Everything was delicious in this Thai restaurant. It was really genuine Thai cooking. The service was welcoming, and the ambience was cozy and yet it was high ceiling modern. I ordered the Papaya salad, Chicken satay. Curry Shortribs and Phad See Yue with beef and the mango sticky rice with coconut ice cream. All I can say was everything was exceptionally tasty and I would definitely come back here again. This place is reasonable and not overpriced. Definitely make a reservation. read more

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Maybe my tastes are shifting, but I found the most recent visit ok, but with some significant issues. The Pla Pad Kun Chai which is a fried cod fillet, with a mix of root spices and Chinese celery, had some complex flavors that didn't pan out - the fish itself was breaded in a batter that was perhaps a bit too MSG-laden, and not enough distinctive a flavor to justify its saltiness; and the Chinese celery was really tough, which didn't make for a good bite of texture. The green onions were too crispy relative to the other alliums. The Kao Soi Brisket had some decent beef pieces, but then some of the other pieces were way tough. The soup (or is it a sauce?) was way thick, and overall the dish was overly salted. There also needs to be more noodle, and more mustard green overall. The curry puff was a good idea, but the puff itself was rather dry, and not particularly well integrated with the chicken, potatoes, and alliums. The stuffing might also have been underseasoned. In general the dishes demonstrate expert preparation, but the concepts need reworking. The new environment (across the street from the former location) is a tad loud when populated with many diners, though visually it's a pleasant place to dine. The servers were attentive and respectful. read more

We were hoping to get a quick meal in, but the kitchen that day was backed up or something. I think they in general were understaffed for the day. It took quite awhile to place our order, and our appetizers came out after other tables who arrived after us, got their food before us. unfortunately we were not able to stay for our entrees. We managed to flag our server down to ask them to box it to go instead of bringing the dishes out. It did seem like perhaps our order might have not been put in right away after ordering. We ordered the following: -rotı (w/ potato curry sauce) this was tasty, light and flakey / crispy. The potatoes curry sauce was so nice, balanced saltiness. -chicken wings (wl spicy garlic sauce), i personally would pass on these next time. My portion was a bit dry. The dishes we took to go, -pad see ew- this had a nice chew even after reheating later. Thought it could have used a bit more protein portion tossed in but that's just personal pref, looked a bit light. Probably the best dish we ordered. -pla pad kun chai (fried cod fish fillet w/ lemongrass + Chinese celery) this to me isn't good to take out. Needs to be eaten on site and hot. The fillets no longer were crispy, maybe seperate sauces on side next time instead of all in one container. It wasn't too enjoyable later with extra fishy smell, taste for a white fish. -Thai iced- i like a more creamier consistency Thai tea, this one was more watery style. All in all not a terrible experience but not great. 20 min before we were able to order and 40 min plus for appetizers to come out, hence we took entrees to go. read more

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I've had Cha Yen Thai Cookery bookmarked for a while now & we found ourselves in the area, so we knew we had to try while we were here! We visited on a Friday night around 6pm. It was very busy but we were able to get a table for two within 5 min. The service was super slow. Took ~20 min for our server to take our order & another 40 min for our food to come. We noticed our server was the only server for all the tables, haha crazy! Here's what we ended up ordering: -roti (w/ potato curry sauce) -chicken wings (w/ spicy garlic sauce) -pad see ew -pla pad kun chai (fried cod fish fillet w/ lemongrass + Chinese celery) -Thai iced tea We tried the chicken wings, the roti, and Thai iced teas at the restaurant & ended up requesting for the rest of our food to go since we were on a time crunch. Thoughts: The pad see ew was delicious! We reheated it later that night & it was flavorful. I would definitely get this again. The chicken wings had good flavor but we found the chicken itself to be very dry inside. Made it difficult to enjoy. I loved the potato curry sauce that came with the roti. Simple but tasty dish. The pla pad kun chai was our least favorite dish we ordered. It didn't taste good at all after reheating. We're curious if we would've enjoyed this more if we ate it at the restaurant when it was fresh? The fish had a very fishy smell & didn't taste like it had been treated with lemon, vinegar, or both. We usually enjoy cod fish & lemongrass but this was a complete miss for us. Lastly, the Thai iced tea was okay. It was a bit too watery for us & we wished it could've been creamier. Overall, I would come back again to give Cha Yen another try. I did like the dishes we tried at the restaurant & perhaps the fish for example would've tasted better if had at the restaurant. read more

