Hanuman Thai Eatery

A few months ago we tried going to their Newport location, but no luck, it was packed and the wait was long, so this time around we decided to try this one instead. Even though it wasn’t a peak hour, it was still busy when we came mid-afternoon, and we ended up waiting about 45 minutes. My gf and I love Thai food, and this place came highly recommended. It’s a little on the pricey side for Thai, but the food was really good. We got the Panang Curry, wish there was a bit more rice, but otherwise it was great dish. Inside seating is tight with low lighting, which gives it a nice cozy vibe, but if the weather’s nice I’d definitely go for outside seating as there it’s more room and you can enjoy the weather. There’s also a 90-minute limit, so you can’t really linger, which is something to keep in mind. I wouldn’t go here with a big group if you want to hang out for a while. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, they do have tofu and other non-meat options, but the sauces do contain fish sauce, just a heads up. They also ask about allergies before taking your order, which is nice. Service was a solid 10/10, our hostess and servers were friendly and on top of everything. We tried their newest dessert (can’t remember the name), which was a nice way to end the meal. Overall, a solid spot for a nice meal out or a date night.

This place was fantastic. The food was phenomenal, the staff was friendly and accountable, and the drinks were very good. Will definitely be coming back. Here's what we ordered along with what I thought of it: Hanuman's Ceviche: 9/10 very good, just wanted more of it Thai Sausages: 10/10 very good, plenty to share Pad See Ew: 10/10 my personal favorite and will be reordering Drunken Noodle: 8/10 a good contender if you like spicy and a drier noodle Massaman: 10/10 a great option for steak and curry lovers Khao Soi: 7/10 this may be an unpopular opinion, I though the flavor was crazy and very good, it was just very very rich, I could only have a few bites of it Fried Chicken and Sticky Rice: 9/10 Coco Mango cocktail: 10/10 has a great thick consistency, I'm not a huge fan of coconut but this was kind of like a mango colada Lost in Samui cocktail: 10/10 this drink was delicious, love the pandan and very refreshing A note on both of the cocktails, the alcohol in them was not very strong at all, so next time I would just order the mocktail for half the price. I added my group to the waitlist online about 30min prior to us meeting there. After we checked in, it did take about 15-20min to be seated. It is a rather small place.

We have been here a few times for a variety of occasions and have always left extremely satisfied. Everything from the food, service, and general atmosphere is great. There is usually a wait here so I would definitely reserve for large parties. Overall, I'd highly recommend the Papaya Salad, Drunken Noodles, Yellow Curry, and Fried Chicken. When we went, they were also serving items from their sister restaurant next door which had pretty good sushi. I'd highly recommend this place to anyone.

I would come here for the Khao Soi alone. I didn't even know what Khao Soi was until I had it here and ohhhhh wow. Life-changing. Not even overstating it. The pictures speak for themselves. I also loved the ambiance and the staff here was wonderful. Everyone was helpful and friendly and really made my experience so much better. Unfortunately, when I came back a few days later, I decided to try the pad thai and I wasn't nearly as impressed. Pretty bland and did not really have any kind of wow factor or anything that made it memorable at all. Pretty disappointing. But still. That Khao Soi. And the other diners around me had pad see ew and curries that looked amazing. I will come back to try more of the menu on my next work trip.

My boyfriend and I absolutely loved the khao soi and pad see ew! We’re from the east coast and after coming back, we’re disappointed in all the Thai food we have here because none of it compares to Hanuman Thai. I would wait 2.5 hours again to eat here (the Yelp waitlist estimation was incorrect). At the time, the wait time felt really long but it was worth it in the end

I have been here twice and always go early (between opening time to 5pm). Therefore, I got seated within 5-10mins. This time, i ordered the cerviche, chicken curry with roti, and drunken noodles with chicken. The old fashioned drink was ordered next door given the same ownership. Food was delicious and the staff was friendly. I will come back to try sushi next door! Old fashioned drink - $17 3 dishes came out to like $73 + tips.

Very nice Thai food done a little differently to your usual Thai restaurant. For example the Chicken Satay comes in a bowl rather than on skewers, but it was delicious and generous in portion size. Pad Kee Mao was also very nice. Friendly service and nice ambience and seating inside and outside.

Got off John Wayne and came here directly. The chicken wings were very tasty! Also had the curry which was very good as well. The ga pow was good but I wished was a bit more flavorful and spicy (got the medium). Overall, top notch taste and experience. Service was exceptional as well.

