Melanie L.
Yelp
Chai Thai is a staple in the Bay Area, known for their delicious food and noodle soups. My go-to here is the roti bread with the yellow curry sauce and the Kao Poon noodle soup. I've been a supporter for many years, but during my most recent visit, the food quality and prices have changed.
While the roti bread isn't as authentic as other Thai/Southeast Asian restaurants, the sauce is the best part as it packs a flavorful punch. The bread is very flat, almost like it was pressed in a crepe-waffle maker, and it's a bit tough to bite or cut into rather than having a flakey, soft, and more chewy texture to it. What was even more disappointing was the Kao Poon. I order this soup without the mint, bean sprouts, or roasted chilis. Despite that, my bowl of soup is usually still packed to the brim of the bowl with the soup and loaded with a bunch of cabbage and sliced chicken at the top with the most creamiest curry flavored chicken coconut broth. During this visit and to my dismay, the soup came out looking like it was made for a fine-dining restaurant (this isn't the type of restaurant it's meant to be) with only a spoonful and maybe a half of sliced chicken and a spoonful of cabbage at the bottom of my bowl, garnished with 4-5 carrot strands, cilantro, and sprinkled with some chopped green onion. The soup was not even close to reaching the top of the bowl, the soup broth didn't have the addicting flavor to slurp more and more of, and nor did it come with all the meat that it used to have. This may be suitable for others, but it's definitely not the amount or the quality that I kept returning to Chai Thai for whether it was dining in or ordering to-go.
I had to ask the staff if management changed and they confirmed there have been a lot of changes recently, including the prices increasing a few dollars over the last few months but it's the chef that has been updated, which could be the reason why certain menu items don't appear or taste the same anymore. I get change is inevitable, but training people to ensure the quality or appearance of the food isn't too different than what made your restaurant is truly important. There's no question that the service is pleasant and quick. The ambiance is the same, they also have a happy hour menu for their bar/drinks too.
As a local, I'll continue to support the business, but it may not be as frequent considering the big changes to some of my favorite dishes at this restaurant. Hopefully the team will reconsider how they construct their noodle soups soon.