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March 2010

Location
301 G Street (on the corner of 3rd St.)
Hours
Daily 11:30am-10pm
Phone
(530) 297-5588
Website
http://www.tasteofthaisac.com/
Owners
Vitavat Lumpongpoung and Duangthida Sahatranseekul
Established
2010-04-29
Payment Methods
Cash, Check, Credit Cards, Other?
Menus
Menu

Taste of Thai is a Thai restaurant that took over Noodle Express' old location. According to a sign on the window, it is authentic, fresh, healthy, and without MSG. The owners, Vitavat Lumpongpoung and Duangthida Sahatranseekul, have other restaurants by the same name in Sacramento, Natomas, and Roseville.

The building originally served as Davis' first bank, the Bank of Yolo. It was built in 1910.

Taste of Thai has been known to be open on Christmas.

 

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2010-05-04 18:10:12   They're finally open!! I stopped by there tonight to get some take-out for dinner. They said they opened on Thursday, April 29. They have the same exact menu offerings as their other locations, but I don't know if the prices are the same. The take-out order of Thai fried rice that I got seems like a smaller portion compared to their Natomas location, but it's still good! —pvo

2010-05-04 19:18:29   Tried it out Saturday night. Did a great job on the remodel of the interior and has a nice atmosphere. However, sadly the food was average. I was hoping for a new favorite Thai place in Davis but it seemed like just a run of the mill Thai place. It was slow when we sat down and so all the food came out at once. We didn't have time to take 1 bite of our appetizer before the main dish arrived and then it got cold waiting on us. Will likely go give it a 2nd try though. —HeatherMartin

2010-05-18 14:53:20   First time at Taste of Thai today. As I always do when trying a new Thai restaurant, I order the Pad Thai. I've had this dish (pretty much a National dish in Thailand) in every Thai place in Davis now. And I have to say that this has been my favorite so far (though my memory is fading a bit w.r.t. other Thai places). Pad Thai should ideally have a good mix of chicken (or pork), tofu, and shrimp and this is exactly what it had. The sauce was just right. Will be going back for sure. Also the decor is simply amazing. If you ever went there while it was Noodle Express, you won't recognize the place. —KeithBradnam

2010-05-20 00:57:55   I rather like MSG.... its in all my favorite foods. What's all this crap about removing the seasoning from my dishes.... MSG is no worse than salt, unless you claim you're allergic to it. —carpenoctum

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#Health_concerns People follow stupid health trends all the time. Remember when trans fats were better for you than butter and now people are banning it? People also love demonizing macronutrients such as fats and carbs because all they hear is that these two things will make you fat. —hankim
    • Many people have strong reactions to MSG, such as severe headaches. —IDoNotExist
      • Not that scientific studies have ever been able to reproduce... which is what the link Han was giving you states. And it has been studied pretty well. -jw
        • It is listed as a migraine trigger by the Journal of the American Medical Association. http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/301/24/2608.full.pdf
          • So is cheese, smoked fish, BBQed meats, cured meats, dried fruits, beets, carrots, etc., yet no one seems to make much of a fuss about these foods. Pure and simple there is no evidence that MSG leads to any form of health ailment except a small correlation between MSG consumption and obesity. This is possibly just because it makes food taste better. —MattHh (Plus chocolate, from the same article. -jw)

2010-05-21 12:20:52   Tried this for the first time last week. It's my new favorite Thai place in Davis. I eat at Thai places a lot and rotate between Thai Nakorn, Thai Bistro, Thai Dynomite adn sometimes Kee.... Taste of Thai is my new go to for Thai. We tried 3 dishes (our "staples") - a curry, beef salad, and pad thai, and all were really good. I also like how we can choose I level of spiciness. The last thing Davis needed was another Thai place, but I'm glad this place opened up. —ces139

2010-05-23 14:11:36   Tried this place last week and it's great! The interior is great, the service was excellent, and I really enjoyed the food (had the seafood curry). Definitely will be coming back and well worth anyone in town giving it a shot! —cfb

