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Category: Thai
601 108th Ave NENow free validated parking after 4PM weekdays. Enter the Key Center Parking and turn left. Very easy folks!
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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The thai food here is still very consistent and delicious. However, the location f'n sucks. It's up in the air for me. I love thai food, and it's fabulousness, but I can't do this darn parking situation, or having so many people come late to dinner because they can't find the darn place.
I know that they old chantanee's location was even worse, but I felt like it was the gem in bellevue when I used to live in clyde hill. But now it's as commercial as the purple cafe, and barrio. Don't get me wrong, if chantanee was on the same street, then it would be more appealing to me. I know, I am such a brat. Whatever.
notes :
go during happy hour, 1/2 off apps. if you are working in the area, free parking so make sure to get it validated!!
lord can i get some more pud see eww(sp?) and everything on the menu four stars.. thanks.. but minus… Read more »
Hands down, BEST THAI FOOD EVER.
Seriously.
I have been a regular to the restaurant for at least the past five years. At the old location, I remember waiting 15-30 minutes to be seated (lunch or dinner on weekdays and weekends). I didn't mind it because it was so delicious! I refused to go any other Thai restaurants because they just can't match up.
Then they closed to move to a new location. I was SO sad. I went three times the last week before they closed to get my fix to last me during the lull. The new location is less homey/cozy/hole-in-the-wall, but has amazing decor.. it's definitely the classiest Thai restaurant I have ever been to. During the summer, they also have patio seating. The prices are higher now, but it's reasonable for the quality and portion, and cheaper than most restaurants in Bellevue downtown.
WINS:
- beef yum: grilled meat with fresh herbs and papaya salad
- phad see iew: wide rice noodles with broccoli
- chantanee noodle ("naked" version of phad thai - more authentic and less ketchup-y)
- pumpkin curry: so unique with pumpkin, coconut milk
- panang curry
- heavenly beef: sizzling platter, super flavorful and tender
- spicy eggplant: yummy, soft eggplant with basil
- crispy garlic chicken: tender, lightly breaded crispy chicken
- crab wontons: crispy wontons with cream cheese and crab.. YUM!
- yellow curry fried rice: curry, pineapple, raisin, carrots
Over the years, I have tried pretty much most of their menu (and it's HUGE). Everything is good, I promise. You just can't go wrong. If you can't decide on what to order, ask for a recommendation. The owner, Julie, is usually there and more than happy to talk to you. Also, their Thai iced tea and Thai iced coffee are SO good!
The restaurant can accomodate large parties and you can make reservations online with OpenTable. The bar/lounge is really nice. The drinks are really good - corpse reviver (lemon drop with gin) and clover club (egg white - sounds weird, but makes it light and frothy, raspberry) are my favorite. Great happy hour with $3-5 small bites - wings, pork sausage, clams, short ribs 3-6PM everyday.
Tips:
- wear stretchy pants
- look online at the parking video for assistance (it's really confusing): http://www.chantanee.c...
Consistently quality food + good service = EPIC WIN. GO!!! :)
Very Yummy. This place is just helping to build the Thai addiction. I haven't tried much here, but everything i have had has been good. The garlic fried rice was some of the best fried rice i have ever had, the chicken satay is pretty good, and some random rice broth they served with lunch was pretty tasty too.
They are a little pricey, but the lunch for 9 bucks is pretty filling.
Nice decor too, pretty cozy.
The lunch special is priced alright, but other dishes are much more expensive, compared to other thai restaurants. Food quality doesn't merit the extra $.
Food is fine, cost is a bit high. Coming for lunch is ok, but I would never come for dinner.
I wrote my first ever Yelp review for Chantanee but I'm regrettably returning with a less than stellar update.
Most of us who have enjoyed Chantanee for the past few years are probably well aware of the restaurant's remodel and new location in the Key Bank building downtown. Patrons have to park in the Key Bank garage but let me forewarn you: DO NOT COME HERE UNTIL AFTER 5:00pm.
