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Aura Thai
Categories: Restaurants Thai Restaurants Soup Thai, Soup
4085 Atlantic AveSte C
Long Beach, CA 90807
(562) 426-3000
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- Yes
89 reviews for Aura Thai
Review Highlights
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"Chinese broccoli and crispy pork - yum." In 3 reviews -
"Yum Yum Noodle - yes, exactly the name." In 5 reviews
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"So far, I've had the Panang Curry which I really enjoyed." In 5 reviews
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89 reviews in English
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Review from JuanP C.
Monrovia, CA
5/25/2012
As Arnold said: "I'll be back!"
They have a good variety in the "lunch special" menu. Excellent service. I like the decoration and atmosphere of the restaurant.
Tip: "mild" is still spicy. -
Review from Debbi S.
Long Beach, CA
5/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have been meaning to try this place and I must say the food is good and service is good as well. It's on the corner of Carson and Atlantic it replaced the Hawaiin BBQ.
The spruced up the place nicely, they added curtains and the lights was very interesting. The menu has a wide variety of thai food, beware if you don't eat spicy food order mild. I do like their bbq duck it's very tasty and it doesn't have that weird smell that duck has.
The wait staff is nice and very friendly, I'll be definately coming back to this place again. -
Review from Ann A.
Manhattan Beach, CA
5/2/2012
I always like to support all the new small businesses popping up in Bixby Knolls. So when I saw that this restaurant has taken over this space I was excited to try it. I ended up here picking up some take out for a family dinner because I really did not want to cook or grocery shopping.
I ordered:
Fried Wonton - its potatoes and curry in a fried wonton. Almost like a Thai version of a samosa.
Pad Thai - with tofu. It was good. Not to sweet or tons of peanuts. great balance of ingredients.
Orange Chicken - it was good version of orange chicken
I would definitely come back and dine here and order take out again when I'm in the area. A great addition to Bixby Knolls.
Parking - There is a parking lot, but I know that the lot can be chaotic at times. But there is lots of close by street parking. -
Review from Char G.
New York, NY
4/1/2012 1 photo
3 Stars for Portion Size.
I ordered the Thai soup w/Shrimp! The portion size was 90% soup & 10% shrimp, mushroom and all the good stuff! All in all it was good, just wasn't crazy about the price per portion.
I will say the service was good.... since I was the only one there.
PS - the photo I took was at home on my own plate ( I ordered take out & it came in a box ) -
Review from Melanie O.
Cypress, CA
4/14/2012
This place is literally a five second drive away from my work and I love it! The Pad Thai is sooooo good. They smother it in sauce and it just tastes delicious. I've also gotten the Pad Woon Sen before, which is glass noodles stir fried with veggies and meat. It was a little on the bland side. I've also gotten the Curry Noodles as well, which is noodles in a curry soup. They were good but I'm not sure I like curry as soup.
The cool thing about this place is that they take your order on an iphone and they use an ipad as their cash register. The service is also good. The people are friendly and helpful, and won't say anything snarky if you've been there three times in the same week. And they deliver! As long as the Pad Thai continues to be so delicious, I will continue to stop in here for lunch on a weekly basis. -
Review from Jon T.
Long Beach, CA
4/12/2012
I really love this place. Great Thai food (I get the Pad Thai, which might be a bit on the sweet side, but is still delicious), really nice, friendly & helpful staff, and a really good deal (especially if you've got the Long Beach City Plus Pass, which gives 20% off dine-in visits!).
Another bonus is that it's open 'til 10, which means I've got this place as an option when most other restaurants have closed up on the weekdays. Very convenient.
This is definitely one of those local area businesses I love to support! Good food, great service, and excellent value. Highly recommended. -
Review from Scott G.
Updated - 3/4/2012 6 Check-ins Here
I have now had Aura a few times and I must say, I am enjoying it more and more. The owners continue to be very proactive with the Yelp Nation and seem open to feedback.
I was in need of some comfort food the other evening and had really enjoyed their yellow chicken curry last time and it sounded good again. It totally hit the spot, the chunks of white meat chicken, along with the veggies and great sauce was just the pick me up I needed.
I am happy to say that Aura has now entered the "local rotation."Listed in: Strong Beach, Of the Asian Persuasion, "Sans Face" Food Options, Yelp-sponsive
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/17/2011
The Tail of Two Entrees - "From Good to Bad Thai"
Green Curry with Chicken - 4
Chicken Pad Thai - 2
So,… Read more »
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Review from Maria W.
