Best Thai Food in WA State

[joeforte]

So which restaurant has the best Thai food in WA State?. I've been to Mae Phim in Seattle and its pretty good. I also went to Typhoon which is a bit more upscale but overpriced and not really as tasty as Mae Phim. I just came back from Thailand and after having some really special meals there, im looking for the best Thai food there is. I know theres much better than Mae Phim to be had. Thanks guys.

[mamster]

In my experience, Joe, there are only two places you really need to try:

Noodle Boat in Issaquah

May in Wallingford

Noodle Boat is more like a hole-in-the-wall curry and rice shop and May more like an upscale Bangkok restaurant.

[joeforte]

Thanks a lot for the tip. I'll make my way down to both places soon.

[Schielke]

Thai Tom in U-District has been known to kick some ass.

[rockdoggydog]

Thai Tom in U-District has been known to kick some ass.

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Shhhhh! It's crowded enough as it is!

Rocky

[consacrer]

Well, I've never been to Mae Phim, but my favorite Thai food is Buddha Ruksa in West Seattle. Delish.

http://www.buddharuksa.com/

My honey and I had take-out from there this evening and we ended up both overeating, still having leftovers, and only spending $18.00 incl. tip. The one thing you can't miss if you go to Buddha's is this fantastic dessert of bananas in warm coconut milk. I can't remember the name of it right now, but it is amazing.

[Ye-Ye Girl]

Ditto on Buddha Ruksa. Very easy access coming off the West Seattle bridge. The owners are very nice, too.

[miulang]

Ditto on Buddha Ruksa. Very easy access coming off the West Seattle bridge. The owners are very nice, too.

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Thai Siam in the Greenwood neighborhood (15th NW up by the Safeway at the corner of 85th) is pretty good as far as neighborhood ethic restaurants go. They've been there forever, and Hinterberger wrote some favorable things about it once. The owner is also a very charitable person. Every summer, she has a benefit meal which is basically a Thai buffet. She donates all the proceeds from that day to about 6 or 7 charities every year.

Miulang

[mizducky]

When I lived in Seattle, my absolute favorite Thai restaurant was Bai Tong, right near SeaTac Airport on Pacific Highway. When I went back to Seattle for a visit in 2003, I caught dinner at Bai Tong again just before my flight back to CA. It was as excellent as ever.

Thai Thom in the U-District was also a favorite of mine. Watching the wok flames at such close range is sure a trip.

[tsquare]

I have had a couple of very good meals at Racha on lower Queen Anne.

They have been playing with menu updates - changing things up.

Currently, they have a fall menu developed in collaboration with Chef Ian Chalermkittichai of NYC (he'll be competing on Iron Chef this winter.) Some lovely items with unusal ingredients and pairings: banana blossoms, chili jam, mango relish, whole crispy fish, short ribs with roasted pumpkin, jasmine rice ice cream (with pounded rice flakes and a sprinkling of pumpkin granules) and Thai Sweet Basil Creme Brulee. Go for this, if nothing else!

[kistle]

has anyone eaten at Lotus of Siam in Vegas? Once you go there, you won't want to eat Thai in Seattle anytime soon, but I'd love to hear if anything else compares.

[dimsumfan]

Ah, Lotus of Siam. For me, it's the only reason to go to Vegas. Yes, perhaps the best Thai food I've eaten outside of Thailand.

Since I've taken a Thai cooking class in Oakland, I rarely go out for Thai unless it's an emergency. I've tried the favorites in town and they're okay, but nothing special. Noodle Boat in Issaquah is a notch above the rest for me, and Bai Tong was my favorite in the area (that said, I haven't been there in a long time). I also like 32 Silvers in Tacoma, by the Tacoma Dome.

has anyone eaten at Lotus of Siam in Vegas?  Once you go there, you won't want to eat Thai in Seattle anytime soon, but I'd love to hear if anything else compares.

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[FoodieNerd]

In my experience, Joe, there are only two places you really need to try:

Noodle Boat in Issaquah

May in Wallingford

Noodle Boat is more like a hole-in-the-wall curry and rice shop and May more like an upscale Bangkok restaurant.

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I second the recommendation for May in Wallingford. They have delicious authentic green tea, served in beautiful teapots. My favorite dish was their Pad See You.

I would also suggest, my personal favorite, Jamuree, in Capitol Hill. They have amazing food.