Seriously, don't park there unless if you want to pay a ridiculous fee for parking (I paid $10 for 1 1/2 hours there). Chantanee doesn't validate parking until AFTER 5:00pm -- something the waitstaff neglected to tell us until we left. No wonder my friend and I were the only people in the entire place before the validation hour began. I suggest parking at Barnes & Noble nearby, getting a two hour validation there for free, and then walking the half block to Chantanee.
The food itself doesn't have the same heart and flavor as it used to have from the old location. Did the cooks change during the transition? The phad thai was bland, the Chantanee spicy wings were boring and unmemorable. I do regret not having the chance to try my favorite and their signature dish, Crispy Garlic Chicken (my friend preferred getting the phad thai). And there's no point in ordering drinks during happy hour here -- they start off at $11 normal price but are $3 off during happy hour making their "special deal" the same price as average cocktails every else during normal meal hours!
Expensive drinks, expensive food, expensive parking. My issues with expensive parking shouldn't be the most memorable thing about the new Chantanee. This place has lost everything that set it apart from their competitors. Won't be back anytime soon, if at all.
If there's one thing you want to try here, it's the Crispy Garlic Chicken.
This dish comes…
Read more »
Really? Is ambiance so much more important than the quality of the food? I am appalled. Sure this place is swanky, sure it has a great color coordination, and sure they have silk menus but I waste my money on hospital food than here. I would've have given this place ZERO stars except the service was pretty decent.
It had only 1 of my 3 Q's Quickness otherwise Quality =0 Quantity=appalling and value, not even close.
I ordered the Cashew tofu after the waiter suggested this had the most vegetables. Out came was a half cooked tofu dish with a half cut up carrot, a bunch of celery on a plate full of watery sauce. You call this Asian food? PLEASE!
PRESENTATION: poor,
Taste : Tofu wasn't even cooked;
Quality: where the heck are my veggies? All I saw was garnishes; and Price $12 for a bunny platter? No thank you!
I sent the plate back and ordered garlic chicken fried rice $12. This would actually be decent if the rice was fresh (tasted stale), if they used more FRESH garlic (lasted like minced bottled garlic) and there was something other than just garlic and broken rice (cheap rice). The chef was cheap with the chicken as well. I looked over at my friend who ordered Pineapple fried rice at least they used frozen peas and carrots with hers. Sure the fried rice was a mountain, but boy did they make a killing, the amount of cheap rice they gave us probably equaled maybe $3 between the two of us. Disappointing. I will not be a returning customer or suggest this place to any of my friends or family.
OTHER words DO NOT TRY!
Like Rachel Ray says, YUM-OH. I have been to Thailand many times and this place is the closest to authentic I have had. It is very tasty. The ingredients are fresh and cooked well. So many items on the menu, not sure when I will ever get through them especially because I have my favorites. The basil fried rice, princess favorite curry, and tom yum soup. Spice is perfect and very good service. Satay and other appetizers also yum. You will like this place!
Wha happened'??
Okay, first thing's first: Where the heck is this place?? Went here on a Sunday night with my folks for dinner and I think we spent the first 20 minutes getting lost in the parking garage and then wandering around the outside until we finally found it. New Location of Chantanee? Bad Idea Jeans. I much preferred where you were before. That was a good spot that had plentiful parking that was...*gasp*...FREE!! New spot: hidden practically in the basement of a building and you've got to park in one of the high rises' parking garages. Super confusing.
ANYWAY - let's move on. Once we finally found the place and made our way inside, here's my take on our experience.
The old Chantanee was located next to a wine/beer shop over behind the Sports Authority off of Main St. in Bellevue. This was your father's Chantanee.
This new one is NOT your father's Chantanee.
