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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 4:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Fri. 4:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 12:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 4:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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This truly is the best Thai food we've gotten to date in Philadelphia. To be sure, i'm a bad judge because no matter how much i want to explore, i rarely divert from the red curry, tom ka gai, and sticky rice with mango, but occasionally i branch out. Certainly i have more adventurous friends, and one, who is a food snob, stated "this is the best pad prik king i have ever eaten," while wiping his brow of the sweat associated with a well spiced Thai meal.
The red curry has amazing flavor. It's very brothy, but that's a sign of how much coconut they use. It's just spicy enough to offer a burn, but not too much that i can't eat it. The vegetables are *generous* compared to any other place i've been.
The Tom Ka Gai can't quite compete with Ploy II in San Francisco, or the stuff at the Reading Terminal Market, but it has a nice citrus splash that keeps me interested.
The fresh spring rolls are delicious. For my tastes, there is a little too much basil leaf, but the sauces are pretty groovy: a sweet sour sauce and then a peanut sauce with a hint of tamarind (?) that isn't too rich.
The vegetarian spring rolls are always a hit, but fried food is rarely a problem...
Once did i explore the fried soft shell crab, and oh my....i would come back for that meal again. It's just hard to get it as take out. However, it was a simple breaded and fried with a delicious sweet and sour sauce, and divine!
Always enjoy a coconut juice or a Thai iced tea/coffee so that you are living the full experience, and finish up with sticky rice and mango. Both are spot on and exactly what you were thinking (provided the mangoes are in season).
Hooray for everything!
I should start out by saying that I am fiercely loyal to my BYOB Thai place back home. Ferociously loyal even. Lucky for Ghang Thai though, Erawan's isn't in New York.
Seriously, hats off to the Philadelphia yelpers, you never failed to disappoint. My friends and I planned a quick weekend trip to Philadelphia this past weekend and your Philly reviews directed us to some quality places. I'm especially glad we knew of their BYOB policy before coming. Needless to say, we came fully prepared.
The service was great, although I didn't quite get the western theme that the waitresses were dressed up like. Is that usual for this place or was it something special?
Aside from that, the food was delicious and the ambiance was nice. Needless to say, I'll definitely come back whenever I'm in Philadelphia again.
3.5 stars
I was on the hunt for a solid Thai restaurant in CC, so I popped into Erawan. The place is clean and spacious, and the service is very friendly and attentive. Pick the corner seat--you'll get a nice window for people watching and even a glimpse of the top of the PECO building. :)
As for food, I ordered the prix fixe dinner which came with two appetizers and an entree. I had the tom yum soup, which was delicious and full of hearty vegetables. The broth was flavorful but not overly salty. I also ordered the chicken curry dumplings; the filling was quite good but the dumpling itself was so small that I felt like I was eating more dough than filling...An entree of green curry rounded out the trio. It was pretty good but also pretty standard in my green curry experience.
Overall, I thought Erawan was fine. Nothing objectionable about it but nothing that wowed my socks off either. I do like that it's BYOB, and its location really can't be beat. However, I'm still on my hunt for zippy Thai food in Philly.
I always get the same thing....GREEN CURRY! It is the best in the city. I use to love siam lotus curry but they went to hell.Their green curry is exactly what curry should be...spicy,pungent,and satisfying
i love this place! seriously great thai food and its super affordable. Great for groups and couples. I like that its BYO and the service is on point. yumm.
Ugh, how does this place have the same rating as Banana Leaf? Overpriced, boring food, totally unremarkable service. Nothing is spicy enough here, and the flavors and textures are dull. I have NO idea if there are any good Thai restaurants in Philly -- but this certainly isn't one.
It had been a very crazy day, and by the time 6pm rolled around and my bf had come home from work I was in no position to make dinner. He, either out of laziness or seeing an opportunity, suggested take out and we turned to Erawan's menu, which conveniently had been dropped off at our brownstone that day.