This is genuinely the best food I've ever had, and the price is so fair for what you're getting! I would recommend trying to get a spot inside at night though cause it is a little chilly outside.

it's trending for a reason would highly recommend making a reservation as wait times can get crazy. service is always amazing when i've went. whoever the girl is (shorter, glasses?) that runs the host stand you're a trooper (and so sweet!) it smells amazing when you walk in & the staff greet you in thai + were constantly refilling our waters lol personal rankings: - pad see ew: 10/10 actually life changing - pad thai: 6.7/10 authentic, boyfie loved it a lot - thai fried rice: 7/10 good & flavorful! got a little tired of it at the end - khao soi: 7/10 a bit spicy! creamy curry & chicken meat falls right off the bone - street noodles: 6/10 it was okay! again, a little spicy but the soup on the side def helped - thai tea crème brûlée: 11/10 actually life changing. not to sweet & subtle thai tea flavor! - coco mango cocktail: 8/10 tasted like it coconut mango sticky rice were a drink! tho next time i'd just get the mock - lychee mocktail: 9.5/10 sooo yummy

I came with friends for dinner recently, it was a Tuesday night. It was crowded and there were quite a few people waiting as well. It's really a cute place, it's a small space so you may want to plan for that if you have a large party. The food was excellent. The quality, the flavors, the presentation were all top-notch. I had the Pad See Ewe which was likely one of the better dishes I've had at a Thai restaurant in a long time. My friends had various curries, which were also excellent. It was the type of dinner where we were grunting and making noises as we ate. The reason I didn't give it a five is because I did not feel that the service was great. Our reservation was at 6 o'clock and we ate pretty quickly at seven, the hostess said they were crowded and asked if we would leave soon because they wanted the table. I could've understood if we had been there even an hour and a half but I felt that at one hour, to ask tables to leave was a little bit rude and took away from the experience because it is a really nice Thai restaurant and other respects. It wasn't a diner, and it wasn't the type of atmosphere where you eat quickly and run out. Additionally, we needed to ask for refills on our water several times. I think I would go, but I would go during hours.

This place is ok, everything felt very sweet. The massaman and Khao sou was alright. For the hype on the internet and price point I did expect more. Pad see ew was delicious. The lamb appetizer was good but not a normal Thai dish. Parking was easy and service was good. We did have to wait a bit. The decor and style inside is very pretty and modern. Good date night spot!

I would come here for the Khao Soi alone. I didn't even know what Khao Soi was until I had it here and ohhhhh wow. Life-changing. Not even overstating it. The pictures speak for themselves. I also loved the ambiance and the staff here was wonderful. Everyone was helpful and friendly and really made my experience so much better. Unfortunately, when I came back a few days later, I decided to try the pad thai and I wasn't nearly as impressed. Pretty bland and did not really have any kind of wow factor or anything that made it memorable at all. Pretty disappointing. But still. That Khao Soi. And the other diners around me had pad see ew and curries that looked amazing. I will come back to try more of the menu on my next work trip.

This is really thoughtfully made Thai food and a few steps up from your neighborhood Thai spot. Tom Yum Koong is one of the best renditions I've had...ever. The flavors were just well-balanced. I don't usually love coconut milk, but this really worked for me since it wasn't heavy-handed. I just wish that the super fibrous ginger and inedible lemongrass was cut into bigger pieces so you can avoid them or just fished out entirely. Solid Drunken Noodles with pork. I love noodles. Panang curry with hangar steak. The cook on the steak was perfect. The curry could have had a little more salt and some acid...it was a little sweet for me. I probably should have amped up the spice factor, too. Service was great and so was the food.

I've heard so much good stuff about this place but was never in the area or the one time I was, it was when they were closed. I was finally in the area again couple nights ago so I decided to give them a try. The wait for one person was over an hour so I put in a take out order. Took about 30 min to get my food but still faster than getting seated. The hostess was friendly and knowledgeable. I got the Massaman curry with steak and also the chicken wings. Maybe it was because it was take out(?) but it wasn't amaaazing like everyone said it was. Told my friend and she still says I have to eat it there haha. I love chicken wings and I will say, they were juicy. The crisp was all right but the sauce definitely saved it. I'll come back and dine in one day but for now, they're all right. Parking was pretty decent, I got a spot right away but it got packed quick. Saw a bunch of families with kids dining here but also younger friend groups as well.