This is the new uber-hip, keeping up with the Purple's, Pearl's, and Earl's, Chantanee. Chantanee clearly felt that they needed an overhaul if they were going to match up with the rapidly evolving look and feel of downtown Bellevue. And they've definitely done that. The interior of Chantanee is absolutely beautiful. Very plush and comfortable. I can see how Naga (the bar) would be quite the destination for HH or after work drinks. The whole place was a little overdone for my tastes - but hey, whattya gonna do - it's Bellevue. I guess I'm just going to have to come to terms with the fact that Belleve's all growns up now. ;-)
The Food: Excellent! Might I recommend the Thom Ka soup on a cold and rainy December evening? Hits the spot! Just the right amount of spice and loaded with chicken and mushrooms. Delicious! My benchmark for all Thai places: The Pad Thai was also good. Not the best I've had, but good. Tried two of the curry dishes - also really good!
I know that Naga's supposed to have one of those RockStar Seattle Bartenders working here. He clearly was NOT here this night. My drinks took FOREVER to come out. Even watched the rookie make it while he measured out exact proportions - kinda disappointing.
Service: a bit slow.
Price: AAAAhhhh.... so THAT's how they're paying for their new digs... they've upped the prices on everything. Bummer.
Overall: a decent spot - if you can find it. However, I think I like my father's Chantanee better. This new one is kind of like an Orange County housewife. Meaning - it's nice to look at, but the headache's not worth the price.
I'm giving them 3 stars for now. BUT, the verdict's still out. I'm planning to go back during HH and give them another solid go.
The beauty of Chantanee is found in the same way that you would at all great restaurants: 1. Sharing more dishes that you haven't had before with friends and 2. By sitting at the bar.
To address the second point first, always sit at the bar, every where you go, and doubly so at Chantanee. The bartender knows what is good, and the bartender can't run away from service, so they have more of an interest in making things better. And at Naga (the bar in Chantanee) the lounge is amazing. The best service you can get anywhere any time is to not have to order off the menu, at this bar you can order by adjectives, ideas or just a base spirit and you will always be amazed.
As for the food? C'mon people, Pad Thai? Do you only have missionary sex? Pad Thai=boring in the sack. This place has amazing Masaman Lamb, coriander duck, pumello salad, trout salad and house made sausage; they menu offers a noah's ark (lots of animals) of profound treats.
Ditch thePad Thai, grow up, have an adventure, try something new. This is the perfect place to have you attitudes about Thai food change and have one of the better cocktails on the coast.
I love this place.
The service: Wonderful. We always have full water glasses and anything else we could possibly want. Everyone is polite and attentive.
The atmosphere: Posh but comfortable. I wouldn't feel bad in jeans and a T shirt.. but I also would not feel overdressed if I stepped it up and got a lil fancy.
The food: Sooooo amazingly good. Their pad kee mao noodles are to die for and the crispy garlic chicken rocks my world!
Sadness... Oh miss the old Chantanee... you guys were so charming before, I understand the need to improve and expand but why the 180 change? Its pricy and pretentious. Service was good its just that most patrons of old Chantanee that made it successful in the first place went there for the quality of food and price. Plus parking was so much easier before. I understand with the new location, rent must be higher thus passing that off to us. Tuff situation. Your happy hour prices are not making me want to come back... It makes more sense to have dinner there than HH.
After our sit in meal at Chantanee I was desperate for the opportunity to have more! So, on our return journey from the Eastside we stopped for a "to-go" order.
Let me start off by saying that when we did dine-in a couple weeks ago, the atmosphere was amazing and the service was impeccable. One thing I did have during that visit was an A Twist on the Last Word (ATOTLW) which was amazing. Naga is a destination bar for sure!
For our light lunch, we started with 2 pieces of tender (perfectly cooked) chicken satay served with a traditional peanut sauce and an order of pot stickers that we so fluffy and tender than they fall apart in your mouth. We followed this with a nice and tart, albeit quite spicy in a good way, Tom Kha soup of lemongrass, chicken and coconut milk.
Each of us then had an order of the green curry with chicken, Jared W. with extra vegetables. The creamy coconut mixture is so well spiced and savory that I can't help but drool just a little bit while thinking about it. Well, maybe more than a little bit.
As far as Thai food goes, this is the cream of the crop. Not your cheap hole in the wall but worth every penny. Dine-in or take-out, you will be nicely satisfied and craving more.
