Support your local businesses and come here! From the outside it does not look like much. The area this restaurant is situated in is just your regular, run-of-the-mill strip mall with miscellaneous businesses all lined up together. It's a very casual setting. Nothing fancy. There is plenty of parking. I guess that the benefit of being in a strip mall setting is you can run your errands AND grab a bite to eat. You can get Fido dog food from PetSmart. Then get your nails done at the nearby nail salon and get your hair cut at SuperCuts. Then grab a bite to eat when you are all completed with your errands! Lol Anyway, once you enter the restaurant, you order at the counter set up at the very back end of the establishment. There is limited seating inside the restaurant but there are a couple sets of tables and chairs outside. I honestly think that this restaurant functions mostly for takeout. I think that the maximum capacity of the establishment itself is no more than a dozen people! Surprisingly, for the casual atmosphere, they have an extensive menu. They have your staple and familiar Asian style food choices, specializing in Thai cuisine. We ordered a side order of crispy, crab wontons, and an order of Golden Chicken Fried Rice due to the reviews here on Yelp. The crab wontons were good, but I wished they had more filling. The fried rice has egg, peas, carrots, served with crispy, golden fried chicken, and a side of plum sauce. You can opt for the level of spice in your Golden Chicken Fried Rice dish. From regular (no spice), or you can opt to get it spicy. I got the regular Golden Chicken Fried Rice and my man got the spicy Golden Chicken Fried Rice. It was a nice, sunny day so we decided to sit outside. Not long after ordering, the server brought us our appetizer with paper plates and plastic utensils. I was a little taken back that the dishware is disposable. I wasn't sure if it is because we were eating outside, and they didn't want to run the risk of us throwing their dishware and eating utensils away? I didn't mind entirely because it made cleanup easier and disposable dishware and eating utensils tend to be cleaner. When the server hands you your covered to-go container, your first thought is that it is too small. However, it is deceptively filling! Maybe it's the breading on the golden chicken that fills you up? Whatever it is, I couldn't get halfway through eating before I got full. I honestly believe that one order of the Golden Chicken Fried Rice can be shared with two people. The flavors are good. Chicken is crispy on the outside, and soft in the inside. I think the fried rice could use a lot less oil, and a little more flavor though. Maybe add some of the spice that they put in the fried rice. They adjust the heat of your fried rice by adding or omitting red pepper flakes. At first, I thought it was a little weird, however it works. I like the added sauteed onions that they include in the fried rice. It adds a layer of texture and flavor profile. The service is wonderful. Which is nice considering it is a small establishment and they probably only have two people working there. You are greeted as soon as you enter the restaurant. The lady that greeted us and took our order also was our server. She was nice enough to bring us our order outside, rather than have us pick it up from the counter. She also followed up and checked up on us. Which is unusual for such a casual atmosphere. Would I go here again? Well, I already did! Lol We ordered the same thing, and the food was just as good as the first time. However, this time we opted for pickup. Again, the serving size was deceptively large and we had plenty of leftovers. We might try the other menu options for a change and to see if the quality is for all their dishes on their menu and not just their most popular items. There is a homemade flavor to their dishes. They don't appear to have a very large kitchen either. All in all, if you are wanting to try something new and like your chicken crispy, why not give this place a try. read more

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This place is a total sleeper. The food is major city good (excellent), so you will not be disappointed! I am addicted to their Penang curry but have also enjoyed many of their main dishes and appetizers. The place has the ambience of a strip mall but don't let that fool you. You will love their food. read more

So this place has been here for 4 years at least and I never knew about it. When I'm feeling up for some Thai Curry I would usually head to Moss Landing. But I discovered this today and stopped by to pick up some dinner! I was more than excited when I browsed the menu and seen that they offer Massaman Curry with Chicken so I chose that along with the Fried Egg Rolls(item #2). Also I asked for some of their chili oil which I found out was made in house! It is delicious! Don't forget to get a cup! The curry was absolutely delicious, and had the perfect spice for me, I asked for medium! All the ingredients were cooked to perfection and this curry did not disappoint. The Egg Rolls were pretty good as well. I found an new Thai spot in my hometown!!! I also did try their homemade chili oil and let me tell you, it is soooo good. The aromatics and kick of spice have a great balance. The server/attendant Bo is a really nice guy and we had good conversation while waiting for the food. He also let me know they sell their chili oil in a bigger container to go so I definitely jumped at that opportunity. Overall this was an awesome choice for me today and I will definitely be returning to try more dishes. Don't drop the ball all you Thai food lovers, head on over when the hunger hits!! read more

