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Citizen Thai + The Monkey - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Thai Event Planning & Services Caterers Nightlife Bars Thai, Caterers, Bars [Edit]
1268 Grant Ave(between Fresno St & Vallejo St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
(415) 364-0008
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
183 reviews for Citizen Thai + The Monkey
Review Highlights
"I have to say the pumpkin curry was outstanding."
(in 39 reviews)
"The pumpkin dish was amazing as was soft shell crab."
(in 11 reviews)
"...curry is always good, as it is at its sibling Koh Samui."
(in 11 reviews)
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183 reviews in English
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Review from sophie l.
Fremont, CA
2/15/2008
I cannot believe this place is closed!! This makes me so sad. I really do hope they are reopening.
Creative interior design, beautiful food presentation, delicious delicious food, prompt and attentive service, totally fair prices, lively but upscale atmosphere, and basically the best restaurant name ever. Came here three years ago and have been dying to go back again since..
I am so bummed!!!!! -
Review from d d.
Manhattan, NY
7/13/2006
The food actually deserves three stars . . . but with the 30% markup in prices, I taketh one star away. Mediocre is the only way to describe the food. The Tom Yum soup is all right. The Green Curry Sea Bass is all right. The Chicken with Chili and Basil is all right. The Pad Thai is all right. *Yawn*
Although the restaurant seems warm and inviting, we were alarmed by the lack of cleanliness. We had to replace 1 wine glass, 1 appetizer plate and 1 entree plate because each had lipstick or food stains on them. Do they not realize that The House, one of the best restaurants in the city and only a few steps away, could very well squelch them like a rotten tomato? -
Review from phil h.
10/31/2006
I'm a big fan of monkeys. As a kid I grew up a Curious George fan (tangent-was anyone else a bit leery of his relationship with the man with the yellow hat?) and I gotta admit that I get really cranky if I don't start my day with a banana.
What does this have to do with Citizen Thai & the Monkey? Well, other than the name of the restaurant, not much. The food was really good (five stars good but a bit overpriced) and the staff couldn't have been friendlier.
If you're in North Beach and craving Thai food do yourself a favor and go to Citizen Thai and get the pumpkin curry. Bananas not included. -
Review from Brianne K.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2006
Sure, it's a little on the pricey side for Thai, but Citizen Thai has a really cool atmosphere, and kick ass food. What's not to love? Definitely try the sea bass, which comes with a green curry sauce, or the pumpkin curry. I haven't had a dish here that I haven't loved...
*4 1/2 stars* -
Review from rachel m.
Austin, TX
3/15/2007
Exquisite food, fabulous cocktails, beautiful decor, great neighborhood - hands down my favorite Thai restaurant in SF.
Don't miss the pumpkin curry!! -
Review from Devon F.
10/11/2007
Hidden away from the maze of strip clubs and Italian restaurants that is North Beach is a great little restaurant called Citizen Thai & the Monkey.
It's a classy space, and is deceptively large. From the outside, it looks like it's a small little joint with a few Buddhas thrown up on the walls. But upon entering, you realize that it also has been tastefully decorated, and that the upstairs dining room can easily fit another 60 or so diners.
I came here for a friend's birthday, and we were very impressed with the service and the food. They were quite accommodating, even when we were being indecisive and not listening.
We started things off with a couple of testing platters - these had corn patties, shrimp rolls, chicken satay, mango salad, and crispy prawns, served with a few different dipping sauces. It was a nice way to kick off the meal - and two platters were enough to pique the interest of 12 hungry diners. They went for about $20 each - a little pricey, but well worth it.
I ordered the pumpkin curry - amazing! Presented in a cute little green pumpkin, the curry boasted a variety of flavors in the form of chicken, bell peppers, basil, curry, and the eponymous gourd. I had heard about it beforehand but it more than exceeded my expectations. Well done.
Other dishes served creatively including a duck curry served in a - you guessed it - a duck! Not a real one (that would be gross, not to mention messy), but a little serving dish shaped as a duck. My dining companions also enjoyed the grilled and fried chickens, the pad thai, and sea bass dishes.
All in all, a decently priced Thai place that I would be more than happy to go to again.
