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

The best Thai food & Panang Curry! Their dishes are FULL of flavor and I can't wait to keep coming back. Heads up - there will be a wait so plan accordingly! read more

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 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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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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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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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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The food here is amazing, worth the prices. Great spot for taking family and friends. Family style food (big portions to share). Noise level moderate. Wait time can be moderate, make sure to make a reservation! They are popular for a reason! You can also order food from the next door restaurant/kitchen if you're feeling you want sushi or other appetizers read more

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 honestly a 2/10 for me it tasted overwhelmingly too sweet, like everything was loaded with sugar. I'm not really sure what the hype is about, because it just didn't live up to any expectations. If you enjoy very sweet sugary food, you might like it, but it wasn't for me. I had to send back the pad see ew because it was drenched in a sugary sauce that almost tasted like an overload of sugary teriyaki sauce with sugar added on top of it, which was really disappointing (0/10). The chicken wings were the only item I enjoyed it had a perfect crisp and juiciness to it. My drink was decent and had a good amount of alcohol. Overall, this was probably the worst Thai food I've had. That said, the customer service was excellent (10/10), which I do appreciate but I came for the food. Unfortunately, I wouldn't return or 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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Super great ambiance with great service. Great selection of food! Really loved the khao soi but was definitely spicier than anticipated. read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Tofu pad thai and khao soi - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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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Easily one of my favorite thai restaraunts in OC, if not all time. I usually go for the Panang curry, but we got the Green curry on this particular day and it was just as good! The steak is cooked medium rare and goes perfectly with the curry. Beware of long waits though --if you time it just right, you might be lucky enough to beat the rush. Almost every time I've visited, it's been at least an hour wait. I would recommend joining the wait before you get hungry... don't overestimate your hanger control... *_* read more

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Food was delicious--we had it to go this time and avoided the long wait. You still need to wait in line to be served and get your food, but just don't come when it's too busy. Pad see ew could be a bit salty for some, but it was fine with us. The menu didn't say spicy but Massamam curry was spicy, just the right amount of heat. Fried chicken was juicy and surprisingly not overly greasy. The bread was probably better consumed as dining in, as the oil was dripping all over the rice. read more

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The wait was quite long (~70-90 mins) but the food was very good. We got the khao soi, tom yum soup, lamb, and panang curry. The khao soi was one of my favorites for taste and texture and something I don't see too often offered. The presentation and flavors were all decently nice. read more

Food: I ordered the Khao Soi and the Gai Todd Hat Yai. They were both delicious. After squeezing in the lime and crushing the fried noodles into the creamy soup, every bite of the Khao Soi had lots of flavor and texture. The chicken drumsticks easily fell off the bone with not much effort. The Gai Todd Hat Yai was also delicious. The meat was tender and moist while the skin was very crispy. Dipping the meat in their house recipe sauce made the chicken taste savory and sweet. The dish also came with sticky rice and fried shallots, however I didn't care much for that. Service: The waitresses were nice, approachable, welcoming and attentive. While I had one waitress serving my table, all the other waitresses also were also asking if I needed anything or had questions, mind you this was during dinner rush and the restaurant was filled. The service was superior. Side note: I like the entrance of their restroom. read more

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Went to the Hanuman Thai Eatery on a Tuesday at around 6pm. Seating/waiting (Table of 2) was not bad and service was pretty good, no complaints at all for that. The ambiance/decoration was nice, nothing crazy or mind blowing but to be honest I don't care what the place looks like I mainly care about the food and authenticity of food. Panang Curry: 1/10 The Panang Curry was way too sweet, did not taste authentic at all. The flavor of the meat and curry did not mix well at all and we found ourselves eating it in order to not waste food. Now, this is edible and might be good to people who haven't had authentic Thai food and have a sweeter pallet, but for people looking for authentic tasting food, this will not be it. By itself the steak was cooked well and the rice was good (well expectations for rice to be good is very low), but just the flavor combination just did not mesh well with such an overwhelmingly sweet curry. There was a little kick that felt so out of place with the sweetness. Pad See Ew: 4/10 Now this was even sweeter than the curry. I have a pretty sweet pallet but honestly this was so sweet I was confused with what I was eating. Again no complaints with the overall cooking (nothing was raw or overcooked), but just the recipe is too sweet for a Pad See Ew. I can distinguish all the main ingredients when eating but then I just get hit with this sweetness, due to the oil it coats the mouth and just stays there. This one was a lot better than the curry but still not authentic to Thai food. * Note: we got mocktails (not trynna drink on a Tuesday and i drove), I don't remember exactly which ones we got but they weren't bad, one was a Mint and the other was like a mango drink. Mango drink wasn't bad, had an ok mango taste but again they made it a bit sweet, the Mint was very strong on the mint but it honestly help cut through all the sweetness of the meal, maybe consider ordering a drink (5/10 for both)* Overall, I don't regret going to Hanuman Thai Eatery or feel like I got ripped off but I dont think I was really paying for authentic Thai food. Good service, cool aesthetics, mid at best food. Maybe we got a bad batch, maybe it was an off day, but overall below average, 3/10 overall I wouldnt go again. read more