2010-05-26 08:12:23   Went here twice since they opened and I have to admit that its pretty good. The Tad Mun sp? appetizer was excellent and might even be better that Thai Nakorn's version. Was very disappointed with the duck curry though. Curry was alright , but the duck had NO flavor. Also the Pad Thai was good except for the fact the tofu was not marinated and retained its "tofuy" flavor... some might find this a good thing, but I don't. Second time around my wife tried another curry dish that I really liked, it had bamboo roots (Which I love) in a light chicken curry. My biggest complaint is not with the food, but with the decor, or lack of. They need to figure a way to dampen the noise and sound vibration along with increasing ventilation until all the wood stain and varnish oder goes away. I'll try it again. —Your2Cents

2010-05-28 14:54:11   Went with a couple of people for lunch today and tried three lunch specials, the pad kee mao (drunken noodles), penang curry, and pra ram (peanut sauce on vegetables). I'm usually disappointed in Davis Thai restaurant renditions of drunken noodles, as they are usually one-dimensional, either hot or salty, but not with the nice combination that works well together. Taste of Thai's version is in my opinion the best so far, with "hot" being a reasonable hotness and it had a nice sweetness as well. The penang curry was good as well, with a nice addition of kaffir lime leaves. Pra Ram was also good as well, with a nice rich peanut sauce. As for meat, the chicken was much better than the beef, as the beef in the Pra Ram was quite tough while the chicken in the drunken noodles were nicely tender. —spencerchang

2010-05-28 19:16:57   I tried this place a try. It may have been the particular dish that I ordered, or maybe they had a bad night, but unfortunately it wasn't very good. The dish that I ordered is supposed to be spicy and served hot. It was undercooked, lukewarm, and not the least bit spicy. In fact, it was largely devoid of the taste that makes that particular dish so good when it is cooked right. Portion size was kind of on the small side too. I'd be willing to go here again and try something different. The place is new and they could have had an off night. But right now, I'd definitely choose most of the other Thai places in town over this one. Hope they improve... —IDoNotExist

2010-05-31 22:27:00   I have been here twice now and absolutely love it! They are reasonably priced (their lunch specials are cheaper than Ketmoree) and the food is fantastic! Their service can be slow at times, but you just need to get their attention; they usually won't come over to your table to see how you are doing. The food itself was served very fast which is great when you are very hungry. The inside of the restaurant is so beautiful! They definitely decorated authentically and there are always new things to see as you look around. This is definitely one of my favorite places in town! —LolaTorney

2010-06-06 13:06:48   Updated on 1-4-2011 Hurray! My old review seemed moot now that I've been here a few more times. No longer do they fight on spice, I order thai hot and I get THAI HOT baby. The Pad Kee Mao with Tofu is delish and the service is fair on a bad day. I still love Thai Nakorn best for my curries, but for the best noodle dishes this is the place. —OliviaY

2010-06-06 13:43:35   We went on Friday night with another couple and really enjoyed it. The decor is absolutely gorgeous, and even the menus are beautiful. Service was, as many have said, both good and extremely friendly. We got the red curry, pad thai, one of the fried fish dishes (don't remember which), and an artichoke stir-fry. It was all very tasty. The fish was a little over-cooked and got a little tough, but not so much that it was a big problem—and the flavors in the dish were excellent. The pad thai had more fish sauce than most places, but I really liked it that way. Aside from the fish being over-cooked, my only complaint was that the serrano chiles in the curry were cut small enough to not be obvious, but still in quite large chunks, so if you bit into one... well, let's just say that we each had one bite of the curry that required a full glass of water post haste.

