These are reviews of Sophia's Thai Kitchen from 2009. For more current reviews, visit the entry.
2009-01-11 21:30:49 The food has grown on me, but I still don't seek it out. The bar, on the other hand, is my favorite in Davis. —ChristyMarsden
2009-02-07 23:42:24 Have to correct my earlier comment - I went here again very recently and the service was quite excellent. Maybe the management has revamped the crew. —Xenophon
2009-02-11 16:49:35 I loved the Pad Thai with chicken, though it was a little pricey. Service was great, and we didn't have to wait long at all. I'd definitely come back again. —fszeto
2009-02-20 01:28:46 Nice cocktails, I love the Moulin Rouge. One of the Best place in Davis.... —alexdavis
2009-03-19 23:02:42 I can honestly say that I missed hanging out at Sophia's (bar) while I was away for a few months. Awesome staff & the drinks are scrumptious. —AprilAries
2009-03-25 19:21:41 We ordered the green curry and I can honestly say it was the worst green curry I had ever eaten. It wasn't creamy, it was soupy and salty!!! Pretty bad. This green curry was unlike any green curry I have ever had. Even I can make better green curry at home. —Kehaar
2009-04-05 14:27:34 Is Sophia's gluten-free friendly? —nataliesadler Yea, there are only a couple of breaded appitizers, 1 noodle dish, and maybe a few others that have gluten in them. And soy sauce is rarely used in thai cuisine.
2009-04-05 17:00:45 I really love this restaurant. They have a great dining area where you can sit on a pillow on the floor. The food is amazing and pretty affordable. The drinks tend to be a bit expensive. —JanethN.
2009-04-14 11:00:28 Was here with "My Partner" again last night. I forgot just how good those little veggie thingy's are. I used to order them all the time, but, damn, they really do hit the spot. —CurlyGirl26
2009-04-16 21:52:23 If you try the Chicken Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai) you will never want to eat here again.
Like previous comments have stated, it tastes like sour rancid coconut milk is used in the broth. The first time my girlfriend and I tried it, we got sick and it tasted terrible, but we assumed it was a fluke and decided to give the restaurant another chance months later. When we came back it still tasted terrible, exactly the same as before, and we informed the waitress. She looked shocked that we could say such a thing, but apparently lots of people on here have the same opinion of it. A total waste of 10$ twice, which by the way, is much more expensive than the Tom Kha Gai at every other Thai restaurant in town.
Since Tom Kha Gai is our favorite Thai dish, we will definitely never come here again.
We also ordered what sounded like chicken curry off the lunch specials menu, which turned out to be just plain chicken with some vegetables with no sauce... lame. —OrofinJackson
2009-06-01 15:05:49 They have the best happy hour with all of their drinks being half off. Overall it's a great place to hang out. I love the peanut sauce with chicken and spinach. hhhmm. —nkristis
2009-06-08 15:46:20 I have to disagree with OrofinJackson, the Tom Kha Gai is the best I have had (from San Jose, SF, San Deigo...not just in town) and one of my regular dishes, along with the Green Curry. Thai Bistro's tom kah is disgraceful compared to Sophias. The veggies are always fresh and the chicken is always tender, never oily or chewy. The wait staff can be a bit slow or rude, but the bar staff rock and are always great. If you want to have great food and avoid the wait staff, grab a seat at the bar and eat there. Take out is also an option, and I have never gotten an order wrong despite changing ingredients in my green curry from bell peppers to asparagus. Trivia is also one of the highlights of my week- its fun and a great way to blow off some steam. —CGall
2009-07-03 22:55:14 I come here infrequently, not because the food isn't good, but because my preference for Thai Food in Davis is KetMoRee. However, Sophia's is always a nice change. I enjoy their great variety of dishes that are all tofu-friendly (as a vegetarian, this is incredibly welcome). And, I enjoy the service - it has always been quick, regardless of how crowded the restaurant is. My only qualms are small - (1) I was sitting outside, so I had to constantly swat away flies, but I had chosen to sit outside and should have been aware of the impending flies - READ: not Sophia's fault. And (2), no server was present for some time when I wanted to refill my drink.
