Phaya Thai Express

I really wanted this to be my new favorite place, based on what I had read. In practice, though, it wasn't quite my thing. The concept is great - you can order a bowl of rice with one, two, or three different 'toppings' (proteins with different sauces). This idea lets a single customer have their own family style meal, without leaving with a week's worth of leftovers. Don't get me wrong, a week's worth of Thai food in my fridge would be a wonderful thing, but by day 5 I may find myself questioning my choices. Anyway, there were two of us, and we ordered a two item bowl as well as a stand alone Pad Thai. My main quibble is with the bowl - the proteins were not quite as flavorful as I would have liked, and were on the dry side. Since they're adding items from a steam table, they understandably haven't been seasoned to order, and probably shouldn't be heavily sauced, to prevent sogginess. Considering the lowest common denominator limitations, I think I'll stick to the traditional Thai restaurant model, but I think Phaya could be just right for some people.

Had a great That meal here. Very authentic and super tasty. Staff was very friendly as it was my first time and they explained the menu carefully. The vibe of the place is kind of cool as well and they have a big patio in the back where I was able to enjoy my meal with my dog. Will come back soon!

This place has been on my radar for awhile too check out and finally was able to stop by for lunch. It's like a cafeteria style place where you pick the items you want to eat. It almost reminds me of a Panda Express, but with Thai food. We each chose a three plate combo and then shared it between us. I'm a sucker for a good pad kra pow and a good curry. Their steak curry had a good flavor and was the best out of the three soup/curry we ordered. The people working here were super nice and friendly. The interior is spacious and there's an outdoor patio section available to sit during the nice days.

Nice cozy spot with customizable bowl options. Visited in the early afternoon of a Wednesday, so the place was mostly vacant. Loved the fried rice along with the custom bowl (eggplant & palo). Highly recommend checking this place out.

I have celiac disease and the food here is unbelievably good. Even pre diagnosis this would be one of my favorite Thai spots. We got food to go and brought some back to Seattle. How do you guys get those noodles for your pad see ew?! Are they homemade? Delicious

I enjoyed rice with 3 side entrees (phaya chicken, bamboo shoots chicken, and chicken massaman). Overall, delicious freshly made Thai food (without gluten) is served at this restaurant.

The first time I visited this restaurant, I had a great experience. This server was really nice and took the time to explain how to order. The food was even tastier than I had expected. The next day, I decided to return because I enjoyed my previous visit. Unfortunately, the experience was quite different that time. The server on duty was not friendly and seemed uninterested in their job. That server just placed the food on the table without speaking to us at all. Because of this, I’ve decided not to come back again as long as that server is working there.

My partner and I ate here for the first time today, as I have celiac disease and visit Portland often. I'm dairy and meat free and my partner eats whatever. Super happy with the food and the portion size. Friendly person working the counter (possibly the owner?) asked if we'd been in and explained how it all worked. Asked clarifying questions about my order, nothing complex, I ordered extra veggies as my protein and she asked if I wanted egg which it comes with by default. I got the pad see ew, I added a side of rice, and we got drinks.

This restaurant has been on my list for a couple months per a recommendation. Finally had a chance to stop by, I was definitely not disappointed. The staff was so friendly and helpful explaining through how the restaurant works. You can pick a bowl which comes with choice or white rice or brown rice with lentils and quinoa (extra charge), then you can pick one, two or three sides. There's a variety of sides you can pick from and they are constantly made fresh. This reminds me of how Panda Express works. I got the steak panang curry, kabocha and stir fried egg, and Prik Khing tofu with their brown rice + grains. The steak panang curry was recommended to me by someone and I had to get it. It was a good decision, very flavorful, tender beef too. The kabocha and stir fried egg was good, not as strong in flavor but I like it. The Prik Khing tofu was delicious with a little spice. They give a hearty portion of rice with everything and I had leftovers to take home. I also ordered Phaya Punch which was slightly sweet but refreshing. There's no direct on site parking here but there's neighborhood parking. There is street parking too but it's a busy road. The decor here is also really nice, great place to hang out and grab something with friends or family. I'll be back to try their other dishes!

