Kalaya is the most incredible Thai restaurant on the east coast! It's no secret that they're highly…read moreacclaimed with tons of awards, and just recently received the Outstanding Restaurant award by James Beard! I've visited 3 times now and each time was amazing. The food reminds me of my childhood of my grandma's cooking. Everything is beautifully presented, so flavorful, and spicy dishes are actually spicy! The cocktails and dessert are always so well done. The service is great. Everyone I've encountered has been knowledgeable and offered great recommendations depending on our preferences. The ambiance is casual but vibrant in what looks like a former warehouse of some sort. Its industrial meets modern Thai with lots of plants throughout the space to give it warmth and color. Since this restaurant is in fishtown, street parking is tricky but there is a paid lot 4 blocks away. The ground chicken flower dumplings were beautiful and tasty. I prefer the bird shaped ones with the preserved cod since the dumpling is smooth with a uniform texture. The grilled oysters were outstanding. I loved the spicy sauce and the fried garlic on top. My husband and I agreed that they have the best yellow curry we've ever had. It's powerful and served with turmeric rice that balances the flavors so perfectly. The river prawn was umami heaven and so buttery. To drink I had the pandan daiquiri which was incredibly delicious! It was the perfect frozen summer cocktail. I can't wait to go back!

I came here while on a food tour in Philadelphia/New Jersey…read more Food: 6.4/10 - I was very excited to come here, but frankly I didn't love my appetizers/entrees. The Thai shots were really good though. I also didn't like how my rice was served in a bag Service: 6/10 - I waited for 15 minutes after the other member of my party's food had arrived to get my entree. We did get seated on time though and the waiter was great at answering our questions. Ambiance: 8.3/10 - The venue is very cute and I love the busyness of the restaurant.

Long story short: oh... my god. This restaurant is unforgettable. Hands down the best Thai food…read moreI've had in Philly (and we all know there are plenty of options here!) I got the pad Thai to keep it simple and I'm still salivating at the thought 6 weeks later. (I feel a DoorDash order coming on...) my friend got the pad see ew and she said it was "heavenly." The ambiance is intoxicating. Warm, dark, rich colors and tapestries. Very authentic. Not too loud, plenty of seating (no outdoor.) Very friendly staff!! The wait was a little bit absurd (about an hour to get the food) which is the ONLY reason I had to take off a star. Yes, the wait was that long. But honestly? It was well worth it. I don't always beg people to try places in reviews, but if you like Thai food, you have to try this place. And you can thank me later ;)

Food was delicious! We ordered the firecracker, chicken satay, pad see ew beef, khao soi with…read morechicken, and mango sticky rice. I always order khao soi when it's available and it was flavorful and so filling. Portion sizes were huge. The Thai iced coffee was one of the best I've ever had!! Would come back! There's several parking garages near by as well.

I went last week for the first time, I found it to be delicious. I got takeout, service was quick…read moreand very friendly. The restaurant is very pretty inside too. I only got green curry chicken but it was superb. I'm picky and I loved in Thailand for a bit. The curry was delicate and luscious and almost slightly brothy, exactly how it should be. I also loved the eggplant addition, I always need to request it at other places. It was so good I forgot to take a picture Can't wait to try more things on the menu!

Loved their pad kee mao!! I've been to a lot of the Thai places in Philly and the pad kee mao here…read moreis one of the best. The other Thai fusion spot I used to frequent recently closed unfortunately. The pad see ew, while flavorful, was way too salty. I was chugging water for the rest of the night. Ambiance seemed casual and laid back. I ordered takeout which was done on time and ready for pick up. Did not dine in so can't comment on the service for dine in customers.

We went visited Xiandu Thai a year ago and the food was delicious minus one thing we didn't really…read morecare for. However overall it was some of the best Thai food we had in Philly and we used to live in the area years ago. We decided we had to come back and see if the food was still just as good and the results are in...IT WAS! First the customer service is still really good and the server was beyond friendly and attentive. The restaurant itself is still super quant and perfect for a girls dinner or a date night! Now onto the food! We ordered the Sexy Shrimp appetizer, Pad Thai, Dan Dan Noodles! The Sexy Shrimp appetizer was good but we weren't really a fan of the dipping sauce that came with it. It was like a chipotle dipping sauce but I think the a traditional Thai Sweet Chili would have been better. But my, my, my the Pad Thai and Dan Dan Noodles were Phenomenal! Portion size was HUGE, flavor and spice was spot on and honestly, I wish I could pick up this restaurant and move it to DC where we are located! Still phenomenal and we will continue to return everytime we come back to visit Philly!

