The missus and I popped in on a rainy Sunday afternoon, after the lunch rush (or before the dinner rush?). The missus was craving either Thai or Vietnamese food, and, Bua 9 was exactly the kind of discovery you want to stumble onto when you're hungry, and it's a cold lazy day (in general). We had the whole place to ourselves, which felt like a private dining experience we didn't pay extra for. The steady flow of delivery bags going out the door explained everything - the locals (or people on UberEats/DoorDash) clearly already know about this place, they just prefer to eat it from their couch. Smart, honestly, but you'd miss the vibe: warm beige walls, white orchids on the windowsill, plants clustered near the counter, a Paris cityscape on one wall and what looked like an aerial photo of an Asian city on another, and a small Thai spirit house hanging overhead. And then Studio Ghibli music came through the speakers and I immediately relaxed in a way that was slightly embarrassing. It's that kind of place. (Worth noting: it doubles as a sushi restaurant. There's a QR code on every table for "Bua 9 Thai & Sushi." We didn't test that side this visit, but it's on the list.) We ordered three dishes. The panang curry with pork ($20.99, 3 out of 5 on the spice scale - minimum is 2, for reference) was rich and fragrant in that deeply coconut-forward way that makes panang so distinct from every other Thai curry. The pork was tender, the wilted greens added contrast, and the jasmine rice soaked up every last drop of the sauce. This is a dish that gets better with every spoonful - you start thinking "this is good" and end the bowl thinking "I need to come back for this specifically." The boat noodles ($18.99) were the dark horse. The broth was dark, complex, and delicious in the best possible way - the kind that tastes like it's been simmering for a LONG time. The noodle portion was ENORMOUS (I ended up finishing the missus's noodle overflow after she made a very deliberate decision to just... drink the rest of the broth. Straight from the bowl. Because it was that good and she had zero regrets about it). That's a five-star endorsement if I've ever seen one. The mango sticky rice ($10.95) was almost an afterthought, but it absolutely shouldn't have been. Generous portion, thick coconut cream both soaked in and drizzled on top, fresh mango that was ripe and sweet with just enough tang. Here's the bit that made us laugh: we'd just bought a bag of mangos at Costco, so we saved some of the sticky rice to take home for a round two. Sticky rice + fresh Costco mango back home? Highly recommend that meta-experience. Total came to $56.30 after tax (before tip) for two people, completely full. On the way back to the car (parked behind on the street), the missus turned to me and said this was "a good meal for a reasonable price" - and that's about as high a commendation as you're going to get from her, so there you have it. Parking is street-only (front and back), limited spots. One bathroom at the back. Bua 9 is the kind of neighbourhood spot that doesn't need to announce itself. It just quietly makes excellent boat noodles while Spirited Away plays in the background - and if you wander in on a rainy Sunday afternoon with a trunk full of Costco mangos, you might just leave with sticky rice for the road. read more

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Placed a pick-up order for two and left disappointed. My wife's medium-spice green curry with extra veggies was fine, but my pineapple fried rice really missed the mark. Even after paying extra for extra pineapple, I only got six tiny tidbit pieces. The rice itself was mushy, with no fried texture or crispy edges, and "medium spice" had no heat at all. I also added beef, came with thin dry flavorless strips. There was an up charge for this as well. The highlights were the Thai teas and spring rolls--crispy, hot, and flavorful. But at $90 for a homey/hole-in-the-wall style spot, the quality just didn't match the price. Buyer beware. read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - Pineapple fried rice with "extra" pineapple and garlic. - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My benchmark is Pad Thai and Bua 9 pulled it off perfectly - with the added choice of spice, on the scale 1 - 5 (I went for 4 and it was robust) Wonderful cheerful service which is typical of the lovely people from Thailand The lunch special at $14.95 is a steal, and it includes a small bowl of vegetable soup which is a perfect foil to the punchy taste of the noodles A simple, clean environment, with a steady stream of customers (obviously local regulars) picking up to go orders I was definitely NOT disappointed, and I don't think you will be eithe read more