We called them and ordered the shrimp fresh thai spring rolls (rice paper with fresh vegetables & vermicelli noodle served with homemade special sauce & crushed peanut), the rama chicken (sautéed chicken with yellow curry powder, chili paste with steamed broccoli glazed with peanut sauce), and the holy basil supreme (sautéed basil leaves mixed with vegetables, tofu, onion, and bell pepper in hot chili sauce). As my bf was finishing up ordering, a look of panic appeared and he mouthed to me, "One hour wait," but at that point, having already ordered everything, we opted to just wait even though we were starving by the time the food arrived (it took a bit longer than an hour).
The food itself was pretty good. The shrimp rolls were the only disappointing dish; it was just too plain tasting, other rolls of that type I've had before have been far better. And the sauces it came with tasted kind of off. But the rama chicken and basil supreme were tasty. The chicken was a bit overcooked, and the tofu was WAAAAY too fried and not the best quality, but the sauces made up for that. Erawan doesn't get 4 stars because the food was late, and by that point a little cold. I'll probably order from them again, especially since there aren't too many Indian places around, and just call at a time when they will probably be less busy.
Very fresh and flavorful. I've spent several months in Thailand, and this place is the best Thai food I found in the city. They also go out of their way to ensure you have a great dining experience.
The Holy Basil dish was delicious! Can't wait to go back again.
Cheap thai food and Philly just does not go in the same sentence. As expected Erawan was not cheap, but for the $15.95 dinner special you get more than enough tasty food for a reasonable price.
I ordered the Holy basil Supreme with tofu (I was attempting to be healthy) which was super tasty. Surprisingly the tofu really picked up the basil flavor and it wasn't too oily, which is sometimes a problem with the basil dish.
Service was fast, they easily sat a large group, and its BYOB. What more could you ask for :)
My first review of this place was only 4 stars because they slapped on a 20% gratuity for a group of 5, but now that I've been there a couple times, I just had to change the rating because they are consistently good. I'm blown away by their $15.95 three course dinner set menu and their consistency time and time again. Everything thus far has been good, and I will go so far as to say that no San Francisco (my hometown) Thai place beats Erawan. Btw, the Vegetable Tofu Soup and the Holy Basil Supreme entree is very yummy. Great place to catch up with old friends, go on a date (low red glowing light), or even by yourself. Service is wonderful each time. Oh, and the sweet sticky rice mango dessert is perfect. I highly recommend this place
For $15, I had a three course set meal which started off with homemade veggie dumplings, followed by… Read more »
The food at Erawan is pretty standard Thai food. It's tasty, no doubt, but you can find food like it at almost any Thai restaurant. What truly makes Erawan stand out is its prices and service. The least expensive dinner entrees cost $11.95. At other Thai places, I can usually find similar meals for $9 or less. It's in Rittenhouse Square, so I was willing to give it a break on that. To add insult to injury, immediately after I paid my check, the waitress asked us to leave so that they could give the table to someone else! I looked at my clock and found that we'd been there a total of 70 minutes. It's not like we had been loitering around all day. I've never before been to a place that asked me to leave the instant that I paid my tip. Needless to say, I won't be returning here. There are a lot of other Thai places in Philadelphia with both lower prices and more polite service.
Awesome!!!
Some of the tastiest Thai food we have ever had. The Holy Basil Sypreme was to die for.... not at all stingy with the sauce as most Thai places are. The panang curry was solid too. Service was superfast and very courteous...couldn't ask for more.
I admittedly grumbled about walking over here ... But I am happy to report that I was wrong in fighting my dining partners' decision. The food was great for the price. A wide selection of dishes, take out, and a pleasant ambiance. I will be back to try more!
This place gets a profound Meh.
I'm visiting Upenn for a couple weeks doing work, and have eaten here twice (since a friend really likes them) and have been very unimpressed both times. I mean they are thai food, and even bad thai food is ok, but they are by no means good thai food.