A Little Tip: Save a little curry or something, as with Thai Food, you always want a little snack after an hour or so :-)
Horrible attitude. Do they think they are Daniel's Broiler of Thai food? I definitely think NOT!
45 minutes from ordering to get your food? Everyone around you has their food and they sat down and ordered after you? Does the server or the owner care? All the owner asked was "do you need a refill on your soda". I think she knew that we were waiting too long but didn't want to deal with it.
And the food is just not as good as when they were at the old location.
Automatic tip of 18% on a table of 5?
No free parking?
Just plain old bad! Go to Wild Ginger in the Bravern where you'll get good food and service with some class.
Very good. Food is top notch.
Prices are getting higher with smaller portions.
But the food remains…
Read more »
Went here for a girls get together for HH. The reviews given was positive so I thought I'd try it out. It doesn't hurt to check a place and review on it. Having feedbacks is something that everyone needs to do so that other viewers can relate and check it out themselves.
The HH menu is located by the bar only and it runs from 3-6 p.m. daily. The dishes were like 50% off. So my gfs and I ordered pretty much the whole menu. We wanted to try it out and it sounded good. We ordered this thai style wings and when it came out we were shocked that they are actually huge pieces! I mean huge! They weren't like the mini wings and drumlettes these were regular sizes. But it was tasty! I also liked the crab wonton combo.
Our waiter didn't charge for our drinks. I don't know if he forgot or not but when our bill came it was cheaper than we thought. I would come back for the corn fritters it was delish. More HH in a lot of places would bring the business up because to me personally I enjoy eating and drinking with discounted prices anytime!
Really, this was about 3.5 stars. It's a tough place to find, hidden in the back southwest corner of the Key Bank building. Still, worth seeking out.
The decor is very nice. Lots of playing with shapes on the ceiling and in the booths. It's various colors of wood with lighting and treatments that work well. The bar, by contrast, is in more of a black motif. Modern, yet hearkening back to nature. When we entered we heard modern, downtempo electronica playing. This was fairly quickly drowned out by the dinner conversations taking place in the packed restaurant.
Now, the bar - fantastic. These folks have hired top notch bar help who have studied cocktails past and present and really know how to make them. I tried 2 different ones and found them to be VERY good. Well balanced and as described in the menu. My dining partner tried another two which I sampled and we agreed that this is a real find for those who enjoy a well made drink.
The food: well presented and tasty. However, the timing was off on the delivery. It was as if they rushed through the cooking process. By the time my seafood and my partner's duck dishes arrived, the meats were a little tough. My guess is that they put the order in and cooked it, but since we were still enjoying conversation, drink, and the crab wontons (excellent, by the way), the entrees sat and the meat toughened up. That was a shame, because it looked lovely and the spices were very well done.
Service: I found our service to be very good. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive, but not overly so. Nice touch to allow us to order water without ice and to have it in pitchers ready for us for refills.
Overall: I'd definitely go here again for the bar. For the entrees? I think I'll give them another try and see if they correct things. If not, then it will be a happy hour visit with appetizers. I definitely enjoyed the experience and it's nice to see this place in downtown Bellevue. Good mix of people in the crowd.
I agree with Grace... I really liked this place when it was in the old location. Yeah, granted the HVAC system was a little non functional at times, and yeah your clothes and skin smelled of sizzling beef no matter who was eating it around you but the food and service was always impeccable! My favs were the sizzling basil beef, pahd kee mao (meow), and egg rolls. The friendly staff here, in addition to the simple yet tasty culinary treats are what made this a favorite for our lunch groups when I worked in downtown Bellevue.
My girlfriend and I were walking around downtown Bellevue one night looking for something to eat and stumbled onto the new location, so we planned a date and came back a few weeks later.
The new location is nothing like the old place. Wow! What happened to the old world charm this place used to possess? Just because something's "ugly or old" doesn't automatically make it worth demolishing. Ugly is very subjective.