All in all, the service was great, the decor was fantastic, and the food was good. We'll certainly go back again. —TomGarberson

2010-06-06 23:49:57   Went here today. Service was really awesome. Atmosphere was great. Food was okay. I had the red curry with chicken but it was very bland compared to the curry I have had at other places and the rice felt a little mushy. Despite the blandness and the rice (maybe an off day?) I enjoyed my meal. The tap water here seems to be filtered or something as well. Tastes different in a good way than the water I have had elsewhere. Probably will come back and give another dish a try. —hankim

  • I ordered takeout for lunch the other day and this time they asked how spicy I wanted the curry. It was much better this time. —hankim

2010-06-07 14:56:24   Came here yesterday for an early dinner. Ambiance is beautiful, though the floor could use some carpeting or paneling, or something. Service was nice, host was not at the front however so we had to peek in and catch their attention before we got seated, it was a little awkward. We ordered the two dishes I always sample at each Thai restaurant: Pad Kra Pow, and the basic Pad Thai both made as Thai hot. In terms of spiciness, this place actually makes food as spicy as you ask. I have a supreme spicy tolerance, and our orders had me almost sweating and dizzy. I loved it. The food itself was decent. A little bland. Nothing special. Not awesome, not horrible. Average in my opinion. Nice place overall, but my heart still belongs to Thai Bistro when it comes to Thai food in Davis mainly because their food is flavorful and they give you large portions. —ThUn

2010-06-18 23:07:51   I was pleasantly surprised how nice the inside was, quite the upgrade from noodle express. Did they raise the ceiling? The chicken satay (I know very simple) started off the meal right, not overcooked/dry like some other thai places in town. I had the special basil lamb which was great, the basil leaves were actually kind of crispy which was interesting. Can't wait to try the other dishes. —BillBroadley

2010-06-24 14:47:58   I came here for lunch with my friends and the BBQ chicken was so good! The meat was juicy and the skin was crispy...definitely recommended~ —Magster

2010-06-24 20:22:36   This is a classy place. They were eager to please: they chased me down outside after watching me peer into the window, wondering whether to give it a try. Later, I watched one worker sprint across the floor to answer the ringing telephone. I was impressed that they really cared about every single guest. The food was unexpectedly delicious; very fresh. The only messup was that they dropped one of our items from our order -I guess they didn't register that item. Then, we weren't billed for it either, so we just let it go. The interior is clean and nicely decorated in brown carved hardwood. I would definitely go back. —SteveDavison

2010-06-25 02:12:31   The Sac location —there on Broadway is awesome! —AshleyHamidi

2010-06-29 21:50:57   Have eaten there three times now and enjoyed it every time. Food tasted fresh and clean. Of all the Thai restaurant in Davis, I have preferred the Pad Thai here to any other place. I will definitely go back there. —KeithBradnam

2010-07-07 11:27:49   Yum! I was pleasantly surprised by this place. It's been better than any other place in town the couple of times I went — their curries and pad kee mow are excellent, for example. It seems like they had a bit of trouble getting things going in the service department at first, but the service has been very good recently. The only other complaint I might have is that the spice levels aren't always consisent, as in I've had to order "Thai hot" to get things to be up to my desired spiciness level, and then the next time I've ordered the same dish at the same spiciness it was way too hot. Altogether, though, the food, atmosphere, and service have been excellent. This is my Thai restaurant of choice in town, and I hope it sticks around. —jmofro

2010-07-18 13:15:00   The food was great, but the service was egregious... Went in about twenty minutes before closing to a completely empty restaurant except for a table of people related to the business. Saw an old friend working as a waiter but we had some chick who was openly rude multiple times. Did a poor job explaining that the kitchen was closing so we should "hurry up" when we asked for little more time (this was our first time here, we were giving the menu the once over) she rolled her eyes and said under her breath but still loud enough for everyone to hear "really?!" then she came back and was unfamiliar with the menu (my buddy ordered an appetizer by name, she said "whaaat" so he said a-2 or whatever number/letter combo it's identified as, she further says whaaat? even though my friend spoke loudly and clearly) moreover they never refilled the waters. If it's close to closing don't effing seat us you high horsed accentless college aged server shooting us looks of contempt as we patronize your spot cause were stoked about it. I heard that the owners do a good job in sac, but clearly kinks need to be worked out on the service. The food was great, but the service put us all of. It's just multiple instances of clear cut slapdickery that sour the whole experience. Oh almost forget to mention: the place looks nice, the dark wood everywhere changes the vibe completely from the start white walls that noodle express had. —StevenDaubert

