PROS: Authentic without industry hype. I happened to find this hidden gem without anyone's recommendation. Everything's explained when I saw native Thais having a good time dining here. Kid-friendly and cordial service are huge pluses for them. CONS: Not spacious. No chopsticks provided unless you ask for them(no all asians eat with them). Casual atmosphere is great, but may not be suitable for groups or formal get-togethers. read more

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This is the best Thai food I've ever had. I've lived in both the bay area and NYC, and travel quite a bit, and nothing has stood up to Chao Thai. I regularly make the 45 minute journey out there for this food. Their Prik Khing with crispy pork is spectacular, Ped Ka Prow great, Massaman can be amazing or can be OK, depending on the night. Typically I like their stir fried dishes better than their curries. They'll make it as hot as you ask (I pop habenero's like they're candy and Chao can get me sweating). Their best dish, IMO, is the duck salad appetizer - it can be very spicy, and has a great citric sour/spicy combination. Despite being called an appetizer, this is enough food for a persons meal. The duck is crisped to perfection. The serving sizes are amazing, 2 dishes+appetizer = 2 meals for 2 people. If you're in the area - go there. read more

I don't understand why they charge $35 for two tom yum soups but yet on their menu it's like 7 bucks?

My family was a fan of the other location Broadway before it closed. The original location is not as spacious and well decorated as the other. This location also doesn't have a lunch special so there isn't as much value eating here. We ordered the Thai fried rice with pork and it was good. Definitely different since it has onions in it. I have no complaints. The Pad Thai was ehh. It's pretty difficult to mess up a pad thai and is a standard dish for any Thai restaurant. There was too much sauce so the dish overall was too salty. Sighhhh Each dish was around 8.50 and yes it's a good amount of food but I've had better Thai food else where. Considering this location there are lots of other places that's a great bang for your buck. The service is also okay. The waitresses can be somewhat slow. When I asked them to box the dishes up she placed the dishes on top of one another... I don't think the bottom of the dish is that clean... The germaphobe in me had an internal panic. read more

Chao Thai - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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This is what every foodie loves: 1) Modest decor 2) Fantastic authentic food 3) Great portion 4) Wallet friendly price 5) Friendly yet not intrusive service We had the drunken noodles, pork belly, mango salad, and catfish mango salad. All were great. 3 of us couldn't finish and had to pack 1/3 to go. Total was only $65 tips included. OH, yeah, I live in Brooklyn! I had to clime the mountain for this! read more

Probably the spiciest Thai restaurant in all of Queens, Chao Thai is a place I take a journey to every time I crave especially life-shorteningly hot food. But the spice is something truly special, because it's not just spice spice spice -- it's FLAVORFUL spice. It must be a special type of chili pepper that they use. Favorite things on the menu (after maybe a few dozen visits): 1. Tom yum (white) with fish head or fish fillets. White tom yum is almost impossible to find outside of Thailand, and it's a shame because it's so damn tasty. I always get this because it reminds me of Bangkok. Tom yum elsewhere in New York is a disgusting red-oil-tinged mess that reminds me vaguely of dishwater. But Chao Thai's tom yum is super flavorful, complex and deep, and soul-warming. Don't let the fish head freak you out, it's worth it. 2. Moo yang (grilled pork) with spicy sauce. This is an excellent appetizer. Who could deny loving grilled meat on a stick? Their sauce elevates it to a new level. 3. Crispy morning glory salad with seafood. Their seafood is barely cooked, allowing the eater to truly taste all the glorious seafood flavor of each component. Also, fried vegetables? My new diet. 4. Prik khing (dry sauteed curry with ginger and green beans). This is a fairly good yardstick for the strength of any Thai place, as it's one of the most difficult to execute well. 5. Any of the curries, but my favorite is their Panang curry. Perfectly dense (not too watery nor too thick), and an ample portion at that. In general, be prepared to breathe fire when you eat these. I always order my food here "Thai spicy" level which is the truly authentic way to go. But I've brought many a friend here who's puffed up their chest and claimed they could handle any level of spice, only to succumb to this place's level of spice. But it's definitely worth it! read more