I have tried both their green curry and drunken noddles, neither was very flavorful, or had any real spice (despite being listed as spicy), but where they crossed the line was that both contained baby corn. There might some dish some where where with baby corn that is good, but in my mind it is just crap filler, and not even as good as bamboo shoots or something with some real crunch to them.
As a side note, I love thai iced tea with coconut milk instead of sweetened condensed milk, but they said they couldn't make the substitution, which is not that rare but annoying.
I have eaten so much pizza from Rustica that I'm about to start hating it, so I decided to try a new takeout joint. I was pleasantly surprised by Erawan and they have earned themselves a position in my regular rotation.
I had the Holy Basil Supreme with chicken, which is what they call Thai Basil Chicken. It was really good- not too sweet or spicy, very garlicy and the flavors balanced well. I got both dinner and breakfast out of one order. Chad had the Pad Thai, which was good, but not the best I've had. He asked for it spicy and it actually was, amazing! We also got some Edamame, which I thought was a little overpriced for the size of the serving.
When we ordered they said it would take an hour, but it only took about 30 minutes.
Over all, everything tasted fresh and we'll be exploring more of their menu in the future.
As a new Philadelphian I'm always open to trying out the local restaurants and bars. I always passed this place on my morning and evening rush for the bus and each time I passed it I d make a mental note to "check it out sometime"..
Well that time came around when I finally wasn't working (woo hoo) and simply strolling through the neighborhood with my main squeeze. Of course I had to stop in. Lucky for us it was lunch time and they had a great lunch special going on (Between 7.95 and 10.95 for an appetizer, salad and entree!)
I got the Thai fried rice with Duck..and He got Raspberry Duck with rice (We're fans of Duck)..Both we're delish!..Service was pleasant and quick..The decor is comfortable and cozy and it wasn't busy at all..Will definitely be back :-)
Definitely a find! I just moved in around the corner and came here hoping to find Thai food that would match up to the Thai restaurants in New Haven. Success! My boyfriend and I loved the dishes we ordered-- a huge, spicy helping of Som Tum (papaya salad), chicken with basil, and pad thai with beef-- and the atmosphere of the restaurant is quite lovely. Prices are quite reasonable, especially given the large portion sizes (we had trouble finishing our dishes!).
Pros: BYOB (I'll remember this for next time), huge portions, well-flavored dishes, friendly staff, beautifully decorated restaurant
Cons: I'll have to think about this. I'll get back to you!
I somehow found myself here after stops at Rum Bar, Monks, and my friend's apartment, which meant I was several varieties of intoxicated (and hungry).
I didn't realize at the time, but we walked in shortly before closing. The staff didn't mind, and sat us immediately. Yummy spring rolls came out relatively quickly, followed by entrees...I had the Pad Prik King with tofu. Very flavorful and fresh tasting...among the better Thai dishes I've had in the city. Its BYO, and they accommodated nicely (oh yea, we brought beer too...long night!).
Even though we were the last people in the restaurant, they didn't seem annoyed, nor did they try to shoo us out the door. I hate being "that guy" so I appreciate it when people are gracious. The only bad part was that I forgot my leftovers at my friend's place...oh well, hope you enjoyed them dude.
I hope to dine here again...only earlier, and more soberly.
I was pleasantly surprised about this place! Finally a decent Thai place! :)
I recommend getting the Penang Curry (with chicken). This is always my favorite at any Thai restaurant and this place did not disappoint. The herbs and flavors were very bold but not overwhelming. It came with basil, bell peppers, and broccoli (a little weird) and it was great with rice. The drunken noodles (pad kee mao) was decent but not typical of other restaurants I've tried. Eating the noodles alone tasted pretty typical but it had quite a medley of untypical veggies (snow peas, baby corn, broccoli, bell peppers) which gave it a different taste. I don't think I like this better than the typical way I've had it but it was still a good noodle dish.