2010-07-18 23:01:17   We tried Taste of Thai out for the first time tonight & it was amazing! The service was excellent, our server was friendly & efficient. The ambiance was great too, the decor was gorgeous. Last but definitely not least, the food was awesome. Very fresh, well-cooked & delicious!!! I'll definitely be going back frequently!!! —Davisgirl8

2010-07-26 18:58:59   As far as Davis Thai restaurants go, Taste of Thai ranks high. The food is pretty solid; although a few dishes are bathed in one too many drops of oil. However, "Taste" is among a select few Davis Thai eateries that succeed at harmoniously melding spiciness and flavor. I am regularly disappointed with what numerous Davis Thai establishments consider as "spicy" so it was pleasant to discover (and enjoy) "Taste's" successful blend.

The major high point is the stimulating decor and ambiance. I've got to applaud the owners of "Taste." These guys really transformed that space. Noodle Express's stark, white walls and grim atmosphere always reminded me of an inner-city bail-bonds. The earthy feel of the wood interior and general "openness" is a serious overhaul of drab and depressing Noodle Express.

Overall, "Taste" is a solid entry into the Davis Thai scene. The food does not sway far from its competitors and prices are similar as well. Sadly, it is this lack of difference that makes it difficult to recommend "Taste" over another Davis Thai eatery. Ultimately the decision to spend your college dollars here will fall upon your own personal tastes and opinions about Davis' various Thai joints. —blastoff

2010-08-01 17:24:20   Has anyone mentioned the free Thai iced tea refills? Does anyplace else in Davis have this?? That alone makes it a standout!! —StephHolm

2010-08-02 16:48:38   Way better than KetMoRee. I love Taste of Thai. I think it's the best Thai place in Davis. Can you say "Fresh Spring Rolls"? YUM. —jenb

2010-08-02 16:56:17   I wouldn't know authentic Thai cuisine if it hit me in the head, but I sure liked their Chicken Pad Thai. Free refills, professional staff, we'll go back. —JimStewart

2010-08-03 11:46:22   Went here for the first time on Saturday. Really enjoyed the food. I really like Pad Khee Mao and haven't found one that I liked in Davis since 2K closed. But, I have found it now. Really good with lots of flavors and a hint of heat. Others in my group had the curry and were also impressed with the unique flavors. I will be back. —LokiAbbi

2010-08-05 13:31:32   Yum Yum and YUMMMM! I frequent the Taste of Thai off of Broadway in Sacramento, so I was really excited to have them open up in Davis. Most of the other Thai places in Davis have no concept of what Thai hot is, but Taste of Thai takes heat (and flavor) to a new level! Everything I've eaten here is delicious, but I would especially recommend the Pad Ma Khue (a red curry stir fry with veggies that doesn't have any coconut milk in it). It is so savory it makes your mouth water. Also, their Thai iced tea is really delicious - not overpoweringly sweet or syrupy.

As far as the service: I was with a party of 6, we were seated instantly, our orders taken 5 minutes later, 1 minute to get our soup/salad, and probably 7 minutes to get our entrees. They were FAST! And not to mention, really friendly and personable.

I can't say enough good things about this place. We all left full and happy. What a great restaurant experience! I hope they continue to do well b/c this is the only Thai restaurant I will eat at in Davis from now on. —j0liefllle

2010-08-05 16:49:56   I can't wait to try it. The one in Sac is wonderful. —AshleyHamidi

2010-08-11 22:49:10   I came here with a few of my roommates for dinner. The interior decor is pretty awesome. The prices were pretty high. I have very very very little experience or knowledge about Thai food so I just looked for the dish with the most interesting name. Evil Jungle Prince. How boss is that? Anyways, I ordered it and it was pretty tasty. The basil fried rice and the Rad nah was delicious as well. I also ordered the Thai coffee and tried the Thai tea. The Thai tea definitely tasted unlike any Thai tea that I've had before and I didn't like it too much. The coffee tasted like Kahlua or something. I will definitely return, but probably for lunch to avoid the hike in prices. —BenLee