I used to enjoy seeing the cultural diversity at this place, sadly, I don't see that anymore. Now it's just another stoic, trendy, reinvented Bellevue bar/ restaurant with Über modern furniture. Since when did Thai food get so expensive? There was also something weird with the chairs, either they were very noisy when you moved them, or the fabric on the chairs itself made a weird fart-like sound when you moved about in your seat. You'd think their interior designer would have checked this prior to covering the chairs.
The food came out hot and was delicious as I remembered it but there was waaay too much emphasis on our cocktails and if we wanted any or wanted another. Since I'm a responsible driver and we were really limiting our alcoholic intake for the week, one was enough. At that, we found our waitress was scarce... I mean we hardly saw her. However, she did happen to be having a great time flirting and laughing with the customers in that same corner booth. Even at one point sitting down with the group of guys in one of the big corner booths that were consuming martinis like they were water. That didn't sit well with us, as we too were paying customers. And I'm supposed to give you a tip for seeing your backside all night? Honey, it wasn't that nice of a backside...
Sadly, I don't think we'll be returning to this "new and improved" Chantanee. Instead, we will go back to Noppakao, table for two please or if we're on the Seattle side, back to an old favorite, good OLD Tup Tim Thai.
Last time I'll ever step foot in this place.
My co-workers and I went to Chantanee for lunch and it took about 20 minutes to get our food, which came out lukewarm. The server was abrupt and forgot about our order of tea, which he brought out after we asked, and after the food was finished.
We were one of maybe a maximum of 5 tables in the whole restaurant, and were just plain neglected by the server.
To top it off, we wanted to split our checks so we paid separately at the front. The cashier charged every single one of us the wrong orders, one after another. Then when we told him he charged us the wrong amounts, he had the nerve to ask us, "can't you guys just figure it out?"
Learn to do your job right buddy.
Solid fancy Thai place.
The scenario that plays well here is the boss or interview/recruit lunch. The prices are pretty high for lunch portions and w/o fancy presentation.
The food is pretty solid, but nothing special--though they will make it spicy if you ask, which is HUGE.
Eaten and enjoyed:
Swimming Rama w/ pork (3-star spicy - just a hint of zing). Pork was a bit dry, but the peanut sauce was pretty good. Go for 5-stars if you like spiciness.
Eaten and then untouched:
"Free" hot and sour soup before lunch. Most disgusting hot and sour I've ever had and I hate hot and sour soup.
Really good food and wonderful service. $115 lunch for 3 people is a touch pricey but the food was good enough that I'd go back and see if I could dine more thriftily.
The Tom Kha was bright and flavorful with a fair portion of chicken. Thankfully not overly sweet was a big plus.
The crispy garlic chicken is a must but ask them to go light on the sauce or it will swim in the gooey sweet stuff.
I think if you're thoughtful and precise about what you want this could be a great place to frequent.
Where to start? You pay to park. All of the eating utensils are truely dirty. The staff seems very unprofessional. The menu is huge and awkward. The establishment was really hard for my friends to find. Lastly, The drinks were good but alcohol is hard to mess up.! I can think of no pros to describe this establisent. Don't waste your time! Go somewhere else!
Bryson
The food is mediocre, and priced too high for the quality and portion size.
But the interior is nice... If you're going to go, go for the atmosphere, not the food. Next time I'm going to Zen Yai instead.
I have been here twice, once with a friend and the other time for a casual interview meet and greet. Both times, I ordered the Pad Thai....which is less than memorable.
The ambiance is modern chic, location is convenient to local business (Microsoft/Expedia).
Service was adequate...would I go here again? Most likely no, I think there are better options within the area.
Since coming to this restaurant the first time, my husband and I have went back SEVERAL times, and each time is better than the last. Their chicken pad thai is fantastic, their garlic chicken and crispy garlic chicken (two separate dishes), their crab wontons and pot stickers (yum!), and their spicy dishes are also excellent. I love this place!! Easily one of my top two favorite places to go to.
So admittedly, I had never had Thai food before visiting Chantanee. So take this review with a grain… Read more »
I went here for Happy Hour yesterday - my friend's suggestion, as he heard that their Happy Hour was really good.
