Authentic Thai food, like it is straight from Thailand. So good and authentic. One of the top asian spots in Allston. A must go to!

Ordered the satay, drunken noodles and basil fried rice. We asked for medium spicy levels and it was just right read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Allston - Petite interior - Thai Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Nice Thai food Café with very limited seating in a college environment! This place seems to have a lot of takeout request but was very lucky that my husband and I had a chance to eat there and the food was delicious! And they had a really good "Moo Ping" pork satay, chicken and phad see uou with the koi soy crispy chicken curry noodles . I would definitely come back here again. I would definitely say this is the authentic stuff. read more

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After tried several times here I asked staff member what is her recommended dish for me. Khao Kha Mu is Stewed Pork Leg Rice $17.00 plus tax = $18.19 Usually I actually dislike pork fatty part but not this. Usual discomforting feel with pork fat never happened. Dipping sauce and cooked stew melted down to my belly, it was so smooth and light feeling after finished meal. Khao Kha Mu is quite authentic Thai meal and especially this particular Branch restaurant for Laughing Monk Cafe provides more traditional Thai compared to others. Also commented this restaurant is in the style of Thai authentication by Thai people who eats there. So that I have been taking out other dishes without knowing name and what. They just don't let me down ! read more

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I am always down for Thai food and my sister recommended Laughing Monk during my visit to town. I typically go for a pad thai (which was delicious), but she recommended the Indonesian fried rice and I'm so glad I went with that! It was so flavorful and I still dream of it to this day! The portion size was also massive! I cannot wait until I go back to Boston just for the fried rice! read more

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So delighted to stumble on this Thai spot in Allston! Found the flavors of the food to be great & was happy to finish off with a mango sticky rice. Service was nice as well. Would definitely come back here if I'm in the area! read more

Rich, layered flavors in a tiny restaurant! The Panang Nuar Nong Lai and the Khao Kha Mu were both delicious dishes--succulent meat, very generous meat portions, and perfect spiciness. The leftovers will serve as a nice small meal tomorrow read more

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Really good service! The mango sticky rice is my absolute favorite. The food was flavorful. read more

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Stopped coming here after what appears to be either a change in the cook or the owner. How can we tell? The food presentation, the taste, the style, for e.g., the crab meat fried rice used to be cooked with the crab meat being mixed while the rice was being fried. This style (every chef is particular about this) wouldn't be changed unless the chef is different. (Or, for benefit of the doubt, got a brain transplant for that manner). Now, they just dump the crab meat onto the top of the cooked fried rice at the end. Nasty. read more

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Very authentic Thai restaurant in the US! I can guarantee it with my nationality LOL! Everything was delicious and absolutely wonderful. If you're looking for real Thai food (not the Americanized version), this is the place to go! Also, Thai food is always better when eaten fresh, so I highly recommend dining in instead of taking it to go. read more

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Ordered Laughing Monk to go and tried some new dishes. Got the Indonesian fried rice which was great. Sauce was a little sweet and thick, but it was on the side so I could use it sparingly. The rice was good, large portion and filling. I got pork, which turned out to be like a pork katsu cutlet. I ordered fried gyoza and was disappointed. They were ok, but not worth it. They are not homemade, and the dipping sauce was too sugary for my liking. I could make better from frozen dumplings at home. I went there to try the drunken noodles again, because I had them delivered and the were tasty, but other reviews said they were even better at the restaurant. But because the restaurant was full, I ordered it to go and ate it nearby. The packaging was great. I probably could have ordered drunken noodles this time, but decided to wait until I can reserve a table. Overall, another good experience, only Reason for missing a star is the gyoza and also the fact that the restaurant wouldn't let me eat at the restaurant when my to-go order had arrived and a table had opened up, but I understand their reasoning read more

Some of the best Thai food in Boston. My take out order included Pad Thai, which was perfect. Curry was very flavorful. Vegetables were fresh, chicken and beef were very high quality in all dishes. I ordered the fried rice extra spicy and it did not disappoint! read more

An authentic thai place in Allston! It is small and only has around 5/6 tables for seating. The service is great and the servers there are friendly. All the dishes are really authentic and you can request to adjust spice level to your liking as well. read more