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Another on-line order for another large (8) group...and Bua shows it is consistent with good quality. If (like me) you are careful about your spice level, I suggest you aim low. Some dishes come at a minimum "2" level that has a little zing for a sensitive palate. Side note: ALWAYS check your order if you do a "pick up"...they get very busy, and have missed parts of our orders on multiple occasions read more

Great food, great sauces, and just okay parking. The parking is tough given the busy neighborhood so that's not a knock on Bua. The food is very good. The rice is perfect, they got the spice levers right, and their side sauces are great. Service was also friendly and quick. read more

Everything is always delicious! Crispy chicken, green curry, spring rolls... so good. I like my food spicy, & it's definitely the way I like it, when I order that way. read more

ordered extra sticky rice and mango for mango sticky rice, for $20 ($4 extra for extra mango $4 for extra rice) and got maybe half of one mango. i would hate to see what the normal serving is. still yummy and the rest of the food was good tho read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - Mango Stickyrice - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Order the chicken phad Thai LOTS of noodle a FEW pieces of tough chicken ! Barely any bean sprouts or green onion no egg as described on the menu ! Definitely not worth $20 would not recommend this place for the Phad Thai! read more

Just ordered for lunch and wow, I'm super mixed here. Their spring rolls were amazing but their Tom ka - was literally flavorless. Zero spice, zero salt, zero sour flavor, it really seemed like they forgot to finish the dish. It was just watery coconut milk, chicken and par cooked onions. Pad Thai and See Ew were just ok, also lacking flavor, almost no sauce, but noodle texture was good. Finally ordered their crispy garlic chicken which is supposed to be legendary, but got soupy regular uncrispy chicken - no garlic flavor, so spice, no salt. I really wanted to like this place but maybe they had a replacement chef today. Everything was just off. read more

Great late night Thai spot!! The food is so-so, but it's open late w a special late menu read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Always Soooooo good. Spring rolls, Crispy chicken, Pad Khee Mao Drunken Noodles, Pad Thai, Panang Curry all so yummy. They also make it spicy like I like. read more

Our server was friendly and the food came out quickly. The food was fairly average 3/5 with a bump up for service. Ordered: Pad see ew- This veered towards a really sweet profile. Green Beans- Not too bad, but lacked a depth of flavor. Papaya salad- This turned out quite wet. Pineapple fried rice- Also a bit one note on curry powder, but nice pairing with the pineapple. Mango sticky rice- classic! Mango was sweetish, on par for the time of year. read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - Mango Sticky Rice - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a great place to come for a quick meal after a long day at work. I usually get noodles (pad thai or pad see ew) or one of the curries, but the eggplant dish and the crispy chicken salad is also very delicious and flavorful. If you're not great with spicy food, I would keep probably stick to a 1 or 2 out of 5. I usually get a 3, which I think is just the right amount of spice where it tastes good but isn't burning your mouth. The server is very attentive and kind- she even gave us some Thai pepper powder to go because we commented on how much we liked it! read more

Fire food !! Workers are so nice! Quick. Park in the street behind! Pad Thai and knee mao too good

We ate here for the first time today, picking it at random. My husband ordered the phadThai, I ordered noodle soup with coconut milk and tofu, both on the lunch special. The phadThai came with a salad and Thai coffee. The salad dressing was delicious with lots of tasty cucumbers. The PhadThai was delicious, a good serving size too. My soup was very tasty with plenty of veggies and noodles. Service was excellent, lots of smiling faces. We'll be back! read more

Always good friendly service and they don't have her over you. Today I tried a new dish. I got the trout salad and it was amazing.! Lots of bright intense flavors of garlic, lime chili peppers. The trout is battered and deep-fried and then seasoned with all those tasty good things. The atmosphere is casual with lots of windows. Street parking available. Another dish I like is there basil basil. Lots of vegetables and meat of your choice with more fantastic flavors. read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - Thai Trout Salad - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food here is always so delicious and well made. The owner/chefs are actively working and provide an amazing experience. The papaya salad is a must for me every time. Pad Thai and Khao Soi are so good too. The people who complain about the food simply don't know ball. read more