I don't know who he heard that from, but I thought it was fairly sub-par. We ordered the E-san Pork Sausage & Crispy Seasoned Pork Short Ribs and Kaffir Frites with Thai Basil Aioli. The sausage was about as dry as the Sahara, and the short ribs felt like how dogs must feel chewing on those pig ears. I found the short ribs to be tough (obviously) & salty. The Frites were just fries with a fancy dipping sauce. Although, the dipping sauce was pretty good. It tasted like miso mayonnaise to me. The fries were nice & crispy though.
I did, however, try my first French 75. That was their saving grace - the booze. Once I was buzzed enough, it made up for the not-so-great food.
Don't think I'll be going back there for Happy Hour anytime soon though. Well, maybe to drink, just not to eat.
*DISCLAIMER*
Before I start, I would like to say that I have never tried the old Chantanee, so please excuse myself if I do not lament over what the place was like before it got renovated. What you will read for the remainder of this review is from a first-timer. So here goes...
Wow. This place has got to be the swankiest Thai restaurant I've ever visited. I felt like I should have worn something dressier when I stepped inside. It even has a full bar! I had some mixed feelings about this since it takes away the authenticity of a usual Thai restaurant where it's more hole-in-the-wall and you are just there to enjoy good, Thai food.
The menu is a little pricier, but the amount they give you is more than enough. The food itself does not disappoint. My green curry with chicken was very flavorful and not too runny, and they gave me a lot that I barely finished half of it including the rice. I would have to say it was one of the best green curry I've had. The pad thai was good but more ketchup-y than I liked. The service was excellent. I had my water refilled at least 3 times...something that doesn't happen too often at a Thai restaurant.
All in all, don't expect a lot of authenticity in this place. It is different than your usual hole-in-the-wall but I had a pretty good experience coming here for the first time, and the food was very good. They do have HH so I'll have to check that out some time.
Sad Grace.
This place was WAY better in the old location. Sure it was hot and slightly muggy whenever you went in, but the food and service was always spectacular! Your nummy plum sauce, green curry, and friendly staff made me frequent this location for lunch when I worked in DTown bellevue.
A friend recently reminded me that they had re-opened and that we should re-live old times and gorge.
Wow. Way to succomb to the "Bellevue" trend :(
None of the old waitresses, and now you focus more on drinks? I mean, I love to drink, but thats not what I come here for. Food came out cold, waitress was rude, it just wasnt the same.
I will try ONE MORE time, because I completely understand that sometimes restaurants and people have their "off" days, but Im weary.
Come back old Chantanee - I miss "us".
*Consistently great Thai, which is saying something cause I can throw a rock and hit 3 thai joints in bellevue
*Their lunch special is a good deal at 10 bucks
*Buddy ordered the Heavenly Beef, I felt as if I would turn into Dudley Moore if I ate it. So, of course I wanted it.
*I feel like it was better when it was next to Stuart ANdersons but its still super solid.
*Update 09/11/09: I ordered the Chantanee Noodles, and it was bomb! A must-try!
Went here with a couple of friends for lunch. Even though location was near Bellevue Galleria area and close to Bellevue Square, not exactly sure if this new location is a great one for business. Maybe I didn't get a good look around, but it seems kind of tucked away in a back corner (might have to pay it another visit for a more accurate evaluation).
But nonetheless, the food was fantastic! Quite possibly one of the best Thai restaurants I've been to.
Excellent Food -- 4.5 out of 5
Great decor/ambiance -- 4
Mediocre Service -- 3
Fair Pricing -- 3.5 (some of their dishes are more expensive than others, but for the quality of food, it's not bad)
Location -- 3.5 (because it's in DT Bellevue, and near Bellevue Square, but can't give it a high rating because of its tucked-away location)
I came here on recommendations of several friends and I have to say this this Thai restaurant didn't disappoint. The service and decor are fantastic and the food was prepared wonderfully. My mom ordered a green curry that was absolutely fantastic! The chicken was also very nice and tender. The Tom Kha was also fantastic.