A few (minor) complaints:
1. Although we never felt rushed, our appetizer dishes were taken away before completion to make room for the main course. Very much a feeling of "Well, I guess I WON'T be having any more salad."
2. While the mango mojito was quite tasty, it was a little too muddled. By the end of my drink, I was sucking up lots of mint. I do enjoy fresh breath, but it was a bit much.Listed in: Shenanigans in North Beach
-
Review from MJ T.
San Francisco, CA
7/29/2007
Three Things:
1. Good for Groups
2. Perfectly Priced
3. Flavorful Food.
okay and there's a 4th.
4. Excellent Wine List
My friend made reservations for 17 people the day before and everything worked out perfectly. The waiter was attentive and did a great job accommodating our every need. The wine list, my goodness. At first I wasn't going to indulge in alcohol, but after I saw their Riesling list, I knew I was in trouble. The 2003 Pacific Rim - Riesling, the best I've had a long time. Not too sweet on the palette and perfectly crisp. At this point, I had already given them 5 stars.
Grilled Prawns and Mango in lime juice - very well mixed. Wish there was a little more prawn action, but nonetheless loving the salad. I really recommend this dish if you're seeking something on the lighter side.
I had the Basil Eggplant with Chili Garlic Sauce and yowza. I knew right then and there, that this was yelp worthy. The garlic sauce was wonderful - hint of sweetness yet still retaining the garlic boldness, and the eggplant was cooked to perfection. Even if you are a meat eater and not a fan of eggplant, please!, pleasetry the Basil Eggplant. The best overall dish at Citizen Thai & The Monkey. -
Review from Jason W.
Oakland, CA
12/9/2007
YUM!! Give me some more of that ish!!
I liked my meal here and the 6 or 7 dishes I tried. All were prepared nicely and I left with a big smile, full tummy, and saying "can't wait to come back". The decor was also very nice, we sat up stairs, and I was generally happy with my experience here.
That said, I am ready for round two! -
Review from Carla P.
San Francisco, CA
7/4/2007
One star because they got a cool name.
One star because they have really good spring rolls
Beyond that? Well, let's see...
Over priced, unoriginal, americanized to shit. And to add insult to injury, it's about $10 drinks at the bar. There is absolutely nothing original or genuine about this place. Kind of like the Stinking Rose, I would say.
My conclusion: MEHListed in: North Beach Know-how
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Review from Tien L.
San Francisco, CA
9/12/2007
You call that red curry?
I don't think so. -
Review from Amy K.
San Francisco, CA
9/25/2006
Been to this spot many times for big, group dinners. It's actually always been a good place to get last minute reservations for a large party, so one star for that. And, in the past, the food and service have always been good - nothing absolutely spectacular, but good - a solid good.
That was, until this past Saturday night. We went here for a going away dinner for our dear friend Pete who is leaving to live amongst the leprachauns in Dublin.
The services was absolutely terrible. Our server was certainly nice when he did decide to grace our table with his presence, but seeing as that happened so infrequently during our meal, it is hard to give a full character assessment.
Our drinks took so long to get to the table that I started thinking I should order two at a time, which generally makes me feel like an alcoholic, and I don't like the naked truth staring me so blatantly in the face. Our wine came after dinner was served. I went downstairs to the bar to see what the problem was, but to my surprise, the bar was fairly dead. Strange considering that there were thirsty people dying so close by.
With all of this said, the food is pretty good - particularly the pumpkin curry, the beef sirloin dish, and the corn fritter things. Don't be tempted to order the "bags of gold" for the name alone as I once was - they aren't very good - more like bags of tasteless, dry things.
Word of advice: hire more servers. -
Review from Neha A.
Sunnyvale, CA
7/19/2006
WOW! Thai Food in the North Beach - I thought it was totally crazy until I tried it......this place is definitely one of the best restaurants in N. Beach AND it doesn't have the crazy touristy feel - the ambiance was incredible - a great date place if you are looking for something new...
And of course, the food was very very tasty - it was also really different in that it didn't have all standard Thai menu items. -
Review from Andrew M.