Long Beach, CA
4/5/2012
My very first experience with Aura Thai left me feeling like this was NOT the new go-to place for Thai food. But then my first experience was not the full sit-down-at-the-restuarant experience. Rather is was a small sample at a First Friday's and when you've got huge pans of pre-cooked free food for the masses, you're not going to get the best of their best.
Sadly, that less than delicious sample kept me from dining at Aura Thai for many months. This was my loss. At the urging of a friend, we had dinner there recently, and I was pleasantly surprised. I had their chicken larb and asked for medium spicy. My server asked if I ever had their medium spicy to which I answered no. She recommended I go with mild. Turns out Aura Thai seasons to Thai tastes. In other words when they say spicy, they're talking Thai spicy, not American spicy. The larb was tasty, but I prefer my larb with more of a lime tang.
In addition to the larb, I had Tom Yum soup, ordered medium spicy. Flavorful, delicious and holy cow - HOT! I can't imagine what my mouth would have felt like if I had opted for the spicier version of the larb as well.
Portions were generous and well priced in my opinion. I'll be back! -
Review from Cindy S.
Long Beach, CA
5/10/2012
Amazing food! So glad it's close by! I would drive miles tho.
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Review from Anne S.
San Pedro, CA
4/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love my Thai food. We liked it. I ordered pad thai, my fave. Very nice and friendly staff.
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Review from Nã P.
Garden Grove, CA
5/13/2012
Great food, perfect service! I would eat here again.
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Review from Emmalyn M.
Long Beach, CA
3/1/2012
I've never actually been here, but I've definitely seen it. (I believe it used to be the Hawaiian BBQ Festival? Good riddance!) Anyway, my parents were out and decided to come here to get my siblings and I some Thai food last Saturday night. They ordered me one of my favorite Thai dishes which is the regular (yellow) Curry Chicken. It tasted pretty good, my only complaint is I didn't like was that the chicken was cut into little strip pieces, similar (if not, smaller) in size to the ones that you put in salad! Other than that, their portions are moderately sized. However, I did feel a little sick after eating the curry chicken... :(
My mom found them to be a bit on the pricier side... I commend them on having brown rice though!! They get an extra star for that. :)
I might return-- perhaps only if I don't feel like going to Thai Original BBQ in Cerritos, lol. -
Review from Stacey M.
Fountain Valley, CA
3/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I really really really wanted to be able to give them more stars but I am pretty disappointed.
Ordered food to go, Thai iced tea is the size of a child's drink at McDonald's. So for $3 not worth it, most places give you a much larger cup for to go. Also when I ordered the guy said it would be cheaper to get the lunch special of the yellow curry that I ordered and it would come with a small salad. Well I ended up with the lunch sized curry but no salad and was charged for the full price of a dinner sized curry :(
And their jasmine rice...... Tastes like uncle bend microwaved white rice.
He never asked me how spicy I wanted it so the receipt says medium, tastes like no spice was added.
I will try them again because despite the curry not being spicy enough for my liking I'm sure if I specify next time it'll be fine. This could be a fluke that he mixed matched my order. So for now two stars but I'm willing to come back and try again, maybe eat there instead of to go. -
Review from Catherine N.
Long Beach, CA
3.5 stars for takeout
5 stars for portion size-noodle dishes are HUGE
Service on the phone was nice and efficient. Ordered combo pad thai, beef pad see ew and chicken red curry to go. Prices aren't bad. I remember what this place looked like when it was a sub-par Hawaiian BBQ place. It looks much nicer now, though they could do with removing what once was the takeout glass case in the front. There aren't many tables, so that could perhaps add a couple 2-tops for them. Just sayin'.
I was a bit nervous, because I read updated reviews AFTER I called in my order. A few of them were 1-3 star reviews about bland food (one of my biggest food peeves). Oh well, too late now. Luckily, my food wasn't as bad as what some others experienced.
Pad thai with chicken, shrimp, and tofu- 3 stars. This was the only semi-bland dish of my order. It was a bit under-sauced which was why it was drier than typical pad thai and thus also a little bland. I'd say the ratio of meats to noodles was 1 to 3, so they could have been less shy with the proteins. Overall, not too bad, but I've definitely had better.
Beef pad see ew - 3.5 stars. Greasy but very flavorful. Lots of meat and Chinese broccoli. Good thick soy sauce flavor. A few of the pieces of beef were chewy but overall, good.