Overall 4 star for food and service.... If this was based on food alone it would be 3.5 stars. It's a small place with such great customer service. Super nice and attentive! The food was good too! We enjoyed the fried rice with the sweet and salty sausage. My son loved it! The fried chicken with the sticky rice was great but I honestly don't need the sticky rice. The chicken itself was enough. The khao soj was ok. I think I've tasted better but I'm not saying it's bad! It's just not the best I've tasted like most of the reviews said. It def did not live up to the hype. The curry was ok too. I think we should have gotten the panang instead. We know it's not mango season so that bummed us out!! We love mango sticky rice and those looked so good on Yelp! We did go for the coconut ice cream sticky rice which was so good too! It's really a good Thai restaurant! I just don't know if it's the hype everyone talks about. Will come back for mango season for sure!

This original location will always be special to me (I've been many times!), because it's where I told my best friend I was pregnant, and the servers were so happy for me, and we ate like QUEENS. We ordered sooooo much food (yes to the special chicken wings, pad Thai, and mango sticky rice, depending on if it's in season). Sadly, the location is small and parking can be TOUGH. I heard their new location is easier?? But the ambiance in here is great: you can feel the kindness and good energy, even when it's crazy packed.

Great experience here. But I wish they accepted reservations. It's first come first serve only and they get very busy. After joining a waitlist, we waited an hour and a half before we were seated, this was on a Monday night. Good part is you can enjoy a drink next door while waiting. Service was good. Our food was incredible. I got the salmon curry and it was phenomenal. I didn't try any drinks so I'll have to go back again and try one or two.

Service isn't great if you come with a lot of people. They act annoyed when you ask for the wait time and give inconsistent estimates. I get the place is small, but I feel like they need to make their yelp waitlist more accessible to deal with this issue instead of forcing you to be within 4 miles. I noticed a lot of other people were also given inconsistent times and told to wait an additional amount of time when it was their turn on the waitlist. The actual server who assisted us during the meal was very nice though and the food was pretty good.

Hanuman Thai Eatery really delivered on flavor & portions! We started with our go-to comfort dish: Tom Kha Gai with chicken ($21). Creamy coconut broth with that perfect balance of sour + savory, it warms the soul every time! Next was the Pad See Ew with pork ($19). You can never go wrong with this noodle dish.. savory, rich, & well-seasoned. Only thing was the noodles were a little soft for my al dente-loving taste, but still delicious overall. Then came the Massaman Curry with hanger steak ($25) & let me just say... I would 100% come back just for this dish. The curry was fragrant & flavorful. PLUS the hanger steak was cooked medium rare & so tasty. It came with roti (that pillowy, pita-like bread!) AND rice, perfect for soaking up the sauce. Huge portion & super shareable! We also had to try the Khao Soi ($24), which is what caught my eye about this place. Presentation was so cool! Egg noodles layered on top which you dunk into the creamy curry broth. It comes with a large drumstick in the middle & once mixed, it's creamy deliciousness! The curry was on the stronger side, flavor-wise. For drinks, we ordered the Coco Mango Mocktail ($9)! Such a fun combo! Gave off mango sticky rice vibes in drink form. Refreshing & not too sweet. Service was great, our server was attentive. Pro tip: Put your name on the Yelp Waitlist before heading over!! It gets busy & this saves you from waiting too long! Highly recommend for Thai food lovers who appreciate big flavors & generous portions.

My favourite thai restaurant in oc, and for good reason. Seems they've recently combined kitchens with the neighboring japanese restaurant- ETC so you can order items from both sides if you please. They also have a selection of japanese-thai fusion dishes which I had to order from for research purposes. Raw sweet shrimp app: 8/10 one of the fusion dishes. I liked how they deep fried the heads. Sauce was a bit mild and the heads were a little hard to chew but the shrimp was fresh and thought it was a good dish altogether. Im a sucker for sweet shrimp so would order again. Scallop sushi taco: 7/10 essentially an open temaki in the shape of a taco. I didnt like the mayo/sauce they used but id try the other tacos next time. Scallop was fresh. Lamb-singh: 10/10 most unique lamb dish ive ever had. Sauce paired very well with the lamb and it was cooked to perfection. Only complaint is that they didnt have more chops on the plate. Boat noodles: 10/10 soup was so comforting and flavourful. Great portion size and very generous with the meat as well. Massaging with fried chicken: 10/10 one of my fav curries in all of OC. Not much else to say other then that I will order this on every visit.

A great spot for Thai food and this is one of two locations that they have. There's a good amount parking and the location has both indoor and outdoor seating available. This restaurant can get very crowded, but they have a Yelp waitlist available. Both drinks that we tried had really nice presentation as well as taste. They were a little bit on the stronger side, which was appreciated. The Crying Tiger was very tender and cooked to a nice medium rare. Both the khao soi and pad see ew were delicious. They had lots of flavor and they're both great for sharing.

