Ban Hua Sai

The food here was delicious. Very flavorful options that really stand out in the Seattle area. The one qualm I’d have had with this place was that they initially served me a flat corona beer. Like it was FLAT with literally no carbonation. I told them and they quickly gave me a new one without issue. Otherwise I can’t really find anything about this place to complain about. Plus, on a Friday night during peak dinner hours, this place barely had customers - there were maybe 3 or 4 tables occupied (out of 10+). We’re definitely coming back: the food here was awesome.

I am a huge fan of Southern Thai cuisine and this restaurant's dishes are absolutely delicious! Very flavorful and spicy. I highly recommend trying their "Spicy Basil Bison", "Boat Noodles with Beef", "Roti Gang", and of course "Crispy Garlic Chicken". Very welcoming and friendly service! Highly recommend!

I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant. The atmosphere was warm and relaxing, and every dish was full of flavor. The service was excellent — the staff were friendly, attentive, and made the meal even more enjoyable. My favorite dish was the Pad See Eiw , Others menu just absolutely delicious, perfectly seasoned, and cooked just right. I would definitely come back again and highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great food and great service.

Awesome food and superb service here! Best Thai ice tea in the US. Very well balanced on the tea flavor and milk. My husband and I have a good time here. They also have a very unique menu. We have ordered the Tom Kha noodles soup and roasted duck curry. They are both very flavorful and good amount of food. Definitely will be back even we are coming from the eastside. Our server Bo is very attentive. She is so sweet!

Oh my god!, we’ve traveled from LA via west coast and this is the best Thai food we’ve had in US so far!!! The food is so delicious and the portion is very decent size, and we eat them all!!!! very impressive, highly recommend for those who crave for Thai food, I definitely coming back , love it👍

I had an amazing experience here! As a Thai myself, the food was authentic — especially Tom Yum fried rice and crispy rice salad. Highly recommended for someone who look out to eat good Thai food around Northgate area.

The best Thai restaurant in town. I love Larb Khao Tod Salad. I ordered no vegetables for these two dishes. So, they might look different from original ones. But they were so yummy 😋

This was the most delicious and delightful little Thai restaurant we've ever eaten at! The staff was so friendly and spent time interacting with us and our kids. They were kind and fast and it was SO yummy!

Love this spot! My husband and I frequent here for takeout but we've also dined in! Food is consistently delicious and the owners and staff are always friendly! Love their crispy garlic chicken, noodle dishes, and soups! The ambiance is nice and we love coming here!

I am a huge fan of Southern Thai cuisine and this restaurant's dishes are absolutely delicious! Very flavorful and spicy. I highly recommend trying their "Spicy Basil Bison", "Boat Noodles with Beef", "Roti Gang", and of course "Crispy Garlic Chicken". Very welcoming and friendly service! The interior is clean, chill, and not noisy...perfect for dining. Highly recommend!

Visited Ban Hua Sai early on a rainy Friday evening. Service was very friendly and fast! It was not very busy inside, but it seemed like a lot of people were ordering to-go! We had the Thai iced tea, crab wontons, panang curry with pork and crispy garlic chicken. All of it was delicious, but our favorites were the Thai tea and curry. It's definitely a nice neighborhood spot, can't wait to go back!

Small neighborhood Thai place that is my favorite in the Maple Leaf area. After a few visits, I can say that all of the dishes so far have been solid - flavors and seasonings are well-balanced, and the food looks and tastes very fresh. The crispy dumpling rolls are an interesting item - loved the chewiness from the wrapper and they were more substantial than the usual spring rolls. Both the pad see ew and Pad kee mao were well prepared and not burnt. The panang curry is our fave as the curry is rich yet not as heavy as some other places - some additional veggies help. Service is friendly and the prices are quite reasonable in a day where pad thai at many places can cost $20.

