Authentic Thai In San Francisco?

[marc11864]

My partner who is from Krueng Thep and I will be visiting San Francisco, CA USA toward the end of the year and so I was wondering from those who've lived or visited there and are familiar with the truly Thai dishes where we can get the good stuff while in the city?

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Basil Thai - 11th St. and Folsom

Sukhothai - 9th Ave. near Judah

Jitlada - Buchanan at Sutter

[Jingthing]

Second vote for Jitlada.

Frankly, the Thai food can be very good in SF but I wouldn't travel there for Thai food and its doubtful a Bangkok person would be super impressed. There are much better options there.

For example, if you want a break from Thai and want to try a great local hangout for San Francisco style Chinese, try Gourmet Carousel

http://www.sftravel.com/food/carosel.html

Recommended dishes: Any of the claypot dishes some of the best in town, Gourmet claypot, dungeness crab w/ black bean sauce, geoduck clam with vegetable, clams w/ black bean sauce, Crispy fried chicken, Oyster and pork bacon belly claypot, steamed Cantonese fish, salt baked chicken, gai lan w/ oyster sauce

Edited November 28, 2008 by Jingthing

[marc11864]

Thank you both.

I used to live in the city but it's been so long ago now that it is hard to compare and contrast with any of the places that I've eaten at in LOS. I'm thinking a trip to the Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant in the Aves might be good as well and I seem to remember a great Thai noodle place in Nob Hill though the name escapes me. I'll check out Jitlada too as we will be there a week or so.

[Groongthep]

Frankly, the Thai food can be very good in SF but I wouldn't travel there for Thai food and its doubtful a Bangkok person would be super impressed. There are much better options there.

I'm in agreement with Jing here. Overall, a native Bangkokian isn't going to be too impressed with the Thai food in San Francisco but there are lots of other great options. San Francisco is one of the best cities in the world for food, from 5 star luxury to funky Chinese noodle shops and Mexican burrito trucks and everything in between. For me, a must stop every time I'm in SF is the kitschy Sam Wo's at 813 Washington Street (between Grant Ave & Waverly Pl) in Chinatown. Always a lot of fun and ridiculously low prices.

Edited November 29, 2008 by Groongthep

[Windmillresident]

Formerly from SF...Thai Terrace in Sausalito is relatively authentic...small place opposite Cafe Trieste.

If you're thai you can normally speak with the kitchen help who might be from Issan and tell them that you're thai and want thai food cooked for thai taste. Normally they'll cook with lots of sugar for american's idea of what thai food is. Overall though, there isn't a really truly authentic thai restaurant in my opinion in SF or the Bay Area because most thai's won't eat out at a thai restaurant...they cook better and to their own taste at home...and a thai restaurant wouldn't necessarily survive if they made real hardcore thai food. U can also try the Wat in Berkeley. I think of saturday or sunday they have an outdoor food court that's a sort of potluck.

[DrDave]

While there a a lot of Thai restaurants in the Bay Area, I haven't really found anything I'd consider authentic.

You might try one of the King Of Thai Noodles locations. The biggest one is in the 1st floor of the Hotel Milano, near 5th and Market. I wasn't too impressed with the food, but the menu is fairly large. They seem to do a good business with the local Thai population, and advertise quite a bit on the US Thai TV Station. One of the attractions for the locals is that they're open late - you can expect to see a lot of people in there late at night after hitting the bars.

As for the Wat in Berkeley, you'll need to check to see if they're still serving brunch. It's in a residential neighborhood, and there were issues with some of the neighbors regarding the crowds. I think that they had to stop the brunch operation at one point. There's another Wat in the East Bay that has a similar brunch on Sundays, which is not as well known (which is good).

Agree with the other poster about Sam Wo in Chinatown - a unique experience.

For what it's worth, the best (authentic) Thai food we've ever had in the US has been in Las Vegas. There's a surprisingly large Thai population there, and the restaurants seem to be skewed more toward authentic rather than Americanized Thai food.

[SaigonDaze]

Agree in LV Thai food. Lotus Thai is the best I've had in the USA. Doesn't look like much on the outside, but the food was excellent!

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Agree in LV Thai food. Lotus Thai is the best I've had in the USA. Doesn't look like much on the outside, but the food was excellent!

No, not Lotus in Vegas. It's pretty good. (Mayflower Cuisiner is much better, but that's a fusion restaurant). Los Angeles, home of ThaiTown, has the largest population of ethnic Thais outside of Thailand. Saladaeng in Pasadena is dam_n good, but it's still not the best in the USA.

For that, you have to go to Keo's in Honolulu, Hawaii. Several people I know who now live in Thailand, but are of different nationalities, agree with me on this one.

Keo's Waikiki

[marc11864]

I've been to Sam Wo's and the Lotus in Vegas and totally concur on all the positive comments for these two places.

