Marie W.
Yelp
We have found our new favorite Thai restaurant!
Zaya Thai Pantry had popped up on Yelp, so I quickly bookmarked it as I wanted to check it out, which we did just last week.
Zaya Thai is beautifully decorated, minimal and chic. Upon entry, your eyes bring you to the brightly lit bar where the bartender is shaking up cocktails.
We happened to dine here on the evening Zaya Thai Pantry was hosting a small event for the Chamber of Commerce, so it was a bit on the loud side. However, the gracious owner, Zac, immediately approached our table to apologize for the unusually loud atmosphere. The noise didn't bother us at all, as we were eager to eat.
We started off with two cocktails, the Lychee Martini and Thai Mar-TEA-Ni. I really enjoyed the Lychee martini as it was not too sweet.
We then ordered the Crying Tiger, Crab Fried Rice, and Basil Stir-Fry with Beef.
The Crying Tiger was served with sticky rice and a small bowl of papaya salad. I was pleasantly surprised to see a side of papaya salad as it's one of my favorites, but not so much for hubby, so we very rarely order a full dish of it elsewhere. This dish was delicious, and we very much enjoyed dipping the strips of ribeye in the citrusy dip.
Next time, I'll ask to see if they can sear the ribeye a tiny bit longer.
The Crab Fried Rice was DELICIOUS! We ordered it without tomatoes as I personally am not fond of tomatoes in fried rice. One thing to note is that the crab fried rice DID NOT smell fishy at all. We've been to several other Thai restaurants, both high-end and fast casual, and for some reason, the crab fried rice has a fishy scent to it. We definitely enjoyed this dish and will be sure to order it again (and again and again).
The Basil Stir-Fry with Beef was another yummy dish that was devoured quite quickly.
For dessert, we ordered the Thai Tea Lover and WOW! I somehow missed photos of this dessert on Zaya's Yelp page, so I was not expecting to see thin crepes a mile high with frosting in between. This dessert was absolutely scrumptious. It was not too sweet, and the coconut sorbet was perfect with it.
Zaya Thai Pantry serves delicious food, and the service is deserving of 10 stars or more. Our server was attentive, kind, and quite funny. We look forward to returning to Zaya Thai Pantry soon!
TIPS:
If you like your Thai food hot-hot-HOT, please ask them for a side of spices to add fire to your dish. They don't have the typical spice tray, but they did bring out homemade chili oil, which added the heat I was craving.
Ask your server for the Laos version of the Papaya Salad. Trust. You're welcome :)
They have two entrances, and the entrance that's located on the parking lot side (off Railroad Ave) has a super cute floral sign which is perfect for photos.