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Amarin Thai Cuisine
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
77 reviews for Amarin Thai Cuisine
Review Highlights
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"...has to be their fried banana with coconut ice cream." In 4 reviews -
"But other than that, the food is very tasty." In 7 reviews -
"The panang beef curry, their version of pot roast, makes my..." In 3 reviews
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77 reviews in English
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Review from Cyrus A.
Minneapolis, MN
Updated - 5/2/2012
I really like Amarin. My GF and I have been going here for years and it is kind of "Our
Place". I couldn't tell you how "Authentic" it is because I'm not an expert, but it is consistently fresh and tasty. It is owned and run by a Thai dude who often spends time waiting on guests personally.
The service is always really friendly and has been around for years.
Try something from the "Absolute Favorites" list on the menu. I liked the Spicy Eggplant Pork, the Spicy Chicken Sautee, and my girlfriend loves the yellow curry.
The appetizer sampler is a great starter too. You get a little bit of everything. The fried tofu is the best I've ever had.
$9 Corkage fee makes bringing a bottle a no-brainer.
Totally worth a shot! Check their hours though, I think they close between Lunch and DInner.
I give it a 5 star hall of fame but 4.5 is probably more accurate.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/15/2008
EDIT:
Been coming here regularly for months. The food is great. The service is great. The prices are… Read more »
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Review from Angela H.
Concord, CA
2/24/2012 2 photos
As a whole, this place was just "ok" compared to some of the other Thai places I've been.
I came last night with my boyfriend, and there were 3 other tables eating (and two groups came in to pick up orders).
My boyfriend was happy to see pumpkin curry was on the specials menu, but couldn't believe the $19 price tag! He asked how big the portion was, and the waiter said there was a smaller size he could get. When it came out it was the perfect size, and cost $12.50. He really liked it. I thought it was good, too, but we both commented that it wasn't very spicy at all.
I ordered the chicken salad, which is called larb gai at many other Thai places. It was definitely presented more as a salad here, on a bed of mixed greens, with tomatoes and cucumbers. But, the taste wasn't bad. Like the curry, it wasn't very spicy, but I ate the whole thing :) It cost $9.
We both got Thai iced teas, and I do have to say I liked it best here than any where else! They were $3.00 each, so that's not bad either.
Our total bill came out to $37 and some change, for the curry, chicken salad, rice, and three teas. A little expensive, but we'd probably come back as long as we tell them to turn up the spice.
(Just a note: if you've never been here before, parking might be a little confusing since Mt. Diablo Blvd is under construction. There's a tiny driveway right next to the restaurant to parking space, but you might get caught directly facing a car coming the other direction.) -
Review from A. H.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2011
Love this lil Mom and Pop (mostly Pop) place!!!
They have a DIVINE pumpkin curry, and, unlike SOME places (ahem, Burma superstar...) they WILL actually acquiesce to a white girl's request to actually make it HOT!!!
Holla!!
So many gluten free options!
Attentive staff, and oh so consistent!
Once a week fo' sho'.
;-D -
Review from Brady T.
Lafayette, CA
3/4/2012
All meat dishes had meat that was extremely tough and tasted old. Vegetables were under cooked. Flavors of sauces was OK.
Service was great, but food was not. No, I don't recommend unfortunately. -
Review from Kevin A.
Pleasant Hill, CA
3/17/2012
Great food and nice people.
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Review from Emily A.
Oakland, CA
3/15/2012
This was the worst thai food I have ever had. It was also overpriced. The "spring rolls" I ordered were shrimp wrapped in rice paper and deep fried, with some deep fried veggies (broccoli, baby corn, peppers) thrown on top. They weren't good and I was disappointed that I didn't check the food before I took it home.
The pad thai was very bland as was the himapan.
The Tom Ka soup was good, just like any other Tom Ka I have had.
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this place and will have to find another thai spot near Lafayette. -
Review from Jimmy L.
Walnut Creek, CA
11/14/2011
This is a hidden gem around Lafayette! Great traditional thai food. I have been around a lot of places for Thai food but I always come back to the same one.