Phenomenal place! I love Xiandu Thai and they offer a good deal Happy Hour and their menu overall…read morehas some great options. Drinks are made well and reasonably priced. I love good Hendricks martini But I also do stray away from some of their original cocktails. The Chicken Pad Thai is my absolute favorite here. I always ask for spice and extra peanuts! Never disappointed. The Drunken Noodles are also a go-to favorite. Their starter options are sized appropriately so you'll have room for dinner. Bonnie & Peter are remarkable and they have an amazing staff. Xiandu is such a kind and friendly atmosphere with a beautiful ambiance both indoor and outdoor. Located right on Walnut Street you'll see beautiful views from their full bar (with two TVs) and they also have a beautiful patio with spacious seating. I would recommend Xiandu for a cute lunch, beautiful romantic dinner and a place to really come have some amazing Thai cuisine!

Wow!!! Amazing Thai food in a really warm and comfortable environment. We couldn't decide on what…read moreto eat, so we ordered a bit of everything. The chicken satay lived up to the online hype - so good! The Thai Appetizers Sampler was big and amazing. We took half of the multiple items home. The star of the show was the Panang curry - so smooth, creamy and flavorful. We added chicken which was very tender. Added a few sautés which were equally delicious. Super friendly service. Great experience start to finish.

I've driven by this place for years but finally gave it a try because I was craving khao soi…read more The khao soi was a bit disappointing! it was too coconut-forward, pretty bland, and the noodles were soggy. It definitely needed more seasoning and salt. The Sakoo Sai Moo was the star of the meal, so flavorful and delicious! My husband's shrimp Pad Thai was also really good, especially since it wasn't overly sweet. The restaurant has a cozy, welcoming atmosphere, and the service was friendly and attentive. Overall, we'd come back to try more dishes!

My go to is the Golden Fried Tofu. Inexpensive plant based…read moreprotein. Constantly good Neighborhood gem/late night on a budget. I know my items are made to order so I always extend patience. Dine in a quant nicely decorated multi table establishment Take out & delivery, also available.

The food is good, it's my first time eating here and I found the people who served me very…read morefriendly, I bought a red curry and it was delicious, 10/10

I've heard so many positive reviews of circles & drive by it often, but I'm only just now getting a…read morechance to try it. The place itself had decent parking out front, I was seated immediately & provided water while waiting for the rest of my party. It was pretty cozy inside. It always sounded odd when people spoke of how amazing their cheesesteak eggrolls are, yes they're a staple Philly food item but still a little odd for a Thai place. I get it now. The cheesesteak spring roll is superior to any cheesesteak roll I've ever had. The spring roll wrapper just makes it so much lighter & crispier & than the inside? Perfection, even when it's scorching your mouth. The chicken puffs were also delicious, especially in the sauce. Someone at our table may or may not have been drinking the green curry like it was soup & we couldn't blame them, it was that good. Highly recommend the pad Thai with shrimp. The thai iced tea was also a 10/10. This is one of those places where I left leaving a little full but oh so content. Can't wait to try more.

I'm mad they don't give you that many shrimp. Should I be? Perhaps not, but I'll write about that…read more Maybe opt for the chicken dishes that come with plenty of protein. The flavor was on point for the 6 shrimp. Ok size shrimp but nothing overwhelming. Pineapple rice was enjoyed by my bestie. A staple they get at Circles. I really liked the mango rice. This was Uber eats and delivered hot to SoPhilly. I've been to their cozy BYOB before and figured-- why not get the delivery?! Service was way longer than it said. Very slow and changed drivers 3-4 times because it was so slow. Maybe busy night for dine-in, either way definitely don't depend on timely delivery. Extra 30-40 minutes beyond initial estimate.

I initially thought this was a sit-in restaurant. When I arrived I found out it was a hub for…read moremultiple food businesses. Pick-up or delivery only. Very busy. My order was for curry chicken, shrimp pad seew, fried bananas and white rice. The over all flavor was ok. On the sweet side. The curry was good but a little sweet. The stir fried noodles were ok. The fried bananas came with a container of honey with sesame seeds. This was good but the fried bananas were good on their own and did not need the extra sweetness. The white rice was dry and older. The Thai tea was good. Over all, you can park outside quickly for pick-up or get your food delivered.

I stopped by today again because last time i just found out this hidden gem spot. Today my husband…read morecraving Thai food, curry dish. He got Panang curry with chicken. I got spicy chicken wings and drunken noodle extra spicy. Woww everything is good. Love it. Food is delish!! Ps. Drinks menu looks yum. Got thai iced tea this time. Will definitely come back :)