I guess I might as well steer away from the Thai places then and hit Yummy Yummy, Mai's, Sam Wo's or Old Mandarin. All are reasonably priced too and pound for pound, the Thai places I've been to there weren't.

[hammockwoman]

yes, the wat in berkeley still has a busy thriving food court on sundays until 2pm. gai tawt/fried chicken and khao nio/sticky rice is just like thailand. everything completely like muang thai, including needing to buy tokens to pay for the food, and long tables with folding chairs. and a real wat with monks, as well as language classes.

i live in sf and my favorite thai restaurant is thai house express, in polk gulch at the corner of post and larkin. they have northern food like khao soy and sai ooa, which is rare here. lots of variety, big, bright, busy, inexpensive place. the neighborhood is pretty sketchy though. they have another one in the castro, but i've not been there.

king of thai noodle is always dependable and they're all over the place.

[Groongthep]

Agree in LV Thai food. Lotus Thai is the best I've had in the USA. Doesn't look like much on the outside, but the food was excellent!

No, not Lotus in Vegas. It's pretty good. (Mayflower Cuisiner is much better, but that's a fusion restaurant). Los Angeles, home of ThaiTown, has the largest population of ethnic Thais outside of Thailand. Saladaeng in Pasadena is dam_n good, but it's still not the best in the USA.

For that, you have to go to Keo's in Honolulu, Hawaii. Several people I know who now live in Thailand, but are of different nationalities, agree with me on this one.

Keo's Waikiki

I agree that the food at Keo's can be good but it's a far cry from anything remotely approaching what you would find in a Bangkok Thai restaurant. It is essentially a Western / Asian Fusion restaurant with as much Japanese and Chinese influence as Thai. Click on your link Keo's and go to the menu section. Do "FRESH AHI WITH SALSA" GRILLED SALMON" "NEW YORK STEAK" "HONEY GLAZED GRILLED THAI STYLE BABY BACK RIBS" "THAI CRISPY CHICKEN DRUMETTES" and "SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS AND SNOW PEAS " sound like anything you'd find in a Thai restaurant in Thailand? With the exception of a few curries and pad thai there is hardly any Thai food on the menu at all. I lived in Honolulu for over 2 years ( granted long ago) and have been to Keo's more than once or twice. The food can be good but it is barely Thai food at all never mind it being anywhere near the best Thai restaurant in the country. The best Thai restaurants are the smaller Mom and Pop type places located in areas near Thai temples or in the few Thai neighborhoods that exist in the US. With the exception of Thaitown in LA and a few other spots most Thais in America haven't conglomerated into Thai neighborhoods but have dispersed throughout the communities in which they live, hence most Thai restaurants that you find were opened with the sole purpose in mind to cater to what they think western diners want and without much of any thought to adhering to the traditional recipes. Keo's was opened to cater to tourists and to the upscale mixed Asian community in Honolulu. It does a good job of catering to their target clientele but as a Thai restaurant it it doesn't measure up. Face it, there's only one place to get consistently good Thai food and that's in Thailand. It doesn't travel well to other countries.

Edited December 1, 2008 by Groongthep

[Jimmyd]

I have to disagree with the comments about the Thai Temple in Berkeley.

Years ago, it was fairly authentic--though even then some concessions were made for Western tastes and the lack of ingredients. However, on a visit about a year and a half ago, I went with my wife, and I was shocked. It was very crowded and very westernized. Huge portions of AmeriThai food. My wife had been looking forward to it, but visiting again has never crossed either of our minds.

[j0hnga1t]

If you're coming to San Francisco and want some AUTHENTIC Thai food, take a side trip to Thailand.....

I always judge a place by their pad thai....all have failed.  If anyone knows of a place that serves it (i've cooked it here once or twice, but it's a hugh pain for me) let me know.

[farangene]

Frankly, the Thai food can be very good in SF but I wouldn't travel there for Thai food and its doubtful a Bangkok person would be super impressed. There are much better options there.

I'm in agreement with Jing here. ..... For me, a must stop every time I'm in SF is the kitschy Sam Wo's at 813 Washington Street (between Grant Ave & Waverly Pl) in Chinatown. Always a lot of fun and ridiculously low prices.

Sam Wo's home of Edsel Wong (RIP) who always made it a place to remember. Food wasn't very good in my opinion (late 1960s to 1970s) but Edsel's presence always made it memorable, especially for newbies.

For Thai food, I like the Marnee Thai sites one on 9th ave and another on Irving I think.

[Groongthep]

Sam Wo's home of Edsel Wong (RIP) who always made it a place to remember. Food wasn't very good in my opinion (late 1960s to 1970s) but Edsel's presence always made it memorable, especially for newbies.

For Thai food, I like the Marnee Thai sites one on 9th ave and another on Irving I think.

Yeah, if Edsel Wong was the old owner who used to literally yell at the customers, he was indeed a character who made Sam Wo's a place to remember. Hard to explain why the guy's demeanor, despite being flat out rude at times, was somehow entertaining. You're also right that the food isn't really that good but look again at the prices on that menu; can't expect haute cuisine when the higher priced items on the menu are around 5 bucks. Even with Edsel gone the place is still fun and retains a lot of character.