Great place! Like a way way better, local, gluten free version of Panda Express. (Like wayyyy better). The food was really good, though woah when they mean "hot" chicken they really aren't kidding. It was hot like Nicole Kidman in the 80s hot. I'm still on fire. If the weather is nice, they have a LOVELY deck out back that really adds to the atmosphere. Check it out!

I was so so so excited to try this place because I've seen people on Instagram visit. It was really disappointing. :( I ordered the rice combo with 3 sides (cashew chicken, red curry, and salt and pepper shrimp) and it was like room temperature, not quite cold but getting there. I got there right when they opened at 11:30 AM so maybe the food was heated up? There wasn't too much protein in the red curry. The cashew chicken was pretty good and the salt and pepper shrimp would've been good if it was crispy and hot, but it was almost soggy and just room temperature. My friend got the pad thai with beef and she said the pad thai noodles tasted good, but the beef didn't taste very fresh. The cashier also didn't look happy to work either. Would not recommend or come back again.

Great concept, open & airy. Spacious seating, indoor and out. Clean and inviting, bus your own table. The service was absolutely outstanding. The food was delicious, although I think my noodles might've been a little undercooked, still good. Shrimp was perfect. Having done the made to order - not the stuff in the case - all I can say it was good, and super fast!!

This place has been on my radar for awhile too check out and finally was able to stop by for lunch. It's like a cafeteria style place where you pick the items you want to eat. It almost reminds me of a Panda Express, but with Thai food. We each chose a three plate combo and then shared it between us. I'm a sucker for a good pad kra pow and a good curry. Their steak curry had a good flavor and was the best out of the three soup/curry we ordered. The people working here were super nice and friendly. The interior is spacious and there's an outdoor patio section available to sit during the nice days.

I visited Phaya Thai Express a few weeks ago for lunch. The service was friendly. I got the 2 item rice bowl and a Thai iced tea. It came with a ton of rice and a smaller amount of the two items. The two items that I got were steak curry and larb pork. I felt that both items were good. There was a ton of rice. I think there should have been a little more of the two items but otherwise, I liked my lunch. The Thai tea was good as well. Overall, I would come back here to get a good and inexpensive Thai meal.

First time at this place and the staff was very helpful proactively walking us through the menu options. We got rice bowls, one with a combo of braised pork and salt-pepper shrimp, the other with a combo of the fried chicken and red Thai curry. Both were delicious. The pork was tender, just the way I like it. The 5 spice added beautiful flavor to the broth. Highly recommend opting for brown rice since it came with added whole grains and lentils. The red Thai curry was so flavorful and one of the best red curries I've had. It is a self-serve restaurant, great for a casual meal. They even have a bar for those interested in drinks. They also have the option to do family style as well as freshly prepped stir fried noodle options. We didn't get to try them but we will definitely be back to try more options on their menu.

I really want to love this place due to the wonderful concept of Thai express food where you able to pick out already made food options for you. I love Nudi so I was delighted when I heard the owner opened this wonderful concept. Ordered the 3 protein options and tried few selections that the worker recommend. I was disappointed when I tasted the food that it was either hard, tasted like it's been sitting out for a while, or flavor was just okay. I believe it may be due to the fact that I went during a non rush hour. There was no one else in the restaurant when I arrived and felt the food has been sitting at the warmer for a while.

This place is amazing! The food is very authentic and extremely delicious. The dining area is nicely decorated, and they have a fantastic outdoor patio for warm days. We have gone here with friends, family, and co-workers, and everyone always raves about the quality and taste of the food. The Pad Kra Pow and Steak Panang Curry are so flavorful. I just made myself hungry writing this review. I must sign off now. I am headed to Phaya Thai Express!

It's so nice to have an all gluten-free Thai place. The space is classy-looking and spacious, but the fast-casual atmosphere and loud throwback hits don't make it a great spot if you're hoping for anything too fancy. But both my dinner companion and I enjoyed our food, commenting that there was a lot of flavor.

Similar to Panda Express with the layout but upscale, local, and fresh! I really love how there were a few options for vegan, and I knew I would be impressed considering that the owner also owns Norah. I got the vegan options like the tofu curry and the fried tofu served over rice. It's very affordable and I enjoyed the curry. It had a nice spice followed by a rich coconut cream curry. The fried tofu also had a sweet sauce on it. I think the rice was mushy in my opinion, which is why I ranked it with four stars. A little disappointed by the lack of vegan options but I like how it's accessible to all diets. The cocktails looked good and there's a lot of our door seating. Very spacious inside.