The one thing that I always get is Pad Kee Mao, and honestly, it wasn't that great here, but the rest of the food more than made up for it. I highly recommend this place!really really good thai food here. never can go wrong going here. i can still remember the taste of the angel wings... yum yum yum =]
WOW - WORST SERVICE EVER. This waitress was so bad.... did not give us our choice of soup or salad (just gave us all salad when the soup is half the reason we go there for lunch), did not smile once and a half hour went by between the first plate of food coming out and the last person getting their lunch. UNACCEPTABLE, especially when we were only a group of five people. This waitress was just so unbelievably rude for no good reason - don't dare ask her for a to-go box. This wasn't just bad service. Bad service I am used to. This was just awful.
However, the food here is good enough that I cannot give it up... so from now on I'm only getting it to go and skip the rude service. Chantanee family, where have you gone???
Great food, friendly wait-staff, an awesomely creative bartender (try the 4d6!), and a cool, modern atmosphere.
Update: If you want authentic pad thai then get the Chantanee Noodle. Their normal pad thai is made with ketchup (gross), but the Chantanee Noodle is made with Tamarind (yummy)
I may go back to try it out.
--
One of the worst Pad Thai places I have ever been to. I couldn't finish it...had to leave pad thai on my plate...that's a first!
Be warned. It's the red pad thai with ketchup or something nasty like that.
If you go here. DO NOT get the pad thai. Want to know what I really think of the pad thai? uh, nah
This place may just be better than Tangerine Thai which is a few blocks down. Chantanee has a special lunch menu (meals range from $9-$15) which has a variety of dishes and so we didn't even bother checking out the regular menu.
Today, I ordered the combo with pad thai and panang curry which was $10. It was dee-licious! The portions were way bigger than I thought, so I ended up taking my leftovers back. The service was way better than my first time here. Our server was smiling a lot and very helpful, she checked on us at least two times. My water was refilled too, that's a huge plus for me.
Another friend ordered the crispy garlic chicken ($15) and she didn't realize it was an entree that didn't come with rice BUT one of the servers gave us a bowl of rice anyway. FREE OF CHARGE. Awesome! Oh and all that hype about the chicken was for reals. The chicken was crispy and very tasty!!!
Eeek... I can't wait to go back!
I love thai generally. Cannot go wrong with Thai spicy and curry. I've now officially been ruined! Chantanee is outstanding. Extensive mixology menu. With most Thai restaurants just making everything spicy and covered with curry, it was refreshing to taste the complex flavors layered with spice, but without being overwhelming. The best Yum (Thai Beef Salad) ever served with a bamboo steamer of authentic sticky rice was to die for.
While sipping our masterfully made "Jacob's Thai Smash" (Vodka, blanc Vermouth, cilantro, jalapeno & cucumber shaken with ice), we then dined on a pumpkin curry with chicken, a plate of large perfectly cooked fresh prawns with a spicy red curry finish wok-fried with green beans, and a plate of tender beef Pad Kee Mao.
I will have to say, we were amazed at the wonderful flavors, but also the large portions. I will definitely return. This is a rare gem in Bellevue and this may be the ticket to getting me over to the East-side more often for pleasure (not just work). Kudos to the chef and owner and I hope they think about expanding their concept to Seattle with a good Seattle touch of homeliness minus the over-done suburban interior suited for Bellevue.
This time I just had the old classic fav in the Phad Thai (with fresh tofu). It wasn't bad but didn't blow me away either. There was a donut-hole size clump stuck. Never had fresh tofu before but it tasted similar to the fried only minus the friend & bit healthier to boot. It was above that minimum "threshold" where you atleast liked it. I will be brave and say that [the former] Thai Kitchen near my house in Skyway - their phad thai was awesome. I always had it to go before i went to my old job. There was just great flavor. Lots of green onions. Lots of crushed peanuts. Lots of bean sprouts. It looked delicious when I opened the top and ended the same. Unfortunately, this place's was "just another" phad thai. I also had Thai Iced Tea which was yummy and refreshing, as always.
