Kev O.
Yelp
What a cute little casual and cozy gem of a Thai restaurant. My girlfriend and I decided to take drive out to Laguna Beach for lunch....and whilst doing a search on Yelp, this place was recommended as a place I may like since Yelp seemed to have figure out that I like Thai food. I was a little skeptical at first, a Thai restaurant in Laguna Beach?....hmmm.....well, it sounded good by all the good reviews.....so why not give it a try.....I had a craving for Thai food anyway.
So off we went, managed to find a private valet parking lot since I already knew that metered street parking would be a pain on a weekend, and to my surprise, the parking lot across street offered valet parking for a very reasonable $2 per half hour or ....if I remember correctly, $10 for the day.
The second I walked in to this little restaurant just off the main road, I was already impressed by its quaint, cosy, and casual decor and ambiance. We were greeted by a nice and friendly guy, who also seemed to be the only server working there, and was given a table at the front, by the window, and where we could watch people walking by.....oh, and where it was more brightly lit so that we could actually read the menu and see what we'd be eating.
Anyway, because this is a small business, the menu selection will not be as extensive as those larger seating area and more staff.....but, I found that it still had some of my favorite Thai dishes that I almost always order. Sadly, my favorite appetizer.....tod man pla (fish cakes) are not on the menu.
So, we went ahead and ordered the Chicken Satay...comes with a peanut dipping sauce, Papaya Salad, Famous Yellow with chicken....or yellow curry with chicken, Drunken Noodle with Chicken.....or basically pad see yew....dried flat rice noodles...with chicken.
Overall, very impressed with the quality of the food. Everything prepared hot, fresh...and with obvious care..... had great flavor in the curry and noodle dishes, papaya salad fresh and crispy with a nice (medium spicy) kick, and the chicken satay tender and yummy......some places over grill it till dry. What I really appreciated, particularly with the curry and noodle dishes was perfect ratio of ingredients.....not too much noodles and too little meat and vegetables....and not too much vegetables and a skimpy portion of protein.....like in some other restaurants.
The quality, taste, and portion sizes were spot on....imho.....and we really quite enjoyed our dining experience here. my girlfriend even commented that she thought the food was "soooo good!"
I highly recommend this place, but being such a small place, you can expect a wait during peak hours. We will be back for sure.