Chicken red curry-3.5 stars. Good deep and sweet flavor. They made it medium as requested (and asked me what spice level I wanted which should be a standard question). They didn't overdo it with the coconut milk thankfully. A bit too many veg fillers like carrot and celery strips. Those totally overtook the rest of the ingredients, so I could only find maybe 4 or 5 strips of chicken and could barely get any bamboo shoots (love those, and they were julienned and tangled in the veg mess). I think I would have preferred just some chicken and bamboo shoots with more curry sauce. Simple and to the point, 'cos I'm not a fan of fillers.
Overall, not the best but good enough that I'd get takeout again. Noodle dish portions are huge. I was shocked at how much was left over. I think I would still rather dine in some of the other LB Thai places which stand out a little more. Not bad though. -
Review from Niki H.
Long Beach, CA
3/4/2012
I had been seeing this place for a while and finally decided to have lunch with my family their one day. WE LOVE THAI FOOD.
The decor of the lace is amazing but the food was just okay for us. I've had better tasting thai food and way better service.. The Pad See You( yes i know spelling is wrong but thats how dish is pronounced) didnt have much flavor. The chicken sautee was alright, was a bit lemony tasting. I wouldnt mind going again and trying different dishes and giving the place another shot. But at this moment i think i will just stick to my favorite thai place for now. -
Review from Javier J.
12/26/2011
This is one of those tucked away spots that have letters as an address instead of numbers. Is that a bad thing? By no means, I sort of love those places that are just off to the side as they provide some of the better food and have to try just that extra bit harder to keep you coming back.
The only downside is that you have to keep your eyes a little more pealed when driving by this spot as you'll not only miss the address if you're going too fast, but you'll also get confused by the Hawaiian BBQ sign on the outside of what is an amazingly delicious Thai spot.
I heard that it's due to the sign being so expensive to replace. So hey, there's that. But if you're feeling like some good Thai and don't mind stopping by a Hawaiian BBQ former spot to get some, this is it.
Prices are pretty comparable to average Thai lunch spots and the service is spot on for the small space that you are in. Their fried wontons are great. And you have to give it up for their Aura Curry. In fact, I did not try one thing that I didn't like here. It's pretty good all around and cheap to boot. -
Review from Lindsey Y.
Long Beach, CA
1/6/2012
Ate here a couple times and I was surprisingly impressed with the place.I am addicted to their wontons which is basically like a potato in curry sauce wrapped in a wonton wrapper.
The first time I went there I thought the waitress was being rude because she was on her phone when we were ordering .. however, they type out our order on the phone.
When I first tried out the place I ordered their Pad Sew Ewe (sp?) and it is delicious! I love it. The last time I went I tried their garlic beef .. and it was just okay. The meat wasn't as tender as I was hoping . .. and the flavor lacked a little bit. However, I love what they've done with the place .. the ambiance is lovely, their service is good .. and their food is almost always yummy. -
Review from Martha M.
Long Beach, CA
Updated - 1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yup,
they moved up in ranking for me. Tried this place again and this time medium spicy red curry for me (thank you very much) and it was delicious!!!! cooked to perfection yet again! Let me just say that I also tried Panvimarn, another new Thai restaurant in Long Beach and I have to say that even though Aura is a lot more casual than Panvimarn, the food might just be better. Best Thai I have ever had!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/20/2011
This place was great. Went there for dinner on my birthday with hubby and our two little boys. Our… Read more »
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Review from Anthony L.
Long Beach, CA
4/9/2012
I decided to try this place out as I pass by this place all the time going to and from work. At first I never really noticed it because it's tucked behind the Jamba Juice. The above average reviews on Yelp was the deciding factor to finally go ahead a try it. One of the complaints I read in the prior reviews was that the delivery wasn't so good. I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and ordered online via http://GrubHub.com
I ordered my two favorites - Pad Thai and Yellow Curry (both chicken) and two Thai Iced Teas. Also, since my mother is on a no/low sodium diet, I asked them if possible not to add any salt.
Delivery was prompt. Chris, the man who delivered, was very nice. So, I give service high points.
The Food:
The Pad Thai was excellent. The serving size was what I expected, which is a very nice portion. The Yellow Curry was very good as well - nice large chunks of veggies and chicken. I asked for no salt, and it seems they did a very good job adhering to our request. The thai iced tea was exactly what I needed.
I'll be ordering again soon. -
Review from adrenaline a.
Long Beach, CA
1/24/2012
I really didn't want to write this review...but here i am.
I'm writing this review, for people to be warned, to look for HAIR in your food! I came here with my boyfriend twice for lunch, and BOTH TIMES my boyfriend found hair in his duck noodle soup, and that's really a shame because it was very tasty! Isn't it by law that the chef's need to wear some type of hat to prevent short black hairs to be in your food? i suppose not...