Decided to stop by for a dinner, after hearing great things from reviews online and friends recommendations and loved it. Phaya Thai Express offers cafeteria style thai food, where you are able to build your plates with different entrees (curries, stir frys, etc.). I got the massaman curry and spicy chicken, I had a really hard time deciding what I was going to get as everything smelled and looked great. The spice levels vary depending on dish, but found certain dishes to tickle my mouth with loads of spice. Can't wait to go again to try more dishes. They also offer some creative tasty cocktails and mocktails to enjoy with your meal in their cute inside tables or in the outside seating in the back. I would recommend Phaya Thai Express for someone looking to try some thai staples done right!

Simple place for Thai food when you don't know what you want to eat. The kind of day where the internal divide beckons you between noodles or rice. Don't fret for you can have it ALL HERE! Price wise it's not bad and is structured like a Panda Express, the options are pretty reasonable. My issue is that there is a huge lack of vegetables, (i know that I'm aging because I'm typing this). I wish they even did a simple side of stir fried veggies (broccoli and cabbage with carrot) because after eating my food I could feel my blood pressure spike from the immense flavor(s) which were battling for dominance on my tongue. It would be nice to have something even a diy pick your spice papaya salad to balance out things. I will say if you order the pad see ew for to-go the amount of food is super disappointing because it's almost $17 for a small bowl of friggin noodles. This is a huge rip off - they need to add more noodles considering wide rice noodles are less than $1 at wholesale costs.

Excellent Thai fast food! As they said it themselves, it's a Thai Panda Express. You chose 1/2/3 items on top of rice with certain premium items with $1 extra charge. Exactly like Panda Express except the food is WAY better. We wanted a quick dinner since it was getting late and we were in and out in less than 30 mins (yes, I eat way too fast). All the dishes were very tasty, especially the catfish. Definitely recommend it for quick meal/takeout!

I will never stop raving about Phaya. It is SOOOO GOOOD. The staff is so nice. And they let you have samples. The food is absolutely incredible. You get such a great value for the price. The bowls are big. The FLAVORS are so good. The Thai basil is there. The Thai chili is there (but not too badly). It's a super fast option that is so good! They are also gluten free. The Thai tea was wonderful. The interior is spacious with lots of seating. They have lots of drink options. Outside seating is plentiful. Parking is free around the area. It's a perfect quick meal when you're in southeast. I recommend that Phaya Chicken, NY Steak curry, catfish, and the garlic shrimp.

Fantastic service, the gentleman at the front (i think he was a chef) was so excited to share what options we had to pick from. I decided on a bowl with brown rice, lentils and quinoa. I had the Phaya Chicken, which was breaded well with a sticky sweet garlic sauce. My second item was the Prik Khing Tofu which was large fried tofu mixed in a chili garlic sauce (not spicy). I did indulge in the dry chili and the chili sauce on the side which added a nice DIY kick. We had a really hard time picking items since the choices were plentiful and all in front of our faces in this high end version of a cafeteria line.

The concept of a buffet a la carte style Thai restaurant is unique. Tried this place for dinner because the IG content and photos. Tried some options like the Phaya chicken and palo braised pork and egg with rice. The hot items at the service station were kinda empty and didn't look very fresh. They were out of calamari for one customer and just not every tray was topped off or full. Maybe the lunch hours was busy? Limitint food waste? Just seemed odd the food options weren't all there. Phaya chicken had sweet garlic basic and tasted like any Chinese food orange chicken like batter. Palo pork was tender and the egg was good. The sauce had a little too much 5 spice for my comfort. Reminded me of Thai boat noodles which are way over seasoned with 5 spice. Probably a recipe I'm not used to. The white rice was horribly mushy like wayyy too much water was used to cook the rice. Like it was a few levels below porridge rice. Ordered pad Thai chaya? And pad see ew to go. I tried both at home, pad Thai did have the coconut milk flavor but was covered in chili flakes. I did ask for mild so the texture of chili seeds kinda try and raw made for a grainy texture on chewy noodles. It was too salty for me. The pad see ew was the same. Very salty but the beef was tender. Maybe the velveting baking soda technique of Chinese food was used to tenderize. There's an absence of tamarind sweet sour and fish sauce. These recipes aren't as sweet and savory compared to other Thai food restaurants. A bit more on the salty side with ingredients like fresh coconut milk on pad Thai does elevate one flavor note but mutes everything else. A partial symphony that just kinda left me like huh? What's missing. Not sure Service was good tho. Lots of outdoor seating and the interior is fresh and modern. Just the food itself wasn't as impressive as the instagram content.