2010-08-19 12:30:57   Stumbled upon this Thai restaurant, which is near Ket Mor Ree, bought take out for lunch. Best, authentic Thai food I have had in a while. This restaurant could truly be my favorite Thai restaurant in Davis. Ordered the Pad See Ew and Thai Tea. Both were delicious. Pad See Ew actually tasted as it should unlike a few Thai restaurants in Davis, though the portion was small. The Thai Tea was also VERY authentic. Will likely visit for lunch again soon! —mjwong89

2010-09-03 07:14:03   The interior looks fantastic compared to what it was before - I'm quite impressed! I'm even more impressed with the food. I got the pad khee mao and asked for eggplants to be added to the dish. The waiter said no problem without a beat, how nice! And, it was delicious. Amazingly delicious. This is my new favorite Thai place (it used to be Thai Nakorn, but Taste of Thai's pad khee mao is WAY good. Holy shit, was it good). —ChristyMarsden

2010-09-07 01:45:24   BEST Thai restaurant in Davis! So far I've tried their pad thai, tomyum, papaya salad, green and yellow curry; and they're all pretty good! Far better than Sophia's kitchen and Thai Nakorn. —thtly

2010-09-12 13:20:29   I went here for the first time yesterday. I went sometime 4&5 and I was afraid they wouldn't be open because all the other thai places seem to close between 3-5 at least. BUT THEY WERE OPEN! I wanted to eat some sort of salad and we chose the Yum Goong (shrimp salad). It was soooo good. Just the salad I wanted to eat, but didn't know where I could get it in Davis. My friend ordered the 'hot' Pad Khee Mao. It was good also, and spicy like we ordered. I would love to come here again!!!! It just might be my favorite Thai place. —anonymon

2010-09-16 21:25:37   BEST THAI PLACE IN DAVIS!!! Excellent service, great food (try the calamari salad, panang curry, the soup is good as well), prices are competitive, although it is frustrating that they charge $1 for rice per person. Worth the $ for rice to get the quality service and food! —Barley123

2010-09-17 21:50:17   We got some takeout here the other day. Normally, when a restaurant has huge portion sizes, the food is mediocre, but not so here — the dishes we ordered were both very good. So, you definitely get a good value for your money here. I especially appreciated all of the fresh vegetables. A warning to those who don't like very hot and spicy food, however: We ordered the curry medium, and it was medium, except for the occasional super-hot-burn-your-mouth-off spot. (In one of my last bites of the leftovers, I realized that it was probably a small greenish pepper causing the heat spots — but as it was a curry I think those peppers would not have been easy to spot even if I'd been looking for them). Overall, I would go back again, and definitely wouldn't hesitate if I was with someone who wanted to go, but based on the dishes we ordered we still prefer Thai Nakorn. —CovertProfessor

2010-09-24 20:59:52   The service here is fantastic. Our waitress refilled our Thai iced tea promptly, and our food was brought to us in a timely manner. It was fairly busy when we went, but we didn't feel rushed. The food was excellent. We ordered the Papaya & Shrimp and the Pineapple Curry. Both were easily the best Thai food we've had in Davis, and we will definitely be going back. —LoversInDavis

2010-09-26 22:15:22   This place is outstanding. The decor inside is wonderful... definitely the kind of place you could bring a date. I don't have a whole lot of experience with Thai food, but the dishes I had here were as good if not better than any other Thai I've had. Service is mediocre. Still my favorite Thai restaurant in Davis. —jsogul

2010-09-30 19:42:16   so i really like spicy food (like i eat chili oil with my rice like its an entrée). but dang, the fourth level of spiciness offered here, "Thai Hot" is incredible... i was seriously in pain.. i thought my guts were on fire.... AND I LOVED IT. the food was incredible! the basil is crispy, the aromas are intoxicating, the atmosphere is seductive... one of the best restaurants in Davis. that is all. —mushroomdreamer

2010-10-24 19:41:10   I was really disappointed with the food and service tonight. I won't be going back. The Tom Ka soup had no flavor- no lemongrass, lime juice or galangal. We ordered a curry and they brought out the wrong dish. The rice was dry. Anyway, we tried it and won't return. Its hard to see this place making it since there were only 1 other couple in there. Decor is nice though, but the food was worse than mediocre. —Surfnoc