MENU AND FOOD: They are a Thai kitchen that offers quickly made noodle and rice dishes. SERVICE AND ATMOSPHERE: Service is always friendly, kind and welcoming. She always has a smile on her face and appreciates each customer. There is limited seating indoors. PARKING: Located in a large shopping plaza, parking is easy to find. IMPRESSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: I've had their pad Thai, Thai fried rice, and Thai iced tea. You can adjust the spicy levels of each dish. The Thai iced tea can be a bit sweet to taste, but I always leave satisfied with their food. read more

the owner flies all of the spices in from Thailand in special flash-frozen materials.

This little mom-and-pop Thai restaurant is one of my favorite places for lunch! They have some of the most flavorful curries I have ever had; my favorite being the Green Curry with Chicken. The service is exceptional and you can tell that they really value your patronage. Often times I'll have my hydro flask bottle with me and the gentleman at the register will offer to refill it for me with ice. It's a great place to bring a friend or two but the dining room has limited space; primarily seating parties of two or four. Takeout is also very reliable and they have certain dishes like Pad Thai and Drunken Noodle that can be purchased in party sizes. If you're visiting Monterey or Carmel and debating whether or not this place is worth the drive to Salinas, it definitely is. read more

I stopped by for lunch.....ordered pad Thai, it was good. The portion was very small. The place has only 4 tables. Very tiny place. The tables are completely empty no sauces, salt, soy....nothing. The staff is very nice and helpful. Here is my gripe......they don't offer water to customers they tell you water is available for purchase. The other issue is NO RESTROOMS for customers! I have never seen this before. The guy behind the counter said I could walk to Buffalo Wild Wings across the parking lot or go to one of the other businesses in the area!!!! I'm sorry but WTF! I have never seen such a disregard for customer comfort. If your going to go be sure to wash your hands go to the restroom before entering. I will not be back. read more

My husband & I were actually on our way to el Pollo loco for lunch when we walked by. We've been looking for a good Thai restaurant & hadn't had much luck. Our go to before was ginger Thai, which in my opinion has gone downhill. If you're not paying attention you'll walk right past! It's small & doesn't appear like much. More of a takeout place but they do have some tables. The young man behind the counter was very friendly. The entire menu with pictures were on the wall which was helpful. It is family owned which is very nice. I ordered the chicken pad Thai medium spice & the man sort of laughed & said his mom made things pretty spicy. (I'm guessing she's the chef?) he asked me to describe what my definition of "medium" was & so he said he'd put mild-medium which was pretty spicy but delicious! So beware of ordering spicy. My husband had the Panang curry which was the best I've ever had. Rice is not included, which was a little odd but not a big deal since he asked if we wanted rice. So just beware if ordering to go you need to order rice. The plates were very large! We both took half our food home. Prices were good. It is now our go to place for Thai food! read more

This place, before the CoviD was like a point-point spot... now, they only have to-go orders. Let me start off by saying when we saw this spot before the covid, one thing that deterred me from this place jnitially was that they were point point style (if you're filipino, u will know what i mean...) i didn't think that thai food should be served in this manner so i just didn't try it. A fee days ago, i was looking at thai spots and due to the covid, this spot was only doing to-go so i finally tried it. And i'm so glad i did! We ordered the fried veggie roll, pad thai chicken, chicken fried rice and chicken green curry... everything was very tasty; and gave us good portions, we had some leftover. The staff who was at the counter was very nice. She even remembered that i had asked for dried chili flakes on the phone.. that was sweet of her. Lastly, most of their dishes are around $9-10. We will definitely be back! read more