Outside, this restaurant doesn't look like it offers much but the decor inside is very cute. The service was great and the place overall was pretty clean. I'll definitely come again :)
I'm not always into Thai but this place has never dissappointed me. Great service. Really nice folks. The wild boar is awesome! I mean, where else can you get boar?
The price is good. I've never had trouble getting a table. I would like to try their take-out...but I usually rather eat there.
If you want to have good Thai and not break your wallet, go here.
It's OK. Just OK. Now that Thai Chef & Noodle Fusion is open right near my office I may never need to come here again. I gotta have my Tom Yum fix every now and again and un until now Erawan was just about IT in terms of Thai-near-my-office.
The service is always friendly - that I will say - very, very nice gals waiting tables and very smiley.
I usually get Masaman Curry - tofu or chicken - and of course some Tom Yum or Tom Kha Soup.
I love this place.
I frequent this area of the city a lot, and there are a ton of great restaurants. This place is a little less known, but its a true gem.
I love curry.
They make excellent curry here. You have the options of adding meat or fish, and also you can have the chef tailor the curry to your taste. They are willing to be flexible.
I want to try their pork. I used to love eating Thai grilled pork, and I bet they do it well here. I see another review of this place has noted the pork to be wonderful. I'll definitely be getting that on my next visit.
There menu offers a wealth of vegetarian options too.
Don't forget to get a Thai Iced Tea with your meal.
I think I've found one of my favorite Thai places in the city!
I had a hankering for some penang curry (which is my standard for any Thai place), so we came here on a Friday night. Love, love, LOVE the decor inside! So cute and homey. I saw beef salad on the menu and wanted some too, because the last time I had that was at my favorite Thai place (in Japan, go figure). Very good, but the vegetables could have been better, specifically the lettuce. It was the white part of the lettuce, which I don't care for. Give me the bright green leafy parts, please! Other than that, flavor was amazing and it fed two people quite well.
On to the penang curry. It was a little soupy, but the flavors were wonderful. I wanted to drink the curry so I just poured it all over my rice. =P Chicken was a tad dry, but the sauce definitely made up for it. I finished mine waaaay before my husband finished his beef penang.
Oh, their Thai iced tea is really good too! Reminds me of home (California). I wanted to throw some boba in there and call it a day. ;)
Service is also very good. Before we ordered, I asked the waitress if the entree of penang curry could serve two people (I used the term "family style") and she paused, then asked me to repeat myself. I asked if it would serve two people and pointed to what I was talking about. I guess she didn't really understand me, because she started explaining that I could get it with chicken, beef, or pork. I asked a third time and she finally got it. Not so good English = amazing food, in my experience, haha.
I'm definitely coming back!
According to the owner? of Erawan, you can customize your dishes to super spicy. They have 3 levels of spicy. I guess if you want something to be super crazy spicy, you can ask them to take it up to the 4th level. I'm going to try it out again, sooner than later. Thai food is best when it's chilly outside.
Again, Erawan is worth a try for good authentic Thai food. The Thai iced tea is on point, too.
The decor got waaaay better than the last time I went about a year ago ( I usually have them… Read more »
I have been here three or four times now and each time I have had a good meal. The food is very consistent and the wait staff is friendly. At one of my visits, they seated a very large group and even though it is a small restaurant, they seemed to handle it well.
I absolutely love Thai food, which makes Philadelphia kind of an unfortunate place for me to be living. By Philadelphia standards of Thai food, Erawan probably deserves four stars, but I am reserving a star because I think the food is too salty and the cost is a bit high.
The Wild boar was not boring at all at Erawan. Listed as Exotic Pork, this dish had a two-pepper designation and it did clear the sinuses. Wonderfully spicy but balanced with flavor and really fresh cooked green beans that cracked when you bit them. The Thai tea is such a simple drink...thai tea and cream, served with ice, but it tastes great. The staff was cute in the friendly accommodating Asian way and they were good about timing and courtesy. Free dessert on Valentine's, yay. The bill was surprisingly low, I thought they made a mistake. I'll go again.