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So freaking good. Ate here since it's close to Brighton Music Hall, and we were able to snag a table. They were super busy on a weekday (especially with takeout), but the food was stellar. The pad thai had a great smoky flavor, and the chicken satay was the best I've ever had. I also ordered the grilled intestines and it was amazing but warning it firms up once it's cooked down so make sure to eat it while hot. I want to try so much and can't wait to come back! read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Allston - Chicken satay - Thai Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Went here for my friend's birthday. I arrived early and brought a cake to surprise her but little did I know, the server had a surprise for us. We asked for the cake after finishing our meal and was told they lost the cake!!! Key Point: She said she thought we brought the cake to the bathroom to decorate? With what? Shit? Turns out a driver took it (their explanation, but after seeing the footage, it looks like they mistakenly gave it to a delivery driver). No apologies at all during the whole situation. Extremely disappointed by the way the whole situation was handled. Although we received credit on the bill for the cost of the cake, the birthday was officially ruined. We were also automatically charged 20% without informing us. Thankfully we looked at the bill last minute and realized. Horrible experience! Never coming back! read more

Decent Thai food, very lowkey spot with a small dining area. However the server is super nice and the food is 4.5/5, little bit too salty imo, but for a quick bite, this place is 5/5 read more

I'd been hearing about this place for years and hadn't gotten a chance to go. FINALLY managed and I am OBSESSED. The restaurant itself is very small, so dine in can be risky depending on tables available, but the staff is very kind. The food... I think about their yellow curry at least once a week. Their pad thai is also very very good. If you're looking for thai in Boston, go to Laughing Monk. read more

This was a very cute place with large portions! I loved the food here - we got crab rangoons to share for the table which was a good choice. I got the massaman curry but one thing to note when ordering their curry is that a bowl of rice is a separate and extra charge. I also got the Thai iced tea which tasted spectacular. The servers were also extremely nice and gave us spices we could add, and also made sure that our water was always refilled. I had a great experience here! read more

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Dined in. Great Thai food. Fresh ingredients. Reasonable prices. Courteous service. Downside (but only if busy as a result) small footprint. Only few tables. Highly recommended. read more

Super yummy! The Thai iced coffee was delicious and the noodle dishes are perfect for a cold winter's day.

The food here is surprisingly good at a restaurant that's about as big as a 1 bedroom apartment. We came for a casual dinner in between afternoon and evening classes at nearby Boston University. The dining room was sort of clean and extremely drafty, so definitely do not come for a sit-down meal during the winter. Even on an April evening when it was in the high 50s Fahrenheit I had to keep my jacket on. My date and I shared a fried chicken gyoza appetizer and each had a thai iced tea. I had the chili basil stir fried entree with ground pork and she had the pad see ew with chicken. Jasmine rice cost extra. Everything was very tasty and portion sizes were reasonable. After tax and tip the bill came to $75. Service was provided by the same young woman working the cash register for all the carryout orders piled up behind the counter. Fortunately there are so few seats in the dining room that the waitress took our orders and served our food without too much delay. We'll be back! read more