San Francisco, CA
8/21/2006
Updated:
The panang curry is still good. But I went with friends a few weeks back to mixed reviews. I'm not sure what's changed but it seems like the quality has faded a bit. Downgrading from five to three.
Original:
Try the panang curry with beef. I'm addicted. It's worth the trip to north beach with all the hassles of parking etc. to come to this place. I'm doing my best to limit myself to take out once a week-- with some success. The food is as good (if not better than) Thep Phanom in lower Haight. And it's in my neighborhood! -
Review from Helen F.
6/10/2007
I liked the atmosphere for this place. We were a group of 6 for a birthday dinner and were seated upstairs on the long table & benches which makes this quite comfy. However, I felt like I was hunching the entire dinner & had a hard time getting in and out (squished at the end...would have been better if benches were not connected to the table).
Their house chardonnay (Oyster Bay) is really good (in my non-expert opinion) - I actually preferred it over their sauvignon blanc. I didn't have any mixed drinks, but they looked yummy,
The rice wrap appetizers were very good - the beef salad and tom yum soup were both very, very salty. We tried a bunch of different curries and my favorite was definitely pumpkin. The sea bass was not bad either. I'm not a big pad thai fan and thought it was just "okay" - not that flavorful, but again, not a huge fan.
The service was good and they brought out dessert for my friend.
I think this place is more like a 3.5 stars because there are A LOT of great thai restaurants to compete with. In North Beach however, it's a decent Asian alternative. -
Review from Gina N.
2/7/2008
I have to admit...i was actually skeptical going into the restaurant bc we went here for a bachelorette party dinner, and the only reason we came here was because we it took us FOREVER to find parking, and so we missed our stinking roses reservation. The restaurant is hidden in an alley off the main strip, across the street from stinking roses.
The restaurant is 2 stories...we stayed on the ground floor. There is a gigantic buddha in the middle of the restaurant and the waitresses dressed in cute thai apparal. It was really packed that nite we were there, and because we had a big party w/ us, it was hard to find an area large enough to accomodate us in a reasonable time, so we chose to sit at the bar. Besides being squished and being seated right by the bar/kitchen/bathroom area , we actually had a good time. The drinks we ordered from the bar were HUGE and DELICIOUS! I can't remember exactly what i got, and their website is currently unavailable (bc apparently they're not closed?!). The bartender really tried to accomodate what we liked in a drink, and made us drinks that we would enjoy.
Our food came quickly, and everything was YUMMYLICIOUS!!!!!! We all shared each other's dishes...and i must admit..it was some of the best thai food i've had. The dishes were decent size, and the price wasn't bad either. We all felt satisfied after the dinner....before we went off for our bachelorette party!! I would have loved to come back. I hope they reopen . -
Review from Amruta G.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2007
I'm really happy to note that I attempted to be original tonight by ordering something other than green/red curry..although I couldn't help but sample some. Tiger salad with sirloin was nice but I kept feeling like they had cut up a patty from burger king and decorated with shredded carrots and dressed it up Thai style.
Coconut ice cream for dessert was tasty but I didn't particularly like the sticky rice. Parking is a pain in the ass although I'm sure that was magnified by the North Beach Street Fair..also bring a light sweater/jacket because it was brr.. -
Review from Ann Marie w.
Coconut Grove, FL
1/4/2007
I love the ambiance at Citizen Thai, it seems like a perfect place for a date or small group of people.
The food was good, we had the Pad Thai, which was good, if you like your Pad Thai more sweet than spicy (and if you don't you could ask for more spice) and a seafood curry, also good but not too spicy. There is also quite a variety of seafood and vegetarian dishes on the menu, which I love.
Semi-pricey. You can get a plate of Pad-Thai for $12.00 and curry for around $15.00, not bad considering the quality and the environment. Definitely going back again. Anyone want to take me on a date to Citizen Thai? -
Review from Joel G.
San Francisco, CA
8/2/2007
I've been to Thailand. I've eaten in Thailand, and I love Thai food.
I'm horrible at Thai restaurants--I'm way to critical. I know that.