I want you to know, there food is good, just be aware before you eat. -
Review from Neil S.
Long Beach, CA
12/18/2011
Just had a great meal at Aura Thai. My wife and daughter took me there for my birthday and I was impressed with the food and service.
We started with the Cozy Shrimp. They were wrapped in a wonton like a rose and deep fried and served w/ a honey type sauce.
For our main course we took the advice of the Yelpers and had the Aura Fried Rice, Duck Noodle soup and the Chinese Broccoli w/ crispy pork. I think the Duck noodle soup was my favorite and my wife is a sucker for good fried rice. My daughter liked the noodles and the "fat bacon".
We finished with the Aura Dessert and now we are all stuffed and sleepy.
Thank you Wi and the rest of the staff for your excellent service. We're happy that there is a restaurant this good in our own backyard. We will be back. -
Review from Ms. L.
Long Beach, CA
3/25/2012
Delicious, very fresh veggies. Highly recommended.
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Review from Dex T.
Long Beach, CA
1/29/2012
After 8 months of absence from LB, I called 562.426.3000 to order the BBQ short ribs and BBQ chicken combo. I was told that the Hawaiian BBQ went out of business and it is now a Thai restaurant. "OK, no problem" I said, "I'll come over to order instead".
5 minutes later, I was at the new Thai restaurant of Bixby Knolls. After a quick look at their menu, I ordered their crab fried rice and egg rolls. "How spicy do you want your fried rice"? I was asked.
"MILD, please!" I said.
As I am writing this review, sweat is running down my face and down my back.
What about the egg rolls?
Without the sweet chili sauce, one could gnaw on a 3/8" sheet of Georgia-Pacific drywall and wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
I'm keeping the $19.00 receipt for all of you skeptics that I actually had this experience. -
Review from Cyndy H.
Long Beach, CA
4/29/2012
I stopped by here on my way home from work to pick up some dinner. I ordered the Pad Thai with shrimp, Yellow Curry with chicken and Ginger chicken. I ordered the curry and Pad Thai mild and the Ginger Chicken medium. It was all really good, but medium was HOT, even to my husband and son who like things a little more spicy. I wish there was something between their mild and medium. But we all agreed we'd have it again for sure, really tasty, not greasy, ready quickly, good service to go.
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Review from L P.
Long Beach, CA
3/3/2012
Tried this place for the first time last night. My Red Curry was delicious. Good amount of heat but not overbearing. The chicken was perfect. Nice breast meat and not overcooked. My hubby had some sort of glass noodle with seafood and had good reviews. My friend had another noodle and cleaned her plate. The prices are very good and the atmosphere is nice. The layout does seem like it was meant to be a quick in and out food place but they've done a good job with it. We'll be back. Hoping they get beer soon.
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Review from Ken L.
10/15/2011 ROTD 4/18/2012
Finding good Thai food is like finding a good woman: Once you find [it / her], you hold on for dear life!
Aura Thai, why must you make me reminisce about the good times had in Bangkok with your food?
*Sigh....*
....
....
....
Oops, sorry guys and gals, had a private moment there.
Anyway, on with the review:
I really enjoyed their Som Tum Papaya Salad and Chicken Larb. Both were well seasoned and had a kick to 'em.
Yum Yum Noodles? Clear broth with Al dente noodles and a crapload of fixins from fishballs to pork. Yea, they're yum-yum alright; If you're a noodle whore you'll love these.
Other dishes worth mentioning: the Chicken Pad Thai was really good. The Aura Curry seemed a bit watered down to me but I figure it was just off that night.
Yup, it's official, I'm holding on for dear life. -
Review from E'stormae S.
Hawthorne, CA
10/13/2011
My 100th review!! So please vote for me!