Personal faves:
Pad Se Ew
Duck Curry
Fried Banana & Ice-cream Dessert -
Review from Lena C.
Alameda, CA
6/16/2011
Dear Yelp,
It is too hot tonight to go to sleep and I still have some jet lag. I dont know what else to do besides some yelp reviews :o)
I tried this restaurant last week.
For lunch
I had BBQ pork with rice, nice presentation, good amount, a little bit salty for my taste
He had chicken & prawns with rice. He said his was better than mine.
I agreed.
Be aware that parking can be difficult. -
Review from Marissa C.
Oakland, CA
3/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
If there was a grand prixe for customer service, the staff at Amarin would surely finish first. These people have their hospitality on lock and I have never, ever had a lukewarm experience coming here. The owner is affable, funny, down to earth and clearly proud of his business (with good reason). Our server was the picture perfect of politeness, knowledge and warmth. I could extoll the virtues of these people all night!
The food is supple and tasty and portions are healthy. Their Tom Kha was very yummy but did not have as much punch as I like, but I have a favorite place for Tom Kha so I'm clearly biased. Their Pad Thai was very flavorful and not too sweet in a good way. I hate saccharin food unless it's candy so props to the chef! The chicken satay was really juicy chicken, a wonderful departure from the usual dried fare you get at most Thai places. I think my dad was going to lick the peanut sauce bowl clean - it was amazing! I tried two other curries and both were richly textured and had ample meat and veggies. But the pièce de resistance has to be their fried banana with coconut ice cream. Holy crap! So tasty and a very generous serving (and definitely easily shared with three people).
The décor is unpretentious and clean. Nothing fancy or showy but a few nicely displayed Thai ornaments with a nice attention to balance and style. Very relaxing environment - all guests seemed at ease and taken with our host's sense of humor and genuine presence.
I know I will enjoy coming to Amarin for years to come. :)Listed in: Love Lafayette, I *heart* Thai Food
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Review from Eli Y.
2/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
My parents live and breath this place but I just think it's meh.
I've been here with my parents several times since they love it so much. I think we disagree so much because they have gone pescaterian (the only animals they eat are seafood). This place has pretty good seafood dishes. I'll grant them that. But I'm a carnivore!
When I came the first time I ordered my favorite curry, Massamun Curry, and I got chicken. Oh how bad this was. The chicken was of a very low quality. It was kind of grey in color and just tasted old. The sauce was oily. The potatoes in the curry were almost raw. It was awful.
Needless to say I have never ordered that again. Or ever ordered anything chicken, or even beef just to stay on the safe side. Now I just go with some kind of fish meal and am usually satisfied.
The service is also ok. They're fast enough and they are definitely nice. My parents go so often that they are always very welcomed by the workers.
If I could choose I would not come here anymore but at least they do seafood right.Listed in: Avoid at all costs!
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Review from Meghan O.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2011
These reviews that add up to the 4 star rating of Amarin are a Joke..Everything comes from a CAN.
Look, it's a given that I don't eat fish and I always have a hard time finding a Thai place that can do a fish-sauce free dish. Usually Pad See Ew is my go-to and most places can accommodate it. This place, openly admitted to us that all their sauces come straight out of jars and vats, and that there was nothing they could make that would be without fish sauce.
So I asked, could they make some stir fry vegetables, with a little ginger, soy and rice or something? They straight out said: Look, if you order anything besides what is on the menu (that comes from those jars), it is going to taste bad and you won't like it.
Boy, that was right----I never before met vegetables that I couldn't Eat. I can't believe a thai place, no , a restaurant, that has a chef that literally cannot stirfry. These vegetables were from jars, and they tasted like a mix of butter, crisco, and veg oil, no fresh flavors. I would like to see the child labor come out from behind the back curtain....Seriously disgraceful. -
Review from Michael V.