2010-11-20 10:44:08   A welcome addition to Davis !! I was always a Sophias' fan but Taste of Thai was a pleasant surprise. Generous portions and less expensive !! The Tom Kha soup is a nice blend of coconut and lime with mushrooms and lots of chicken (what we had in our soup) and just the right amount of spice. Like most Thai restaurants you have a choice of vegetarian, seafood ,beef, pork, or chicken. The Gaeng Pa Nang curry is not to be missed !! Wonderful threads of kaffir leaves, lot's of green beans and chicken (our choice) in a perfectly spiced sauce. I loved the the new interior and the staff was warm and friendly. Taste of Thai is my new favorite Thai food fix. This coming from someone who actually was disappointed another Thai food restaurant was coming to town. —lalaland

2010-12-18 18:29:07   I think this is the best Thai place in Davis, and it isn't the most expensive. The lemongrass chicken is amazing. The service is very quick. —twblalock

2011-01-04 19:09:46   My lady friend and I ate lunch here on Sunday following New Year's at about 1:30pm. We really enjoyed the attentive service upon entering and the clean state of affairs. The food arrived fast and was really fresh and appetizing. Veggies were cooked just right and the sauces were super yummy with the right amount of spice for our liking. Given the number of Thai options in Davis we were pleased to happen upon Taste of Thai and will certainly be going back based on the service, good food and cleanliness of the place. By the time we left at 2:45pm there were about 20 people in the resturant. —loneshark

2011-01-07 18:38:33   I have been to the best Thai places, fancy and casual, ranging from SF to Vallejo to Fairfield and to Sac. Let me just say that Taste of Thai in Davis is a gem! The food is absolutely delicious! Best pad thai and red curry ever! And it has WAAAYYYY better quality food than the swankier thai restaurant across the street. What do you care more about? Better food or a swanky atmosphere? Taste of Thai wins. Service is fine, except I think it's a little weird that a hostess isn't there to greet you when you walk in. That part is weird. They cook the food so fast too. Hands down: best Thai food in the region. —Lianne-Mae

2011-02-05 21:07:52   Just after the opening of Taste of Thai, we really enjoyed going to this place. However, every time we went there after the first, things became worse. We went to eat there this evening. I ordered a shrimp dish with veggies in garlic sauce, which to my surprise was mostly broccoli with only 5 pieces of shrimp. My friend ordered the red seafood curry which contained only a few pieces of seafood in it. We were even charged extra for the tiny amount of rice that came for the two of us! They have never done this before, and they used to only charge for extra rice after the first bowl. When we first went to this restaurant months ago, there was an abundance of seafood on our plates, and we were able to enjoy our dinners. Clearly the quality of their meals is going down and their service is becoming unfriendly. It seems that the economy has hit their business and quality hard. There are some other Thai restaurants in Davis if you want good Thai food. We will never go back to Taste of Thai until they can provide the quality that we were used to seeing. —DavisGourmet

2011-03-14 17:09:13   This place is great! I love their portion sizes (pretty decent) and they have good cheap (ish) lunch specials (about $7). —Ravyn

2011-03-28 19:06:12   I am a Thai food addict, and this is one of the places I always want to go when I'm having a craving. The food is always delicious, plentiful, and decently priced. I recommend the Evil Jungle Noodle. Also, it's usually not very crowded so it's nice not to have to wait. —A*Lo

2011-04-03 14:21:13   Great customer service, friendly staff, and the food was great! My boyfriend usually don't like Pad thai but when he ate the pad thai from this place, he absolutely loved it. I also like their papaya salad, the price were decent. —lx

2011-04-06 20:42:07   I love this place! The food is always wonderful. I have a hard time choosing from so many options but whatever I pick is amazing! I have been on dates here, taken my parents out for holidays, and just gone with friends for a night out and each time it has been fantastic. Whatever the occasion, If you want Thai this is the best place for sure!!! —MaryMurphy