The kid and I came here for the Unofficial Yelp event titled Thai Spice, Oh So Nice! I'm nuts about Pad Thai, but I haven't tried other Thai dishes. I'm always kinda scared they wont be good. I jumped at this chance to sample a bunch of different dishes. We got there early and bought a Sprite & Iced Thai Tea & Sprite ($4.90). They have fountain drinks and I would suggest getting one if the food is spicy. All the Yelpers at the event were great, but we got lucky enough to be seated with Danny, Fia, Ted & Jackie. They were awesome and we had a great time discussing food, travel & pop culture. As usual I digress, you probably want to hear about the food at Aura. In case you want to try them, I'll list the number & its description on menu. My opinion follows in parentheses
#3 Fried Wontons (10) $5.95- Golden sweet crispy wontons filled with mild curry seasoned pureed potatoes. (maybe because they served first, but I really liked these. They reminded me of samosas, but with a sweet/spicy Thai dipping sauce)
#16 Som Tum - Papaya Salad-$7.95- Famous Thai salad! Shredded green papaya, garlic, chili, dry shrimp, green bean, tomatoes, carrot and roasted peanuts mixed in tangy sweet sauce (light and refreshing without being too salady. I don't know if I would just get this alone, but definitely if with a party)
#19 Chicken Larb $7.95= Ground chicken mixed with shallot, cilantro, green onion and roasted rice in spice lime sauce with mixed green. (This was only medium heat, but DAYUM I must have bit right into a chili or something. This was really good. It made me think of lettuce wraps, but without the lettuce. I didn't think of it then, but they probably would give you lettuce if you asked)
#44 Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork $7.95- Chinese broccoli stir fried with crispy pork. (I had to chuckle when my kid says "can you please pass me that..uh.. Mongolian Beef down there?" It kinda did look like it though. Dark brown meet the dark green veggies. When I tasted this, I was hurled back to the 70's in Chicago. Snowy days when my dad used to bring home take out from a hole-in-the-wall Cantonese place near our house. This tasted like old school Cantonese. I did not care for veggies as a child. In this day, where every place does orange chicken, I miss the places that do the dishes with veggies. The pork was just excellent, it had a tenderness, but also a crispiness. It had a crunch that reminded me of Chicharron. This dish edges up there with Pad Thai, as things I'd be likely to get. Heck, It might surpass it)
#38 Chicken Pad Thai $7.95-The name says it all! One of the most famous Thai dish. Thin rice noodles stir fried with bean sprouts, eggs, meat of your choice in tamarind sauce topped with roasted peanuts. (Excellent. Reminded me of Ayara's but not as oily. This is their most popular dish. Chicken, beef, pork or tofu for $7.95 Shrimp, calamari or Seafood $9.95. Since Pad Thai is my favorite, I'd have to get this again)
#28 Aura Curry $ 9.95-Aura Thai duck curry infused with sweet n tangy taste of pineapple and the aroma of Thai basil served with tomato and bell pepper (This came in a bowl, so at first glance I thought it was soup. Its got a wonderful creaminess to it without being heavy at all. I thought it had noodles, but it was some kind of vegetable sliced into strips. Maybe bamboo shoots? I forgot to ask what the vegetable was. I thought it was very good though. We had it made with chicken instead of duck)
#30 Yum Yum Noodle $6.95-Clear broth, street vendor style tom yum. Served with rice noodle, pork ball, fish cake, ground pork, ruby red pork, dry shrimp, green bean, bean sprouts top with roasted peanut. (This was the last entree served to us. I saw people at the table start to get excited. Fia said "oh man! I wish this had came first!" She is such a little gal, but she was able to find a way to finish that soup! I thought it was good, but would not want more than just a small cup. I got a piece of liver which I thought was beef. I don't like the taste of liver, but the soup doesn't taste like liver. I just thought I would mention to warn whoever might get the soup.)
For dessert we were served Aura Parfait. Deep fried eggroll/lumpia filled with banana, sweet rice base topped with ice cream, drizzled with syrups (chocolate/strawberry) Very pretty, and tasty! Get this to split if you're on a date. Its not on the menu. They are working on a small tabletop dessert/drink menu. We got a chance to talk to our host Chris after the dinner. They've only been open less than a month. The "Hawaiian" sign outside will have to stay for a bit.They're aiming for a more healthy type of cooking.They'll make your dish vegaterian and can even omit fish sauce! (good for my allergic friend) Our servers all worked so tirelessly to serve us and make us feel like family. Try them, you wont be sorry. Unless you get it Thai Spicy.
What ya think?
Can you vote for me? -
Review from Laura S.
Updated - 10/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I got to try MORE stuff... WIN.
FOOD:
Fried Wontons - it was like potato and cream cheese inside and it was REALLY good. It was a great first starter. They are also not stingy with the amount they give you. It could feed some people. :)
Chicken Larb - perfect spice. I love spicy and this was good.
Shrimp Cake - You must order this. I don't care if you don't know me and you're reading my review. ORDER THIS.
Chicken Aura Curry - very good. Yellow curry mixed with different stuff inside. I love my spices. Yellow curry is also one of my favorite curries.
Yum Yum Noodle - yes, exactly the name. It is REALLY authentic.