All the usual suspects plus more pumpkin curry/Roast Duck breast soup/and on and on try the Larb.Khao Tod salad @16.50 with ground.pork crispy rice cilantro onions in a tangy sauce with the Phad Kee.Mao @$16.50.wide noodles with chilli paste bamboo shoots onions and basil (sweet) and the garlic string beans @$12 (or if @ happy hour $9) Happy Hour is ONLY on Tuesday but from 4-9pm and bottle wine.price.@1/2 off - now that's a real HAPPY HOUR cheers al

Been craving some aromatic Thai food on a rainy Monday night and wanted to check out Ban Hua Sai. Although the food had some delicious flavor, it still was a bit lackluster for our liking. My wife and I came in on a Monday night and it was pretty quiet inside. Got a table immediately, and I ordered: Chicken Pad Thai (a staple for me, sorry for being so "basic") Basil Fried Rice When the dishes arrived, my first thought was - that's it? The fried rice looked paltry and small, with small pieces of tofu scattered around. My wife doesn't each a lot, but she finished this dish in record time - and was still hungry afterwards. My chicken Pad Thai had great flavor and was your classic Pad Thai, so it scratched my urge and satiated my craving. But similar to the fried rice, it was definitely on the smaller end. And the noodles were so congealed too and stuck to each other - not a fan of that. Finally, there were very little nuts and I had no lime to squeeze, so it lacked that tangy acidity. Overall, decent spot. Service was fine, and the food tasted good. But we left still hungry and the portions were small. There's other Thai places in the nearby neighborhoods of Roosevelt and Wallingford, and we will be taking our business there.

I've been here twice so far and each time, the food has been so good! I really love the garlic chicken and the tom yum soup! Service has always been so nice and they give great recommendations. The restaurant itself has ample seating and lots of options for tables or bar seating. We've dined in during lunch time and we've always had such a nice experience. 10/10 love this spot and highly recommend their food!

I've tried almost everything on the menu and used to eat here regularly. DD or Dee Dee, the owner is really nice and it always makes me happy seeing elders cooking food in a kitchen where you can smell the ingredients and fresh dishes. For example, the wait time may be a little longer because the vegetarian fresh roll is made fresh and the chicken skewers are being grilled to orders instead of being rehated like some other restaurants. You can hear the sound of the wok and the wok spatula which is quintessential for many Asian and south Asian cooking and I love this sound from when I worked in restaurants. The smells of dried and wet curries fill the restaurant and the tangy zesty aromas of chilly and fish sauce add a nice balance of flavor to any dish. The fish sauce is not too sweet or acidic and I really enjoy the mango salads, veggie larb, and the sticky and red rice to tie my meal together. I encourage supporting this local restaurant that is family owned. You won't be disappointed with the fried fish with mango salad or anything else on the menu.

I don't know how long this place has been around, but I was sleeping on it for far too long. We ordered the larb salad, the crispy garlic chicken, sticky rice, and the keaw kling with the banana rolls for dessert. We got everything at the highest spice level, which in my experience is not always spicy in Seattle, and they didn't disappoint. Everything was quite spicy and to our liking. I'm exciting to come again and try more. Highly recommend the keaw kling.

Ban Hua Sai was my favorite restaurant for years but last time I went I found it had changed into a cocktail lounge. The bar took up half the space. Ths last time I went I ordered my favorite, Mongolian beef. and didn't recognize it. (It was take-out and when I tasted it I was tempted to throw it away.) I queried Google and got what I'd expected. Liquor sales are just way more profitable than food, and after a few drinks the customer will eat anything that's put in front of him.

Love everything I have ever eaten here. I've eaten at Ban Hua Sai 3 times now and going to again right now...*****5*****Stars

The interior is elegant, spotless, and thoughtfully designed--very inviting. We were seated right away, and the service was impressively quick. Prices are super reasonable, especially considering the generous portion sizes. If you go, do not skip the crispy garlic chicken- the texture is absolutely phenomenal. The tom kha noodles were another standout: rich, tangy, and full of bright lime flavor. Absolutely planning to come back!