This fast casual restaurant makes it hard to choose what to get, everything is delicious! I'm excited to get back there and discover more of what they have to offer. Service is friendly and portions ample. Highly recommend!

Picture the concept of Panda Express but Thai street food style. I didn't know what to expect as it was my first time, but overall I loved the experience and the food. The restaurant was spacious and had such an open layout. Since it was a beautiful day the doors were open leading you towards the patio. I came in with my friend around lunch time, noon. There were two people in front of us. There were so many options but the staff takes the time to help you decide what items you want but giving you samples. I decided to do a combo with 3 items. Rice with pad kra pow (basil ground beef), vegetable stir fry and massaman curry (chicken thigh, potatoes, peanuts and carrots). Both the pad kra pow and the massaman curry were slightly spicy. I wanted to balance my meal with a some vegetables which were well seasoned and good. My fav would have to be the curry, it was on the sweeter side and had peanuts in it which I liked. My friend got med kanoon which is a Thai jackfruit seed dessert. I highly recommend it, it was my first time trying it and it was sooo good. (didn't take a photo of it) Would for sure come back to try other items.

It's pretty amazing that the food here which is laid out and already cooked kinda like buffet style beats out a majority of Thai restaurants in portland. If you really want to taste something close to Authentic Thai, you must try the food here. The venue also very nice, spacious, and beautifully decorated with indoor/outdoor seats. The people working here are also very humble, happy, & super friendly. For now, I can't think of a better place for some awesome Thai food that doesn't break the bank and is not altered to cater to Western palates. On average, I think their generous portions will allow most people to have left overs to bring home.

Great portion size, very fair pricing. Food was flavorful, and well balanced. Outside and indoor dining love the option especially for the summer time!

Super salty food, clumpy rice & not super conscious about food safety (I'm not a fan of finding a huge chunk of plastic in my food & them doing nothing when I brought it to their attention). For the same price I can get amazing food & service at Ladda Thai only one street over...won't be trying this place again.

This place is the bomb! It is super easy, quick, and super delicious. We had the fish sauce wings, spicy steak curry and palo. Everything was on point with a good spice level. Can't wait to return and continue exploring their dishes. Also, the prices are very reasonable

This is a new fast casual restaurant. The ambiance is great and it has a nice patio out back. The staff and everyone were very friendly. I thought the food was solid but just okay. I wish Yelp had half star ratings because I feel like this is exactly a 3.5 star. Its set up is similar to Panda where small portions of each offering are made in advance and sit in warmers. All of my dishes were good but were very salty. The two curries I had were good though, particularly the massaman curry. My friend and I each had a cocktail and they were fine. This is a good place for lunch for sure.

My kids introduced me to this restaurant for takeout. Now i seek it on my own. Phaya chicken is excellent over the brown rice. Perfect midweek stop for delicious and fast. They cook to order a pad see ew that's excellent. Parking has been plentiful. Staff are pleasant, didn't feel awkward sitting awhile to answer some emails. I think I'm a regular now.

LOVED this place! Amazing choices...I counted over 20 varieties. Very authentic and of very good quality. They have son-in- law eggs, which is hard to find. Pla-mok, very common in Thailand, pork belly palo...another dish that is not easy to find , but is a favorite among many Thai people, it is a dish that is cooked in a Thai household for sure. I chose the NY steak Southern Thai Curry... Amazing flavors! Pad phet , the pork belly palo and the garlic pepper shrimp. SUPERB! Friendy and couteous service. I will be going back and bringing friends!

Fast and delicious. You can be in and out in just a few minutes for togo order. Friendly staff. Definitely be back soon.

This place is so good. The spicing is perfect, the flavor is perfect, and it's super quick. I love this place.