I am always on the hunt for good thai food! I've been to Hanuman Thai 2 times now. I love the Pad Thai here! It comes with shrimp and the flavors have that balance of tang, sweetness, and umami Perfectly balanced and seasoned! It is 10/10 on the pad thai! I do love me some pad kee mao but the one here was lacking that basil flavor and didn't have any complexity to it like the dish usually does (spice, fish sauce umami, basil aroma). My friend ordered the ceviche to share. I thought the hamachi ceviche didn't taste so fresh or refreshing. The shrimp chips were a nice add but overall, I would skip it. Same with the papaya salad which I love, but it only had a ton of acidity and not enough umami/ depth. The curry is also delicious! I definitely recommend the pad thai and curry! They also have such a nice cocktail and beer list! I haven't tried these yet but they had such cool ones! I was intrigued by the tom yum beer but we always order a lot of food so I will get it next time! The service is alright. There's usually a wait, so I recommend getting there before there'll be a rush. My party and I got kicked out because I think there is a time limit? Our group was catching up and vibing so much, we didn't even realize there was one? Wish we knew earlier. That was kind of a bummer but this place only has a few tables (intimate small restaurant) so it makes sense they were kicking us out to seat another party.

If the goal was to make us wait long enough to be absolutely starving so we'd eat anything in sight--mission accomplished. My friends and I waited over an hour and were famished. By the time we finally sat down, we were ready to eat our own arms. We ordered right away, and to our surprise, the food came out super fast. The standouts were the larb, drunken noodles, and the Thai tea crème brûlée--each dish was incredible. The food was amazing, the service was excellent, and I honestly can't wait to come back.

This is the original Hanuman location. My friends told me about this place a few years ago, and it is delicious! (I have to say that after trying Manaao though, Manaao is slightly better.) I ordered the panang curry with beef, pad see ew with chicken, gai todd hat yai aka fried chicken with sticky rice, and the sweet roti for dessert. The PANANG CURRY WITH BEEF was perfection- 5 stars. The curry had such a nice, rich flavor, and the beef was melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. The pad see ew with chicken was pretty good- 4 stars. The GAI TODD HAT YAI aka fried chicken was the best! The sweet roti was pan-fried roti with condensed milk and cocoa powder on top, which I thought was okay, nothing special- 3 stars. This location is extremely busy, so make sure you go right when they open so you can get seating... or you'll need to wait at least an hour or more. There are only a few tables inside and outside. Also, the food is much better here than their Costa Mesa- Newport location. Happy eating!

First and foremost, where has been place been all my life?! Why is it now that in 2023 that I finally discovered this place... If you're reading this in 2025, yep. Classic ADHD tendency of mine. I probably got distracted doing something while writing the original review that I never got the chance to finish .... Until now. I've actually been back to Hanuman a few times after my first visit. The service is always super nice ! everyone's warm, attentive, and genuinely wants you to enjoy your meal. The ambiance has that cozy, family-friendly vibe that makes you want to linger a little longer. It is always recommended to come with great friends to share the generous portions of food with. All my favorite dishes are pictured and honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them. The most filling would be the Khao Soi dish, it is creamy and decadent. 4/5 Fried chicken wings w/ sticky rice is my favorite !!! 5/5 Papaya salad is light and refreshing, that touch of spiciness is oooweeeeee 4/5 Hanuman's ceviche is light and refreshing as well 4/5 Im pretty sure I had their mango sticky rice too but I didn't take a photo bc Im a dessert monster, finished it before I could remember to snap a photo. Anyway, I'd come back and bring friends when I'm in town :)

Absolutely one of the best Thai places I've ever been to just wow. This place is always packed we were lucky enough to get seated right away and we knew exactly what we wanted. Watching countless plates of Pad See Ew go by I knew for sure that's what I had to order along with the Karee and crying tiger Every single thing I ate here was perfect zero complaints just absolutely perfect so good I got mad at my friend for not taking me sooner. Highly recommend everything I ordered I'd order it ten times over just wow.

I feel like everyone in OC knows about this spot at this point but it is seriously the BEST hands down thai place here. You can't go wrong with anything on their menu. Drunken noodles 10/10 Pad thai 10/10 Green curry 10/10 Pad See Ew 10/10 Chicken wings 100000/10 - MUST TRY The chef special hanuman dish with the crispy noodle on top is to DIE FOR!!! My fiancé loves the steak dish. The cocktails are divine. I always get the lychee one. The dessert is also amazing.