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Very flavorful food; and a fun and pretty restaurant. The staff was very kind, and made the environment welcoming along with very tasty food. read more

Cha Yen Thai Cookery - Shrimp Casserole - Thai Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Very busy on a Sunday night! Luckily we got bar seats immediately but without advance reservations expect a 20-30 min wait. The interior is modern and nicely done. The staff work extreme hard to keep up with the volume and are still attentive and friendly (our waitress gave us a small glass of milk when she saw us struggling with the spice). Appetizer (larb salad) came out pretty fast but the actual dishes took some time, which was reassuring. Our noodles were fantastic. Butterfly pea cocktail was also quite good and served immediately (premixed drinks it seems). Parking was not hard to find. read more

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Great food. Flavors I remember from Southeast Asia. Service is also very prompt. I wish there was more seating only because more people should be there to eat this awesome food read more

They can easily be one of those case studies for budding restauranteurs interested in entering the industry. Here, they can learn that it's not only about the culinary excellence and a true dedication to the art, but also a good portion of luck, culinary creativity, being in a great location, and catering to the desired demographics for their success. Sure, they are very popular now but they had quite the journey to get here. For that, I truly applaud their grit to come to the success that they have right now. I can easily say that Cha Yen is one of my favorite Thai spots in the area. The chef has elevated the cuisine as a fusion into a whole different level of creativity while still harnessing some of the most traditional flavors. What you find in any other Thai restaurant is now presented in a more upscale approach while preserving their original identity. The flavors here tickle the palate and beckons desire to try more. This location is a jump from the casual eatery prior. Plates and food presentation are updated. Decor is no longer as "divey". The overall ambiance is different and if you didn't realize it was a Thai eatery, you wouldn't think it actually is one. Add that to their culinary excellence, they've created a winning combination and hence, the heavily packed restaurant every weekend. People here know and people here want it. We all want it. Good food, creative, friendly staff, great location, and the right demographics...stuff that case studies will remind you again and again. read more

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My order: Green curry, whole fish The Review: I actually have been here a couple of times since starting to write this review. The green curry from my first visit was phenomenal. The second time we shared a whole fish, which the manager/waiter showed us how to remove from the bone. It was so delicious. We also got these leaf rolls, miang khang, which I have never seen at a Thai restaurant. They consist of actual leaves with loads of toppings to put in the leaf, meant to be eaten in one bite. It was such a fun dinner activity. The manager and staff were really great folks, explaining everything to us and making such a warm environment. On my bucket list for next time is to try their homemade ice cream! read more

Cha Yen Thai Cookery - green curry - Thai Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Okay Thai takeout option that was ready quickly - they have a slightly different menu than your standard fare so I decided to try it out. Ordered the corn fritters, cashew chicken and khao soi brisket and it was alright, but not great. The corn fritters are probably much better freshly fried as a dine in app, as they were soft when we ate them. The dipping sauce said it would be spicy peanut, but it came with a clear sweet sauce, which was not what I expected. The cashew chicken was standard, and had a bit more heat than my friend anticipated. The khao soi was very sweet and salty - I like fish sauce and know sugar is part of the cuisine but they were def heavy handed, I could not finish the dish. The brisket was also on the chewy side, but I did appreciate the mustard greens to cut the richness of the broth. It was easy to pull up and park for 2 minutes and service was prompt. While I did not eat there, the space seems like a nice hang with a clean and warm ambiance. read more

Excellent food. Got takeout. Ready on time and good size portions. Recommend this restaurant

I love this place - we are so lucky to have this hidden gem in watertown! The thai food is delicious and their cocktails are *amazing*. They are also a huge supporter of the local community - they generously donated to the nearby elementary school for our annual cultural event this year. Definitely check them out!! read more

Cha Yen Thai Cookery - Thai Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Been here a couple of times, food is always very good and service is good. Seems always busy. Cocktails are good but inconsistent

Some of the best Thai food I've had in my life. I got Kee Mao Tofu and Panang Tofu and they were incredibly rich and comforting with deliciously fresh crisp vegetables and flavorful, perfectly fried tofu. Ambiance of the restaurant was really lovely. It was full on a Saturday night, but not too loud and our table was not too close to others. I was also super impressed with the flavor profile on the Harvest Harmony cocktail. My boyfriend loved his Pla Pad Kun Chai. I can't wait to eat my leftovers and visit this place again for dining in and takeout!!! read more

