Let them know as best you can, that you like the "real stuff" so to speak.

Also, would recommend a trip to Lowell for all kinds of great SEAsian food - A group of us did a "crawl" that you can do a search for here.

[Janeinma]

Can you handle truly authentic?
from brown sugar cafe
http://www.brownsugarcafe.com/commave...
thai style dishes
TD03. Goong Chae Num Pla **
Raw shrimp in very spicy fish sauce & lime dressing.

TD30. Numpik Gapi Pla Tu **
Thai herbs spicy shrimp paste with Thai mackerel & steam vegetables.

chefs special

CS05. Crispy Watercress **
Tempura watercress served with minced shrimp and chicken in sweet, sour and spicy lemongrass dressing.

CS11. Plar Pla Sa-lid Krob **
Crispy black fish in spicy lime juice & sweet chili sauce with lemongrass, red onions, mint leaves, chopped coriander & scallions.
CS22. Yum Plar Dook Fu **
Thai style crispy and puffy catfish meat on romaine lettuce, served with shredded mango, red onions, and lemongrass in spicy lime dressing.

none of these are ordinary, none of them are for the person who wants pad thai but all are excellent.

[hiddenboston]

A bit north of Boston, but Mango II in Tewksbury is excellent.

[nasilemak]

i would add Thai Moon in Arlington to the list.
Where is Crispy Duck? Did you mean Chili Duck on Boylston St.?

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Thai Moon
663 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476

[Alcachofa]

I found Thai Moon to be incredibly bland and totally "Americanized". Do they have a Thai menu, like Montien?

Speaking of Montien, you do need to ask for the Thai menu to get the good stuff.

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Montien Thai Restaurant
63 Stuart St, Boston, MA 02116

[coweepooh]

sorry!! i meant chili duck lol

this is me typing fast and late at night hehe

thanks for the replies thus far everyone!!!

[nasilemak]

Funny that you find the food at Thai Moon to be bland. I've eaten their stir fried noodles and curries many times and have found them to be rich and flavorful.

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Thai Moon
663 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476

[StriperGuy]

Yah, in my book coconut milk-rich curries are not the most authentic stuff on a thai menu.

Sort of the requisite dishes for Americanized thai.

I also notice they don't have any of the thai salads, bamboo shoots, or other dishes a bit more off the beaten track.

Have you eaten at say S&I or Dok Bua or Khao Sarn by way of comparison? Just curious cause I would really love to have worthy thai around...

[nasilemak]

Yes, i enjoy S&I's broad but slightly inconsistent execution (overcooked pork in Pad Ga Pow Moo Krob and a weak Som Tum) now and then. Haven't eaten at Dok Bua in awhile and haven't tried Khao Sarn.
For me, depth of menu is not the most important factor and i accept the variability in the amount of coconut milk used in curries.
I just happen to find Thai Moon's sauces to taste flavorful and fresh of spices and herbs.

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Khao Sarn
250 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446

Thai Moon
663 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476

[Alcachofa]

DIdn't think the seasonings tasted especially fresh either, but I'll give it another shot. Any specific stand-outs?

[nasilemak]

I particularly like their stir fried noodles like pad c u, seafood kee mao and the curry dishes.
Their apps are ok, nothing outstanding.

[lipoff]

My favorites at Dok Bua include the Steamed Cod Fish Filet, cripsy duck, and Larb.

My favorites at S&I include the Karee Puff appetizer and the guay-teow nuer (beef noodle soup).

My favorite at Khao Sarn is the salmon Haw Moak.

If you like Southeast Asian food I would also recommend making the trip to Mittapheap in Lynn.

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Khao Sarn
250 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446

Mittapheap
Lynn, MA, Lynn, MA