[sabaijai]

One dish that Sam Wo's was always famed for was fried rice noodles (chao fun, different pronunciation from the 'chao fun'/fried rice on the menu above). Say what you want about the rest of the food, a lot of Chinese residents told me they thought Sam Wo's had the best in Chinatown.

I've been back since Edsel passed on, and it's as fun a late-night graze as ever, even without Edsel ordering me to help him wait tables.

Most authentic Thai food in the SF area? Wat Thai Berkeley on weekends.

[Ulysses G.]

I don't have a lot of use for Thai food anywhere, but I sure miss Chinese food in San Francisco including Sam Wo's!

[chivo]

i dont know if i agree with what has been suggested so far. those are all a bit mainstream and the food iffy to me.

there was one place down in a scuzzy neighborhood (the tenderloin) named GAZZA where only thais went. lots of thai students etc. i only saw one other whitey there and he was with a group of thais. yam nuea yang tasted like yam neue yang etc. food was pretty good. still not 100 percent but closest i found in SF.

they also stay open late (past legal hours) as a bar with thai karaoke etc, they get away with this with a sign on door saying private party. but anyone thai could get in.

think it was way down polk st or something.

[just_Elaine]

I also think Chinese food would be a good option in the SF Bay Area. Sam Wo's was a place we used to go for stuff like jook (congee). Chow fun is good. For dim sum, I think that the East Bay (Emeryville and Oakland) may be better than SF these days. However, for dinner, steamed fish, stir fried clams in hot black bean sauce and some fresh vegies might be nice. Or if you want to eat in, buy take out - roast duck, soy sauce chicken ant other things are easily taken out in Chinatown, the Richmond district or even San Bruno. Oh, I forgot, the wonton is much better in SF than Thailand. Also, noodles in soup can be really good for lunch (Chinese or Vietnamese).

There were delicious burritos in the SF bay area that I really miss that might be enjoyable.

I don't know how good North Beach Italian is these days, but it used to be good.

Check out chowhound.com for some places to try...

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

For dim sum, I think that the East Bay (Emeryville and Oakland) may be better than SF these days.

Oakland's China Town has always been better than SF for dim sum. I highly recommend Jade Palace at 9th and Broadway.

[SamuiJens]

Great place in Milbrae off El Camino Real (on your west side) and NO GMC!

[farangene]

Great place in Milbrae off El Camino Real (on your west side) and NO GMC!

Thai Stick on El Camino??

NO GMC = NO MSG??

[SamuiJens]

Great place in Milbrae off El Camino Real (on your west side) and NO GMC!

Thai Stick on El Camino??

NO GMC = NO MSG??

That's it, and yeah, No MSG!

[TheWalkingMan]

Sam Wo?? I think I know this place. Back in the 80's I think I went there and the waiter was very rude. He actually sat at our table and said, "What you want?" Overall a good night, but my friend was leary about eating the rice.

And zaphodbeeblebrox, yep. The Jade Palace is cool. I ate chicken feet for the first time there.

TheWalkingMan

[midoban]

I've been to Sam Wo's and the Lotus in Vegas and totally concur on all the positive comments for these two places.

I guess I might as well steer away from the Thai places then and hit Yummy Yummy, Mai's, Sam Wo's or Old Mandarin. All are reasonably priced too and pound for pound, the Thai places I've been to there weren't.

Yummy Yummy, Vietnamese place on irving? If you are in that area I suggest you try San Tung, which is right next door. Try the wings (there's dry and wet, personally I prefer the dry) and the pot stickers.

My experience with Thai food in SF is that no single restaurant can do it all. When I try a new Thai place, I usually order 3 or 4 dishes. Pad gra pao, green curry, fried fish with the sweet and sour stuff on top, and the eggplant with chili and basil. I have yet to find a restaurant with all of them being excellent.

Best Thai food I've had in the Bay Area was in Hayward. Also, Thai food in San Jose is generally better than in SF.

[aircut]

sorry if it was already mentioned. I have visited SF numerous times and always found comfort thai food near the nikko hotel. the intersection of ellis and mason st. you will find a tiny shop, cheap plates and very satisfying for thai cravings....

looking through google maps i managed to get a street view of the place: it called SIAM THAI NOODLE.

Click here to see the place

Edited February 19, 2009 by aircut

[pampal]

Sam Wo's food is average at best, if you go for the atmosphere OK, but if you want decent food, you won't find it there.

[Ulysses G.]

Sam Wo's is better than most Chinese food in Thailand.

[Jingthing]

Sam Wo's is better than most Chinese food in Thailand.

Sad but true.

It is bizarre with all the Chinese Thais here and that Thailand is IN Asia how much better the general standard of Chinese food is in San Francisco.