Although a small venue in a lonely corner in Center City Philly, definitely a place worth checking out. I had the Enlightened Bamboo dish, and as cheesy as the name sounds, the meal was delicious. Very flavourful. Being a BYOB makes this place even more appealing, AND it had online 20% coupons! My only complaint was that when I requested to have the 3 hot chill peppers for level of spicyness (yeah i handle my spice), which they advertised on their menu as 'needing a distinguisher' (yeah instead of extinguisher, you can overlook English errors when the food is this tasty). Anyway, the dish in my opinion was not spicy at all! Especially since when I asked the waitress for it she said I was so brave for even requesting it and that not many people do. So I ended up getting extra chilli sauce on the side. Anyway, I definitely recommend this place despite what level of spice you get!
I took my brother here while he was in town for work and we both loved it.
It took a little longer than I would have liked to get our food (but we didn't order an appetizer). It was worth the wait, though. My green curry was among the best I've had, and my brother raved about his massaman curry. The jasmine rice was perfect. The wait staff was incredibly attentive and quick to refill our water glasses (which was fantastic, since I was nursing a massive hangover). I was totally spying on the meals of the people sitting around us, and everything looked delicious.
I have a feeling Erawan is going to be my new obsession.
I've only done takeout, although I lived maybe a block and a half away. The customer service is nice, the woman was very friendly. Our first order included barbecue chicken (delicious! I love the chili sauce) and my boyfriend had the chicken dish with peanut sauce, which became his #1 dish for subsequent orders.
Unfortunately, the next two orders seemed to decline in quality and we were forced to stop ordering from them, seeing that each order set us back about $35. I do recommend them, however, and maybe one day I'll actually eat in.
Answer: You call (215) 567-2542 at least once a week for take out.
Question: What happens when you live a block and a half away from Erawan Thai Cuisine.
I think their pad thai is a little "meh" but everything else is great. I'm pretty sure my boyfriend is physically addicted to the green curry. We also really like the mango chicken (which for some reason I can't find on their menupages page... but I promise it exists). Reasonably priced. Easy. Yummy. Nothing else needed.
Food was good. Duck was crispy just the way i like it. The lunch special was greatly priced. I'll be back for sure!
3.5 stars.
This place has a really bizarrely basic decor, but the food was good and the prices were right.
The fiery beef salad was delicious and a really large portion compared to what I've had elsewhere. The chicken thom yum noodle soup was also very good. My friend had the beef pad see ew, which I thought was also really good.
This is by far not the best Thai place I have been to, but definitely solid so far.
I agree with Jake's review; Erawan's atmosphere isn't so much what I want. In addition, their Sum Tom (green papaya salad) is actually made with cabbage instead of papaya-- keep away.
Other entrees are fairly straightforward. Their peanut sauce is tasty.
Good news: Parking is pretty easy in that neck of the woods.
I love that there is a Thai place in this area, however I have been recently disappointed.
We ordered Pineapple Fried Rice, and there weren't any pineapples! In their defense, it WAS good, even without the title ingredient. Maybe it was a miscommunication. Maybe it's my mistake and it's just flavored. It's great, nonetheless, for quick take out Thai, but the prices are a little higher than I think they should be. I like the yellow curry, but don't have much love for the broccoli and chicken dish.
The staff are friendly and accommodating. I actually don't mind the decor, solely because it has all the elements of a bona fide authentic Thai restaurant. If there weren't something gold in the room, I'd have been skeptical.
Part of my job entails processing expenses. Week in and week out, one of our HR Generalist, Bob, hands in reciepts from this place to expense. No joke, he's there (at a minimum) about twice a week for business lunches. He took me last week and now I know why he's so obsessed with Erawan...