Other than that, I recommend Sophia's! —irregularadverb
2009-07-22 00:23:56 Great place to grab some good food or a drink at anytime in the day (lunch time on of course). —longboardlover
2009-07-22 21:59:46 The serving was quite fancy. They have quick service and delicious dishes. I ordered the Pepper Stir Fry during lunch. It was perfectly spicy. —MichVan
2009-07-24 02:43:57 It's all about the Thai Fried Rice and peanut sauce, baby!! —sm0729
2009-07-29 12:29:53 I stood dumbfounded in front of Sophia’s Thai Bar and came quickly to the realization (from the help of a directory) that Sophia’s Thai Kitchen is behind Sophia’s Thai Bar. Daviswikians take note that there is no bridge between the two, which I thought. I was hoping for an afternoon Mojito on the patio while I people-watch but since it was closed, I opted to tackle the famous Thai Iced Tea, made famous, well, frankly because it’s bottomless and Thai is tacked on to the name. Wikians take note that the Bar doesn’t open until 4:00 pm Monday – Friday and 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Happy Hour is from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm if you want to strategically plan your evening.
I hastily make my way down the steps and make a hard right with a familiar sight – good old Davis Noodle City. I wonder to myself why it never occurred to me to investigate anything beyond Davis Noodle City whenever I ate there. I am greeted with a host who seemed rather surprised to see me. I am promptly asked if I would like to sit inside our outside (in their courtyard area). After another quick glance around and up, I notice rain clouds forming and turn to look at him with a wry but well-intentioned smile and reply with a bit of enthusiasm, “inside sounds nice”.
Inside was fairly dark presumably to incite the “spirit, all compact of fire”. I could imagine a different scene during our warm summer nights where mellow tea lights resembling fireflies accompany the absence of sunlight and young star-crossed lovers gaze into each other’s eyes while exchanging bites of their dinner. Instead, there was a father who was taking his daughter out for lunch after a soccer match I presume, since she was in uniform, and an older couple who just looked like they wanted to have Thai for lunch and outside rain clouds were forming, which is unusual for a Summers afternoon in Davis. Its charm is perhaps not at its zenith during lunch, this is perhaps where former 2k Thai, Thai Nakorn, and Thai Bistro have been able to outperform Sophia’s but I am hoping at this point that the food and most importantly the tea, would redeem the fact that I’ve visited Sophia’s at the wrong time of the day. Sophia’s in the afternoon reminds of an old tavern out of a Tolkien novel: its charm stripped away during daylight hours and miraculously coming to life at night with festivities and merry songs. Despite the fact that rain clouds were forming, it seemed as if sunlight would be struggling to make its way into the dining area regardless. I realize that I am at a romantic restaurant mid-afternoon without a date, so when asked where I would like to sit inside, I naturally pointed to the “Thai Room”, designed to be intimate but much like an arena for couples to square off (there were four tables designed for four couples, one table for each couple, on each side of room). Now I’ve really set myself up for a good time. This just means my food will get all the attention it needs; the mood should be there as well. I am prompted (politely) to take off my flip-flops and put them in an upright cubby designed to hold shoes.
I was delighted to discover that the cushions they provided for the literal floor seating was large enough for two people to share and further that there was the option for a patron to have two! One was more than enough however. Water was delivered as usual (rather promptly), two people were attentive to my needs: the host and my server, and I have the Thai Room all to myself. To my surprise, (although I really shouldn’t have been since the tables were low) my server drops to his knees to take my order. This makes me feel uncomfortable because I am really just looking for some good food. At this point I think I probably would have felt more comfortable with a date or with another person. I almost feel like a deity, something of the royal sort and it almost feels wrong. I am asked if I need some time to look over the menu but I already singled out the Thai Iced Tea way beforehand. I always order Pad Thai whenever I go to a Thai restaurant but to my dismay, shrimp, which I am accustomed to having, was an extra four bucks. I proceed as usual, “I’ll have the Pad Thai and Thai Iced Tea please” again with the wry forced smile.