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I've been on a hunt these past couple of years to find the best Thai restaurant in NYC. I'm pretty sure I found THE one. Chao Thai is an unpretentious tiny restaurant in Elmhurst. They offer page after page of authentic Thai cuisine; some that you've never heard of. I'm still in the process of trying half (even a quarter) of their menu. During my two visits, I ordered the following: Shrimp Massaman Curry - Huge bowl of sweet, fragrant, and saucey curry with shrimp, potatoes, onions, and peanuts. You'll need more than one bowl of rice to finish the curry. Shrimp Drunken Noodles (kee mao)- Thick flat tasty noodles with lots of basil leaves and chilli. Supposed to be a good hangover cure ("kee" - "sh*t & "mao - "drunk). Hence, the name " drunken" noodles haha Pla Chu Chee - Deep fried fish filet slices topped with chu chee curry tasting somewhere between massaman, red, and yellow curry. The fish slices were barely in existence. I would get it only as a whole fish next time. Basil Fried Chicken - Don't be alarmed. The chicken is not deep fried, only sautéed. Recognizable Asian flavors with lots of basil leaves. Crispy Duck Salad - Thai flavors - sweet, sour, spicy combined into a refreshing salad. Not much of a typical salad with lettuce but substituted with duck, onions, pineapples, scallions, ginger, and mint. The duck meat was too dry. Chicken Satay -perfectly marinated chicken skewers. The cucumber/red onion pieces were slightly seasoned as well. Not to forget the amazing peanut sauce. Thai iced tea - SLAMMNING! Pros: Option to choose spiciness, Thai Iced tea, excellent value, they don't cheap out on the meat Cons: No alcohol, cash only, no lunch specials but the price is right regardless Now debating if I should go today for lunch... :) [UPDATE] Don't get anything medium hot. It was so spicy our meal was basically destroyed. I don't know if our waitress made a mistake but medium spicy for Thai people = atomic bomb at both ends if you know what I mean. read more

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First off, do your homework, for the menu can be overwhelming. I wasn't there when the mean guy in one review was there. I had a pleasant lispy guy (which also contradicts one review that implied they were anti-gay--I know lisp doesn't mean gay, too, but my gaydar said he was). We picked which brand of animal flesh, then rice or noodles, and trusted the recommendation. Duck for me, pork for my friend. He asked me if I wanted it spicy. I said yes. I chose ginger ale with pomegranate and hibiscus, where it comes out when you pour it in a glass. Matter. Don't bottoms up. The setting is 5 four person tables and 2 two person tables. Thai pop on the flatscreen. The videos seemed curiously American except the pop stars expressed less emotion on their faces. Saw an old photo that included pictures on the wall, but there were none when I was there. I added some funny signs. No "Alcohol" allowed. You can't say it or what? No this isn't "alcohol" it's just alcohol. And they sell coffee that doesn't have cholesterol. What coffee has cholesterol? Maybe that yummy sugary creamy Thai iced tea has some but....??? Yes basil duck was hot, but not overly, and I can't say how spicy they made it. I like hot food, and it wasn't too hot for me. Mine was hotter than my friend's. She said, "someone who knows what they're doing could only make the string beans this green." She liked her pork dish and I liked it too. Use the rice to dilute if it's too hot, but it wasn't for me. Fabulous. So good I think they could carry tofu dishes. Now the scuttlebutt on Thai food is that they use fish oil in the sauces so it wouldn't be a strict vegetarian if you got tofu, but it probably would involve less death than the pork and duck meals. I'm going to go here and try vegetarian and update it. I didn't like how much duck skin was in my dish and I made quite a pile of duck skin to not eat. Nevertheless it was all I'd hoped for when I read most of the excellent reviews. read more