Went here for the first time after hearing about it on IG and from a friend and we were NOT disappointed at all! From the drinks to the food and service, everything was on point! The place is VERY busy so join the waitlist in advance and check in with the staff at the podium. There is indoor and outdoor seating, and we were lucky enough to get seated indoors. They have alcoholic and non alcoholic cocktails along with delicious appetizers that taste fresh and authentic! We had the ceviche (obviously a fusion item) and the ribeye steak appetizer (which was spot on Thai flavor). I had the Khao Soi which was great! Def a must try for a nice central OC Thai restaurant. Great for a date and hang out!

There's such a hype around this place that we expected maybe a skosh better but ultimately it was good. Would I wait in person for such a long line? Probably not, but if you can join the online waitlist it's worth it. Larb was pretty good, I do with it came with more vegetables (radish in this setting is useless to me) and was a bit more interesting spicewise. The khao saoi we will always enjoy and this was a fairly creamy version of this which we enjoyed. Spicy basil chicken is always my marker of how much I'll enjoy a place of this cuisine and this was pretty average, so ultimately a bit of a letdown. I did like the plating and the ambience of the restaurant, which was not what I was expecting from the outside. It's a fine option for Thai food.

I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. The food is absolutely worth the wait (if there is one), the staff is friendly, and the service is wonderful. Every time we eat here, we order the Son-in-Law Eggs, Green Papaya Salad and Gai Tod Hat Yai, along with a new entrée to try. This time I had the Khao Soi curry bowl, and it did not disappoint.

Hanuman Thai is elite ! The panang curry? Ridiculous. I got it with flank steak, and wow--the steak was cooked spot on. The curry was beyond flavorful. I tried a Thai beer with it; not my favorite, but drinkable. Do yourself a favor: order the roti. Scooping up that sauce is a game-changer. Perfect spot to come with a group and try everything on the menu.

Dining here is like eat in common plaza area with semi-fine dining service. Best to join waitlist if you guys coming at rush hour. My husband ordered their new menu, Mee Klook which has very good plating on seasoned egg and fish cake skewer, FYI this noodle is dry and has soup on the side. This menu is good for anyone does not keen on strong taste. While me, coming from faraway, of course needed to try the famous Khao Soi. The noodle's type is my favorite texture and don't get me started with the chicken, it literally was falling off when I forked it, SUPER TENDER! It comes with dry noodles, I guess for presentation purpose and the curry soup was finished by me alone (which most of the time I never did that). It has so many flavour: creamy, lemongrass, galangal and other secret herbs. And as for service, everyone is so accommodating , friendly and really explained well when we got some questions. Rated for 10/10 for everything. My suggestion, they should expand to bigger place so that able to accommodate more customers, making it less waiting list.

Three friends and I visited on a friday night and the wait was over 2 hours. The restaurant itself isn't that big but they are maximizing their space by having outdoor seating. I've never been the biggest fan of Thai food, but I loved this place. I've been hyperfixated on Thai tea recently, and theirs did not disappoint. I also got some type of guava cocktail, which I thought was just alright, the coco mango one was better, especially when you mix in the cream. We ordered the Hanuman ceviche as a starter, and it ended up being my favorite dish. For entrees, we got the pad see ew, khao soi, and the massam curry. The portions were really big, so it was a bit too much food for three people. The pad see ew was my favorite out of the entrees. I did like both the khao soi and the massam, but I wouldn't recommend getting them together since they're kind of similar. For dessert, we initially wanted the mango sticky rice, but it's out of season, so we got the Thai tea crème brûlée instead,and it was so yummy. I would love to come back and try more items from their menu.

Found this place from IG. The curry looked so good that we had to stop by. Service was great, from the hostess to our waitress all and all amazing and friendly. It's a small place so it's understandable when you see a line waiting to be seated. Today we tried: Ceviche - 4/5 I thought it was good. You can taste more of the sweetness than the yellowtail. Chicken Satay - 5/5 the sauce was amazing! Karee curry with hangar steak - 4-5 the curry was sooo good! We got the steak medium rare but it was too chewy for our liking.

I don't think they need any more 5 star reviews But read them and believe it Come here now !!