Berkeley, CA
2/3/2011
I don't understand how Yelp calculates these stars. We ate here yesterday. Perhaps I'm spoiled living down the street from Cha-Am, but in comparison it was mediocre at best. The beef dish I ordered had such chewy, tough beef that I had a hard time eating it, I ended up giving the leftovers to Zoe (the family dog).
It's strange because I used to eat here almost once a month (ten years ago) and it was always pretty good.
My girlfriends pad thai was really just ok, so one bad dish and one average.
The other thing that rankled me is that they offer you tea as you sit down, just like many other Asian restaurants, but you don't realize until you see the menu or the bill that it's $2.50 per person for the tea. You don't even pay $2.50 for the most exotic gourmet tea at the trendiest cafe. I would have happily paid $1.00 or even $1.50, but $2.50? Weak -
Review from Kristen K.
San Leandro, CA
11/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
My husband and I were in the neighborhood for an appointment and needed to nosh before taking on the Caldecott Tunnel to get home. We spotted Amarin, and since we both love Thai it was an easy choice. It was early for dinner, around 5:30, and we were actually the first dinner diners to arrive. Overall, the experience was good and the food was better than good, but it's not a 5-star rating because I wouldn't drive out of my way to go there. (That's one of my personal criteria for 5 stars).
Good stuff:
-We were seated at a 4-top table instead of a 2 without having to ask.
-Good service, i.e. filling water glasses frequently, warm and funny waiter, minimal waiting time for food
-Food
-We started with the Sampling Platter, which included 4 Satay (2 beef, 2chicken), spring rolls, fried tofu, and a trio of sauces. Everything was good, although I didn't have the spring rolls myself because I am allergic to shellfish. For entrees, I had Panang Beef and my husband had Himmapan Prawns. My beef was super tender and the entire dish was really good. Husband said his was good, but said that mine was better. The brown rice is really good as well. Finally, we took 2 desserts to go: fried banana with coconut ice cream and black sticky rice with custard. Both were really good. We also had a good amount of leftovers to take home with us.
Cons:
A bit pricey - 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, rice, 2 desserts was $80 with tip.
Tight seating - although it wasn't full when we were there, it would be a tight squeeze when it got there.
Overall, I'd go again, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go. -
Review from Rod C.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2010
Am I a cheap skate or what? I think all of these ethic places in the burbs are expensive ... having recently moved back out to the East Bay from SF. It seems the price of ethic take out is high compared to the hundreds of choices in SF.
Then again, I shouldn't complain because the Pad Thai and the basil chicken from Amarin was super good and really hit the spot. On a cold rainy evening, I ordered take out from this place and they were fast and the food was really good. I can't wait til my next visit to try some of the other things on their menu. -
Review from Ashley M.
Emeryville, CA
4/28/2008
Wow! Seriously, mouth-wateringly yummy Thai food. Not only that, but a super nice staff as well. It is somewhat of a small restaurant, so there can sometimes be a bit of a wait. Any wait is totally worth it for the deliciousness that greets patrons.
The tom kah gai soup is a complex mixture of lemon grass, coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, and lime to name a few. Curries are served warm and flavorful with perfectly done meat or seafood. Noodles are delicious and wonderfully textured with intense flavors. What I think is the crowning achievement of Amarin is their praram. Praram is a curried peanut sauce served over meat/seafood and vegetables. This dish is so delectable, with the succulent chicken and the bok choi and cabbage. If you are looking for a great Thai restaurant, Amarin is the place to go. The great food and the friendly staff are unbeatable. -
Review from Matt B.
West Sacramento, CA
4/28/2009
We hit up this joint after a great A's win on Saturday. Our party of four was pleasantly surprised and extremely pleased with our meal. Service was on point, and multiple people came by throughout our meal to check on us, fill our water glass or bring us another beer. The inside is pretty small and the tables sit closely next to one another. So if you feel like your neighbor is listening to your conversation, you are probably right.
Honey Pork-Tasty, but somewhat fatty
Pad Thai-Money!
Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage-I wished the sausage wasn't so dry.