This is my first time here since they moved, and the new place is very modern, with what looked like a really nice bar (tho I didn't get any drinks for lunch). Food is good and authentic, when they say it's spicy, they mean it. read more

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The new location is top notch. Brand new and clean. Really like the decor. Friendly and fast service. The food and cocktails are top notch. I feel like the food got upgraded with the new location. Big fan of the curry courage cocktail which totally tastes like green curry. The papaya salad is fresh tasting with some solid heat. The boat noodles are good but can be a bit heavy. The fish dumpling is good but not memorable. Def can't wait to come back. read more

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Overall a great experience! I was excited to try both new offerings and old favorites after Cha Yen reopened after moving to a larger space and expanding their menu and cocktail options. Our favorite dishes tasted great as expected, in particular the Pad thai, chicken wings and lemongrass fish. The new cocktail menu offers good variety/selection and I look forward to trying more of their offerings. The green curry cocktail we tried was unique and very tasty. read more

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I finally went to Cha Yen after several months of having it on my mind, and it did not disappoint! We (party of 3) came by on a Tuesday evening, and almost every table was full. We had a reservation and were seated once the host was available. There was still a long line in the foyer, a lot of whom were presumably picking up takeout orders. The ambiance is pretty - it's colorful, but not overly so, and the small things (like flowers on the table) are nice touches. I ordered the Ka Ti cocktail, which has pandan-infused vodka with maple liquor and coconut. It was excellent! It tasted like one of the better piña coladas have had but with the herbal pandan influence. I'd definitely get it again. We ordered the Roti appetizer, which is pan-fried bread (similar to Indian/Malaysian parathas) with a coconut-based sauce. The sauce was the star of the show here - the coconut and spice blend was perfect. As for mains, we got the Pad See Ew, Pad Kee Mao, and Green Curry (all vegetarian and with tofu). They were able to make every dish without egg and without any fish sauce, which was a nice guarantee. Every dish was excellent, and the flavor was spot on. I primarily ate the Pad See Ew with tofu - I initially thought it was OK but lacking spice, and the staff promptly brought over some chili paste. Once I added more spice, the dish was truly excellent. To be fair, the staff did not ask for the desired spice level when ordering. Next time I'll request it spicy to begin with. Overall, I'd recommend a trip to Cha Yen. Glad to have another solid spot in Watertown! read more

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Incredible restaurant experience - one of the best we've had in Massachusetts. The decor and food were beautifully presented, and flavor of the food was memorable. Earth and his team were so thoughtful in their service, from explaining the dishes in detail to ensuring all of our needs were met! We recommend: - Gai yang chicken (just off the grill with a rich chili sauce) - roti with curry - panang curry (perfectly spiced) - tom yum soup (appetizer with flavorful red broth) read more

This is one of my go-to lunch places. The food is always well prepared, super flavorful, and elegantly presented in lovely Thai pottery dishes. Only downside is the small number of tables in the tiny space - a little afraid positive reviews will make it too popular! Thankfully there is a large counter for extra capacity. (Gave 4*/5 because of capacity.) read more

Delicious food! Super tentative staff. Ordered the boat noodle soup as my entree and it was so flavorful. I enjoyed their hoi tod - definitely order this when you go. read more

Cha Yen Thai Cookery - Hoi tod - Thai Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Delivery We just had the most disturbing encounter with the owner. We have been eating there takeout and in the restaurant since they opened. Today we ordered the same things we always order and had them delivered. My Tom Yum soup had one piece of chicken in it, the green curry chicken that my son ordered was very oily and very salty, and the shrimp was undercooked in the pad Thai . My husband called and asked to speak to the manager. Instead of appropriate customer service and apologizing, he started questioning our honesty, told us he was going to check the video to see if the soup actually had only one piece of chicken in it, and then said if we wanted a refund we would have to bring the food back. My husband and my son went to go to drive to the restaurant which at this point we didn't want a new order, just a refund. The owner showed up at my house, and said he came to get the food!. I called my husband and told him to please come back quickly. The owner in front of our home with our children and my daughter's aids started opening up the canisters of the food in the middle of the sidewalk in front of our home to rip the shrimp open and tell me that he felt it was cooked. He literally was yelling at my husband and I in front of our 14-year-old son while Food was Falling on the sidewalk from his hands!. I told him if he didn't leave I was going to start recording him. He continued to yell, then got in a Porsche suv and sped so fast down the street if anyone was walking, they would've been hit. This is completely inappropriate behavior and we will never eat there or order from there again. It breaks my heart because I thought this was a Watertown neighborhood restaurant, but this is not how an owner of a neighborhood restaurant should act let alone people who have been customers for years, and I've never complained! read more

