Never expected to love fried chicken at a Thai restaurant but wow. So crispy and flavorful, paired with the sticky rice was just outta this world! Loved every bite here (the khao soi is another must try!) definitely stop by if you're in the area.. The wait is worth it read more

I did not even get to eat, the waitlist for this restaurant was over an hour. When we were the next party they told us 15 minutes it's currently been 45 minutes with no end in sight for this waitlist so we're 2 hours in and im still starving sitting in my car. UPDATE: After checking in again they told us another 15 minutes we are about 3 hours into this endeavor and I've only smelled the food I haven't seen it or tasted it yet. They have tabled many seats before us. Final update: after putting our name down at 6 we were sat at 9:15. I wouldn't be so angry if they told us upfront about the long wait time. My issue was I was told an hour and 15 minutes and ended up waiting over double that time. Not to mention parties of a similar size were sat before us. Thankfully the food was decent however that does not make up for the extremely long wait time. read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Had a great experience here with some coworkers. The dishes were yummy and the perfect spice level. Service was on spot and the atmosphere was lively. Overall great experience and will be going back when in town. read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Yummy specialty drink, can't recall the name. - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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my, and many others', favorite thai food in oc everything was DELISHH and SO flavorful!!! everyone loved it and everyone i've recommended it to likes it my favs were the Khao Soi, Pad See Ew, and the Massaman, though you can't go wrong with any of them. i really liked everything FR!!!! the wait is usually always very long, between 1-3 hours on evenings and weekends. make sure to join the yelp waitlist or go early to put your name down. there's indoor and outdoor seating with heaters. either seating is good! inside is small but cozy. the service is great too everyone is so sweet i def def def recommend!!! a must try read more

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Everything!!! Great Ambience Great service Great Cocktail Great Food Easy Parking Was my first time I will be back for sure . read more

My favorite thai food spot in SoCAL. I'm typically a pad thai girl, but the Pad See Ew here was so flavorful and was the bestttt. SO DELICIOUS. THE DRINKS WERE SOOO GOOD TOOO! read more

The food here is delicious and the staff are great! Pro tip: the line and wait time is LONG. Get here early and be patient - it's worth the wait. I highly recommend the pad see ew, fried wings, the banana pudding, and the crème brûlée! You'll leave fully satisfied - I promise! read more

Probably the best thai food place that I've tried so far. Like I would try others and then think those places might be up there, but when I come back to Hanuman, I realize, no, Hanuman is still the best. Love their Khao soi. read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

This place needs a reservation system of some sort, or, at least a more accurate wait time. We arrived at 7:30 and got a table at 9:13 (Friday night). Full transparency though, I did say that we preferred an inside table; however, no one disclosed to us about how substantially faster we would have gotten seated outdoors. Had we known that the difference would be about 50 minutes, we would definitely have made a different choice. Staff and manager were all very sweet and apologetic and did try to make sure we didn't leave unhappy, and I do appreciate their effort a lot. They offered us complimentary desserts (which we did not take), and gave us a discount on our bill. Overall just super courteous. The presentation of the food was beautiful, and I wish I took pictures of it, but I was too sad, lost my appetite and didn't eat anything by the time we were finally seated. My friends did tell me that it was decent, but definitely was not worth this long of a wait. I really was looking forward to trying this place, and wish I would have be able to leave a more fair review. I would love to come back to try things out again if they took reservations, but unfortunately I don't think I have it in me to invest this much energy and time again like this. read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Three friends and I visited on a friday night and the wait was over 2 hours. The restaurant itself isn't that big but they are maximizing their space by having outdoor seating. I've never been the biggest fan of Thai food, but I loved this place. I've been hyperfixated on Thai tea recently, and theirs did not disappoint. I also got some type of guava cocktail, which I thought was just alright, the coco mango one was better, especially when you mix in the cream. We ordered the Hanuman ceviche as a starter, and it ended up being my favorite dish. For entrees, we got the pad see ew, khao soi, and the massam curry. The portions were really big, so it was a bit too much food for three people. The pad see ew was my favorite out of the entrees. I did like both the khao soi and the massam, but I wouldn't recommend getting them together since they're kind of similar. For dessert, we initially wanted the mango sticky rice, but it's out of season, so we got the Thai tea crème brûlée instead,and it was so yummy. I would love to come back and try more items from their menu. read more