Tiny Thai restaurant with seating for only about a dozen people at a time; fortunately the stiff competition from the heavily concentrated Allston dining scene is your ally--at least as far as seating goes. Parking can be tougher but it's easier than you'd think. No bells and whistles, it's all about the food, and it is both excellent and authentic. Moo Ping (marinated and grilled pork skewers): Very tender (even more than you can imagine) and moist (make that full-fledged juicy), full flavor from the marinade, and an extra boost from the thin, acid-and-herb dipping sauce. Gai Ping (grilled marinated chicken): Different flavor from the pork, but same dipping sauce. Moist, flavorful, and enjoyable, but if you're torn between pork and chicken, go with the pork. Som Tum Thai (papaya salad): One of a dozen different varieties of papaya salad, this basic one had nice crunch, a mix of tart and spicy, and some funk from fish sauce and tiny dried shrimp. Refreshing but by no means a hiatus from lively flavors--not that we needed one. Isan Style Sausage: Ground pork, rice, and herbs, it wasn't as spicy as versions had elsewhere, but extremely flavorful, and interesting plump shape, presumably from being sliced prior to frying. Served with several accompaniments, including peanuts, cilantro, ginger slices, and Thai chili peppers. Khao Phot: Sweet corn and julienned carrot salad with tomatoes, salted egg, yard long beans, fresh chili, garlic, palm sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. Refreshing start and a good complement to heartier and/or spicier appetizers like pork sausage, fried pork belly, or any of the skewers. Vegetable Gyoza: My wife's appetizer choice (she's not a meat eater), this steamed dumpling (can also be had fried) had cabbage, peas, carrot, edamame, wheat flour, garlic powder, and sesame oil. Surprisingly robust flavor and not at all a spinachy-but-not-much-else approach kind of dumpling. As a staunch carnivore, I still enjoyed it. Yum Talay (spicy lime salad with steamed seafood): Nicely done, with spice and gentle textures, though I found the protein a little boring. The only item I didn't love. Deep Fried Pork Belly: A fantastic dish, pretty much along the lines of chicken katsu. Good juiciness. Nothing special flavor-wise about the batter, but it had good crunch and was just the right thickness. Loved the spicy-tart-crunchy dipping sauce that was more of a pickle or salsa. Great combination. My only (possible) regret is that it might not reheat as well as the other items. (Solution: eat the whole thing in one sitting.) Pad Ka Pow: Chile-Basil protein in a spicy, thinned-down black bean sauce; I chose chicken. Excellent rendition: crumbly, tender and moist even aside from the sauce, with all of the flavors bold but none outshouting any of the others. I typically use this dish as my barometer for any first time visit to a Thai restaurant, and Laughing Monk laughed all the way to the bank on this one. Because we ordered so many dishes, and held off on ordering the last two until mid-meal, the server assumed we wanted them to go, hence the different plating in the photo. Wasn't worth having them replace it (I'm not that guy). Pad Ped: Fried catfish (choice of protein, can alternately choose pork belly or beef) with chili, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, fresh peppercorns, herbs. Dark semi-spicy flavor, served with jars of accompaniments (Thai chili pepper, fish sauce, jalapeño-like peppers, Thai chili powder) to spice it further. Crisp, flavorful, superb. Just be careful to avoid sharp fishbones if you opt for the catfish version. Pad Thai with Tofu: An item from the "American Thai" menu, as the server put it; the rest were from the "Authentic Isan" menu. Slightly sweet but nice noodle-forward texture; not the over-sweetened, excessively wet Pad Thai that's turned me off to the dish in general. read more

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We stopped here for a weekday lunch. This restaurant took over the old S&I spot. They renovated, so the dining space is a taaad larger than the old space. There are a few tables and seating for a max of 14 people total. Although there is a heavy curtain over the door, you will still feel a draft when the door opens. The gentleman at the front handles take out orders and waits the tables. Very friendly, refilled our waters frequently (papaya salad was spicy!) and answered all of our questions. We ordered drunken noodles with chicken, papaya salad with all the different toppings, sticky rice, and the shrimp omelet soup. The papaya salad was massive and very fresh. Would recommend to get mild because mild already has a good kick! Shrimp omelet soup was flavorful with a slightly thick broth. Try the soup with rice or noodles! Glad my husband ordered the sticky rice because I ended up eating it all with my soup. The drunken noodles were yummy but the authentic isan menu items are better. Excited for this new addition to the Allston food scene, will be coming back soon. read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Allston - papaya salad with mu yo (pressed pork sausage), deep-fried pork rinds, pickled bamboo shoots, culantro, and boiled eggs - Thai Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Everyone should know from my last review how obsessed I am with laughing monk. TL:DR I have allergies and they're super accommodating for adjustments, and super kind overall. I go here WAY too often to the point that everyone here knows my order when I walk in, but recently Ive been starting to try some other stuff (like the moo ping is SO GOOD). My boyfriend gets various soups and those are always super tasty and recently he's been getting the Yum Talay which is the seafood salad and he LOVES it. I don't wanna rave about this place too much cause I don't want it to get busy but also who am I to gatekeep, this is my favorite Thai place anywhere I've been (Seattle, NYC, DC, Boston are my main places) If I had a last meal on death row, breakfast lunch and dinner it would be this place. Their Pad Thai... so sorry I started drooling P.S. please enjoy all of these photos of the same meal cause I can't help but take photos of how good it looks to send to my friend max whenever I go :) read more