Chicken Pad Thai - I'm usually not a fan of pad thai because places make them too sweet but this place was actually really good on the sweetness. It was not too sweet for my liking. It had a great flavor that wasn't sweet but also mild. I liked it.
Chinese broccoli and crispy pork - yum. this is a restaurant favorite.
Aura Dessert - now... this is ORGASMIC. It's THREE desserts on one plate. Ice cream (if you read my reviews, ICE CREAM LOVER), sweet sticky rice (yeah... I got you now), and fried banana wrapped like a roll. OMG. All mixed made an amazing dessert. I was full but I ate a large amount of dessert.
SERVICE:
Loved them. Chris personally served our tables and he made sure to talk to everyone. Really nice guy and he explained all the dishes to us as well.
Cookie was absolutely sweet. She saw I was nervous and really made sure I was alright. Very caring staff. I also got to practice my Thai with her. Really sweet staff.
AMBIANCE:
I was told by Cookie that one side of the room represents the American definition of Aura and the other side represented the definition of Aura in Thai. You have to look at the colors. The side I was on was the American version with the lights and how it's represents ambiance and the other side had the other colors of Thai's Auras. Yeah, it's really pretty. The decor is really beautiful.
OVERALL:
Great experience again. I'm definitely bringing my mom here - the judge of all judges of Thai food :DListed in: Because I'm Thai
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/9/2011
So I came here bc I was in the neighborhood and I have to say... This is pretty damn good. I don't… Read more »
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Review from Randoll C.
Orange County, CA
I'm not Thai. I've never been to Thailand. It was only about a decade ago that I was introduced to Thai food.
My point - I'm not an expert when it comes to Thai cuisine. However, I am an expert on what I like as far as my taste goes
AND
I like Aura Thai. I like their service. I like their food. I like the atmosphere. I like their location as it's close to work. I like their use of technology (iPads & iPhones) as I work in that field.
What made it even so much more memorable for me is that while I was dining there (twice already), I didn't feel like I was at a restaurant, I felt like I was a guest in Cookie and Chris' home. Not only were they friendly, they were informative and conversation wasn't just about food - it was about life. Not the usual superficial banter.
So far, I've had the Panang Curry which I really enjoyed. I also had the Pad See Iew. Of the two, I liked the Curry more but it could be because I was craving it for days. On the day I chose the noodles, I couldn't decide on what to get and settled. I liked both dishes though as they were able to prepare it "Thai" spicy. I've not been to many places that serve food with that level of heat. It's not for everyone, but I love it like that.
One more thing I almost forgot to mention - it's NOT "cash only". -
Review from Danny L.
Inland Empire
10/13/2011
If you're looking to get your Thai food craving satisfaction, you have to go to Aura Thai.
The food was delicious and authentic Thai food doesn't get any better than this place! You can tell they put alot of love and passion just by tasting the food, excellent customer service and the interior ambience.
Chris served us personally throughout the night. He's a really nice guy and down to earth!
Great food, great interior decor, and great company. What more can you ask for?:) -
Review from Lin G.
10/13/2011
Whatever positive thing that you can say about free food (like that it's a staple part of my diet), it sure is even better when the food is also delicious! Laura S. (superwoman with a "S" on her chest) organized an unofficial yelp get together here and the owner was nice enough to host us for some complimentary dishes.
We were treated to a series of appetizers and entrees. My favorite being the Yum Yum Noodle, the Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork, and a fried shrimp ball appetizer.
The Yum Yum Noodle was like something out of a street stall in Thailand, except much better. It had liver!!! YUM, and all sorts of other yummy meat, in a brothy kind of noodle soup that screamed tasty roadside eats right off the late night streets of Chiang Mai. It was a real treat and I enjoyed every bite.
The Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork had very chewy and flavorful crispy pork. If you are a fan of pork, this is definitely a dish for you.
I wasn't sure about the name of the shrimp appetizer but it was fried and seemed to be a lump of shrimp cake? Really tasty and addictive with the sauce.
The fried spring roll with banana filling and ice cream over sticky rice was also a treat.
I've never had the chance to really talk to restaurant owners before, despite eating a lot. And this time, it was really endearing to witness the care, attention, and pure heart that Chris, the owner, poured into his restaurant. I have a lot of respect for that. And his hard work really paid off. The staff were incredibly friendly (unlike many places in Thai town), the lighting just right for relaxing conversations and intimate dates, and the whole ambiance was clean and welcoming. Congratulations on a true success. Combining good food with good people.Listed in: Meow Bird Approved!, Thai Me Up
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Review from Star D.