Yellow Curry-Flavorful and by my favorite dish.
The next time you are in the area to see Diamond Dave, be sure to give this place a try. -
Review from Molly B.
San Rafael, CA
5/30/2008
Yum. I didn't have high expectations for east bay thai food, I must admit, but I was impressed with Amarin. I went for lunch with a co-worker. Their lunch menu was extensive, and they had a few specials as well.
I had the vegetarian curry, which was served in a bowl with pyramid of good jasmine rice. A very good portion for the $7.95 price tag. My companion's pad see-ew looked good and was also a pretty big portion. The curry had a good coconut milk base but was very mild. Next time I would definitely specify spiciness. The food came within 10 or so minutes of ordering which is nice when you have to get back to work. The staff was attentive but there wasn't the usual water-pourer-hoverer that you sometimes have at thai restaurants.
The only weirdness was this little iceberg lettuce salad with very sweet creamy dressing that came out before the meal. No value added there. The exposed wood beams painted white make you think you're in Paula Deen's dining room - you almost expect an overweight southern woman to come barreling out of the kitchen slamming a pound of butter on the table and yelling, "That's good buudder, y'all, buudder n' bacon, that's all y'alll need!"
Thankfully you're probably more sane than I and don't let the ceiling of restaurants take you down the road of scary daydreams.Listed in: Standin' on a corner in…
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Review from Madeline L.
Lafayette, CA
7/29/2008
My favorite Thai place ever.
EVER. -
Review from Max J.
Lafayette, CA
10/16/2009
General comments --- my review relates to both dine-in and take out...
Food --- Very good thai food... I'm VERY picky about my curries... Amarin does a great job with their "overnight" curries, such as the massaman...
Service --- Very attentive for both dine-in and take out...
Decor --- Standard thai decoration... I like the layout of the dining room... -
Review from Mr. M.
Lafayette, CA
6/12/2007
Amarin seems to turn out consistently well-made dishes, and the service is efficient, friendly, and reliable.
On a recent visit, our custom orders made it to the kitchen and back fully intact. Sometimes you get a little nervous when your waiter/waitress doesn't write anything down, but no worries here.
Always happy to see Larb Gai on the menu (a distinct Thai/Lao chicken salad)
Now, this being Lafayette, they're really the only source of Thai in town. They have no incentive to be that good, due to lack of local competition. But they ARE good.
P.S. - I'm still trying to figure out if Lauren P. was really at Amarin, or accidentally walked into Petco just down the street. :-) -
Review from Allen K.
Lafayette, CA
10/1/2011
Terrific Thai specials daily and Tom cooks himself on Wednesdays. A "special" plus an appetizer together are certainly enough for two. This is just plainly great Thai food. We love it! Thanks, Tom...
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Review from E. G.
Los Angeles, CA
8/5/2009
This is the only place I have ever been to where the waiters could look at me and say, "the usual." I ate here 2 times a week for about 3 years, my mom worked really close and we were on a first name basis with the owner, Tom (which is not that hard, he is so friendly and always remembers a face).
Go for lunch and you'll get a really good salad to start. EVERYTHING IS GOOD, but i'm slayed by their curries ( i like panang and masaman).
Thai iced tea is a must.
I love this place! -
Review from Paul M.
Bay Area
10/11/2009
I've been to Amarin many times - I have never been disappointed. Reliably good.
My only complaint is the price - you get better value at Royal Siam in Moraga (and, to be honest, I think the food is better at Royal Siam). -
Review from Julia N.
Claremont, CA
8/6/2011
I ordered Phad Thai over the phone. The service was great - only fifteen minutes from the phone to the window and I was greeted by the owner himself! Sadly, the food was very under-seasoned. I expected more from a $12 dish.
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Review from Molly M.
San Francisco, CA
10/10/2009
I liked the food here just fine, I'd give the food about a 3.5. The pad Thai was pretty typical nothing out of the ordinary. The noodles were a little mushy, though. The red curry was definitely my favorite, flavor wise.