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A pretty solid modern Thai restaurant. We were seated outside, but the inside looked cute and cozy with their decor. We would have liked to sit inside, but they were preparing for a big party. The service was good and we were checked in on frequently. What we ordered: Hanuman's ceviche - good flavor, though I think it was a little too sweet for my liking. I did enjoy the shrimp chips that came with it. Pad Thai - not bad, but I didn't realize that there was no protein to go along with it if you didn't add the shrimp Massaman curry with steak - it was good and I really enjoyed having the roti alongside it to dip. I'm not sure if it was because we were sitting outside, but the food wasn't as hot as I would have expected. Coconut ice cream - it was good for the first few bites, but then got too sweet. Mango coconut drink - it was good and tasted like mango sticky rice Lychee mocktail - good, but again a bit too sweet. I had to wait for the ice to melt Overall, it was a good experience. I'd come back to try different dishes. read more

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We've heard GREAT things about Hanuman Thai from our friends, but my partner and I finally had the chance to go for an early dinner before the rush on a Thursday evening and it didn't disappoint. While I love the mom-and-pop Thai places around Orange County, it was also refreshing to see Thai food displayed in a more elevated way. Don't get me wrong - homecooked is plenty comforting, but I loved the presentation and creativity in some of the dishes. We ordered pad see ew, khao soi, chicken wings, and dessert. Everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - was delicious! The wings were juicy. The khao soi was savory, slightly spicy, and rich. The pad see ew had that infamous wok-fried taste to it. We enjoyed everything! It's not a very big restaurant, so we definitely understand why the wait times can be lengthy. One of the staff was telling us that on Friday nights, it gets crazy busy! It's definitely worth a try, especially if you find yourself in the area early on a weeknight. I would definitely come back in again! read more

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Hanuman satisfied my Thai food craving. It's a popular place so join the Yelp wait list or expect a wait. After a 50 minute wait my friends and I were seated outside. We had a lovely server and were attended to just the right amount of times. The Crying Tiger was my favorite dish. The filet was so tender and the flavors were punchy. Their traditionally prepared Pad Thai hit all the marks although I suggest that you venture out and go with one of their more exciting dishes. I really enjoyed the Spicy Basil Pad Ga Pow Kai Do. The presentation was beautiful with the egg and rice on the side and the flavors all melded together so well when mixed. read more

3.5 stars in my honest opinion. The flavors were there and the line waiting outside gave me more anticipation for how good this place would be. We ended up ordering take out because the 45 min wait to sit outside was a bit long with the kids. The service was great and welcoming and again we ordered take out so I'm sure it would have tasted different if we sat down. I did enjoy the pad see ew and the Tom Kha soup was delicious on a cold day. Mushrooms in the soup were fresh and the sweet sour taste was good. However, the chicken skewers were dry and the khao soi needed more noodles. It was a bit $$ but I could see how if you ate there it would be worth it. read more