Khao San Thai Kitchen - Fried Veggie rolls - Thai Near Me - Salinas, California

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We saw this place had 5 stars so we decided to try it! The staff was super friendly but the food was ok... We ordered tom yum NOODLE soup but there was no noodles in the soup and no Lemmon grass? We also ordered pad Thai but it was flavorless... I'd not come back here tbh the place inside looked clean but it smelled a bit odd too so we just ate outside... read more

Great mom and pop restaurant. Food is delicious, big portions, and rightly priced. The golden chicken fried rice is my fave with a side of prik nam pla (fish sauce with chili pepper). Their customer service is great so every time I visit friends in Salinas I stop by and enjoy a meal. The pad Thai with shrimp and chicken goes great with the dish I mentioned. The tamarind level they use is perfect. Oh for spiciness I get medium, which is plenty hot when combined with the nam pla. read more

Friendly service and only waited about 15 minutes. The food was super yummy and I'll definitely be retuning to try their other items

I lived in Thailand in the 7th and 8th grade and used my allowance to eat in little "hole-in-the-wall" places around Bangkok. This place is the real deal. Green Papaya Salad, Laab, Tom Yum are all excellent. They are closing for the month of February to head home for a visit to Thailand. I'm looking forward to any new ideas they bring back. read more

Khao San Thai Kitchen - The sign 1-26-2022 - Thai Near Me - Salinas, California

Super delish "little hole in the wall" (the best kind!) food joint in Salinas! On our way to Monterey Bay, got hungry and jumped off the freeway and he yelped this place. Super surprised on how the food was presented and tasted! Ordered the Pad Thai, fried fish and yellow curry with pork. Maybe oN the way back, we'll pass by aGain! Small restaurant with 5 SMALL tables for 2(two) but trust and believe, plAce is legit. read more

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Would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic, fresh, delicious Thai food with personalized service. We started with a papaya salad...So good! Crunchy, sweet, with plenty of heat. Honestly, could be split 3 ways as an appetizer. The Tom Kha soup with chicken was hearty and full of flavor. We split an order of Fried Chicken Wings. Crunchy with a little sticky sweet on the outside and moist on the inside. Fried Chicken Rice was okay. The breaded, fried chicken was all white breast meat, moist, and flavorful. The rice was nothing special. Drunken Noodles with shrimp were perfectly cooked with just the right amount of heat (medium spicy). We'll definitely be back read more

So fresh and flavorful! I had the pineapple curry with tofu. I don't love tofu but this was the perfect texture, not mushy. The vegetables are fresh and crispy. The service was friendly and quick. I definitely will come back. read more

I was just passing through on my way south and found it on Yelp or Google and I'm so glad I did! It's definitely a great hole in the wall that you should try out, great value and quality. My girl and I had fried tofu, Pad Thai with wide noodles, and Pad Kee Mao. All were very good, fresh and flavorful. It was not too sweet like a lot of places tend to prepare their dishes. I'm planning on going back on our way home, you should go right now. read more

Khao San Thai Kitchen - Pad Kee Mao, bomb sauces - Thai Near Me - Salinas, California

By far the best chicken paid Thai in Salinas. I look forward to trying their other food. Seems so authentic compared to the couple other Thai restaurants in town. Give this place a try... read more

Found a couple of hairs in my food. Very disappointed. However, the egg rolls were very good.

Literally the best Thai food. Such friendly staff. Tom Kha is amazing I prefer chicken or shrimp. Pad thai is delicious. Veggie rolls are so good. No public restroom. Tip; you can choose your spice level. Highly recommend read more

The food was very authentic! Just look at pictures... Ladies was super nice too! I don't want to write no more, but stupid yelp want me to write more.. who ever came up with that idea and who ever approved it should get a demotion. read more

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It's a small place but full of Amazing flavors and outstanding service!! We'd highly suggest this place for Thai & Gluten Free options!!