This is a very interesting restaurant. It has all the pieces to be one of South Orange County's finest and best restaurants. It has a Michelin Star written all over it, but the pieces are put together wrong. The design and execution of what the kitchen creates does not do the kitchen any good. The front of the house is so disorganized that the back of the house, the food, the product is compromised. Let start with what is right about Hanuman Thai Eatery: the food! Excellent! Fresh and flavorful. The staff is kind and helpful. The location is beautiful and central to OC. The style is like you are on the island of Bali, very nice, exotic. What is not so good about the front of the house is how they manage the waitlist. Yes, We put our name on the Yelp list at 6:45 p.m. and were told our "estimated" seating time would be 7:30 p.m. We arrived at 7:30 p.m. and checked in. No problem, we waited in our car......and waited......and waited.... so I checked in again, and were told they are running late. At 8:00 p.m. we checked again, and more apologies and excuses.... so we waited longer. At 8;30 p.m. we checked again, and were told we are not on the waitlist. I reminded the same gal that I checked in at 7:30 p.m and here is my app on my phone, we are 13th in line. OOOHHH she says, Yes! More apologies and excuses. We finally sat down outside at 9:15 p.m. The food came at 9:30 p.m. The menu is limited and could use more veggies. There is an imbalance of proteins and cooked veggies. The curry came poured out on a plate with rice? It should be presented in a bowl to keep the heat and flavor in it. They ran out of mangos and sticky rice, of course. There is a large parking lot they use for the waiting area. Why not build a platform and create a larger seating area with tables? They have the room to sit 40 - 50 more people to increase sales and make people happy like us who had to wait for two hours to be sat down. I hope they figure out these issues, because this is a restaurant with such great potential. One more final "It irks me," is they gave me my bill with three choices of tip: 20%, 22%, and 25%. What? You think this is the Capital Grille? Mortons? Maestros? NO, silly. I had to get out my phone and type in 18% to figure out the tip. 25% tip!! That is funny. You make me wait three hours and expect that kind of tip?

This place is absolutely amazing and definitely worth the wait! Me and my friend got the Karee curry (yellow curry) with tofu and it was so flavorful and rich. Honestly, the best yellow curry that I have had in my life. The tofu was grilled so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside which creates the perfect balance of textures with each bite and the white rice was cooked to perfection. Servers are kind, give great recommendations regarding the menu and definitely made our night special! I highly recommend this place and would come back again, absolute 10/10 :)

After finishing a movie with a good friend, we couldn't decide on where to go to grab dinner. Friend suggested Hanuman - which tbh, I've never heard of before despite it making Yelp's Top 100 list at some point. When we got here, there was a 50 minute wait (somehow, I missed the option to waitlist myself on Yelp when I had initially looked them up after friend's suggestion). The friendly hostess told us that we will likely be seated sooner, since it's near closing, and they are encouraging diners to leave after they are done eating. We were seated in a table right next to the window - which was great for people watching while we waited. Andrew was our friendly and attentive waiter for the evening. It was great that he even asked upfront whether we had any food allergies - a thoughtful gesture that most places wouldn't think of asking. For an appetizer, friend and I split the Thai Sausages ($14). Both sausages were full of flavor, I enjoyed the different accompaniments that came with the plate. I ordered the Street Noodle - a pork-themed broth soup that had a pleasant, aromatic base to it. The meat to noodles ratio was great - noodles were al dente, I enjoyed the flavorful meatballs and sliced pork. Each sip of the broth was rich of flavor. It wasn't too spicy, and I enjoyed the crunchy topping once it softened up a bit more in my soup. Friend had the drunken noodle, which he ordered extra spicy - and paid the price lol. We're complete opposites in terms of spice when it comes to eating. He managed to somehow finish his meal - but I couldn't even sample it considering how I didn't like spicy food. It looked great though. The dining room has great aesthetics. Parking is easy to find, since we came in the evening, so a lot of the strip mall's businesses were already closed. While the food was great - it wasn't out of this world amazing. The nearly hour long wait would be a huge consideration factor for me if thinking of revisiting this spot again. It is open until 10pm, so that's a plus.

This place is always a hit when I bring friends from out of town! I got the drunken noodle and the Khao soi. The dishes were both very flavorful, savory, and well-portioned. I understand why there's always a line but the key is to get on the waitlist beforehand. The staff is always nice and friendly, highly recommend checking this restaurant out!

Another restaurant that lives up to its hype and more. Stopped by later in the evening (maybe around 8:30) for a late dinner. The two of us split a khao soi (5/5 creamy broth, tender and abundant chicken, piping hot), beef pad see ew (4/5, a little sweet for my liking), and mango sticky rice (5/5 impeccable presentation and taste, love lots of cream and mango was so good!). There's indoor and outdoor seating, plenty of parking, and service is very attentive, even when you're outside which is really impressive.