But I have to say, I was blown away by Citizen Thai. I was a bit concerned when I saw their menu that looked like it had a serious "California" twist to classic Thai dishes (Salmon Panang? Seriously? No WAY could that be any good). But probably in an effort to prove myself right and feel self-righteous, I ordered the Salmon Panang.
Seriously. I was floored. It was such an amazing, delicate balance of flavors. Creative, not classic, and dead on. Very impressive. And not just the entree, everything ordered off the menu was spectacular. I cannot recommend this place highly enough if you like classic Thai, but willing to try it with a little twist.
I should also mention that the service was wonderful. They will take very good care of you--there if you need them, but won't interrupt you if you are in a deep conversation with someone. The perfect balance.
Kitchen timing was also wonderful. Courses and drinks were perfectly timed.
Giving this a 5 star. I will without question become a regular! -
Review from Aspasia s.
San Francisco, CA
9/25/2006
Finally a Thai restaurant in North Beach! I have been wishing for one in the last ten years, as an alternative to the innundation of various Italian joints juxtaposed Chinese dives.
Citizen Thai and the Monkey is a two level restaurant with a bar at the lower level. Decorated with various buddha images, and Southeast asian inspired articles, traditional as opposed to pseudo Asian hip.
The food was good, yet pricey. We ordered the special scallops and prawn curry served in a fresh cococnut shell, priced at $16, quite expensive for a mid to small-size portion. The other entrees we tasted were the stir friend chicken wok and the bok choy dish. Both were tasty, yet nothing special.
Drinks were ok, I had the cosmo drink for around $9, yet I would have expected a generous sizeable drink. It was tiny. Their iced Thai tea drink was good, served in a sexy tall glass.
Overall ambience was friendly, wait staff very attentive.Listed in: north beach
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Review from Annie T.
5/10/2007
Service was outstanding - staff was extremely attentive and flexible as some of our group wasn't able to make it. I'm not sure how different it would have been however if it was more crowded?
Definitely try the Thai Sky drink if you are into fruity. No one liked the Thai Kiss... it was... sort of flavorless outside of the alcohol taste. Soft shell crab and papaya salad was yummo!! I would eat that everyday if I could (and if the crab wasn't so KFC extra crispy recipe). Bill was reasonable, and it's a great spot for both dates and groups.
It was a little weird that most people there were on the older side... -
Review from Tiffany S.
Chicago, IL
9/18/2006
Fabulous! You know how when you usually you go to Thai places, they are a little shabby, and not that chic? But usually they have cheap prices, so it makes up for it? Try Citizen Thai!
It's super cute and modern looking inside, great decor. Also, it's not too expensive, compared to other restaurants of that quality. We had an appetizer, 2 drinks, rice, and 2 entrees, the bill was $50! Not bad.
For an appetizer we had the Crispy Imperial Rolls, which were some of the best I've ever had. They used very fresh ingredients, and they were really flavorful. My date had the massasum (sp) chicken, and that was really tasty, they used a very mild curry and coconut milk to make it just right. I had the orange chicken with basil, which was the special that evening, and I loved it!
Great place for a date, and I would definitely take a newcomer to Thai food here! -
Review from Steven M.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2006
Rolled over to Citizen Thai with five dudes in a Subaru Outback - I could tell it was going to be a great night - for dinner. Located on Grant St, just a few blocks from a lot of cool bars and the former residence of the Dr. himself.
The restaurant has a pretty cool bar downstairs with a few tables. We went upstairs for dinner and it almost seems like a converted apartment building but they have these cool asian style lights hanging from the ceiling. We shared all of our food but the highlight was definitely the Pumpkin Curry that was served in an actual pumpkin. The pad thai was great, as well as the yellow curry. This is very good Thai food but the service was sub-par.
Enough food for everyone, three drinks each....$48 per person. Was it worth it? If you wear Seven jeans, don't sweat the price. -
Review from Lindsay T.
Brooklyn, NY
8/1/2006
I've been here twice now and my review stays at 3 stars.
My first time, I said:
The tofu was dried out - I was unhappy with the price for it. It looks like a dive thai restaurant from the outside, but it's in fact really nice inside. My friends ordered other items expecting the portions to be larger.