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Another Yelp search for good Asian food pointed me to Hanuman down the street from my hotel. This well-established, popular restaurant sits in a smallish strip mall right next to a dance studio. Indoor and outdoor seating with heated lamps. The line wasn't too long as I had no reservation, but I got a seat right away - outside. Almost everyone was electing to eat inside as it was kind of cold out. Prices are pretty steep here, not gonna lie. So I was surprised to see so many Gen Z patrons here. I guess their parents are well-off. This is Costa Mesa, after all. If you've eaten Thai, and I'm going to guess everyone has, some of the items here will sound familiar. Yelpers were raving about the street-style fried chicken, so that was an easy pick for me. Here's what I ordered: Hanuman's Ceviche - yellowtail - 7.5/10: Served with bits of pineapple and shrimp chips. Tasted as what it looked like: citrusy and fresh. Solid, but a bit uninteresting as it really didn't blow me away. It was advertised as "definitely a must try." Gai Todd Hat Yai - Fried chicken and sticky rice - 8/10: I wasn't really counting, but it's a heapful of chicken wings (easily shareable between 2), served with a sweet and sour sauce and a mound of sticky rice. Chicken is fried perfectly, not overcooked or undercooked. Crispy on the outside and very juicy on the inside. Not a fan of the sticky rice though. I just don't get it. It's hard to manage as a side dish for me. Just sticky and chewy and...eh. Too much work. Thai Lemon Tea - 7.5/10: more sweet than lemony, but refreshing nonetheless. This was a solid experience for me, but a little pricey. My only other complaint was that the appetizer came at the same time as the main course, which threw my dining experience off a little bit. A plus: the wait staff is superb. A couple of guys I noticed were being a bit rude and demanding, but they handled them well. Love seeing that. Anyway, try it! read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Ceviche - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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What a great Thai spot! The decor is a mix bw authentic Thai feel w some modern & industrial touches. The staff is super friendly. The food is incredible! We ate the Crying Tiger, Green Papaya Salad, Hanuman's Ceviche, and Massaman Curry w fried chicken thigh. The salad is quite spicier than expected so be warned if you have a low spice tolerance. I loved the ceviche and curry. Really recommend this place to anyone looking for a local restaurant w yummy food, great atmosphere, and good service. Prices are on the higher side read more

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My husband and I have been wanting to come here for the past couple years. We took wedding dance lessons at Bella Ballroom next door, and after every lesson we saw how crazy packed Hanuman would get. Finally, almost two years later, we got to try it! The space inside is limited, but they have some tables out on the sidewalk with heaters. We tried an assortment of food and drink: Our drinks - mango sticky rice beer and pandan cocktail (I forget the exact name of it but it was one of the featured cocktails). The cocktail was honestly the best drink I've had in awhile. It was sweet but not too sweet and had a lovely aftertaste that reminded me of a Filipino dessert. The mango sticky rice beer was great too!! Yellowtail ceviche - as a huge yellowtail fan I was pleasantly surprised by this appetizer. I love that this restaurant has such unique dishes beyond traditional Thai cuisine! Tom Kha Gai - perfect for the colder weather! Great coconutty creamy flavor! The mild was a bit too mild so next time we'll probably crank up the spice. Pad See Ew with tofu - I enjoyed this dish but I felt like the ratio of noodles to tofu was a bit off. I wish there were more noodles! The tofu was great though - it reminded me of a paneer consistency. Karee with chicken- yellow curry is usually one of my favorite dishes, but this one was slightly different. Again it was a ratio thing for me- there wasn't enough curry for the amount of meat and rice. The amount of curry was more like a Japanese curry dish, more conducive to "dipping" the meat and eating it with the rice, versus everything being drenched in curry like traditional Thai restaurants. Of course Hanuman is not your traditional Thai restaurant though, which is why we love it! Next time I'd like to try it with the hanger steak, which seems to be the more popular option! Sweet roti dessert - simple but delicious!! Just roti (an Indian flatbread) topped with condensed milk and cocoa powder. Can't go wrong with this!! Overall I enjoyed Hanuman and would definitely come back as long as the wait is short! The yellowtail ceviche and pandan cocktail are a must. :) read more

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Mid. Not worth the 2 hr wait. Everything tasted a little too sweet for our liking. Plating was on point though and service was good. Got full on 3 entree; here's what we got: Gai Todd Hat Yai, Khao Soi, Pad see ew with shrimp, Panaang with steak, and hunaman ceviche. Pork jowl from next door, let's say is an acquired taste...has a too fermented fishy after taste. read more