The downfalls were there were virtually no salad options for vegetarians, there is no Mee krab or papaya salad which I think all Thai places usually have. Its a little on the pricey side, but since its the only thai place in Lafayette so I understand why.
The ambiance has its on flavor, old style country meets ancient thai decor.
Parking is easy, and it was not busy. Also, the service is on point. -
Review from William D.
Oakland, CA
3/30/2008
Pretty good Thai food....Been here on numerious occations & the food & service have always been good.
Lunch is a better value then dinner(same menu,slightly more expensive) -
Review from Yosie G.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2008
Lunch on a Saturday around 1-1:30 and the restaurant was not packed. I ordered a curry dish - massaman chicken. The plate appeared small in size but it's actually quite filling. Sadly there is only one big potato with the curry and it's not so spicy.
After our meal though the waiter did admit that the food here is not made so spicy as a lot of people (read: non-Asians in Lafayette) can't handle it. So word of advice here: if you really want the Thai style food - spicy - make sure you request it that way.
It's been a while since I had a non-noodle (pad see ew) dish in a Thai restaurant but I felt this was a bit pricier than most at 9.25$. Overall food was decent, service was alright (better be with only two tables), but price could be a bit better. -
Review from Jonnathan C.
San Francisco, CA
3/9/2008 2 photos
When writing this review the absolute one thing that sticks out most in my mind is: excellent service. I was blown away by the level of service during my dinner and this was even while they had a full house. FAST, friendly, and just a warm feeling is portrayed from all of the wait staff.
In terms of eats I was satisfied with my meal but it didn't stand out as anything special in terms of Thai food. Don't get me wrong, it was really good, and I was not disappointed, just it was "normal." Maybe I have this feeling from living in San Francisco where I can get to countless Thai restaurants in a matter of blocks. All of that said, I would still recommend this one to anyone in Lafayette who is not headed to SF. -
Review from Patrick K.
Concord, CA
5/4/2008
Really 3 and half stars...see below
I have been here a few times, and I am happy every time. The service is good and friendly and good. The food is outstanding and the portions are pretty big. They serve the food family style and the entrees are served with white rice on the side.
Last time we had the Chicken Satay as an app. It came out quick and was really good.
My girl had the Parma chicken which is chicken sated with garlic and served with veggies and a peanut sauce. There was too much sauce but next time we'll just order it with less sauce. It was still very good.
I had one of the specials that they offered. It was a seafood dish with fish, scallops, prawns, and squid. I don't remember what it was called but it was Delicious.
To drink they offer beer and wine. I always have the phucket beer. Pronounced Pucket .
My only complaint iswhen we came in a sat about 20 minutes before they closed. We ordered the app right as we sat. And we were just talking for a little bit before we wanted to order. The waiter made it a point to let us know that they close at 10:00. Then when they served dinner, they asked if we wanted to order dessert. Can I eat my meal first? I don't liked to be rushed. If you can't give me full unrushed service, turn me a way. I'll go somewhere where they are not so eager to take my money and ship me off.
You are either open and ready to give full service until your posted time , or you are not. If you want to be out by 10:05, close at 9:30 -
Review from tabisky c.
Walnut Creek, CA
5/14/2009
I haven't been to this restaurant in over 10 years, but had lunch with neighbors the other day and enjoyed the food and the excellent service from the owner Tom and his wife. We tasted some refreshing desserts after the meal - coconut ice cream with fried bananas, ginger spice ice cream and mango with sweet rice.
We would like to come back and try their other dishes as the menu is quite extensive. I am glad to have rediscovered this quaint place. -
Review from Joolia K.
Oakland, CA
3/24/2009
Amarin's tom kha gai soup is and always will be my favorite ever. also, Amarin introduced me to my much beloved himapan chicken, though now I get it with tofu (and secretly know they use fish sauce, though the veggie BF will remain uninformed... am i a bad person?)