Tbh this was not bad I'm used to going to the noodle house over on davis but unfortunately since it was sorta late and we just happened to be around the mall area we decided to give it a try. Food was great not to mention friendly service staff read more

Flavors were good & vegetables were very fresh. But the chicken had an off taste, very unappetizing. It tasted overcooked, or like the chicken wasn't fresh. Too bad, otherwise the dishes we ordered would have been very good. If I came back, I'd be inclined to try the beef or pork instead. But I probably won't return for another visit. read more

I love this place. I love their orange curry and papaya salad. I definitely can not recommend this place enough

Ordered Pad See Ew again, still one of the best. This time got Tom Yum Mild with pork. Perfect balance of citrus and spices. Also got the Green curry today, definitely worth it for the price. read more

I had yellow curry chicken. As good as in Thailand. I will be back. Really good food and nice young man behind the counter.

Okay, I hate to be this person that post a picture once I've already started eating, but I didn't see a picture of the pineapple curry so I had to share for those first timers who judge a place by its pictures! I got it with tofu & vegetables (carrots, broccoli, green beans, green & red bell pepper), mild spicy, and a side of white rice. It was amazing! I ordered it for pick up and came home and made one bowl with it, and i definitely have enough left for another bowl, or maybe two! The flavor is rich, and for someone who can't handle spicy food this perfect! I was impressed with the size of the pineapple and tofu as well. The woman at the front desk was incredibly sweet too. I've lived in Salinas for most of my life and I'm so glad I finally discovered this place! read more

Khao San Thai Kitchen - Pineapple Curry - Thai Near Me - Salinas, California

Ordered take out lunch today: so quick, easy, and delicious. Fresh rolls were amazing. Pad Thai was perfect. So happy to find our "new Thai place" in Salinas. read more

I thought the food here was great and the customer service was great too! I would definitely come here again

My friend and I both thought some of the food (the meat especially) had some serious issues with freshness. I'm giving 5 stars because they had great customer service. Always smiling. Asking how the food was. Really underscores the value and importance of customer service. read more

Excellent food and service. Today, was the first time I saw this restaurant which is almost hidden in the shopping center beside Pet-smart. The food was delicious and plentiful. The prices are also reasonable. I will be a regular customer. read more

Khao San Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Salinas, California

Friendly service. No tap water available. You have to purchase your own water or soda. No real ambience. Food ordinary at best. Chicken over cooked in soup. They did not use enough fresh herbs such as basil ..Flavors not complex. You can do better. read more

This place is awesome. The food is good and the price is reasonable. The staff are friendly too. The place is little but it doesn't matter right now during shelter-in-place. I got a mild red curry chicken and it was delish. There are lots of veggies in it. We also got shrimp pad thai and the shrimp is fresh. The papaya salad is good too! The only negative I have is that the food is a little bit salty. I wish they stay in business. I love that they are affordable thai place in town. read more

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Ordered the pad Thai fried chicken wings and Thai tea! Absolutely hit the spot! The service is very friendly and hospitable!! Also free Tom kha appetizer soup!!! Great Thai place to sooth your cravings read more

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Great food and good customer service. My favorite food here is Pad Prik Khing w/beef. read more

Khao San Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Salinas, California

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We've been going here since it opened. It stuttered open with a previous owner then closed only to reopen with the current owners who took it up a level! The food is simple and exceptional, the servings are large and filling, and the service is prompt and polite. I can't say enough nice things about Khao San. read more

By far, their yellow seafood curry is the best yellow curry I've had. I am not a big fan of food that is too spicy but their curry is perfect. I highly recommend. The fried rice is also pretty good. Staff is always very kind and cheery. Prices are pretty reasonable. read more

Happy!!! This place is near my home. The food is delicious and inexpensive. I'll be a returning customer. I wish I found this place sooner. We ordered Thai fried rice, garlic and pepper shrimp, wontons, and pad Thai noodles.... I'm salivating thinking about the yummy food. Lol I'll be telling my friends and family about this place. read more

Mediocre. The pad thai wasn't very good. The pineapple curry was ok. The spring rolls were also ok but not very balanced, too many noodles. I have made spring rolls with my friend and her mother from thai land and these are not as good. I prefer Ginger Kitchen. read more