Food was hit or miss, but the real issue was the service. We arrived at 5:55 PM, spent over $220 (plus a $40 tip), and by 7:15 PM were being rushed out, even while still finishing our drinks. Staff pressured us to take drinks to-go and insisted we leave because they needed the table. Feeling rushed and unwelcome after such a large bill is completely unacceptable. Even Michelin, quality food can't make up for service that makes guests feel unwelcome. Treating customers like an inconvenience ensures they won't return, myself included. read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Hanuman has been and continues to be my absolute #1 Thai spot in all of Orange County. I've tried other places in the area but none of them beats Hanuman!!! I have a few menu items that I have on rotation for each time I visit, and each dish is always so consistent. Also, the service is always great! What we ordered- Drunken noodles: Honestly any of the noodle dishes are great but I really love the spiciness and how it's slightly less sweet than pad thai or pad see ew. The other things we ordered are on the sweeter side so it's a good balance. The noodles are always soft and chewy and I love the cooked tomato in there. Sweet and sour salmon: This salmon is always cooked perfectly and tastes amazing but I feel like I might even like the veggies in this even more. They're so delicious and flavorful and the sweet and sour sauce is seriously a 10/10. Yellow curry: My favorite curry here!!! Sometimes I'll order the massaman or panang instead to switch it up and those are so yummy as well. The sauce is sweet and coconut-y but also spicy and savory. All of the curries go SO well with the hanger steak. Definitely a must try! read more

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Arrived with a party of 3 at 8pm on a Friday, and the wait was 1 hour. Luckily there's an izakaya next door owned by the same restaurant owners, so we got drinks there while waiting! If you do the same, you're able to bring your drinks from there to the restaurant after closing your tab! Anyway, we came to this restaurant for the Khao soi, and stayed for the coco mango drink!! Don't get me wrong, the Khao soi and all other dishes were insanely delicious and are definitely worth waiting for, but that drink was something else. The coco mango drink is essentially a mango sticky rice dish turned into a cocktail. Cannot recommend enough! Staff was also super super friendly, and the interior is cozy and inviting. Will be back! read more

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This place is really good compared to a lot of Thai restaurants I've tried in Orange County! We got the pad see ew with chicken( no beef unfortunately). But the noodles were fire! Not too sweet and the portion was good. I also got the tiger beef which was a little small of a portion but the flavor was good! Overall the look of the restaurant was nice, they have a nice patio section outside and the servers were super nice. Check this spot out if you're in the area read more

The food here is phenomenal and amazing... I definitely enjoyed the khao soi with steak and the coconut sticky rice. However, I do not like the fact that you have to wait till you are within 5 miles from the place to even place your name on the waitlist. This really aggrevates me as if you live a little bit further away, you have to either ask one of your friends or someone to join for you and track if you are within 5 mile radius... which means that there is a high possibility that you have to wait for 30+minutes plus as this place is VERY popular at night. The shop itself is very tiny so there are barely seating. read more

The wait is worth it! I've been here a few times now, and every time the service is good, food comes out relatively fast, and overall the portion sizes are good and easy to share. The food is flavorful and authentic, though on the pricy side. A good treat for a nice night out. read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - drunken noodles and kao soi - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

This is a popular Thai food place that I've been meaning to check out. They're really busy on the weekends. We came at 5pm on a Saturday and was quoted a 45 minute wait. Luckily, things moved fast, so we only had to wait for 30 minutes. * Massaman Curry with Fried Chicken Leg 5/5 - My first time trying Massaman Curry, and it was really good. It was medium spicy, but not too bad. The roti bread on the side was really crispy. The fried chicken was flavorful and added texture to the curry. * Pad See Ew with pork 5/5 - I always get pad see ew with beef, but they didn't offer it as an addon here. I was hesitant, but the pork was actually really good. It kinda had a beef texture which was interesting. The noodles were satisfyingly tender, sweet, and savory. * Khao Soi 3.5/5 - It was a decent dish, though my least favorite of the night. It was flavorful, but got really heavy after a while. The noodles got soggy and all the flavors just blended in together, and nothing stood out. * Coconut Ice Cream with Butterfly Pea Leaf Sticky Rice 5/5 - Forgot to take a picture of this because we totally devoured it. The sticky rice was soft and warm with a pretty purple color from the butterfly pea leaves. The coconut ice cream had a nice, unique sweetness. I'd recommend it. I also wanted mango sticky rice, but unfortunately they only have it in the summer. read more