Waited about an hour to be seated for dinner time. Lots of parking available. I was surprised to see that the restaurant was pretty small, so there were tables set outside along the sidewalk in front of other businesses with fire heaters to keep you warm. Personally I wasn't a big fan of sitting outside but could appreciate that they were trying to seat everyone as much as they could. They also played clubbing music so you can tell they really wanted people to eat and go (maximum time to eat was 90 minutes). Unfortunately when expectations for a place are too high, it's easier to be disappointed. 7/10 Khao Soi ($24): The broth was too heavy and is easy to get tired of. It was sweet but too creamy as they used a lot of coconut milk/cream. I would recommend getting a side of rice to finish this. The chicken was good and not dry. Wasn't a big fan of the noodles. 7/10 Panang ($20): We got the chicken thigh as our side of protein. We enjoyed this dish more but like the khao soi, it was too sweet and not savory enough for a main dish. The curry sauce was also a little thin, but I enjoyed the crisp skin of the chicken. Service was really nice hence the four stars! Hot water was an extra dollar, but they let you know beforehand. I wouldn't recommend this place if you're craving authentic Thai food as I think there are better places for way better prices and portions. Still give it a try if you're curious though.

So hot right now.... The lines are insane so expect to wait at least an hour if you're not there right when they open. Best move is to get there early, put your name down, and go chill in your car or walk around. The parking lot also sucks. It's tight and gets packed fast. Once you're in, the food is great overall. Definitely worth trying if you're down to wait. Mocktail: Get Super cute and really tasty. Ours was creamy, fruity, and topped with puffed rice and a flower. Definitely a fun one to try. Wings: Get These were fire. Crispy, juicy, and came with sticky rice and a dipping sauce. One of the best things we had all night. Khao Soi: Get Rich and comforting. Loved the crispy noodles and curry broth. It's a good pick if you want something warm and filling. Curry with Steak: Maybe? The curry itself was bomb but the steak was tougher than expected. Still tasty, just not the best texture. Dessert: Get This was a surprise hit. Great texture, nice presentation, and just a really satisfying end to the meal. The server we had came off pretty pretentious which kinda killed the vibe a little. It didn't ruin the meal, but definitely noticeable. Food: 8/10 Service: 5/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Value: 6/10

I've been to the original a few times and that place always hits. We tried to go there one night, but it was fully booked and they weren't taking any more parties so we tried their second location. You know the saying, second locations are usually not as good as the original, but we were surprised the food was so good. We ordered the massaman curry, chicken wings, larb, and Spicy basil. All fantastic choices. My favorite was the Massaman curry then the spicy basil followed by the chicken wings and larb last. Staff here is very nice and service is quick. Highly recommend if you're in the area to give this Thai eatery a try!

Had a great experience here with some coworkers. The dishes were yummy and the perfect spice level. Service was on spot and the atmosphere was lively. Overall great experience and will be going back when in town.

A pretty solid modern Thai restaurant. We were seated outside, but the inside looked cute and cozy with their decor. We would have liked to sit inside, but they were preparing for a big party. The service was good and we were checked in on frequently. What we ordered: Hanuman's ceviche - good flavor, though I think it was a little too sweet for my liking. I did enjoy the shrimp chips that came with it. Pad Thai - not bad, but I didn't realize that there was no protein to go along with it if you didn't add the shrimp Massaman curry with steak - it was good and I really enjoyed having the roti alongside it to dip. I'm not sure if it was because we were sitting outside, but the food wasn't as hot as I would have expected. Coconut ice cream - it was good for the first few bites, but then got too sweet. Mango coconut drink - it was good and tasted like mango sticky rice Lychee mocktail - good, but again a bit too sweet. I had to wait for the ice to melt Overall, it was a good experience. I'd come back to try different dishes.

8.7/10 Panang Steak - This plate is seriously aesthetic. That's what first caught my eye and drew me to the restaurant. That said, the portion size is on the smaller side. I was able to finish the entire meal easily, so it might not be filling enough for someone with a bigger appetite.The curry was flavorful and paired amazingly with the steak--it was honestly a great combo! I just wish they had included a bit more steak. One downside: I was dining outdoors, so the food cooled off pretty quickly. Price - $23.00 before tax and tip--not a bad price for steak! While the portion wasn't huge, the presentation was excellent and definitely added to the experience.

my, and many others', favorite thai food in oc everything was DELISHH and SO flavorful!!! everyone loved it and everyone i've recommended it to likes it my favs were the Khao Soi, Pad See Ew, and the Massaman, though you can't go wrong with any of them. i really liked everything FR!!!! the wait is usually always very long, between 1-3 hours on evenings and weekends. make sure to join the yelp waitlist or go early to put your name down. there's indoor and outdoor seating with heaters. either seating is good! inside is small but cozy. the service is great too everyone is so sweet i def def def recommend!!! a must try