Chao Thai - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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The gold standard. They set the bar extremely high. This is the best Thai food in New York. My family and I love trying various Thai restaurants and we always come back to say "it was ok but Chao Thai is better". read more

Chao Thai - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Aroi as always :)) My fav is Rad Nah Moo (Crispy Egg noodle with Chinese broccoli in thick gravy) read more

Chao Thai - Rad Naa Moo ^^ - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Great local thai spot. I've ordered on few occasions and the best dishes are pad kee mao and num tok beef. The pad kee mao is standard flavor but noodles are fresh and bouncy, very addicting. The num tok beef salad was delicious, although bit too many fatty parts that I had to keep spitting out. Otherwise the flavor is spicy and sour, great combination. The seafood morning glory salad was also great, plentiful variety of seafood mixed with the crunchy fried morning glory (watercress?), papaya and mango. Unfortunately the pad thai was a fail, would not recommend. It tastes like something I could make at home with supermarket pad thai sauce :( read more

Chao Thai - Morning glory seafood salad, pad kee mao and panang curry (comes with rice) - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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I ordered marinated raw crab salad... seasoning was good but the crab was so hard to eat, kind of regretted ordering that And this appetizer was more expensive than my main entree.. wasn't worthy The table looked very cute and it's a cozy nice place. In general, it's a cheap good venue. read more

Chao Thai - Marinated Raw crab salad - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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Best Thai soups in the Elmhurst Thai Corridor! I have to say of all the nearby Thai places, this one really produces good consistent soup. Two of the best are the Tom Yum with Seafood and the Spicy Beef Noodle. The Tom Yum is the original version - not the red pre-flavored stuff from jars. The Spicy Beef is other worldly. It has a nice balance of flavors and can compete with a bowl of Pho on flavor. It comes with meat that nearly melts in your mouth and a 1/4 clove of garlic boiled still in the husk. I typically have it with the flat rice noodle (sen yai) but you can choose to have it with any other mainline Asian noodle. It's so good, I've even posted a picture. :-) The other entrees are above average and the portions are a little larger than normal. I only ever go for lunch - the place can get busy from locals but you'll never wait long. read more

Chao Thai - Spicy Beef Noodle Soup with Flat Rice Noodle. (Medium Spicy is VERY Spicy!) - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

It's a small restaurant with 24 seats. There are many different varieties on the menu and price is not expensive. We ordered the steam whole fish with herb, soy sauce, and mixed vegetables and it was delicious. Service is good. read more

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The lengthy menu has a ton of spicy salads. I got a mango catfish salad with a "medium" spice level that had plenty of heat in its citrus-based liquid, reaching sweat-inducing levels by the end. On the fried chicken appetizer, the first bite of the drumstick didn't necessarily hook me but the other pieces had better preparation, and the accompanying sweet chili sauce was excellent. Be aware that Chao Thai is very small so you may want to try off-peak hours. read more

Never knew this place existed. I rarely walk down Whitney Ave, but this here is a real Thai owned spot. I only got take out from here but the pad see ew was just like how I had it in Thailand. The order was ready in 10 minutes and they offered me a seat to wait and a glass of ice cold water because it was well over 95 degrees that day. I will definitely be back and dine in. read more