Clean establishment. A little old, and feels like a hole in the wall/mom and pop kind of restaurant. When my boyfriend and I went we were the only customers at around 3:30-4pm on a Sunday so service was very speedy. We got crab Rangoon, pad see ew and pad Thai. I know, we're very adventurous people. Crab rangoon had a lot more cream cheese than imitation crab so I would've liked to see more imitation crab. I liked the plum sauce it came with Both noodle dishes tasted fine but nothing spectacular. I can't handle spicy food well and got a 2 out of 5 spice level and thought it was fine. My boyfriend who can handle spicy got a 3 and wished he got higher. Serving sizes are good and we had some leftovers to take home. My only complaint was probably the price. It was $18 for most of the noodle dishes on the menu (including one that uses ramen noodles as the base), but for the atmosphere and quality, I'd expect to pay around $14. But I guess rent and costs to operate are expensive read more

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Unassuming and friendly but overextended/slightly inattentive service. The food was actually perfect, some of the best in Seattle. read more

I have been going here for take out on my way home for months. never complained. but tonight after picking up my order I opened the chop sticks and they were green and moldy. I asked for jasmine rice and I double checked with her showed me the screen where it said rice for extra upgrade and when I got home, it was just white rice. I called them and she said nobody's ever complained about the chopsticks. I said I have pictures. She said it's rice and I said no it's white rice and she's like jasmine rice and white the same and I said no they're not and she laughed at me at one point I would recommend this place, but not at this point I was not even asking for a refund. I was just letting them know that maybe they wanted to check the other chopsticks. Not sure how to add the pictures, but I have them they should be ashamed of themselves. read more

Good food, nice people. Not much in way of ambience, more a storefront restaurant. I always order ahead by phone to pick up. Parking a bit dicey but possible. read more

This is a convenient place to meet a friend for lunch so I've been several times. A hot bowl of noodle soup is great after going to the gym. It is also pleasantly quiet as they don't feel obligated to blast random music like so many other restaurants. I appreciate that I can hold a normal conversation here. It also tends to do a lot of take-out at lunch time, so there is never a problem getting a table to eat in. Service is friendly and quick. I usually get the khao soi as I have a soft spot for anything resembling laksa, and fried egg noodles are awesome. The quality overall is solidly Seattle 4* (Bay Area 3*). It isn't anything amazing, but it is fine and fills the stomach. read more

I'm always greeted super fast when I come in here. I have yet to eat inside but it's always clean when I come in to order. Their Thai tea is bombb I love it sm. Their sushi and spam musubi is really good, great portions and great bang for your buck read more

Ordered the chicken thai basil basil and it was delicious! This is my go to Thai spot and the customer service is always great. The owners are very personable and kind. As always, my dish was delicious and I also got the Thai iced tea which was perfect! I'd check out their lunch specials as well, it's a great deal! read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - Lunch menu - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Soooo deliciousss my favorite thai restaurant in Seattle. Always come here when I'm visiting the city. The people working here is so friendly too. I didn't like the mango sticky rice that much. But love the fried rice and the crab delight read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - Mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Bua 9 is our go-to Thai takeout spot. Very convenient for us to order and pick up. Always fast and friendly. I feel badly for not taking photos but you can see plenty on other reviews. Pictures of take out packaged food never really does justice to a restaurant so let's just get to the food. Reliably good. My better half loves Pad Thai and is never disappointed with it at Bua 9. She likes a little zip in the seasoning but not too much so 1 star heat is just right. Some places seem like they use catsup in their Pad Thai which we both hate and thankfully Bua 9 is not one of them. :) I like big fat egg noodles so Pad Se-Ew for me. Good stuff. I'd like a little more egg and other goodies but the heart of it - the noodles and sauce are good. Tried the Catfish Prik today - savory good. We've had a good number of their dishes over the years and it's always been solid. Not exactly where you go for a romantic night out in terms of ambiance but with that in mind - they always come through. Recommended. read more

The food, specifically sushi was amazing and so delicious. The service was great and the ambiance was nice and laid back. Definitely will be back!! read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Good the first couple of times , bad the two last time times The noodle dish had noodles chopped into small pieces-very unappetizing. A supposed fish item was overcooked and almost inedible read more