The service is always friendly and the owner remembers me from when i was just a kid, tentatively branching out into the world of thai food, which almost immediately became my favorite food ever. He always asks about my dad who was a loyal customer for a long time. How he remembers these kinds of things is beyond me, but his is the only banter from a restaurant owner/manager that I don't find totally annoying. -
Review from Stephen S.
Coral Gables, FL
4/1/2011
Hands down, the worst Thai food I have ever had. I'm sorry. I hate being so negative, especially, because the staff was so nice and friendly... but it was actually the worst I've ever had.
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Review from Susan M.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/18/2011
This is my favorite go-to lunch place for what feels like the last 10 years. The staff is quiet but friendly and I LOVE the green bean chicken with brown rice. I seriously cannot get enough of it. YUM, will always go back.
Only drawback: parking is a pain and the meter maids are brutal. -
Review from Andrew P.
Danville, CA
8/26/2010 6 Check-ins Here
Consistent food and decent service have made this place a long term survivor. There is nothing surprising or extra special about their food, but it has been consistently good and reasonably priced for a very long time. I have never had a bad experience in the 10+ years I have been eating there.
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Review from Heather C.
Walnut Creek, CA
11/6/2010
Came here with just a couple people in line ahead of us. We waited and waited for someone to come to the front to put us on a wait list. In the meantime 6 to 8 more people showed up. Again, kept waiting. Resulted in 6 people (a group) leaving. Eventually we were seated and the rest was fairly fast from there. The pad thai was just ok. The thai BBQ chicken was good but just a dinner portion of the chicken satay minus the peanut sauce. I ordered white rice but they gave me brown rice, also ordered a pink lemonade but they brought a regular lemonade. Oh well. The thai iced tea was good. The place stayed busy so its a good sign. Would try something different next time
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Review from Candy h.
Lafayette, CA
8/11/2009
Excellent Thai food, wonderful and prompt, friendly service. Their pad thai is the best I have eaten. The panang beef curry, their version of pot roast, makes my mouth water just thinking about it as it is tender with just the right amount of heat. If you are more accustomed to real thai food, then order it as such as their dishes do tend to be toned down seasoning-wise.
Tables are close together. Wish their wine choices were a little more upscale. Not too much to complain about! I have eaten here on New Year's Eve and can afford to go anywhere I wish. Tom is a man of the community and if you ever are headed to Thailand, check with him for pointers. -
Review from Chris O.
Wailuku, HI
12/16/2009
Really good food----but the place is small---and so is the seating. Since I am a big guy that took away from the stars I awarded---but here is the breakdown:
Food: A
Service: B
Ambiance: C+
Parking: C- (Not really their fault---Lafayette parking is BAD).
Sticky Rice desert with Mango A+++++++++
In summary---if you like Thai---you will love the food at this place...... -
Review from Elease P.
Walnut Creek, CA
10/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
Amarin seems to be different every time I go. It seems to depend who is waitressing or waiting. The food, however is pretty good and that's what keeps me coming back. When the owner is there it always seems to be excellent and above and beyond service but when he's not they take way too long with the food and bill. The appetizers are just okay. But their Pad Thai, curries and other main dishes are really good. The beef salad was exceptionally good also. I like the spacing of the restaurant and how the seating is set up. It's in a convenient location as you're walking around Lafayette and not a bad place to drop in on your own after a nice walk at the reservoir. Don't be overly impressed coming here, but it's definitely a great place for satisfying some Thai food cravings! =)
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Review from Megan M.
Lafayette, CA
10/13/2009
Not many vegetarian options. The pad Thai was ok and the curry was descent. The service is great, they are really friendly and accommodating. I've been there a few times and it has been really good sometimes and ok other times, but overall the food is pretty good.
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Review from Brittany B.
Lafayette, CA
9/21/2010
I walked in right on in at 5--the only ones in sight. Everything is keenly presented, obliging service too. I ordered the red curry veggies and tofu. My auntie had the pad thai with shrimp and tofu. One was hot, the other not so much. It is pricier than most thai, mine was more of a topping than dish, it doesnt come with rice.