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Came here with K. for lunch on a Sunday and there was a short wait (good sign). Sat down and started to read the menu, 2 min later the waitress came over to ask us what we wanted to order. The menu was lengthy so were were only halfway through looking at it. I asked for another 2 min, but the waitress didn't like that, she went on to tell us how there are a lot of people waiting and the food takes time to cook. With that being said I just ordered the few dishes that were on the top of my head, duck noodle soup, drunken noodle & soft shell crab with mango salad on top (medium heat). The waitress then told me that I would not be able to take the medium heat so I should order the mild/medium. It was my first time here so I just followed her direction, even if I didn't like her approach.... I didn't want her to ruin my eating experience so I brushed the issue off for the moment. The soft shell crab with mango salad on top arrived and IT WAS AWESOME! I love soft shell crab and they cooked it well. Lighty fried not oily and a tangy refreshing,sour sweet spicy mango salad on top. What a great pairing! The only thing is that I wish it were more spicy.... Duck noodle - was light in flavor but was very fragrant, K and I enjoyed it. ( I enjoy almost all fatty duck deboned....) Drunken noodle was slightly spicy and filling, but I wish I hadn't ordered this, I've had it so many times, Cantonese style,malaysian style, Thai style.. I really wish the waitress didn't rush me to order in the beginning..... All in all I really enjoyed the food here, but I could have done without the waitress. :) So if you come here, I suggest knowing what you want to order before you sit down because they won't give you much time to read the menu. If you want spicy order spicy don't listen to the waitress like I did. If you think you can handle it just do it! If the dish arrives and it IS indeed too spicy for you, then keep your mouth zipped . In the end you did do it to yourself. IMO this place is better than Sripraphai. Enjoy! read more

Tiny Thai eatery that seats 6 tables of 4 and one table for 2. While waiting for 2 others to join us someone came in needing a space for 6. Since we were at one of the only two tables that can be pushed together, we were asked to switch tables. No biggie. But when I ordered an appetizer as we were switching to tide over my grumbling tummy, the waiter said oh no rush, take your time. I had to repeat myself- I am hungry. That is why I am preordering an appetizer. Please bring it out first. Didn't happen. The rest of our party arrived then. Slow service. They carry an awesome Ginger Soda on the menu! Unique label in a glass bottle. The name escapes me (I was probably distracted by my hunger) but it's one of the best ginger drinks I've ever had. Ordering a veggie noodle soup was a chore. The waiter kept saying no until finally offering a suggestion. They're known more for the meat/frog/pig legs/squid dishes so I guess he doesn't get many animal-less requests. There are other veggie friendly options on the menu though. I'm not blown away by the veggie offerings but I've never not liked the food. read more

Nom. Nom. Red thai curry. For some reason I want to say heavy with chicken and coconut milk and impregnated with spices, but that's probably too over the top. Pretty amaze tho. I could get fat eating here. I also got the coconut icecream and was delightfully surprised by the coconut shell it arrived in. This place is awesome. read more

I love thai food and this is one of the best authentic thai resturant I've ever had! This place is fairly small and not good for large groups. But I love that cozy feel to it. Crispy pork and Red Curry! Both were delicious. read more

I have passed by this restaurant a lot of times but never gone in. It is a no-frills eatery and always with a lot of customers. I am so happy I tried this place. The older woman, who was eating herself when I came in, helped me decide on a dish. She was gentle and patient and knowledgeable about the menu. I loved her hospitality. I ordered the Jungle Curry with shrimp and it was phenomenal! It is not for the faint of heart, as it is mega-spicy. Also, it doesn't come with rice, which I found a bit odd, so I had to place a side order of Jasmine rice. read more

Chao Thai - Jungle Curry with shrimp. Phenomenal. Mega-spicy. - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

I have tried Thai restaurants all over queens and Manhattan and this is by far my favorite. It is the most authentic Thai food you can get in the area but beware of the spice level. If you are not well adjusted to spicy food opt for mild because medium is high on the spice chart compared to most restaurants I've frequented. I love the soft shell mango salad, papaya salad, tom yum soup, pad se ew or even the chicken skewers. Honorable mention is the red curry. There's honestly so many that I don't think it's it can go wrong with whatever you order. Thai tea is second to none!! read more

Great food, very authentic, my favorite Thai eatery small place ... go off hours BYOB you can take your time & enjoy The good food ... cheers read more