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This is just one of Laughing Monk's locations! This location is closer to Boston in the Allston area so it's much easier to get to with public transportation. Food: I got the Tom Yum soup and the Pork Belly skewers. The soup was so hearty, delicious, and warm. I loved the sourness of the soup. Unfortunately, the noodles were clumpy and were breaking apart. This is such a fixable mistake so that wasn't great. The pork had good seasoning and liked the fish sauce it was paired with. Ambiance: This is a smaller location than the Wellesley or Boston locations but allows for more casual dining. Price: It was about $18 for the soups. Not bad for Boston pricing but I wish there were more noodles in the soup and that the noodles had been loosened before. Overall, I would go again just to try other dishes and it offers Thai dishes that not every restaurant offers. read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Allston - Pork Skewers - Thai Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This is an elevated authentic Thai. You can taste the refinement when you compare the same dishes with similar restaurants. Their tom yum noodle soups is out of this world. And so many Isaan dishes to try and love too. I hope Laughing Monk stays open for many2 years to come. read more

Food: 5 stars Fig.1 and Fig.2 I will never get tired of the delicious Thai style sashimi shrimp forever. Laughing Monk Cafe surely knows how to bring more umami and fresh flavors to shrimp by adding the traditional Thai chili sauce with garlic and Perilla leaves. Fig.3 I really appreciate the good amount of spiciness in this red curry dish. In addition, the beef tendon has the next-level tenderness, which could almost melts in my mouth with a tiny bite. Service: 5 stars The servant is very welcoming. Once a time I asked for a box to pack up the unfinished fried rice to go. I was thinking having some red curry sauce on the top of fried rice could be perfect. However, the servant had already taken away the red curry dish. After she knew my intention to get some red curry sauce later, she felt so very sorry and wanted to bring a Thai milk tea to me for free. Of course I did not let her do that. My point is the servant really cares about customers' feelings. Atmospheres: 3.5 stars The place is a bit small which only has a few tables there. If you plan to come to the restaurant Friday or weekends, you'd better get yourselves prepared for a long waiting. Overall, I will still give the Laughing Monk Cafe a five star rating for their delicious foods as well as warming services. Good job! read more

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An absolute great experience! My wife and I went to the Laughing Monk Cafe last night expecting to find a very good restaurant based on the 4.5-stars rating that it has. However, what we found was something even better than very good. Let's start with the service. Our server was very cordial and polite and she was able to answer all the questions we had about some of the dishes. She also offered her recommendations for some of the dishes we tried and all of them were beyond delicious. We liked very much all the dishes we tried, starting with the appetizers (Crab Rangoon and Scallion Pancakes) and continuing with the chicken cashew nut that has been one of the best we have ever eaten. We finalized with a black coconut crème brûlée that was absolutely unique. I accompanied all of this with plum wine, which is one of my favorite drinks. In terms of the place, it is cozy, although pretty small for the popularity of the place. It can become packed pretty easily, which it is highly recommended to be there maybe before 5:30 pm. Now, what we observed is that there were many to-go orders which definitely speaks about that this restaurant is very well liked in the area. In general, great experience!!! Highly recommend!!! read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Allston - Coconut Crème Brûlée...Delicious!!! - Thai Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Order for pick up and the food was not ready until after an hour from pick up time! One hour of waiting there, we could have just dined in---the worst part-- we found out that an order is missing and the portions of the 3 tom saap was more like divided for 2 tom saap. I don't recommend this restaurant for pickup and delivery! read more

This place is such a gem:) service was extremely fast and the girl working was super sweet! The food was so good and priced well, especially for the large portion sizes. The restaurant has a cool vibe and I'll definitely be returning read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Allston - Drunken Noodle, Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is my favorite thai food in Boston. My favorites: panang curry, basil fried rice, and scallion pancakes. Everything I've gotten so far is delicious. The packaging is also cute and some is reusable which I keep, wash, and use as containers. Amazing service and always delicious. read more

Thai authentic for sure. I'm Thai from San Francisco and found this hidden gem in Allston. Highly recommend read more

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Delicious Thai food in a small restaurant with a handful of tables. We tried pad see eww and scallion pancakes and both were quite delicious. Bok choy was very good in the dishes. read more