My second time, I said:
The soft-shell crab was a little salty, but really tasty. The dish is large enough to share with another person. I remembered this time that it's their prawn dishes that are really small. The food is good, and the atmosphere nice, but there's always something to complain about...Listed in: North Beach - My Former Hood, On Dates
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Review from Beth W.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2006
We decided to check out Citizen Thai since sister Koh Samui was undergoing renovations. We made the trip to North Beach from SOMA since we were wanting some good Thai food pretty bad. Citizen Thai has about the same menu as Koh Samui, and I ordered the pumpkin curry (I've had it at Koh Samui). It was cool because they presented it in a pumpkin. The boy ordered the grilled pork and mango salad which was tasty too. Why do I give it 3 stars? Well the service was awful. We were waiting for ever just to order, then FINALLY a server came to take our orders down. The guy must have been new, so I won't bash on him too much but he really didn't know the dishes on the menu. Or what they had for dessert. Plus we kept having to ask for our water glasses to filled again. The food I would give 4 and 1/2 stars, but the service brings my average to about 3 stars.
Their pricing is about 2 or 3 bucks higher per dish than Koh Samui. Which means it's pretty pricey considering Thai food anywhere in the city is pretty cheap. Plus trying to find parking in North Beach is a biotch and you know it.
But if you're craving Thai food and you're in North Beach - definitely come here for some tasty dishes. -
Review from Ken S.
San Francisco, CA
9/8/2007
Ha, I think my group of friends sat next to the bday girl yelper in the previous review. Anyways, I was with a group of 8, 3 of us decided to share our dinners and we all thought they were really good.
The Beef in Kaffir Panang Curry sauce was incredibly tendor. The pumpkin curry (which came in a decorated pumpkin- +1 bonus star for best decor I've seen) was incredibly soft and as it melted in my mouth I could feel a hint of spice. Perhaps my favorite of the three was actually the Sonoma Duck Breast. I'm didn't even know I liked duck all that much but the sauce was just so good, I had a hard time deciding which sauce I would use to eat with my rice. (Answer: all)
The only big drawback I have is the lack of rice they give you. Even though we each ordered rice, we all ended wanting more rice to mix the curry sauces with...I know most thai places charge, but for 2-2.5 bucks, you should at least give people enough for their meals. It's such a small thing but makes an otherwise great setting and restaurant seem frugal and cheap.
Overall, I give this place a very good rating (more like 3.5 stars) but not the "I want to dream about it every night" 4-5 stars like some other places around the city. I guess I shall continue my search for the best thai food in the city... -
Review from Nikki M.
1/22/2006
This is a fun place to eat. Upscale thai without being pricey, it's definately better to dine-in than do take out, though they do package everything in very cool plastic containers. The bar is pretty chill with a good cheap menu ( It's called The Monkey, and serves bangkok street food). The upstairs dining room is nicely decorated and the food is unique. I had the pumpkin curry upon yelper recommendation and it rocked...my boy loved it and he doesn't even like pumpkin. It was a bit on the spicy side, but i'm a wuss.
other yummies? The Crispy Noodle Kow Soi Chicken (sorta like a soup/curry), the corn patties, and the mango salad.
Something to try when you're sick of Italian! :) -
Review from Marina K.
San Francisco, CA
10/10/2005
I am very happy to finally have a place where I can grab a quick to go order at 10pm in north beach... that is not a burrito or a pizza! My tiger salad was pretty good, although I'm just not realy a fan of that citrus sweet salad dressing they use usually in papaya salad... I would've preferred more of a soy ginger style dressing. But they were very generous with their steak portions in the salad, and it was only $10!!
The spring shrimp rolls... average. and the peanut sauce for it was too oily... the pad thai was also great! you'll definitely see me here before work on friday and saturday nights!! -
Review from Bart C.
San Francisco, CA
6/26/2006
We ate there yesterday. Here's my review.
Atmosphere: cool mellow vibe with Buddhas and loungey SF house playing on the sound system. There was giant flat screen showing the coolest Thai karaoke music videos and big streetside windows so you could kick back and watch people walk by on Grant St. This is a great place to grab an afternoon meal and get refreshed after a day walking around North Beach.