2011-06-05 18:00:11   We finally hit Taste of Thai last night. While we have preferred Ketmoree for the cocktails with dinner lately, Taste of Thai was quite good. We had the appetizer assortment, Thai bbq'd chicken, and Pad See Ew. The only disappointment was the brown rice, which was a bit overcooked and fell below the high standard of Ketmoree's brown/wild rice mix. Nevertheless, a great addition to town! —ScottLay

2011-07-31 17:30:21   Just had lunch here for the first time. We had pad thai and gaeng kiew warn (green curry w. eggplant & other veggies). Enjoyed both and really appreciated the flavors. Nice decor, great place to sit and talk over a leisurely meal. This may have just become my new favorite Thai place in Davis. —AnnaD

2011-08-14 00:09:00   my daughter and i love 'taste of thai' cate-corner from ketmoree. the iced tea has no aftertaste and also free refills. their dinner portions, as well, are HUMONGOUS. we just ate there today and since it's saturday there are no lunch specials, you get the dinner portion, and it was a ton of curry. i noticed their curry is kind of thin too but i like their food so much better. maybe i've been eating too much indian food lately and i have gotten used to the thicker curries. :) —StephHolm

2011-08-26 16:51:28   Went in for my first 'Thai' experience. Tried the Spicy Lamb (medium).

Service- Prompt, polite and non-intrusive.

Atmosphere- Relaxed lunchtime atmosphere, very light traffic. (odd to be listening to the Sade album playing while waiting for and dining on my food in a Thai restaurant).

Presentation- A bit sloppy. The entire Spicy Lamb entree was completely covered in Bay Laurel, which did add flavor to the meal but, was quite annoying to remove since it is completely inedible as presented whole and not ground. Looked quite similar to the platter pictured above, but the leaves were smaller, rigid and of a different variety than those in the image.

Meal in General- Lamb was overcooked, dry and very chewy. Next to no tenderness or moisture in the meat which is unfortunate as lamb is one of the most succulent meats available and, when properly cooked, is also one of the most flavorful. The vegetables (slivered onion, red and green pepper and a single jalapeno pepper) were moist and tender. Rice was perfectly cooked (but come on, it's rice). Spice level was highly misrepresented as medium when it was in fact extremely mild with little or no added kick to the meal whatsoever. Still in all it was very filling for the thirteen dollars and change I spent.

I will try some of the other Thai food around town before I condemn this meal, but for my first Thai experience, I must say I was rather disappointed since so many claim Thai is some of the most flavorful food around and this meal truly was a letdown on multiple levels.

The only truly positive things about the experience were the atmosphere, appearance of the establishment and friendliness of the staff. The food was lacking and that is what was surprising since there is so much Thai around town. One would think that with so much competition in town a restaurant would try to have the best food available to set themselves apart. If this was the best example of a Thai meal I am surprised any of it still exists in town at all. I will have to visit more places and try the same food at each one to truly compare and rate Thai food, but so far it is a major let-down. 2/5 stars for me.

—Wes-P

2011-09-07 19:05:26   My husband and I are HOOKED on the Pad Khee Mao. Delicious — better than any other place in Davis, I believe. The prices are decent and you get a lot of food... It's not overpriced like Ket Mo Ree or Sophia's. Thai Bistro has pretty equally good food, but I like the inside of this place better. —mday24

2011-10-06 21:56:59   I don't eat Thai food much. If this place is a somewhat good indicator of what good Thai food is, I would LOVE to know where to go next! That's not to say I was not satisfied with the food. I was really happy, I had grown tired of pretty much any other place in Davis, and decided to give this a try. I do not regret this decision. I had the curry, (can't remember which specifically, perhaps yellow) and I thought it was fantastic. It had a really hearty flavor to it, and I especially liked all the vegetables it had. Although the curry seemed to have been a jar of peanut mixed with hints of other spices it was delicious. I also had the Chef's special Squid Salad. It reminded me of ceviche, which is probably why I liked it so much. I felt like it was a kick of bold lemony, and fresh zesty flavors, and it was relatively spicy too. I also appreciated the thai tea refills.