Long Beach, CA
2/16/2012
Went to Aura Thai for the first time tonight, and while looking over the menu we were warmly greeted by Cookie. Cookie was SOOO friendly and helpful in going over the dishes and making suggestions.
We decided to try a few things...the eggplant and beef, served with a side of jasmine rice, had really good flavor - but wasn't my favorite. The fried pot stickers were also good....but the clear winning choice was the pad soon sen! It was AMAZINGLY good!!! I absolutely love it!! One more thing...the milky tea was fabulous. Way to go Cookie, thanks for allowing us to try it!!
Lastly, the restaurant was really clean and inviting. The ambience was perfect...lighting, music, etc. Really nice. I'm already looking forward to going back and trying some other dishes. -
Review from Elizabeth V.
Long Beach, CA
9/18/2011 1 photo
Ive attached the picture of the offending pad thai.
Same owner from Hawai'ian BBQ Festival. A few of you may remember, especially if you were one of the Yelpers that got burned at the Grand Opening / charity fund raiser; that H BBQ F had some problems with their food (and there was no fund raiser as advertised, and the UYE host either bailed out of shame or possibly didn't ever exist) . I did see the 9 reviews for this "new" place, but it didn't occur to me that their were no Elite reviews or that this place could have just up and changed its name to get away from the history of Yelp reviews.
In my defense, I had a head cold and didn't ask the questions I would have usually asked with a "new" restaurant.
Had it not been for the couple that was perusing the menu outside -- and the host offered the information that the name changed -- and the couple asked "same owner" and my heart dropped so hard and loud I hoped I didn't hear him say yes, but he said "yes."
And then I got home and looked at my receipt -- charged to Hawaiian BBQ Festival -- yes folks, taken for a ride again by the same people. Now, at this point I really wanted the food to be great so I could believe that maybe the BBQ wasn't their genius and with the change perhaps they had "come into their own."
I have pictures... I'll get tot hem eventually. Some how they missed putting in any type of sauce, minimal chicken/carrots/peanuts/anything vegetable that would be green... the list is pretty long on the "missed" so I'll leave it at this.
I've been eating pad thai -- for years. And not fast food pad thai. I've been taken to places by coworkers run by people who had successful food businesses in other countries and started over here with the same authentic food. Doubly so because the food was not made to bring in an American audience. Oh, and I've had pad thai from that extreme to the bland offering from Aura Thai. I can't say much either way on the tom yum I ordered. But I will say that the powder I get from the Sieu Thi Thuan Phat super market with fresh lemon grass from Island Pacific Supermarket (Cerritos) and fresh mushrooms, tofu, and chicken, and I can rock the tom yum too.
In all, water rose to it's own level with this restaurant and their previous Hawaiian BBQ identity -- being just as lack-luster and not even a value vs. quality/quantity. And I'll be the first to congratulate the other reviewers on finding something they liked well enough to pay $10 for on the menu. But this is one of those things that Michael P. has taught me -- there is a vast base of food knowledge in Long Beach for Thai food and going where the plentiful Elite reviews are is the best bet. Hawai'ian BBQ Festival, oh, uh, I mean, Aura Thai is not up to those standards for my dollar (s).Listed in: The Lone Star Reviews, One is the loneliest number --…
Comment from Chris P. of Aura Thai 9/19/2011
Elizabeth, As a restaurant owner I take all comments to… More » -
Review from Peter D.
10/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm review #23, which is appropriate because this is the Michael Jordan of Thai restaurants. Here's why: There were players bigger, faster, quicker and stronger, but none really combined those attributes and played with more heart. And that's what you get here. Heart...plus soul, in each tantalizing plate of food that's carefully prepared to order, to the folks that greet and serve you and with each drinking glass that's individually dry cleaned to prevent spotting.
That's a commitment to quality and detail you'd be hard-pressed to readily find elsewhere. Tip o' the hat, Aura Thai. See ya again soon. -
Review from Shawn M.
Long Beach, CA
2/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Im a local business owner in the area. I am super happy that Aura Thai has opened here. Nicely done from the ordering on IPhones and iPod's. Fast service and great crew. Good flavored always impressed by the food.
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Review from Saya V.
Los Angeles, CA
9/7/2011
Finally..the thing I thought would never/could never happen has happened. I found good Thai food outside of Hollywood! In Long Beach of all places. I know, right? Blew my mind.