We went here for the favorable reviews. But it ended up being disappointing. The Pad-See-Ew is dry and lacking in flavor. We ordered the Beef Penang curry mild and ended up with a spicy and salty concoction. The crispy garlic chicken is not crispy and is on the tough side. And when I paid the bill, I was surprised to see an extra charge for using a credit card. The server could have mentioned it first. Overall, not a good experience. Avoid this place as there are better Thai restaurants around.

Yummy. I got the pad Thai with beef, crab wontons, and potstickers. Everything was really yummy. I personally wasn't a fan of the wontons, but the flavor was good. The pad Thai had an adequate amount of sauce, which is important to me. I would definitely come back here.

The best Thai I've had in years. Creative options and great service. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Best Thai food in Seattle. Most places are basic and pass, but this place raises the bar.

Lovely Thai restaurant in North East Seattle. The food is delicious; the service is great! We ordered the oxtail soup, crispy garlic chicken and the cry Tiger and everything was spectacular; the Cry Tiger being our favorite. The restaurant is run by lovely people and they gave great recommendations and just super nice and friendly. Ample street parking too!

Ambiance nice n clean Service good Food good not great Small corner street restaurant Parking limited on the street Was good. :) try it out. :)

Just had dinner there tonight. I can't eat a lot anymore, so I ordered 2 appetizers (fresh roll with prawn - came with a garlic dipping sauce) and fried smelt with a dipping sauce that tasted like apricots (haven't had that for 50 years). Both were excellent!! And I talked to the waitress, since it was slow so early. She is from Laos. I love meeting people from places I've never been to.

First time having curry with banana in it! The banana pieces taste like potato when stewed which is interesting. The flavor is pretty good too with strong fish sauce and good blend of spices. Service is good ambiance is good will come back to try more!

Solid Thai food from a local place. My wife and I really enjoy the drunken noodles and Phad Thai. definitely a neighborhood place. We often go here for takeout, but on the occasions that we have eaten in the Customer Service has been good. The staff are very friendly. I recommend this place to anyone looking for Thai in Maple Leaf.

I'm sad Ban Hua Sai is not what it used to be. I remember when it first opened, I was THRILLED to order from here because both the Pad Thai (my all time favorite dish) AND the Tom Yum Fried Rice were absolutely packed with flavor, and really made a lasting impression. I had known my last few visits had not been up to par, and yet I gave it another go recently... sadly, I think it will be my last. The worst feeling is when I get home, open my takeout box, take a bite, and have to add salt/tamarind to make it taste like anything. It's been so bland the last few times, which I don't understand at all. The base of it has also dramatically changed since it first opened, and I suspect there may be have been ingredient swaps/reductions along the way to cut costs. The Tom Yum Fried Rice suffers the same fate--what used to be a savory, complex flavor bomb is rendered dry, bland and lacking. There is barely a trace of Tom yum paste, and the amount of lime leaves in it overall are meager at best. I will say, the fresh rolls have stayed the same all throughout, so that's one positive.

I came here cause of the favorable review. Only 1 table at 1pm on a Saturday. Looks like it will be more busy as a bar. The zenlek moutun was a bit peppery but I loved it. The Namya Paktai (fish curry) didn't have pieces but has minced fish, and I didn't enjoy this. The crispy garlic chicken is usually my favorite at other Thai establishments, but it is very dry, not to my liking.

Restaurant was quiet at 5:15pm when we arrived - seated quickly and we chose from the android tablet menu - this is perhaps the only negative I can think of - the scrolling was janky and we would have preferred paper menus. We chose Shrimp Pad Thai, Cashew Chicken and Namya Pou and the dishes arrived hot and appeared freshly prepared. Flavors were delicious with just the right amount of spice (3 star) and flavor balances. Service was good and prices reasonable. Highly recommended, we'll be back.

Great neighborhood Thai restaurant with tasty drinks! We did go once to find out that they were closed for dine in due to staff shortages so if you're counting on dining in you might want to call ahead.