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Fusion Thai Food. Long waiting to get your seat. Whenever I visit Costa Mesa I alway go there

Very disappointing experience. After we paid our bill and were leaving, the waiter stopped my son and pointed at the receipt because we didn't leave a tip. It was embarrassing and made us feel singled out in front of other customers. Tipping is supposed to be optional, not something customers are pressured into. Servers are there to provide service, and whether a customer chooses to leave a tip should remain their decision. No one should be made to feel guilty or embarrassed after paying their bill. This completely ruined what had been an enjoyable meal. I hope management reminds their staff that pressuring customers for tips is unacceptable. read more

Super cute Thai restaurant with modern vibes! Would be great for a casual date night, celebration, or dinner with friends! Came with a group of 4 on a Monday night, and still had to wait about 20mins for a table so plan accordingly! The massaman curry was YUM! Super rich curry with a great spice blend that had deep, warm flavors. Really creamy and luscious, and paired super well with the fluffy white rice and pratha. If you're looking for something indulgent, get this one! Servings were quite generous; we ordered individually, but you could definitely get away with ordering family style to try a bit of everything. The cocktails/mocktails were super refreshing too! Overall, great vibes and delicious food! read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Masaman curry w/ chicken thigh - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Hanuman stands at a perfect 10 out of 10. After visiting this Thai spot for over 10 years, we can attest that it remains outstanding. Every single dish is prepared to perfection and is delicious. The wait is long, but definitely take advantage of the Yelp waitlist feature. read more

Came here on a whim with my brothers and father - place was packed but were seated quickly. Ordered papaya salad, chicken satay, pad Thai , salmon , curry w shrimp INCREDIBLE!! Coming back 100%! read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I've been trying to come to Hanuman for so long but was always discouraged by the wait times. Finally had the chance today, and it was well worth the wait!!! I didn't take a picture of it, but the pad see ew was my favorite read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Fancy Thai restaurant with amazing Thai Food. Dishes are flavorful and have great presentation. The Gai Todd Hat Yai was amazing! Chicken was fried perfectly and crispy with good spices. Khao soi creamy and crispy noodles went well with it. Pad see ew came out very hot and has great flavor. Service was awesome here. Introduced us to the restaurant and always checked in with us throughout the meal. Small restaurant with limited seatings. Place does get busy at night. read more

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Wow, this Thai place is hopping! While it has most Thai dishes that you're accustomed to, they have some northern Thai dishes too. And it's kind of happening and has a buzz. I got the Pananh with grilled chicken and it shows up with a sliced whole grilled chicken breast on top! It was delish. We also got pad Thai which had more of a grilled flavor and a dish that was like larva with an egg. It was excellent read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Panang - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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WOW I haven't had thai food this good in a while. We were visiting Newport and decided to give Hanuman Thai a try since the reviews and pics looks so good. Definitely made the right choice because everything on the menu sounded good and tasted even better. I was so impressed with everything we ordered. For cocktails we ordered the coco mango and it legitly taste like mango sticky rice. Papaya salad was nice and refreshing. Chicken satay was sooo tender and soft. Omg the lamb chops the zesty sauce was the perfect complement to the lamb, also very tender and because of the sauce you can't really tasty the lambiness of it. Pad see ew had great flavor. Pad thai is always a hit, I find it has a slight smokey taste which is nice and different than the overly sweet other restaurants do. Khoi soi was chef kiss flavor was amazing and the noodle texture was so nice and chewy. 10/10 would recommend and come back everytime read more