This place is a gem! Every single thing on their menu is a masterpiece. Staff is lovely. Space is cozy. 10 out of 5 stars! read more

There are great Thai restaurants -- and then there's Cha Yen Thai Cookery, which honestly feels like Thailand's love letter to Earth. Every dish here is a full sensory experience: bold, balanced, and absolutely addictive. From the first bite, you know this place is different. The flavors are deep and vibrant -- perfectly spiced, not watered down, and clearly made with heart. Their pad thai is next level, the crispy basil chicken should be its own food group, and don't even get me started on the curries -- rich, comforting, and layered with flavor. And somehow, they also nail the little details. The rice is always perfect. The veggies stay crisp. The sauces? Drinkable. Cha Yen isn't just a Thai restaurant -- it's a blessing. If food is love, then this place is divine intervention. read more

We got two dishes, both recommended by our Yelp Elite friends! Salmon Mango Salad: Delicious! Not quite enough food for me, but it's nice, healthy dish. Khao Soi: The brisket is amazing. Really flavorful and tender. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! We got this for takeout, so I think eating this fresh would have been even better. The curry was great and had a nice kick to it. read more

they moved across the street apparently two months ago as of december 2024. . it's fancier. it has a bar. we got the corn appetizer, khao soi, and short ribs. i've had the khao soi many times. the khao soi was a bit different. the soup texture and flavor was different. the soupy curry was more gravy like. the meat was a bit drier. hopefully it's because they are transitioning into the new place and the recipes have not changed. read more

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This was one of the best Thai food I have had. The service and ambiance were good, but the food was definitely the highlight

Great Thai food - I had to exercise some serious restraint to not finish my green curry because I wanted a portion for leftovers for the next day. The inside is not very big so if you don't want to wait for a table, suggest coming during the early hours. We tried the corn cake as an appetizer. It was pretty good, though the individual corn nuggets got stuck in my back molars. Loved the spicy peanut dipping sauce that came with it. My green curry was seriously one of the best iterations of the dish I've had in a while. Good coconut flavor, packed with veggies (eggplant, string bean, carrot, zucchini), and the tofu I ordered as a protein soaked up so much of the flavor. They offer lunch/dinner portions for the curries. I picked mild for spiciness because I'm a total wimp and it was still pretty spicy for me (so just know their "regular" may actually be quite a kick). The pepper signs on the menu are pretty accurate. I also can't pass up homemade ice creams, especially with black sesame as an option. It nailed the black sesame flavor (i.e., not too sweet) but the texture was a bit too icy and hard to spoon. Next time, I may skip the ice creams and save the stomach room for more of the appetizers/entrees. Next time: the tom yum noodle soup, the crab fried rice. Parking: street options available. read more

Cha Yen Thai Cookery - Green curry with tofu - Thai Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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The food here was incredible. Great service, great food, and really nice ambience. I will definitely visit again. read more

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Returned after a few months. Arrived around 5:40 PM on a Tuesday, and so definitely less busy than my last visit. Was seated immediately with no reservation. Order curry puffs, roti, Massaman Curry with tofu, and eggplant and basil with chicken. This meal was much better than my last visit in terms of flavour, however the curry puffs were varying temperatures and pastry was very dry. The Massaman curry was delicious and so was the roti. This meal definitely redeemed itself and it seems my last visit was so bad because it was a peak dinner time rush. read more

short rib curry 5/5 - very tender beef and flavorful curry, could come with a little more rice black sesame ice cream 4/5 blueberry ice cream 4/5 ginger ice cream 5/5 Decent Thai place. They have really good ice cream! The best one I've had is their ginger ice cream. It doesn't have too strong of a ginger taste and the vanilla ice cream with it complements the subtle ginger taste well. I would recommend the short rib curry. It has such good flavor and the beef is cooked well so that it is very tender. No complaints about the service, very standard. The interior of the place is nice, not super spacious. There's also ample street parking around the restaurant. You shouldn't have an issues finding a space nearby given that it's in Watertown. read more

Cha Yen Thai Cookery - black sesame, ginger, and blueberry ice cream - Thai Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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I thought the food here was okay. Had high expectations going in and most of the dishes fell a bit flat to me. I thought the tom yum soup and khao soi were pretty tasty; khao soi tasted better the next day. Service was also decent. It was a busy weekend when we went but they were able to accommodate us as walk ins. Parking is mostly metered parking. read more