Food: Above average Thai dishes with some inventive twists. We had Beef Sate, Potato Samosas and Tofu & Broccoli which were all fantastic, and a Chicken Curry that was too salty.
Price: Totally affordable - $8 or $9 an entree. A little more upscale than your favorite neighborhood Thai place but less expensive than a fancy place downtown. Felt like they were aiming for a middle ground and they hit it perfectly. Good job ... -
Review from Robert C.
San Francisco, CA
9/14/2007
All I can say is yum. I almost gave up on Thai in this city. This restaurant had so many favorable reviews that I had to try it. I just got back and here is what I found.
Green curry Chicken served with Thai somen noodles: Just the right amount of spices and lemongrass to give it a smooth, slightly spicy taste with a hint of citrus. Delicious with the noodles and the brown rice.
Grilled Pork served with sticky rice and mango salad: The pork was grilled so that it was a bit crispy on the edges. It was well seasoned and served with a slightly sweet sauce.
Steamed bok choy with oyster sauce: Nicely cooked and tasty. It was topped with something fried. Not sure what it was, but it reminded me of Chinese dried scallop. -
Review from Jeff S.
Berkeley, CA
7/17/2007
The food was really good. Unfortunately this was after a few glasses of wine so I don't recall what we ate, just that it was good.
Oh -- we got the curry that came in a pineapple. That in itself is worth at LEAST a star or two. It was very tasty too... -
Review from Melanie T.
San Francisco, CA
10/7/2007
Where to go on a busy night in North Beach and in walking distance to the bar for a good bye party... Citizen Thai it is.
The atmoshphere was pretty cool and laid back and the food for the most part did not disappoint. Although a little on the pricey side for thai food, the curry dishes were delicious as were the vegetables in peanut sauce. Pad thai is normally one of my favorite dishes but I was not that impressed with it here. The noodles were too sticky and glued together, maybe overcooked and the sauce was a little too heavy for my liking. -
Review from Barrett P.
San Francisco, CA
4/14/2007
The food was quite good. The large grapefruit salad was bursting with freshness and brilliantly complemented with mint leaves. My girlfriend and I ordered the two sea basses dishes, one on the menu, one special and they were both delicious and came to the table just a few minutes after we finished the appetizer. The portions of sea bass could have been just a touch larger.
The decor at Citizen Thai & The Monkey was also very pleasing. There were beautiful Buddha statues surrounded by tea candles on woven black iron stands. Blown glass lanterns hanging from the ceiling and a touch of natural light through large windows.
The only downer? No coffee of any kind! The server seemed embarrassed about it. I suppose the owners did not feel it went with the image of the restaurant. Gimme a break....it's just coffee... -
Review from Mr. and Mrs. L.
San Mateo, CA
12/27/2007
Hubby's Review:
Went here once with Wifey. Decent food...pretty nice staff...really poor management practice with 86ing the employees before the winter holidays. -
Review from Sam S.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2008
According to a woman in the salon down the street, this place will be re-opening at some point with new management. She didn't give any indication as to when, and there's pretty serious-looking construction going on.
Hope they're open again soon -- they're my local favorite! -
Review from lindsay w.
San Francisco, CA
8/1/2007
Thai food isn't typically the first thing that comes to mind when you're wandering through North Beach, but Citizen Thai is a great stand-by option. I have been here a handful of times now, and I always stick to my standard pad see ew with chicken...I am a creature of habit.
For $13.95 you can get a half order of spring rolls or chicken satay + noodle or rice dish + Thai beer. It's called the Happy Monkey Pack or something like that, so that speaks for itself.
Keep in mind there are two sides to this restaurant: the Citizen Thai side is more expensive, with a more extensive menu; the noodle bar side has a more casual environment with noodle/rice plates. -
Review from Nancie T.
8/28/2007
My girlfriends and I didn't intentionally eat so much. You see, we were just at a bridal shower with lots of finger food, snacks and dessert. We had reservations at Citizen Thai, thinking that we could order a few dishes and enjoy the rest of the evening. I don't know if it was the alcohol or the fact that we were all so hyper from the bridal shower games involving a certain gender's body part, but boy did we eat! From pumpkin curry to garlic eggplant, each dish was nicely presented and captured the wonderful spices and aroma in thai dishes.