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An upscale Thai restaurant located in OC that's been trending everywhere on social media that I had to try. Customer service was amazing as the servers and staff were extremely friendly and checked up on my table very frequently to ask if we needed anything. Gai Todd Hat Yai (4.5/5): these chicken wings hit soooo good! The skin was super crispy and the flavor was unreal. They came out piping hot and definitely lived up to the hype! Pad See Ew (4/5): noodles were extremely good & soft and the veggies added a nice crunch texture to the meal. Amazing taste, super savory, and hits the spot. Panang Curry (3.5/5): the steak was cooked medium rare and the texture was great! Just wished the steak had a little bit more flavor and seasoning but the curry was good with a slight kick of spice. Edamame was a pleasant surprise & added an interesting twist to the dish. Overall a great experience & definitely worth trying if you're in the area. Cozy vibe, nice decor. Will come back again. read more

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Make sure to join the waitlist ahead of time! Even though it was 4:00 PM on a weekday, seating was pretty limited because this place is so popular. We were lucky enough to get seated immediately outdoors, but indoor seating was completely full. The waitress was very nice and gave us recommendations on what combinations of dishes to order and how to eat the dishes etc. I got the khao soi, which was so flavorful, creamy, and rich. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender. The Pad See Ew was also exceptional, especially paired with the vinegar, which balanced out the sweetness of the dish very nicely. The noodles were bouncy and soft. The Gai Todd Hat Yoi was also really good. The chicken wings were so juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, and the sticky rice was mildly sweet, pairing well with the savoriness of the onion crisps and the spicy kick of the sweet chili sauce. Overall, this is a wonderful spot and I can see why it is so popular. Definitely recommend! read more

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The food was absolutely delicious, I can see why Hanuman is very popular and busy! The Thai tea is out of this world and authentic, and I haven't had a better Thai tea elsewhere. The mocktails were wonderfully crafted. I was here on August 19th and although I didn't get the name, the evening waiter was so so kind to us and helped us parse through the menu and made sure we got the mango sticky rice at the end (around when they run out), so huge shoutout to him! read more

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It was our family's first time dining here and we will definitely be back. Not only was the food phenomenal but the service was amazing. Customer service is such a lost art these days but this place hit it out of the park!! I love when they pack up your leftovers for you!! It's really the little things that matter. And while we were waiting for our dessert, they cleaned the table so we can fully enjoy our dessert!! The friendly ambiance and warmth of their staff made the meal amazing. read more

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second time back at hanuman and everything was as delicious as the first time! we went on a friday night and wait was between 70-90 minutes and we were seated outside where they also had heat lamps for guests and music playing outside. after we got sat, i think the staff had forgotten about us since it took some time before we were actually greeted by a server and able to order. but it was a busy night, so we understood and staff were extremely friendly and nice so it was no big deal to us. we actually started with some drinks, of course a thai tea and their coco mango cocktail. both were creamy and sweet and the cocktail really did taste like mango sticky rice; it wasn't too strong either! then my boyfriend got to try their khao soi and i ordered the boat noodles since i tried their khao soi the first time and we shared the panang curry with hanger steak. the khao soi and panang have very similar tastes: notes of coconut and other spices but creamy all throughout. the hanger steak we ordered medium rare and it came out perfect and tender enough that we could cut the slices with a spoon. the boat noodles were good and piping hot, came with a decent amount of actual chicken pieces (most pieces were smaller than others) and plenty of the meatballs. if i could describe the boat noodles, i'd say it tasted very similar to a vietnamese dish called "bo kho" so it was a very rich meat broth. i also ordered it very spicy but it wasn't spicy at all haha. however, the proportions for the soups were definitely generous but i felt like the proportion for the panang curry was a bit small for the price since there wasn't thatt much meat and rice on the plate. the real star of the night for us was surprisingly the specialty banana pudding. the main component of the dessert had a texture similar to a panna cotta but much thicker/dense and there were definitely real pieces of bananas in it, no official taste. it came with a salted caramel, some kind of cookie crumble, cream, and plantain chips. all together it was so good! read more

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Came here around 3:30pm and there was no wait! Our table for the chicken wings to share and it was so yummy. I got the thai tea but I would skip it next time, nothing too special. The Khao Soi was super yummy tho! The broth was soooo rich and flavorful. The chicken leg was so juicy and meaty! read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Thai Tea - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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