This place is so outrageously overachieving. Beautiful new space after years as a tiny take-out spot. All the dishes are delicious and many are unconventional/atypical at Thai restaurants I've been to. I can't recommend it enough. Grateful that they're doing such a good job. read more

I don't have enough words to describe how delicious the food here is. I love thai food with all my heart, and Cha Yen delivers on each and every flavor that you're looking for. Hats off to the chef here, as I am always floored by how good every dish is here. You can tell the chef knows exactly what they're doing! 5 stars on Consistency, quality, service, and ambiance! Highly recommend!! read more

We had reservations for dinner here. Street Parking was a little time consuming causing a 5 minute delay. We were seated right away. The noise levels were slightly high to hear our server clearly but he was patient and professional. We ordered galangal and daikon soup. Something warm to whet the appetite. For our mains we got papaya salad which had just the right amount of spice. It was delicious. The Pad Thai the noodles seemed a smidge overdone but it tasted heavenly. The massaman curry and red curry tasted excellent with brown rice. A ton of vegetables and less of curry in comparison to other Thai places we have been. Our meals were great. The place was buzzing with people and it felt warm and cozy on cold Saturday evening. It also seemed like there was one server minding quite a few tables so took a bit for the to-go boxes and our checks to arrive. Nonetheless, food, service abs ambiance were great! read more

Cha Yen Thai Cookery - Red curry - Thai Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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What a great find! Located in a quiet residential neighborhood, Cha Yen Thai Cookery was a nice surprise! Great Service and Hospitality; Great (authentic) Food! Highly recommended! Note that this is a rather small restaurant. We were shocked that my party got the last table for 3 on a late Tuesday evening! We didn't expect it to be so busy at 8pm. They also do a bustling takeout service! On this evening, the 3 of us each chose an entree each and dined family style: - Roti ($6.50): a large roti was cut into 8 pcs, and served with a chicken peanut sauce. This was a very good dish; just wish there were a tad bit more chicken peanut sauce though. - Larb Salad w.Pork ($9.75): the portion size was huge and the Larb was tasty! - Green Curry w.Chicken ($16): this dish came with a bowl of jasmine rice. This was a good dish but I wish the chicken wasn't all white meat. The chicken was a little overcooked and hard. I think dark meat would have been more tender and moist. However, the green curry was very good. - Short Ribs Curry ($19): this dish came with a bowl of jasmine rice. Hands down, this was the best dish of the night. GET THIS!!! It was so unusual to see Short Ribs in a Thai Restaurant. What a pleasant surprise! There were 4 large pcs of short ribs, which were very tender. Great flavor and just delicious. A Must Have Dish! If I'm ever back in the neighborhood, I look forward to a return visit! What a hidden gem! read more

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Sadly, this place contains to be hit or miss. It is very confusing to my house so I keep giving it a chance. Staff are friendly. Restaurant is clean and well designed. But the food is so inconsistent I can't say I will be back. The chicken in the curry is crazy dry and seemingly low quality. The spices are good. I don't like their white rice as they mix it all together on the lunch portion and it gets soggy. I wish you luck, but having 2 out of 6 trips for mediocre food makes it too expensive when I throw it out. read more

Gosh I'm back here two days in a roll! It's amazing to sit next to the window on a sunny day. Brisket noodles: very rich curry flavor! The briskets themselves are okay. Pineapple curry: sweet and sour curry. It's pretty unique. But I liked the Panang Curry more (more spicy and flavorful) read more

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Food was good. The kee mao wasn't that spicy even with 3 pepper signs so not a real need to go non-spicy. It's a small place so not a lot of tables. The papaya salad wasn't spicy and a little heavier on the sour side than what I've had at other places. The short rib curry was very good. read more

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NO!!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS PLACE? This place used to be FIRE and their food used to be top notch but this place changed so much! I moved to LA and when I finally got to visit Boston, I made it a priority to dine here. I ordered my usual go-tos and when I tasted their food, something just didn't hit right. This place used to taste so much more authentic and flavorful but all the dishes just tasted so dull and boring. It didn't have that kick and fire to it...to top it off, my wife and I both ended up getting sick from their food and we both threw up all night and we were bed ridden all day the next day......I'm not even mad, I'm just genuinely so sad because this place was like THE PLACE on my list for so long.......good bye Cha Yen....it was nice knowing you but I guess nothing lasts forever T_T read more

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