In this location, you'll find Northern Thai cuisine from the Isan region and even though the interior is small with a few tables for 2 people and a large table for a party of 4, you won't be disappointed by the dishes they offer. This was our second time and even though our first time there we thought the food was on the saltier side, this time around, it was truly delicious from what we got. We're weren't too famished but wanted Thai food. So we got the papaya salad with salted crab and shrimp, which should be mixed thoroughly to gain that all-around texture and flavor without the dish being salty. We lovingly recalled the chargrilled marinated pork jowl with sparkles in our eyes and had to order it twice because it was that good - sliced thinly, grilled perfectly, juicy, tender, just the perfect richness, and paired well with the dipping sauce! Let's not forget about the chargrilled bone-in chicken which was super tender and flavorful! Really wished I took some pictures before everything was devoured. Means I'll have to get more of these dishes next time! Service was quick and attentive and even though our server, who seemed to be the only one, except for another person from the kitchen helping out from time to time when it got busy, didn't give too much warmth during the experience, whenever we asked for her assistance, she didn't hesitate and was very polite. Here, you won't come here for an atmospheric experience but more along the lines of very good Northern Thai cuisine to be shared and enjoyed among friends, and then you're on your way. Note: Within the bathroom, the toilet can be flushed with a wave of your hand at a specific spot on the top of the tank! Super cool! read more

I came here for lunch on a weekday with some friends! This Thai restaurant is a great addition in Allston! I thought they would also serve sushi like their location on Huntington Ave. but they only offer Thai food options which they have a huge selection of! We ordered the Pad Thai (a classic yummy dish!), Pad See Ew (also can't go wrong with), Mango Curry (sweet and savory! It wasn't too spicy as well! I really liked it!), papaya salad with salmon (it was a bigger portion than we thought, it kind of tasted different than other papaya salads and was a little spicy, I thought the salmon was not a good combination with the papaya salad though), and the crying tiger (the beef was a bit dry and tough to eat). All their dishes are reasonably priced especially for the big portions! I would definitely come back here for more Thai food! read more

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I traveled to Thailand and experienced Isan cuisine. It was a beautiful experience. Initially we looked at the menu and it has the familiar dishes such as Pad Thai, wings and rangoon's. To our surprise the back of the menu was written in Thai. I asked the waitress to take us on a cultural journey of exploration and that she did!!! We had the pork larb with pork liver. Incredible. We had the papaya salad with salted water crabs. Fermented, fish sauce driven and spicy but still really good. We had the chargrilled pork jowl (pork neck). Come on...no reason to eat any other cut of pork ever again. We had the seafood Yum and this was by far the best dish. Incredible. Mouth watering. A play of all the taste buds...sweet, sour, salty and a hint of heat. Wow. And to top the day off we went to the Laughing Monk on Huntington Ave for sushi. The freshest we have had in New England. Any of the special or common rolls will delight. Thank you to the owners and staff for holding a high standard amidst very difficult economic turmoil and inflation. I know it might not matter to some but all the chefs originated from Isan. read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Allston - Life - Thai Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

5/5, easily some of the best Thai food I've had in Boston. Laughing Monk Cafe in Allston is a small, unassuming hole-in-the-wall with just several tables. When we were sat down, we were giving a double sided menu, one side with your typical Thai takeout fare, the other completely in Thai. When I asked the staff about their Thai menu, she gave me the English version. If you don't know Thai, definitely ask for it. I had the yum woon sen with ground pork, which was citrusy and so flavorful. It didn't look like a big portion, but it filled me up. My friend had the pad Thai with chicken, and although the chicken was a bit dry, the noodles made up for it. The noodles in both dishes were so flavorful and chewy in the best way. I definitely recommend!! Good shit read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Allston - Yum woon sen with ground pork - Thai Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Honestly, I've never sat down to eat at this restaurant, so I can only speak to their food delivery service. Laughing Monk Cafe (Allston) has one of the best Thai foods in the Boston area. This location specifically serves northern Thai cuisine & that makes me so happy! I've also ordered the typical pad Thai or pad se ew, but please do your self a favor and try their meats! Isan cuisine: koor moo lan ( pork cheek!) super tender meat & it pairs so well with the most amazing spicy sauce, star of the show!! Give laughing monk a try & I will update when I go in person to touch on their ambiance! read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Allston - Pad See Ew (L) - Thai Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I got food to go after a night of heavy drinking. The drunken noodles were my hangover cure. The to go meal came in a good portable container of cardboard with a plastic seal that you peel. I didn't eat in, but when I picked up my food the restaurant looked intimate and the other food looked tasty. I ate my meal at home and the first few bites were really good, however, it did feel really greasy and the vegetables could have been cooked better. I will try this place again, I have a feeling it'll be better to dine in than carry out. read more

Great food quick good service. Great taste as well. A nice find in the Boston area small place good service and quick to.