Ok wow, this place blew my mind away. Simply the best Northern style thai food I've ever had. (Haven't been to thailand yet) The Beef Larb, I gotta give them a standing ovation here, because THE BEEF LARB was SOOO GOOOOOOOD. Don't be intimidated by the blood,liver,and stomach they put in there, since the dish blends them in perfectly and everything is in harmony. Ugh. I'm wiping drool off my face just thinking about it. Make sure you get it mild though, unless you can handle thai spicy. (Pro-tip: You probably can't handle thai spicy) The Yum Woon Sen was pretty good too, refreshing lime flavor, really cleanses the palette. The stir-fried morning glory is not bad, but I've had better at Larb Ubol. (and at home, in all honesty. My version is better than all y'alls.) In short, get the Beef Larb with the works and have your mind BLOWN APART BY IT'S SHEER DELICIOUSNESS. read more

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Best Thai food in the city. Almost don't want to review it because I love it so much... best panang curry, the soft shell crab mango salad is amazing, and best larb salad as well. This place is not about aesthetics it's all about authentic Thai for. As for the less authentic dishes like pad Thai- it's still amazingly good. go here... but also don't read more

Came here for dinner tonight with a group of 4. In our group, a Thai ordered the appetizers for the group and we were left to order our dishes. I ordered a mild Red Curry with Beef, which is what I typically use to gauge Thai restaurants. It was a large bowl of spicy. I don't say that in a bad way, I'm usually a big fan of spicy food but this was different. With every bite, the curry built up its power and stayed there, leaving an after note of heat. I needed a rice to calm down the fire emanating from the bowl of curry. The Thai Iced Tea definitely helped. Appetizers included Pork on a stick, Chicken Satay, and a Seafood Mango Salad, all which I have to say was delicious. The decor was simple and inviting. The service was great, since we ordered so much, the staff allowed us to move from 2 small tables to 3 adjoining tables to fit us all in. If you want authentic Thai, come here. If you can't eat spicy foods, there's always other options like Pad Thai. Tip: Cash only, BYOB. read more

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Extensive menu with a lot of dish options! So many dishes that I'm not sure what to try each time. While the Thai food is delicious here, there's just something about it that makes me tired, sleepy, & really thirsty every time! Maybe MSG?! Not sure read more

I've heard great things about Chao Thai. Specifically, that it is the best Thai food in NY.. But when I tried it this Saturday for lunch, it didn't live up to the bill. Maybe they have a different chef each time, maybe it was what we ordered (the basil fried chicken and the the pork skewers), but it definitely didn't live up to the hype. The Thai iced tea was good! :D I'll definitely be back to try it again and order something else, to see if this was just a fluke. But right now, I'll give it a 3 (and that is being generous - maybe it deserves a 2). Oh yeah, and the waiter service was good. pork skewers: http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=ZMoKNcK_Vjnz2k_X3eIaLQ&userid=3na1OAZAe44z06SVPY_gPA ok; not great basil fried chicken: http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=pPpNw455MpA7AQqRCigXAg&userid=3na1OAZAe44z06SVPY_gPA spicy! wasn't my thing. wouldn't order again. Not my thing trying to find chicken on a bone, and pulling small bone pieces from my mouth. read more

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Tom yum soup is yum yum yum. Hail and glory to the salad of morning glory. With crispy pork and pad kee mao, all making of good chow! read more

Chao Thai - Morning glory, tom yom, pad ke mao. - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

No matter what, They got 5 stars for byob. Tiny cozy restaurant with not easy to get beer licence in nyc . So they just simply let the customers bring their own beers. I will not write review unless I have solid more than 10 times visit. Tiny cozy restaurant with lots of dishes to explorer. My favourite r 1. Steam whole fish with spicy lime sauce 2. Deep fried whole fish with ginger sauce 3. Hoy jor 4. Crispy prawn 5. Chinese broccoli with crispy pork. 6. Green curry with shrimp . 7. Pork leg stew 8. Papaya salad spicy high. 9. Thai bbq beef or pork. 10. Thai fried rice with shrimp. Service is also outstanding. Only one thing for me is kitchen look some fishy. Nyc have always have insects problem. Just wish they do good job in kitchen. Food is great and so far I like it all. Just byob . Not hard liqour. Queens have lots of good thai places. This is one of them. read more