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

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Easily one of my favorite Thai restaurants out there! Every dish I have is incredibly flavorful, with a unique depth of flavor. I always try to order something different since everyone on the menu is so good. We ordered khao soi, crying tiger, pad thai, papaya salad, and chicken curry. While all incredibly delicious, I would rank my favorite to least favorite: Crying tiger Khao soi Chicken curry Pad Thai Papaya salad (which is still really good) The service is great when you get seated, but since this is such a popular place it does take time to get seated, so try to use the yelp waitlist if you can as well! The restaurant also doesn't have a lot of seating which adds to the wait, but worth the wait for sure! read more

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WHAT I LOVED: thai tea, wa-non pudding overall this place is definitely worth recommending. the food was delicious and the service was great. i think it's a solid option in the costa mesa area, not my favorite thai food ever. the panang thai was a bit creamier than id go for which also made it have a stronger coconut flavor which isn't my preference. i also think it could've used way more spice. it wasn't spicy at all - so i guess if you don't like spicy food it's a good option! besides those critiques it was all fab! the thai tea was perfect and the thai sausages were yummy! i also think the wanon is worth the try. they were able to make it gluten free too which i loved! i didn't get to see the interior of the restaurant as we sat outside. in terms of outside seating, there's not much ambiance it really does feel like you're sitting outside eating in a strip mall but i didn't mind it. i wouldn't take someone here and sit outside if they were visiting but for a casual dinner spot it's okay! read more

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I've been to the original a few times and that place always hits. We tried to go there one night, but it was fully booked and they weren't taking any more parties so we tried their second location. You know the saying, second locations are usually not as good as the original, but we were surprised the food was so good. We ordered the massaman curry, chicken wings, larb, and Spicy basil. All fantastic choices. My favorite was the Massaman curry then the spicy basil followed by the chicken wings and larb last. Staff here is very nice and service is quick. Highly recommend if you're in the area to give this Thai eatery a try! read more

I'm so conflicted on my review here and you will shortly see why. I really wanted to give this spot a 3.5 if at all possible because the food tasted good enough to be a 4/5 but the limitations for said food....definitely lowered the rating for me. I will say that this spot is fairly straightforward about what they do and don't offer so just be informed before you head in -- AKA DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU ARE VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN. IF YOU DO NOT EAT FISH SAUCE, IT'S A NO FOR YOU DAWG. The menu and the signage are both super open about the fact that dishes cannot and may not be made vegetarian/vegan as a result of fish sauce or other added ingredients. I am vegetarian and try to avoid all non-veg things possible. Sadly, I ended up here with a group after we had failed to get a table at two separate places. I also knew that this was going to be my dinner no matter what and that I had likely inadvertently eaten fish sauce while traveling in SE Asia. I gave myself the leeway so as not to burden my group, but honestly it was a bit disappointing to know that I had no viable option on the menu unless I literally ate dessert/drinks. I had the drunken noodles with tofu -- medium spice level. The noodles had a good chew and the spice level was thai spicy for bewaaare if you cannot handle spice. It took us 35 min to be seated outside on a weekday at 8:30 pm and another 10-15 min until our server came by. Food did come out quickly thereafter. The service was friendly but definitely sparse given how busy they were. Overall solid spot if you eat meat or fish. read more

Hanuman is my favorite Thai restaurant ever! Seriously the most flavorful curry I've ever had and the khao soi is my top must order dish here it is just perfect. The ruam mit dessert was also something I've never had before and I'm so glad I did-- it's kind of like a Thai style shaved ice with fun toppings and not too sweet. Don't be scared by the line here it's so worth it! read more

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DELICIOUS!!!! Flavors are so vibrant and tasty. The Thai tea is good quality. We sat on the patio, very comfortable with the heat lamps Our server was so kind and sweet. They played a fun happy birthday song for my friend and gave a complimentary Thai Tea Creme Brûlée Pudding! read more