Decent standard thai place. Portions are a bit underwhelming compared to other places around here. But maybe that's post-pandemic inflation? The papaya salad was good, but pad khee mao and Rangoon were pretty underwhelming on the flavor front. All were pretty stingy on the portions.

I wanted something different and the reviews for this spot sounded really good. I stopped by for some takeout, they took my order promptly and I waited maybe 15 minutes tops. By the time I got home (15-20 min drive), the food was still in great shape as it was properly packed, and it didn't need reheating. Now I gotta say everything was delicious! The crab rangoon was spot on, the rice salad was sooooo flavorful, and the mango sticky rice was perfect to end the meal. I'm definitely going back!

I have tried most of the Thai places in the neighborhood, and Ban Hua Sai is my favorite. Their food is high quality and full of complex flavor, not too sweet or bland like some other spots. Their panang curry is my favorite, either with chicken or tofu. The chicken they use is tender, thinly sliced chicken breast, and it's good in any of their dishes. I have also enjoyed their cashew chicken and pad thai. I have a soft spot for their crab rangoon, which can withstand delivery times and still arrives outright crunchy with a creamy, crabby interior. Pre-pandemic, it was also a nice, peaceful atmosphere for dining in. I haven't been back since re-openings, but I will try to before long. If you haven't tried Ban Hua Sai, make it your next choice for dinner!

This review is for their takeout order. We ordered their crispy garlic chicken (delicious), crab fried rice (good), tom yum fried rice with chicken (delicious), pad thai noodles (not that great), yellow curry and rice (good). Food was ready in 10 mins and we were really surprised. The crispy garlic chicken and tom yum fried rice are the 2 things I would highly recommend eating here. Prices are fair.

I saw all the positives reviews about this relatively-new place and decided to give it a try! Based on all the praise for the crispy garlic chicken, we had to order it and it didn't disappoint. I was skeptical because I don't like heavy breading but this was literally the lightest breading but still crispy and great flavor (a combo of sweet, salty, and a little spice). I could eat this chicken all day! We also got the pad kee mao and one other dish that I don't recall but everything was tasty! On my 2nd visit, we got the crispy garlic chicken again and it was just as good as the first time! We also ordered a hot/sour oxtail soup (special that day), roti with curry, and the jungle curry. The oxtail was so tender and delicious! I haven't had it in a hot/sour broth but it was unique. Other positives are that parking is relatively easy (street parking but not too crowded), ambiance/vibe is modern and nice, and the menu has lots of items and goes beyond the generic things like pad thai, pad see ew, etc. There are a lot of things that I wasn't really familiar with but would love to try next time. Also, they have happy hour on Monday and Tuesdays pretty much all day! The few (minor) negatives are that some of the portions seemed a bit small and the jungle curry was SO spicy. When we looked at the menu, I think we missed the fact that there was a chili pepper icon next to this dish, so it was our fault. However, when we ordered, we asked for everything else 1-star for spice level and mentioned that we can't handle spice. I feel like our waitress could have let us know that this jungle curry can't be modified re: spice level and that its like 3-4 star spicy! But... all in all, a solid place and welcomed addition to the neighborhood!

I usually Love the kao gai zapp, but it was disappointing today. Instead of basil there was Romaine lettuce- not the sane texture or taste at all. There was not enough sauce, or it is had changed? There's usually cilantro and way more onions too, but not here. Ban hua sai did you change the recipe or just run out of things today? Am a bit disappointed

This was our go-to spot for Thai. Great menu and flavorful dishes. We have noticed in the past two months the portions have significantly decreased; I used to be able to order Pad Thai and have some saved over for the next day- now in the smaller to-go container that isn't filled all the way I am hungry after finishing. Really disappointing to see Ban Hua Sai give into the shrinkflation trends. To-go service has also been slower but this could be related to time of day we get pick up our order.

The food was very good!! And the ambiance in the restaurant was nice, nice service and friendly staff.