Make sure to join the waitlist ahead of time! Even though it was 4:00 PM on a weekday, seating was pretty limited because this place is so popular. We were lucky enough to get seated immediately outdoors, but indoor seating was completely full. The waitress was very nice and gave us recommendations on what combinations of dishes to order and how to eat the dishes etc. I got the khao soi, which was so flavorful, creamy, and rich. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender. The Pad See Ew was also exceptional, especially paired with the vinegar, which balanced out the sweetness of the dish very nicely. The noodles were bouncy and soft. The Gai Todd Hat Yoi was also really good. The chicken wings were so juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, and the sticky rice was mildly sweet, pairing well with the savoriness of the onion crisps and the spicy kick of the sweet chili sauce. Overall, this is a wonderful spot and I can see why it is so popular. Definitely recommend!

I love love love this place. One of the best thai restaurants in OC and one of my personal favorites. Everything is delicious, but I highly recommend the Khao Soi and Panang Curry with steak. The service is amazing. They are very attentive, efficient, and friendly! Highly recommend making a reservation if you'd like to visit for dinner or have a large party.

I went here with my best friend and the food was delicious! We got the Gai Todd Hat Yai-- which was so good, probably my favorite dish. It's really crispy and the flavor is to die for. We also got the Panang Curry and it was really good as well, I would say certain parts of the steak were a bit too salty, but overall an 8/10. Lastly, we got the mango sticky rice for dessert and it was SO delicious. mangoes were fresh and the sticky rice was warm. The service was fast and they were very friendly too! The place was fairly small but there is also seating outside! We waited about an hour to get seated!

The food here is delicious and the staff are great! Pro tip: the line and wait time is LONG. Get here early and be patient - it's worth the wait. I highly recommend the pad see ew, fried wings, the banana pudding, and the crème brûlée! You'll leave fully satisfied - I promise!

Probably the best thai food place that I've tried so far. Like I would try others and then think those places might be up there, but when I come back to Hanuman, I realize, no, Hanuman is still the best. Love their Khao soi.

This might actually be my favorite Thai restaurant. I wish I could try everything on the menu :'D So many favorites from this dinner but the Gai Todd Hat Yai (fried chicken) is a must have appetizer! The sauce and flakes complimented the chicken well giving it extra crunch and sweetness. The lamb-a-singh was also fantastic, cooked very well and flavorful. The drunken noodles had a nice kick to it, I'd say maybe it was a bit saltier than I'd like but still very tasty. As for drinks, I got a mocktail of the mango sticky rice drink but wow it was quite literally mango sticky rice in drink form! Of course, we also got the actual mango sticky rice dessert and it was a great way to end it, just what you'd expect. The vibe of the place itself is quite warm and vibrant! The service was great as well with waiters checking in at great times. Love this place, will definitely need to come back when I'm in the area again. I just cry that it's not closer to me

Food: I ordered the Khao Soi and the Gai Todd Hat Yai. They were both delicious. After squeezing in the lime and crushing the fried noodles into the creamy soup, every bite of the Khao Soi had lots of flavor and texture. The chicken drumsticks easily fell off the bone with not much effort. The Gai Todd Hat Yai was also delicious. The meat was tender and moist while the skin was very crispy. Dipping the meat in their house recipe sauce made the chicken taste savory and sweet. The dish also came with sticky rice and fried shallots, however I didn't care much for that. Service: The waitresses were nice, approachable, welcoming and attentive. While I had one waitress serving my table, all the other waitresses also were also asking if I needed anything or had questions, mind you this was during dinner rush and the restaurant was filled. The service was superior. Side note: I like the entrance of their restroom.

Something as basic as a chicken fried rice was the best chicken fried rice I've ever had. The khao soi and the massaman were fantastic in terms of flavors as well. The togo was super fast and easy. The plaza was very easy to park and navigate as well. I would go back again to dine in person when I am up in Irvine.

Had really high expectations for this place after seeing how top rated it was by so many other reviewers. I actually just tried Manaao recently and wanted to compare these highly recommended Thai restaurants. The menu is somewhat limited but had all the key dishes I was looking to try like Khao Soi, panang curry with roti, chicken satay, and pad see ew. The pad see ew was very good and had such a burst of flavor! Chicken satay was immersed in a delicious peanut sauce. The panang curry was good but not the best I've ever had. The one thing that annoyed us was how much the roti was. It was $4 for 4 small corner pieces - I took a picture of the side to show how crazy it is to charge $1 for an individual cut piece of roti. Khao soi was okay, I will say I prefer Manaao but still glad I tried this place.