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

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Came here on an early dinner (5pm) as a group of 4 on a Thursday and we were seated with no wait! The staff were very friendly from the beginning, offering their recommendations and specials. ~The Food~ - Chicken Satay: A nice starter to share! The chicken was well cooked, very tender. The peanut sauce was a good balance of sweet and savory. - Khao Soi: I think this is one of their most popular dishes; Very good, but also pretty heavy! Their broth is quite thick (kind of like regular curry), so I personally like ordering a side of rice and pairing this dish with rice. The noodle are not quite enough to cut the richness of the curry broth imo. The chicken drumstick is very tender and falls of the bone. - Thai Iced Tea: Pretty refreshing! Very sweet, but somehow it tastes more refreshing and more tea-esque than your average boba shop thai tea. ~The Experience~ Very cozy, casual interior with very friendly staff! This restaurant tends to get quite busy; By the time we left around 6pm, there was a crowd of people waiting outside. Not sure if they do reservations, but if you don't want to wait, I highly recommend coming here a bit early! read more

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

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Insanely busy Thai restaurant? Let's get after it. First off the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming. Why is this my first highlight? Because they were PACKED. Kitchen was like a war zone. You got cooks gettin down and pumpin food orders out. Wait staff dialed in. But you had to really look for the controlled chaos. Coming in, you just felt welcomed. As far as the food, from appetizer to main mean, nothing was left on our plates. I got to spend a few months in Thailand when I was in the military. Coming total restaurants it's a tall order to say it beats what I ate over there.... But here, they made it happen. From great recommendations from the staff and them walking you through what you'd like vs might not enjoy, my co workers were easily able to navigate the menu and everyone ended up full and happy. It's a family owned restaurant so definitely stop by and show them some love. read more

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We had the ceviche, wings, massuman curry, khai soi and some special beers they had. It was amazing, everything was great, the staff was so fun. I can't wait to visit the OC again so we can come back. This food will give you the happy dance and leave you wanting more. Make sure to plan ahead and get on the wait-list. read more

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Okay so this place was delish! The service was very fast and friendly! We were surprised by how quick our food came out! We ordered the fried chicken and the green curry with steak: - fried chicken: SO crispy on the outside, perfectly juicy and flavorful on the inside. Perfectly balanced with the sticky rice and side sauce. I'd 100% get this again when I come back... it's finger licking good (no seriously, I did lick my fingers... but they also do give you towelettes so you can skip that part if you want ) - green curry with steak: this wasn't my favorite, hence the removal of a star. Our steak was cold and the green curry had too much of a kick to be considered mild. Overall, it didn't wow me like the chicken. There were definitely other menu items I would've liked to try in place of this. I had a friend recommend the pad see ew! I'd definitely come back, it's hard to find REALLY good Thai in a see of generic Thai restaurants, this place is a stand out! read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Fried chicken and green curry with steak - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

This original location will always be special to me (I've been many times!), because it's where I told my best friend I was pregnant, and the servers were so happy for me, and we ate like QUEENS. We ordered sooooo much food (yes to the special chicken wings, pad Thai, and mango sticky rice, depending on if it's in season). Sadly, the location is small and parking can be TOUGH. I heard their new location is easier?? But the ambiance in here is great: you can feel the kindness and good energy, even when it's crazy packed. read more

We came in on a weekday, before the dinner rush and were able to get a cozy seat right in front of the chefs. We ordered the curry noodles which was superb, shrimp pad thai which was smokey, and mango sticky rice that was so creamy and not overly sweet. You definitely need to come early because the wait was out the door when we left. read more

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Finally checked out Hanuman Thai Eatery after hearing so much buzz, and overall, it was a solid experience -- though not quite the mind-blowing meal we were expecting. The service was awesome though as they brought out tables and chairs outside to ensure we could seat our entire 15+ group. We tried a few of the more classic Thai dishes like Pad Thai and Pad See Ew, and while they were perfectly fine, they didn't really stand out. Pretty standard flavors, nothing that really set them apart from your average Thai place. But where Hanuman really shines is in the curries -- rich, bold, and super flavorful. If you're coming here, I'd highly recommend focusing on that part of the menu. That's where they bring the heat (literally and figuratively). The place was packed, and that could explain some of the inconsistency. They're clearly cranking out a ton of food in a short amount of time, which may impact some dishes more than others. Still, I'd definitely recommend it -- especially for the curries. It's a solid spot with a good vibe, and while our expectations may have been a little too high going in, it's easy to see why it's so popular. read more