I always come here for the garlic fried rice w/ pork! Really delicious and a nice size portion. It probably feeds 2 but I always finish it myself! The prices are a bit high for a fried rice. The service is always with smile and it's cozy and clean to eat in. read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - Garlic fried rice w/ pork - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Really great neighborhood Thai spot! We usually order to go and phone ahead. This time we dined in and got the garlic noodles and khao soi for lunch. Would highly recommend both dishes and also recommend getting the khao soi at least a little spicy since it tends to lean sweet otherwise. Also their spice level have been pretty true to level imo which makes me happy since it's hard to find places that make things spicy enough. read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - Garlic noodles & Khao Soi Noodle Soup - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great food, fast service and open late. Spice levels are authentic so be careful - level 2 was all I could handle! Friendly staff and good value for the price. read more

Sorry, but this is not authentic Thai food. If you like sugar and Americanized Thai food - you'll like this place. I've been to Thailand 5 times and this is not "authentic" Thai food. And for $100 for 5 dishes, I will not be returning. read more

The food is solid and the portions are extremely generous. Standouts include all of their curries, pad see ew and their chicken wings, which are amazing. On top of this, the people that run and own it are terrific. I ordered some food for delivery (Doordash, won't make that mistake again...). The guy ended up five miles from my house, even after extensive back and forth messaging, and even after I told him I lived 4 minutes from the restaurant. He left my food on someone's steps in West Seattle. I called the restaurant, and she immediately said she'd make it again and bring it over herself. It showed up shortly thereafter, with a smile. Glad this place is in our neighborhood. read more

this is the lesser known but really great sushi spots. i would rather go here than the one in south center. the spring rolls are great too

Good food, decent prices and convenient location! The Massaman curry was really good! Little bit spicy for me but was definitely yummy and came with a decent amount of rice. Wasn't too big of a portion though, I could have used a bit more for the actual curry. The pad thai was super yummy and a BIG portion. I usually add some veggies and green onion to the dish, which I didn't this time so it was mostly just noodles. My friend ordered it as two starts which for me was definitely too spicy. I usually order 0 starts because even for me that tends to have a little bit of a kick. Overall both dishes were enough for two of us to share with some leftovers. The dining area is pretty big and since we visited during the day around lunch time it wasn't too busy. The food came out QUICK and the service was very friendly and prompt. If anything, I would recommend just a tad more in terms of ambiance and decor as the dining area itself was mostly basic and bland. Overall happy with the visit though and would say it's worth a try! read more

This place is a gem! Easy to overlook, the spot is located on the busy Rainier St. This is probably one of my top fav places in Columbia City. They are taking to go orders, takes ~15m for food to be ready by the time you hang up the phone. Pick up is easy and convenient. Parking available on the streets. Consistently good food, a variety of dishes, and friendly service. Everything is well packaged, with all the utensils ya need. The food reminds me of Thailand, loooove the panang curry, and gotta get the mango sticky rice! Def one of the top restaurants around the area. read more

Bua 9 Thai Cuisine - delight, fried rice, Panang curry & mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is our go to Thai takeout place bc it's in walking distance for us. The food is super solid, and though it's not the cheapest, the quality feels worth it for the price. We've gotten the pad thai, Larb, Tom Kha, pad kee mao, and pad woon sen on different occasions. Everything was pretty good, fresh, and not too greasy. It's worth checking out if you're hankering for Thai food and are nearby. read more

Thai food is one of my favorite foods. I usually order my favorite dishes. The Larb gai salad was with deep fried chicken, which I have never had before and did not like it that way. I also ordered a Tom yum soup, which didn't have much taste and Crispy chicken, which was the best of all the dishes. I ordered everything non spicy, since my 4yr old was eating with me. This order was to go. Utensils are optional, which is a nice choice - no reason to waste resources. I don't think I'd come back and order again Though. read more

We ordered takeout from here at my friends suggest and it was so good. I tend to judge places on my fave orders- Pad Se Ew and Larb Gai. We got both of these plus a green papaya dish I believe it was. I'd never had that before and it was great. All absolutely order from again. read more

I like supporting small businesses. This restaurant is small and gives off a cozy homey vibe. The food isn't the best Thai food I've tasted but I would definitely recommend this place to someone whose looking for something spicy. read more