The food here is quick, cheap and yummy! I would definitely recommend checking the spice levels of which dishes you order. I got basil eggplant and the tofu green beans curry :) it was so good and filling! Also, the person working there was so helpful and kind. He was very patient as I was trying to figure out what to get and if I wanted to try their Thai iced tea (which I did and it was very refreshing). There's a lot of seating inside by the way!

Cool concept and nice interior but the food was mid, can't customize the spice level (was a little bit too spicy for me) and they don't have any noodle dishes. I ordered a few entrees and the portions were very small. Definitely won't be going back.

Everyone is likening this new Thai spot to a "Panda Express concept", and while I'd love to think of a more creative way to describe it, I'm also writing this on my night shift, so my poor brain simply won't be able to be able to. Let's ramble on! The highlights: I popped in earlier for lunch today (obviously not napping before my night shift) because I had seen this place appear on my social media feed. Yes, I was "influenced", this is one of the few times I'm so glad I was. Immediately the first impression is welcoming, with floral wall prints and bouquets, as well as a very clean interior. As far as ordering food goes, you basically tell them how big you want your bowl to be and choose from over twenty different hot dishes. Think of the long-ago joys of ordering food from an elementary school cafeteria hot lunch; I know most of you miss that, even if you act like you were above it. And if you're wary of the quality a cafeteria-esque restaurant offers, let me reassure you that everything we ordered was delightful. Furthermore, I was impressed by the prices - for $16 I got three entrees on top of a hefty bed of brown rice, and had plenty of leftovers for later (I of course did not remember to take them to my shift tonight). We also enjoyed a couple of fun, well-crafted cocktails. Great, quick food and a decent drink program? Sounds like a deal to me. The improveables: I've seen a few other yelpers mention the food is too salty. I suppose a couple of items were on the saltier side, but I also eat way more salt than I recommend to my patients, so salty food doesn't bother me. My partner did say that he felt like the NY steak curry could be spicier. Perhaps it was created with the average Portlander palate in mind (you know exactly what I'm talking about). The initial ordering process was also a little confusing, but the lovely folks at the counter noticed us looking lost and guided us through without issue. It can be learned, we did it and so can you (probably). I'm overall quite pleased with how wonderful this experience was. For a speedy, delicious meal worth the price, Phaya is an awesome addition to the Portland food scene. Je suis fan! Now go eat there.

This pace rules!! My current favorite Thai spot in Portland. The drunken noodles are unreal. So good!

The food and drinks are delicious. Authentic taste and reasonable prices. I feel like I'm in Thailand. Nice decoration. Highly recommended!

Liked the concept of quick premade Thai food, place was nice and the staff was courteous , but the food was lacking. It all just tasted like salt. With the wide variety of Asian spices available, it was disappointing . Nothing was spicy or really flavorful. Also they should have some noodle dishes. Portions were ample, and priced fairly. Hopefully they can improve the food

Absolutely loved my experience at this new Thai fast casual spot! I don't want to compare it to Panda Express because the food is infinitely better but think of Thai version but the food is actually fresh and delicious -- everything we ate was flavorful and had just the right amount of spice. We didn't try the cocktails, but they looked good. The patio was fantastic, and the staff were all incredibly friendly. Can't wait to go back!

Thai tea tasted like black coffee and very bitter-was not good. I got pa kraw and samosa, Food overall was 4/10.. I found a hair in my food. Website says all menu is gluten free and turns out it is not, that should be updated it is very misleading. Otherwise the staff was friendly and the restaurant was cute.

The food is amazing and going through the counter to pick is quick! Fair price and clean and well designed space! I've gone back a few times this week

The sign on the door says open at 11 AM. We arrived at 11:40 AM and were told we couldn't be served until 12. There were only a few items and were dried out beef and pork and served over rice. Caution the whitenrice is considered "premium" rice and cost an additional $1 which is annoying because it's not mentioned on the confusing menu. I have eaten in dozens of Thai restaurants and always had excellent food. That is until I ate at Phaya. Big thumbs down.

Great concept for Thai food! Food was awesome and service was great. The dishes offered were not your typical fare. Great outdoor seating and bar! Very affordable and will be on my go to list.

Amazing flavorful food, with options for every one including those with gluten restrictions or vegans! Lovely customer service and great prices for large portions. Can't wait to go again!