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Came back after many years and had a northern Thai sausage. The appetizer portion was huge and the sausage had a spicy-savory herbal flavor that lingered on the tongue. For the main course I enjoyed the pad kee mow with beef. The meat serving was very generous and when I asked for very spicy they did it and did it well! The place is full of Thai people, but I really wish the white folks would just stay away -- you're ruining my authentic experience!!! read more

Chao Thai - Thai northern sausage - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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One of the best thai restaurant in nyc. My favorite food is the whole fish with the 2 different sauce. Tom yum soup is also very delicious. Is a place to go if we craving for thai food and spicy food! read more

I see they got an A and posting it proudly now. I'm gonna order again to see how the food is doing now. I won't give up on what used to be the best Thai spot in town! read more

Chao Thai - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

This is my FAVORITE place to get Thai food. I cannot tell you specifically what it is about their food but it tastes authentic compared to other restaurants. You can really taste the different spices and flavors in their dish and they have an extensive menu of dishes that you cannot find at your average Thai place. Also not to mention, their spicy is SPICY. They have different levels but you know they're using the real ingredients to get the spiciness. My favorite dishes are the papaya salad, catfish salad, pad kee mao (drunken noodles), homestyle Thai fried rice, crispy pork in basil sauce, and their red and green curry. I cannot get enough of these dishes. DON'T FORGET: It's CASH ONLY so be sure to bring enough for the food and gratuity. read more

i loved their pad kee mao! they delivered it super fast!!!! i was kind of surprise and verry happy! definitely never disappoint! read more

Chao Thai - N17. Pad Kee Mao - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Went to this spot because I was craving papaya salad. I ended up also ordering the crispy duck salad. The crispy duck salad was delicious and nice spicy with lemon grass and cilantro that elevated the flavor. The papaya salad, on the other hand, was drowning in fluid and I felt like I was drinking soup instead of eating a salad. I didn't finish it. I've had papaya salad before and forgot the name of the restaurant, now that was worth the trip. I don't believe I'll take a trip to this restaurant since I live and Long Island. The 3 stars was the best I can do since the duck was delicious and the papaya wasn't. read more

Chao Thai - Seafood Papaya salad - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Great place for Thai salads. The ground catfish salad is fantastic. The green papaya salad was delicious and beautiful on the plate. I can't recommend the catfish salad highly enough for its delicacy and somehow its inspirational flavors. Everything tastes reassuringly homemade. Will be back soon!! read more

Chao Thai - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

This is my favorite Thai resto in Queens NY. My favorite menu is Nam Tok Beef.. it's really delicious and spicy! But I once order via delivery and the taste is quite different because it's less spicy than usual and it's not a good thing for me because what I like from this Nam Tok Beef is the spiciness. So if you like spicy food, u must try this Nam Tok Beef! read more

Chao Thai - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Ate dinner here last night for my mom's birthday. This is a great authentic Thai restaurant to eat in. The location is quite small, with minimal tables, and the decor is nonexistent, but nonetheless it's delicious. We were a group of 4 and decided to order a bunch of different plates to share. The appetizers consisted of sliced beef, and green papaya salad. The sliced beef was perfectly marinated and delicious. The papaya salad would have been good, if it weren't so spicy! We literally had to chug down our thai iced tea's to help the spice. We asked for spicy level medium, never again! As entrees we shared the pineapple fried rice, pad see eu, and morning glory veggies. Everything was flavorful and yummy. Aside from almost killing my taste buds, i enjoyed my meal. The prices are great and customer service is great. I would definitely return. read more

Chao Thai - Papaya salad, don't order it too spicy! - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Highly recommended!!! It is a small place but the food is so good!!! Yesterday I've tried the Yen Ta Foe seafood noodles and I chose egg noodles! This one is sweet and sour which I like it! I will definitely go back again! read more

Chao Thai - Yen Ta Foe seafood noodles! With egg noodles. - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York