Seattle’s Best Thai Restaurants | Eater Seattle

"New Seattleites take note, for this is a historic place. It is named for founder Tom Suanpirintra, whose mom, Lisa Suanpirintra Ruhl, opened the first Thai restaurant in the PNW in 1981. Thai Tom is every bit as dazzling today as it was at its 1994 debut, when crowds of students and tourists alike queued down the avenue to eat here. Suanpirintra, who passed away in 2021, was the first in town to offer super authentic Thai street food without the toned-down flavors, fewer chilis, extra sugar, or other culinary Americanisms that he said other local Thai cuisine pioneers added to their dishes. Chef Jackrisk “George” Kitsonthi, who has been there since the restaurant opened, still serves up the same gorgeous drunken noodles, fragrant tom kha, and char-edged “Pad See You Again” in the tiny 20-seat space. Plus, all the fabulous pyrotechnics are still on display, as the cooks work in plain view to, ahem, flamboyant effect. Sit at the bar, if you can, to catch the show. NOTE: This place is one of the last restaurants in Seattle that is cash-only. –Meg van Huygen" - Harry Cheadle