Kala Thai Cookery
Thai restaurant · Downtown ·
Elevated Thai dishes like corn cakes & char kway teow
Elevated Thai dishes like corn cakes & char kway teow
"Kala Thai Cookery is the younger sibling to Cha Yen (see above), located right in the heart of Boston and looking out on the bustling Haymarket (which operates on Fridays and Saturdays). The two restaurants’ menus overlap quite a bit — again, go for the corn fritters and ice creams — but one must-try at Kala that’s not also available at Cha Yen is char kway teow, a stir-fried rice noodle dish with sausage, egg, and shrimp." - Erika Adams
"I’ve long admired Kala Thai Cookery as a masterful spot in the heart of Boston; it’s run by Manita Bunnagitkarn, who is also expanding Cha Yen across the street." - Adam H. Callaghan
"A compact Thai spot located near Haymarket that reviewers describe as serving delicious, must-try Thai food; its atmosphere and dishes were rendered in lively, relatable prose that makes it feel accessible whether you’re dining casually or seeking standout regional Thai flavors." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal
"Kala Thai, an airy, casual spot so close to the Haymarket that, unless you believe busted tomatoes prevent foot blisters, you’re not going to want to wear sandals walking in there, has something on the menu called a corn cake. Those are two pretty basic words, and while you may think you have a pretty good idea of what the corn cake is, you’re probably wrong. Instead of a dense hunk of yellow bread or something that would normally be wrapped in wax paper, picture Dippin’ Dots but with fried kernels of corn instead of weirdly textured ice cream. It’s outstanding, you’ll wish you could get buckets of it when you go to the movies, and it’s just the beginning of an excellent Thai menu at what should be one of your new Downtown go-to’s for lunch or a quick dinner. The standard noodle dishes are all well done, but the small plates and curries are outstanding and the reason that, if you live nearby, you can now brag that your neighborhood Thai spot is better than your friend’s." - Dan Secatore
"Opened as a newer outpost from Cha Yen’s chef-owner Manita Bunnagitkarn and bearing some similarities to her original Watertown spot, this restaurant serves vibrant, well-executed Thai dishes. Starters include wonderful corn cakes, superb tod mun, and fried kapow dumplings; other highlights range from a fresh mango salad to an above-average pad Thai and a char kway teow of wide, stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp and pork sausage. A stir-fried garlic dish "delivers a boatload of garlic beautifully balanced with some sweetness," and central Thai coconut-milk curries are well represented by both the massaman and the red curry. The reviewer sums it up as an "oasis of electric flavors, a major-league outpost of a budding empire we hope keeps expanding." - Dana Hatic