Note that I said good Thai food. Obviously there are a ton of places where you can get Thai food all over SoCal, but those who have actually had authentic Thai know you gotta head to Hollywood to even approach the level of cuisine of the motherland. Until now.
I was with friends in LB and we were craving Thai when we happened upon this place. My expectations were nonexistent as I'd already resigned myself to the fact that we were about to eat Thai food..in Long Beach. But something happened when they handed me a menu. I saw something on it that I'd never seen at a Thai restaurant outside of Hollywood.
When I was younger one of the best comfort foods was a Thai dish with crispy pork and Chinese broccoli. And the only place you could get it the way it's supposed to be made was at places like Yai or Hoyka. Kinda takes the comfort out of comfort food when you have to trek all the way out to Hollywood in LA traffic to get it. But now I don't have to; I can get the same thing at Aura. And I mean the EXACT same thing. Because guess what? The chef at Hoyka has made the trek for me and is now the chef at Aura. Bummer for Hollywood, but total win for the LBC (and me)!
I may have frightened the owner with my enthusiastic reaction to the news that Hoyka's former chef is now employed by Aura, but he was cool and chatted with us about the menu and offered suggestions. The menu at Aura is pretty extensive..besides the signature crispy pork with Chinese broccoli, there are many rice dishes and specialty items..plus their new chef's entire arsenal of noodle soups - this I was most thrilled about since we used to drive out to Hoyka specifically for their noodle soups. Definitely getting my fix when weather permits. (100 degree heat is not conducive to hot soup.)
Now that I know it's here, I basically plan on returning regularly to eat my way through their menu. You're welcome to come with! -
Review from Kryssie B.
Long Beach, CA
9/19/2011
Seems like I always spot the good eats when I'm out for a run! The other morning, Hubs and I noticed a new sign over the old Hawaiian BBQ place. We LOVE thai food and good thai is kinda hard to find. We have a few good spots but they're not close by.
I was making curry tonight and got sidetracked helping with after school homework and burned that mess. Crazy right? It's not that hard! Already in the mood for curry I alerted the fam that we'd be dining out tonight and Hubs was down when I said I wanted to try Aura Thai.
The hostess was on the phone when we walked in, it looked like she was taking a phone order. She made eye contact immediately though and nodded when I motioned if we could seat ourselves. We ordered Chicken Satay to start, Peanut Sauce was way yummy! I got the Thai Curry (Yellow with Chicken), Hubs ordered Chicken Pad Thai. When offered spice he jumped on it and said he'd take it as hot as they could make it. I got Orange Chicken and Rice for the lillobugs to share. Their food came out last so they'd both enjoyed sampling, okay, grubbing down on, my curry. Everything was SO yum!
I am by no means a Thai Food expert but I know good food, I know good flavor and I know good service. This place had all that! Our server was super attentive, our glasses were always filled. We of course had to save room for dessert so we didn't finish up our food. We asked for a box and our server took the plates and boxed everything up for us! I spotted the Aura Thai Parfait on the menu even before we sat down so we ordered that and asked if it was enough to share. We were rightfully assured that it was! Coconut sweet sticky rice (hot), Vanilla ice cream (cold), banana wontons (!) all drizzled beautifully with strawberry and chocolate sauce. I constantly take pictures of my food so that I can send it to my kindred spirit foodie sisters so I'll be sure to upload the visual yumminess asap!
Hubs and I kept looking across the table at each other both thinking that we scored on finding this place. AND they deliver!! Within 3 miles :) Woot!
Service was great, it was comfortable to dine in even with the two kiddos, I snagged a to go menu that has found a nice home on my fridge! -
Review from James D.
Pasadena, CA
9/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
New Local Thai Spot in CalHeights ROCKS!.
I had the Panang Curry and Crystal had the Yellow Curry. Got the chicken rice noodle soup for the Kid.
Just awesome. Aura is our spot for Thai in LB! -
Review from John S.
Long Beach, CA
2/10/2012
I have been a fan of this location since they were a Hawaiin restarant in their early days. The owner Chris has always provided great customer service and good food. I have referred several people.
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Review from Robert B.
Long Beach, CA
2/9/2012
Wow! Really good, really authentic Thai food in long beach! Tom Khaa Kai was tasty and authentic. So were the Satay - the shallots and cucumber salad was as good as any I've ever had.
Only let-down was the Phat Phrik, it's a pet peeve of mine when Thai restaurants use bell pepper as a filler. Just FYI, they don't have bell peppers in Thailand. But unfortunately I'm the only person that cares. It did taste good, and it was just as spicy as I had asked for.