4 stars for: holding my reservations even though we were half an hour late, letting us switch to another table in a private corner, delicious albiet overpriced food, and of course a memorable night out with my girlfriends. -
Review from Beau G.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2007
The first time I sat upstairs here I gasped because the layout, flooring, and way it catches the sun was almost exactly like my old apartment. The one I had before grad school and hated giving up. (The furniture, of course, was very different.) I spent the entire night ignoring the food and company lost in my own memories.
The food here is good, but not great. It needs a little more of a kick to it. -
Review from Andrenaline R.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2006
We had an early dinner on Saturday, because we had a concert to go to. If the restaurant opens at 5pm, then I would expect everything to be cleaned and not smelling like Lysol. It wreaked of Lysol so bad that I couldn't breath and didn't know how I was going to eat at the same time. We moved to a table next to the window. Asked the waiter to open the window, but he forgot. We finally propped the window open. The owner apologized for the mess and explained that they usually clean earlier in the day.
We ordered:
Bangkok shrimp pad Thai sticky rice noodles w/ Mixed seafood- $13
Pumpkin Curry with chicken.* (served in Pumpkin) - $15
Crispy soft shell crab with garlic and pepper served with cucumber vinaigrette - $15
Jasmine rice - $2 per serving
Diet Coke-$3 (no free refills)
Let me start with the rice. They served us left over cold rice, that barely filled up the bowl. The heck are you going to charge us for 3/4 empty bowl of rice. We had to order another bowl of rice, which came hotter this time. I mean, how the hell are you going to serve cold rice to an asian person?
The pad thai was good, but nothing extraordinary.
I will be fair and say that the crab and pumpkin curry were really good.
I just hope they don't recycle the pumpkin for other customers.
Soda is really cheap to buy, so I can't believe they charge $3 for soda, and no refills.
The staff was a bit annoying to me, speaking into their ear pieces. You're not club security. -
Review from Keith C.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2007
One of the best Thai restaurants in the Bay Area can be found in North Beach, of all places. I generally don't like coming to North Beach because the parking sucks so bad, but for this restaurant I'll make the exception. It helps that it has such a great name. This review is based on my experience at Citizen Thai (the actual Thai Restaurant) and not the Monkey (noodle bar).
Food: 4 stars. There was so much on the menu that we asked the wait staff for their recommendations / most popular dishes. Most of these were awesome, like the pumpkin curry with chicken (which is served in a mini pumpkin), which everyone must try on their first visit. I didn't care to spend $12 on the crappy dancing prawn appetizer, though.
Service: 3 stars. The service wasn't memorable, not in a good or bad way. Thus, 3 stars.
Atmosphere: 4 stars. It's purrrty.
Hits: Pumpkin Curry with chicken, Madame Sea bass fillet, Paper tiger prawns wrapped in crispy rice paper, Crispy soft shell crab with garlic and pepper served with cucumber vinaigrette.
Misses: Grilled Large Dancing Prawns with spicy lime sauce - not good, and not dancing. Sonoma Duck breast with chu chee thick red curry sauce topped with crispy basil - nothing special.
If You Like This Place, You'd Probably Like: Koh Samui & The Monkey, Basil, Nirvana -
Review from Shal J.
San Francisco, CA
5/29/2007
This is one of the better dining experiences I've had in a little while. It started off well - they were prepared for us when we walked in - we made a reservation and didn't have to wait! Great!
The service was good, the drinks were good, the bartender was really nice. The food was tasty (good menu update in Jan 07) and was definitely fresh.
I'm not going to complain about the prices bc all of the times I have paid a little less for Thai have been completely worthless and a total waste of money.
I ordered the basil chili veggie dish and my man showed off how well he knows me: "that's like the perfect dish for you!" A big plate of farm fresh veggies, tasty, spicy sauce and no tofu. Yum!!! The fresh veggie rolls were also excellent (fresh, tightly wrapped and fresh mint in every bite).Listed in: Carworthy