Service was great(!), although lunch seemed to be dragging along for them (people may point to lost business due to no more old location, which I might understand if I'd been to it). I didn't get to see/hear how she treated other people (no offense), but, aside from seeing others upon entering, I was the lone diner in my area (albeit near 3). Anywho, she was really friendly, had a nnnice smile, had me smile whenever she came over (haha). You kno who u are. :D
I WOULD'VE tried a dessert... but it seems my metabolism is giving in like everyone said (*noooooo!*)... er, atleast for thai food maybe.
Heeeey, not bad!
Let's see:
The restaurant: Very nice, indeed. I really like the bold, stand-out…
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This is one of those places. You know those places that don't rate a 0 but you have to give them a 1. Well this is just the opposite - 5 just isn't high enough.
My wife and I went here for lunch today as their website says "Lunch 11AM - 3PM Seven Days a Week". We found out that they don't do their lunch menu on Sundays, but the food entirely made up for it. A note - because my wife was with me we only got 1 star instead of the 4-5 that I like, but they had a great hot condiment tray from which I could select the heat I wanted..
We started off with the Tom Kha with Tofu :( as my wife can't go into a Thai restaurant without the coconut milk soup. It was excellent in spite of the tofu, and would undoubtedly been much better with chicken. Well I did cheat here and add a bit of heat.
We had the Crispy Garlic Chicken, the Phad See Iew with Chicken and Brown Rice. I was ready to jump into the hot condiment tray, but the flavors were so good that the food stood on it's own without extra heat. We finished up with the black sticky rice with coconut ice cream. All completely off my diet and I ate more of it than I should have - it was so good.
The prices seemed reasonable for what we got and we even had enough leftovers to bring some back to our son for his dinner at our restaurant. He wasn't quite as thrilled as we were with the food, but then warmed up Thai is like pizza out of a box - just not the same as fresh cooked.
The food was definitely 5+ stars and the service - well our server, Jennifer, was a 10 star server. She was friendly, attentive and very helpful with questions and suggestions. This is definitely a place we'll go back to.
Come here with some co-workers for lunch, and the new location is MUCH better. The staff are now all in uniform - no more whatever-we-throw-on-jeans-and-Tshirts. (That's one of my pet peeves when I'm dropping this kind of coin for a meal - can you please look presentable? I digress...)
The new location is more trendy, with a large well-stocked bar and modern looking tables and lighting. We were seated in a large round booth which we squeezed into, and the waiter was cool about me wedging in on the end.
I had eaten at the old location, as had some of my coworkers, but I hadn't tried some of the appetizers. I can't remember the names, but most were good - I particularly liked the lettuce-wrap catfish salad. Things were going well until I ate one of the small crablegs in another appetizer. I've eaten some wild things, and can only ever recall spitting out food on maybe two or three occasions - and this was one of them. I wish I remembered the Thai name so I could warn you - just don't eat any crab-legs in an appetizer if you order it!
Everything else was great - I definitely recommend the garlic fried rice with prawns! mmm We also shared the Phad Thai, Phad See Iew, Phad Khi Mao Noodle (with beef)...it was all good! As a nice ending to a good meal, the waiter was able to quickly split our tab between all of us. I'd recommend arriving before the lunch rush though, for parking and for quick service...
I completely agree with Jennifer K...the service is SUB PAR...at best. This to me negates the food, which is tasty, fresh and hot. But, not filling the water glasses, dropping the chow off and not checking back in, having to chase down someone for the check - ridiculous.
Best Thai food on either side of Lake WA. I've searched Bellevue/Seattle for the best Thai food and I have yet to find anything that can top Chantanee in both quality and atmosphere. Prices have gone up a little bit...
Make sure to try the crispy garlic chicken as well as the heavenly beef!!!
Been here for lunch a few times. I can't seem to get myself to order anything but the crispy garlic chicken. As previously mentioned, and hence why I ordered it in the first place, this dish is amazing. I get it very spicy and love it. Howerver, it is a ton of food and there is always left overs, which is awesome!
Bellevue, WA
Category: Thai
Bellevue, WA
Category: Thai
Bellevue, WA
Category: Pubs
Bothell, WA
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Asian Fusion
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