Alas, minutes after I order, my Thai Iced Tea finally arrives; glowing in its amber hue, the tea and milk still separated is the familiar presentation. Its presentation is beautiful and well executed in the classical sense, including the tall, cleanly presented glass it came in, which is also what it is usually presented in worldwide (in Thailand, it’s served over crushed ice in a translucent plastic bag). I ignore everything else and concentrate intensely on my Thai iced tea hoping for that refill as my Pad Thai arrives. Sophia’s interpretation of the Thai favorite normally met with ho-hum reviews on Daviswiki and after my second go, I would agree that the flavors fit the description. Thai Tea is usually accompanied with some form of liquid dairy: cream, whole milk, condensed milk, (usually a viscous sweet substance that is also a substitute for some sweeteners in Southern Asia as well like coffee which usually accompanies Vietnamese style coffee) evaporated milk, and even coconut milk.
Since I was focused on evaluating, I shamelessly took a whiff of the tea in attempt to see if I could identify what dairy they used but with no success. After my first sip of the top I ruled out condensed, coconut, and evaporated milk, which left only cream and whole milk as an option. After several minutes however, tastes become difficult to discern because of the amount of ice that diluted it, and shortly thereafter, it quickly began to have that dreaded taste of diet. I found it slightly difficult to drink to be honest, and I am not one to usually be particularly picky with my food. It wasn’t that I had high hopes for a spectacular tea, but that I wanted the tea to redeem itself from wiki reviews. But for all its worth ($3.25), you are entitled to as much as you can drink. After my second refill, lovebirds should take note that it becomes difficult to sit (and breathe) Indian style…maybe take less bites of your food. The Thai Iced tea at Sophia’s is not spectacular, or something you go to Sophia’s for alone (sorta like I did). Instead, you should go there for a chance to spend time with an old acquaintance, a lover, or a classmate for the purpose of conversation. Grab the tea anyways, it’ll guarantee you something to do. I will certainly be back with a date and maybe not during lunch. If you are a party of one for lunch or dinner however, I recommend Davis Noodle City, which is right next door.
2009-07-30 13:34:25 The restaurant itself has the ambiance of midnight. I cannot even see anything in the restaurant, the first and last time I went there I had to strain and squint my eyes just to read the menu because of the utter darkness.
They give Thai tea refills for a reason, because it is bitter and it does not taste very good.
In terms of authenticity, Sophia's does not serve real "Thai" food. The food seems to be a fusion of Thai food with an American zing. Thai hot here is not spicy at all. The Pad Thai I ordered was still white and wet. The noodles are supposed to be mildly orange and semi-dry. I just feel that the food here is not truly Thai. I grew up around Thai families so my expectation of Thai food is not the average.
Give it a try. It is a hit or miss. However, if you enjoy authentic Thai cuisine, I would say that this is not the place for you. —ThUn
- Just a note, we had a Thai student and brought him to all the Thai restaurants and Sophia's was his favorite. The food used to be more spicy but I think they have made it less spicy because Thai spicy is hot. They are always happy to kick it up a notch for you when you ask.
- They acknowledge that it is "country-style Thai food with a unique California flair, infusing the sweet-spicy philosophy of authentic southeast-Asian cooking with the fresh, flavorful ingredients that are the hallmark of Californian cuisine." It's Thai fusion... —StephanieRobinson
2009-09-18 14:50:44 We love Sophia's! We were one of two couples eating there the first time we went and the owner gave a tour of the kitchen. We miss the quaintness that it started as, but still would recommend to anyone looking for authentic Thai food.
