Best Thai Food
Thai food is great for those who like food loaded with flavor. These are best places have Thai.
1. Eem – Thai BBQ & Cocktails
Portland – North
Epic, elevated Thai fusion. The BBQ fried rice with brisket is a must. White curry with brisket burnt ends was fab. We also loved Massaman curry with smoked lamb shoulder. Cocktails are good. Some are better than others. The Shoulda, woulda, coulda was the best by far. This joint is super popular. They don’t take reservations. Be prepared to wait. They give you a pager. We had a drink around the corner while we waited. It was definitely worth the effort.
2. Pure Thai Cafe
Vancouver – Central
Pure Thai is pure delight. The food is clean as it is flavorful. It looks and tastes like it was prepared with thought and care. We had Tom kha soup with chicken. It comes mild, which my wife likes. I added some hot chili oil to bring it up to my liking. I had the Mango on Fire with beef which was wonderful. My wife had Kana Moo Krob with fried egg. The restaurant is small with only a few tables. The staff are helpful and friendly. The price is a bit more than you will pay at other Asian restaurants for lunch. But I’d say this one is worth it.
3. Yaowarat
Portland – East
The waitress recommended that we order 5-8 dishes. They’re $18-26 each. We weren’t up for blowing a lot of cash so we ordered six plates. It was just the right amount of food. The menu is a bit challenging since it’s very seafood focused but we were able to find meat and vegetable dishes. We all agreed that the best was the tofu. I’m not usually big on tofu but the flavor was by far the best. The fried rice was $16 and nothing special. The Black Pepper Beef was tasty but small for $26. Going forward we think we’d just order a bowl of tofu for each of us. The craft cocktails are fab. They lean towards refreshing and a bit tropical, but they can make other types, if you know what to ask for. I had the Obsolete which was spirit forward, rye and rum drink that was delicious. Someone else had the more polite, 76 Letters, a vodka based cocktail with Amaro, lemon juice and fruit liqueurs. Both we just $14 each. That’s a good price for a craft cocktail in this market. The joint was hopping on a Friday night. The street parking is sparse. Plan to walk a block or so. PRO TIP: I tried to book earlier in the day but it said there was nothing available. I called and inquired and was able to get a table for four. Bottom line is I like Yaowarat. Their unique Bangkok style is very flavorful, but not cheap. Our bill was $165 before tip with us trying to be mindful of cost. If you stick to drinking water, you can play less. But what’s the fun in that?
4. Thai Orchid
Vancouver – Downtown
Thai Orchid used to be one of the best Thai eateries on the Vancouver side of the river. Although it’s not as good as their pre- COVID era, Thai Orchid is still a solid choice. Pad Prik is very good. Tom Kha soup is great. It needs to be at least 3 stars for spice. Wife is good with that. I like spicy. 4 stars on the entree is spicy but just right for me. #38 with no rice, broccoli or cabbage is a fab choice. Wife and I like pad see Ew. Even though she likes mild she gets it with three stars. Be careful ordering a dish with fish. They serve some with the head, tail and the whole shebang. INSIDER TIP: Best to ask about prices when ordering a cocktail.
5. Keo Thai Cuisine
Battleground
Staple neighborhood Thai eatery. Great for lunch.
6. Wild Tiger Thai
Vancouver – East
One of the better Thai joints in this area. Great flavors and fresh ingredients. Website is excellent for placing orders with details. We liked the Tiger Noodle and Pad See-Lew for meaty dishes. Pad Thai is very pedestrian but my daughter said it’s the best she’s had. I really enjoyed the coconut shrimp. PRO TIP: They have 5 levels of spicy: Mild, Medium, Hot, Very Hot, Thai XX Hot. I really like spicy food but hot is what I order. Very hot is too much for me.
7. Thai Peacock
Portland – Downtown
Great Thai joint with gluten-free and vegan options. Lychee Martini is fantastic (Vodka, lychee, lychee liqueur, lychee fruit).
8. Le’ Lert Thai Eatery
Vancouver – East
Le’ Lert is a new Thai joint that opened a few days ago. They’re off to a great start. I had the Street Noodles with beef, which is like Pad Se Ew. My son has Pad Thai with chicken. Both were very good. They have a very limited bar offering a smattering of cocktails, beer and wine. I went with a Lycheetini cocktail. I wouldn’t order it again. But the food is fab and the service is very good. We’ll definitely be dining here regularly.
9. Talay Thai Cuisine
Vancouver – East
Dependable neighborhood Thai restaurant with generous portions. I like drunken noodles with beef. I like at 4 stars spicy.
10. The Noodle Bar Thai Street Food
Vancouver – Central
Small Thai joint near the mall that serves quality food. I had Pad See Ew. The beef and noodles were better quality than usual. Their website claims they serve lunch Mon-Fri 11:00am-3:00pm and dinner Mon-Thu 3:00pm-9:00pm (until 9:30 Friday). But when we arrived at 2:30 for a late lunch we were told they were closing at 3PM and that if we still wanted to order we should sit outside so they could leave at 3. My guess is that they were looking to take a break between lunch and dinner. It still seemed odd. Having said that, our food was excellent. Just know to avoid that 3pm changing of the guard. Ample parking.
11. Thai Carnation
Portland – Troutdale
One of the better Thai restaurants in Portland. Food is fab and flavorful. Service is friendly. My Drunken noodle was served with the perfect amount of spice. We also enjoyed the tempura shrimp and vegetables appetizer. The King Rama has a deliciously rich peanut sauce but had more carrots than I cared for. We’ll ask for less next time.
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