I would really love to come here again. I was particularly impressed that this is one of 3 places that really mean spicy when they say it. Their THAI HOT level came surprisingly close to something of a challenge to my spice-accustomed taste buds. —JonathanMartinez

2011-11-24 18:20:53   Excellent food. Much more authentic than its immediate competitor Ket Mo Ree. Also, they were open on Thanksgiving Day 2011 for those of us without the time to get home for the holiday and without the desire to cook. —BennettLock

2011-12-16 16:51:17   best Thai place in Davis in my opinion, will definitely go back there again! —JeffA

2012-01-13 15:52:44   I have been here once and will not return. I was very disappointed by the quality and taste of the food. —DrS

2012-02-02 09:24:53   I have eaten here twice. The decor is absolutely beautiful. Last time I ate here was on Christmas day 2011. Unfortunately I ordered a shrimp dish and the shrimp was bad, it had a distinct ammonia flavor to it indicating the were a bit too old. I let our server know and we got chicken dishes that were very good. The management handled the whole thing well, they brought us a complimentary sticky rice with mango desert that was incredibly good. I will likely return here again for dinner some time. —DagonJones

2012-06-09 20:49:34   WARNING TO VEGETARIANS: I went and ordered several vegetarian plates and explained to the waitress that we need the dishes to be vegetarian and free of fish sauce. After several confirmations, our appetizer arrived with two pieces of chicken on the plate. When we told a server, they removed the chicken with their hands and left the plate. Then to make sure it was the only meat on the plate, an ambiguous looking piece of tofu was touched with the waiter's finger. YUM. (Also, we were charged for everything) —BeckPete

2012-10-08 16:44:06   I had a very disappointing meal here recently. The dishes included canned vegetables that lent an unappealing smell and taste. I realize that some traditional vegetables used in Thai cooking, such as bamboo shoots, can really only be obtained in canned versions in this part of the world. However, I'd rather have a less authentic but fresher meal. —CovertProfessor

2013-04-26 20:05:09   The food was good and the service was prompt. I have visited Thailand and found the food to real-Thai. I suggest getting the white rice to keep the cost down, ($1.00 per person). I think the place would do a better business if they had Dinner Specials with moderate portions and slightly lower prices, the Dinner portions are large and filling and tasty. —KerryMasterson

2013-05-26 10:28:54   We had a late dinner here on a Thursday night, and it was nice to be somewhere quiet enough to talk. Service was prompt and friendly, and the food was very tasty; they do a great job with tofu and the vegetables were cooked just right, not too crunchy, not too mushy. Nice for vegetarians. The decor is great, very evocative of Thailand. —Prof.Spice

2013-10-20 09:19:26   My partner and I ate here for the first time on Friday night. The staff was very friendly and we were seated promptly. We ordered the Tom Yum soup - hot, it was amazingly good - so flavorful and perfectly spicy! My partner ordered the Pad Kee Mao - hot, and I ordered the Gaeng Ped - Thai hot. Both dishes were delicious, and the servings are family-sized. The Pad Kee Mao was very garlicky (which we loved), but not so much that it overwhelmed the other flavors in the dish. We do suspect that they may have accidentally swapped our spiciness levels as my curry was fairly mildly spicy and the Pad Kee Mao was quite spicy. At the end of our meal, we had plenty of leftovers to bring home and a totally reasonable check. We'll certainly be back! —rhamm

2014-02-10 12:24:46   They seem to have upped their spiciness game. It used to be that ordering a dish "Thai hot" would result in a level of spiciness that I barely noticed, but for the past couple of months, it has resulted in a truly spicy dish. —MarioMeneses

2014-08-01 19:35:44   Just ate here tonight with my family - we've eaten here every few months since it opened. We were all very disappointed with the meal. (Is it under new ownership?) The sauces seemed extremely sweet - especially the Pad Thai. The staff was exceedingly grumpy (although efficient). The presentation was nice. I think the restaurant has fallen into that Davis trap; there are not many choices in town and this Thai place is coasting on its reputation.

I'll try it again, but reluctantly. —JosephBiello

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