During your typical Center City Philly lunch rush, most places are hard to find a table. This place must be the Thai communities little secret because it was calm, welcoming and we were seated right away. I try never to look at prices when ordering food because if you're going to treat yourself to anything in life, food should be first on the list. However, my boss was treating me and I didn't want to order anything too expensive. Well, that was near impossible since all of the prices are relatively close across the board... and way way affordable. I think the lunch menu was around $7.95 or $8.95 per person and it wasn't just a single dish. I ordered Red Curry Chicken... and it came with this... and it came with that... and before I knew it I was eating a three course meal for lunch! Everything was great and if I have one suggestion for tea lovers, go with the ginger tea. It had a bit of a spice to it but it hit the spot.
In regards to decor... it wasn't anything lavish but you can't judge a small place like this based on decor. In fact, I found it to be relaxing. If it were a Steven Star restaurant, that would be completely different and the bill would have been 5x's bigger.
So, try this place out. If you're a Thai fan, I'm sure you'll like it and if not, it won't burn a whole in your pocket. This is definitely one of my new little secret spots...
It's been a while since my last visit, but oh boy that was the Mother of All Visits: a group of 13, including myself, succumbed to the Erawan tasting menu. Erawan usually tones down the spiciness of Thai for the American palette but we asked for the real deal. What remains in my mind is not simply how delicious it was, but that I don't think I've ever eaten anything spicier.
Erawan Thai's interior is cozy. The (potentially faux) flowers, purple napkins, and Enya playing in the background were soothing touches. Erawan, contrary to its name (which means "elephant" in Thai) isn't huge: there's somewhat shy of 20 tables.
The lunch special ($9) includes an appetizer (OR soup) and salad. I ordered the pad ka pow ("Holy Basil Supreme" on the menu) with chicken - basil sauteed with fresh chili, bell peppers, and onions, all in a light garlic sauce. I requested it be super spicy ("make it like they do in Thailand!"), and, after assuring her that I was in fact dead inside, she brought it out. Sadly it wasn't terribly spicy - only reasonably so. Someone else also got the pad ka pow (as regular hot), but we couldn't distinguish the difference between our plates. Portions are appropriate for lunch, not huge.
Service was fine, our water glasses were refilled quickly. Our server (Chu) disappeared mysteriously when it was time to pay the bill, but she probably was willing to let us sit there and chat. I'd say this place is between 3 and 4 stars - I was pleased and will certainly return!
Can't best it for the price. If your in the mood for affordable kick ass crispy duck with creamy red curry sauce, topped off with awsome mango & sticky rice, this may actually be the best place in the city to go. All of the other food is decent and the staff is pleasant, for the most part. I have gotten take out & delivery, and dined here many times and for the quality of food it is very reasonable. (esp. lunch) The food is better in house than take out. As well as the above mentioned items, crispy calamari, thom kha soup, tofu soup, and pad thai are also very good.
For devoted Erawan goers, good news! They've updated their decor! A bit anyway. They also added a salad to their lunch combos, so now you get either soup or appetizer AND SALAD and entree.
My coworkers and I are obsessed with their Thai Basil Chicken which has now been renamed to their Holy Basil Supreme but still same yummy goodness! My nose is running from the spiciness and yet I can't stop eating it!
A cozy and intimate place. Very affordable as well.
I have a love/hate relationship with Erawan.
I love the fact that this is the only Thai spot in Philly that doesn't horribly mess up Spicy Basil Noodles (or as they have it listed, Erawan Noodles).
I also love that they offer a cheap entree + soup/salad/appetizer lunch special for under $7. They charge you the same price To Go, which really is a lost art.
I dislike (hate is a strong word) Erawan's atmosphere. It's dark, dirty, and dead - three adjectives that no place of business wants. Equally, the times I've been there with others dining... you can usually spot some genuine Philly weirdos.
Point blank, I'd never be caught dead inside... but I haven't found better Thai in Philly, especially this cheap.
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Category: Thai
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