I've been wanting to eat here for such a long time, and I finally had the chance to! Hanuman thai eatery did not disappoint -- the food here was delicious, and the prices were reasonable. The wait here was 30 minutes on a Tuesday at 6PM, so definitely plan ahead if you want to eat here. The drunken noodles and massaman curry here were both a solid 5/5! Probably the best massaman curry I have ever had at a thai restaurant. I will definitely be back! read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - massaman curry with steak - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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We checked in with the hostess to put our name down and waited for a text to be seated. The menu had a good variety of items. We ordered the Khao Soi, Massaman with steak, Tom Yum soup, chicken wings, and Pad See Ew. Our favorites were the Pad See Ew and chicken wings. The Pad See Ew had a nice smoky flavor and was made very well. The chicken wings were fried nicely and paired with a delicious sauce. The steak on the Massaman fell short to me as I believe it could've used more seasoning. Seating is available indoor and outdoor with heat lamps during winter. Parking was easy to find. read more

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This place is fantastic, from the decor, to the services, and to the foods. The not so great is the parking and the long waiting. It's located in small corner strip mall so parking is not fun. Then you have to put on a waitlist and it can be ranging from 30-1.30mins, depending on the day and time of the week. BUT once you got seated, things just go smoothly and all the troubles just melted away. Service is friendly and helpful plus mindful and attentive. Alright, the foods, just simply yummy and well balanced. The portion is in the middle, not big, not small but it's good size enough that you just want to order or more... cause it just simply delish. Once you leave, you just start arranging when would be a great time to come back solo cause you just don't want to share the foods. read more

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So so good. Really good service. Great food and drinks. Definitely will be returning. read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Curry, tom yum, etc - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

where do I start? as soon as you walk in, you are welcomed by the entire staff, which rarely happens in most restaurants. They give you such a warm feeling from the second you walk in. The entire staff is on top of it, from ensuring your water glass is always filled, to checking if you liked your food, or grabbing anything extra you might need. the chicken wings had the perfect amount of crisp and the sauce paired perfectly with it!! the pad see ew was by far the closest thing I had to the one in thailand, it's a MUST when eating here!!! The panang curry was cooked to perfection, the chicken was juicy and flavorful and not dry at all. Lastly, the thai tea was legit! I give them a 10/10 and will definitely be coming back to try more items off the menu, because I left with my belly super full read more

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Hanuman has widely been touted as the best Thai restaurant in OC and I wanted to see for myself why. Came here this Saturday on a rainy night for a table for 2. There was a bit of wait for which you can check in on Yelp if you're within 4 miles. Be prepared during weekend nights especially because it can be a long wait, hour plus oftentimes. Parking is not much of an issue usually but can sometimes get very busy...mainly because of Hanuman! They outdoor and indoor seating, honestly both are a vibe. Their menu is very traditional for the most part. We tried some of their specialities such as hat yai fried chicken, Panang curry with steak, and shrimp pad see ew noodles. It's rare when I can say that everything we tasted as really exceptional and flavor was on point! Service was very attentive and understanding for such a busy restaurant. Our hat yai fried chicken came out first but the owner came by and took it back so we had a hot fresh one with the rest of our meal. Hanuman truly lives up to the hype and I am confident to state that it is the best Thai restaurant in OC for sure! read more

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Had really high expectations for this place after seeing how top rated it was by so many other reviewers. I actually just tried Manaao recently and wanted to compare these highly recommended Thai restaurants. The menu is somewhat limited but had all the key dishes I was looking to try like Khao Soi, panang curry with roti, chicken satay, and pad see ew. The pad see ew was very good and had such a burst of flavor! Chicken satay was immersed in a delicious peanut sauce. The panang curry was good but not the best I've ever had. The one thing that annoyed us was how much the roti was. It was $4 for 4 small corner pieces - I took a picture of the side to show how crazy it is to charge $1 for an individual cut piece of roti. Khao soi was okay, I will say I prefer Manaao but still glad I tried this place. read more

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One of my favorite Thai places fr. The flavors of my Massama curry were next level. My partner had the Pad See Ew noodles too -- so good!! read more

Hanuman Thai Eatery - Massama curry w steak - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

wanted to update my review as i returned to hanuman recently, and this maintains its spot as one of the best thai restaurants ive ever had. i got 2 of the same dishes as my last visit: the pad see ew and khao soi. the pad see ew is truly my favorite with a nice charred and smoky flavor that i usually dont get with other Thai places I've tried and the khao soi was also good, a little heavy but still tasty. the chicken wings were also a perfect app and i really enjoyed the presentation! i liked that it came with sticky rice and the chicken itself was deliciously crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. i also cannot say great enough things about the service, we were constantly checked up on and didnt have to wait too long to receive our food. 10/10 i waited about 15 min for an outside table on a Saturday afternoon and we arrived 3 min just after opening! and there was already a long line so be prepared to wait but hanuman will always be worth it :) read more

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