Ate here with my boyfriend in December, it was absolutely delicious. Food, cocktails, and customer service was awesome. The panfried catfish was amazing, same for the curry, pad tai and pad kee mao. Truly the best pad Thai that I've gotten to enjoy! The food is authentic and made with care! 10/10 recommend this restaurant and I will absolutely come back and take friends and family who come to visit Seattle!

Pretty average food! I called and requested to make everything vegan yet our phad Thai had egg in it, the eggplant was also very bland. Panang curry was flavorful so we survived on that.

While on a visit to Seattle and staying in North Seattle I passed this restaurant many times heading with a friend taking her to work. As we both love Thai food and have spent a lot time in Thailand we decided to give it a try. We did and had a fantastic meal, perhaps the best Thai restaurant I have been to in USA and really better than many restaurants in Thailand. Flavors were excellent and of course ordered too much as could quite not finish. Had the fresh Spring rolls, Papaya salad(one of the best I have ever had), garlic chicken and the mouth watering Cry Tiger beef. All were so good. Staff was most friendly and accommodating and honored my request for no cilantro (pak chee) in all the dishes. We had a dessert to try and that too was super, and cannot even remember what we had. Will be back in July for another visit, and can't wait to eat there again. The whole restaurant was so clean and parking was easy. Thanks for a great meal. Jim at Maplelag in Minnesota

AIiiii, this place doesn't joke around when it comes to making spicy dishes :O Came here at a whim with my mom for a quick bite to eat and overall, this place is a pretty solid spot when it comes to Thai food. Here are some notes from my visit: Parking - Super limited to just street parking Interior - open and cozy. Definitely like the relaxed vibe here Pricing - typical $10-15 range Quantity - fairly small for individual dishes. If you're with someone, highly recommend ordering at least 2-3 dishes to share :) Quality - yummmmmy food! Food we tried: -Mango Salad - refreshing dish with the sweet mango slices + spicy sauce on it -Tom Yum Soup - tasty but nothing too out of the ordinary -Khao Gai Zap - MMM! I really like this dish. Unique twist of crispy chicken that's cooked with various spices -Larb Khao Tod - tasty appetizer but wish the rice was a bit more crispier and warmer -Dessert: Longan with sticky rice. Perfect solution to a burning tongue. Seriously, medium was pretty hot for a low spice tolerance person like myself.

Tried here the first time. The pad see ew was average. Could've had more chicken and sauce/flavor. Definitely not worth the price. Not sure if I would come back.

Went into this place by myself when there were literally no other customers sitting down. Asked to sit at the bar to get some food and the host responded, with an attitude, that it might take awhile as they had a lot of to go orders. After 15 minutes of no service, I left.

EXCELLENT FOOD - a hidden gem in the Maple Leaf neighborhood! We arrived around 6pm to a mostly empty restaurant but by 7pm it had filled in and you could tell many folks were regulars here. The ambiance was warm and gentle music played lightly overhead. SERVICE was great - there was one server handling the whole restaurant and she did a good job of timing everything from the drinks to the dinner. DRINK OPTIONS were varied and unique. There was definitely something for everyone here - from good beer options to flavorful cocktails, and soju and sake as well. I had the guava lemon drop and loved every sip of it. Next time I will have the passion fruit lemon drink! SPECIALTY food items included a very tasty Tom Yum - their take on this Thai classic was more of a fusion blend and the best Tom Yum I've ever had. The Green Lantern included fresh whole prawns in a delicious green curry, topped with fresh avocado and bell pepper - the varying textures of each of the elements in this dish created a perfect dance of flavors that really impressed my tastebuds. The Swimming Rama (common Thai dish) was just average - the spinach and bean sprouts were fresh and paired well with the peanut sauce, but the shrimp was not as special as the head-on prawns in the Green Lantern. All in all a great experience - looking forward to returning in the near future!

This is my 2nd visit, and I'm going to keep coming back. Great food, great service. I got the Panang Curry, extra spicy, and Tom Yum soup. Both chock full of fresh ingredients.