[miss Jme]

If you are interested in vegetarian Thai, try Araya's off 45th in the U District. Unlikely location but the food is incredible! My favorites are the Avacado Curry, and any of the house specials such as Drunken Mushroom or Araya's Asparagus. The place is usually packed but it's worth it because the flavors are simply delicious.

They have switched locations since I last lived in Seattle but are still great as far as I'm concerned. Parking can be a pain as their lot is quite small.

[LaurieA-B]

Just across the river from WA, try Pok Pok in Portland. Matthew wrote about it back in April. When we visited my family in July, we went to Pok Pok twice because it was so delicious. (The other night when I was singing Iris to sleep she interrupted to ask, apropos of nothing, "When can we go to Pok Pok again?") Both the food and the atmosphere (plus the hot July weather in Portland) made me feel more like I was in Bangkok than any Thai restaurant in the U.S. had. I think the larger restaurant adjacent to the Pok Pok shack is open now; I'll look up the details and add later.

[pupcart]

We live in Seward Park, where there is lots of Pho and BBQ but no Thai. When we want good Thai, we make the trek across I-90 to Issaquah to the Noodle Boat. Sometimes we stop by Siam on Broadway for the Tom Ka Gai if we are on Capitol Hill.

But recently, with the bad weather, early dark hours and not wanting to deal with the interstate and trekking around for take-out, we have been going to Royal Orchid at 104 Rainier Avenue South in Renton. Is there such a thing as an "uphill alert"? Good grief, they have been turning out some superb dishes - and yes, it is from a very unlikely place.

Like all Thai restaurants, the Royal Orchid entrees come with your choice of tofu, fish or meat. Our current favorites are "Emerald Garlic" - crispy bright green broccoli with fresh medium-soft tofu and lots of garlic, "Stir-Fry Coriander" with chicken, cabbage, carrots, onion, and lots of coriander, "Angel Eggplant" and "Pud Kee Mao" the wide noodles taste and smell like they have been cooked on an outdoor grill - I know this sounds odd, but there is a sort of roasted quality about the dish. There are a few bizarre sounding appetizers that we haven't tried yet - but if someone tries the marinated chicken breast wrapped in Pandan leaves and deep fried...clue us in.

I am especially happy with the high quality of the vegetables in the dishes - they are definitely NOT overcooked, and the individual flavor of the entrees - they don't all blend together, they clearly use very different spices and sauces in each dish.

So - for south Seattle folks who have tried Royal Orchid in the past and thought "enh?", consider trying it again. Whomever's in the kitchen is to be commended.

[elswinger]

I wouldn't recommend any Thai places on the Ave, including Thai Thom. They are OK, but not the best in Seattle, let alone Washington State. They pre cook their meat then freeze it, making it way too overdone and dry for my taste.

I prefer going to Racah or Siam on Broadway. I haven't been to May yet, but it's on my list.

If Vietnamese is close enough, I just went to The Tamarind Tree and I thought it was excellent.

[kiliki]

I'm not as in love with May as a lot of other people. Maybe if you go with a group and have lots of dishes, family-style (though this would add up, since they're significantly more expensive than other thai places), it would be better. I just went with one friend, and while our two dishes were tasty enough, they were really monotonous. One was Pad See Kow (sp? usually wide rice noodles with lots of vegetables), which was all noodles except for a few mushrooms. The other was an eggplant dish that just had a few triangles of fried tofu among a sea of eggplant slices. I realize it's probably not fair to judge a place based on two dishes but nothing about the place made me feel like I had to come back. Also, a small pot of tea cost $5, which annoyed me.

[Sushi Val]

I agree May is one of the best Thai restaurants in WA. Expensive, and small portions, but it's pretty damned authentic.

May is definately underrated in my book, and it has a really nice interior, with pieces imported from BKK.

There noodle dishes are subpar however. But everything else, the stuff they don't serve in American Thai restaurants is great!

Hey, take this advice from a Thai American!

Edited December 7, 2006 by Sushi Val (log)

[kiliki]

Can you recommend some specfic dishes?

[mamster]

One thing to note, at least last time I checked, is that the menu at May is very different at lunch and dinner--a lot more ordinary at lunch, a lot more special at dinner. I'm not sure if anyone was talking about lunch, but just in case.

[kiliki]

According to their website, they are only open for dinner.

[LEdlund]

That must be new. I've been there for lunch many times but the last time was probably a couple of months ago.

[mamster]

I think most likely they didn't update their website.