TLDR: good food! Get dessert! Proportions slightly smaller than normal. Quiet atmosphere. Lighting is dimly lit but not too dim. Pop/upbeat music in background. They have a 5 seat bar and one small TV to the side. Street parking only. Menu is just stapled sheets of paper for now without pictures. The description is pretty thorough though. Service: wait to be seated, order at the table, check brought to you, your table will be bused. Kra Pao Kai Dao: I got the zero star spice. Very flavorful and on the sweet side. Tasty sauce and the rice really helps with neutralizing the flavor but there isn't enough rice to last the whole meal--you run out of rice before the dish is done. I really like how all the veggies look and taste so fresh--crisp texture!Fried egg a bit on the crispy side but the yolk is still runny--tastes good though. Pad Kee Mao: typical pad kee mao but with fresher tasting veggies. Tofu Fresh Roll: finally a fresh roll that isn't packed to the brim with vermicelli noodles! The greens are spring mix and not romaine or iceberg lettuce, which is a plus! The mango adds a a really nice tang. On the "fruity" side. The tamarind sauce is sweet and tangy as well--not peanut sauce but just as good, maybe better! I'm a fan for sure! Sweet Rice with Longan: very sweet! Love the sticky rice and the "pop" of the longan pieces--adds a nice sweet tang! There was slightly too much crisp coconut slices in my opinion but it was still tasty!

Do yourself a favor and order their Tom Yum Fried Rice. I think they use really thinly shred of kaffir lime leaves but it makes all the difference in the world. I had to take a moment of silence after my first bite. It's just incredible. I have mostly ordered takeout from here but we've dined in twice. Service is quite attentive and the restaurant is quaint and minimalistic. Parking is street and rather limited. Other dishes we've tried here: Kra Pao Kai Dao - ground meat (I got chicken) stir-fried with garlic, Thai chili paste, basil, chopped green beans, onion and bell pepper with runny fried egg; which was amazing as well. He really likes the Crispy Garlic Chicken, and their Tom Kha was really good. His other fave dish here is the Roasted Duck. Their Salmon with Fresh Mango Salsa was also incredible. I really enjoyed them all from start to finish. But despite the high popularity, I did not like their Kao Gai Zap. It's their lightly battered and fried chicken breast in their own special blend of spices, with tangy sauce, cilantro, onion, lime juice and mint. But that dish didn't mix well on my tongue; I know it's one of their popular dishes, it just wasn't for me. Finally, for dessert we ordered the Sticky Rice with Longan and toasted coconut topping, which is a comfort dessert type. It was quite good, and it's a nice alternative if you're tired of getting the mango sticky rice like at every other Thai restaurants you've been to :) As I mentioned above, you need to order their Tom Yum Fried Rice. Specially if you love tom yum soup or tangy dishes in general. I had a hard time sharing more than one bite with my husband haha. But seriously, I highly recommend it. I see myself coming back here for this dish very often.

Just went here for a first date and the food was very good, excellent. And the service by a tall man was warm and amazing. Clean place. Big servings

What a hidden gem. I travel over the states quite a bit and this is one of the most authentic Thai I've had in the left coast. Looks like my local friend will start making this his regular!

It's true what they say..the crispy garlic chicken is really good. Crab Rangoons with actual crab, great sauce.

The food is really good here! They have lots of options for vegetarians, and everything has a great flavor. The only reason I'm giving them 4 stars is because the portions are quite small and it's pretty expensive given the amount of food you get. I would go again, but there are cheaper options around!

We ordered 4 dishes for delivery, it's not bad. The delivery experience is good, foods arrived in hot and on time. However, the taste is just on average and the portion is small. The eggplant dish had very little eggplants and light flavor but lots of chicken though, and beef curry is full of ginger but very little beef and strong lemongrass flavor. And, none of their entree comes with rice, almost every dishes are about $1 higher than other Thai restaurants in the neighborhood. Overall, it's not bad and we may order delivery again in future, but it's just about average standard with higher price among all Thai restaurant in Seattle.

The Tom Yum fried rice is absolutely fantastic here. Would come back just for that dish alone!