I've been to the original Malai Kitchen many times over the past decade, but I'll stick to my first experience at this location since it's been a minute. The fusion concept, which boasts Thai and Vietnamese influences, was conceived by a husband-and-wife duo that met at Cornell before traveling extensively through Southeast Asia. The interior is modern and trendy, with colorful art lining the walls and warm brown and gold paneling throughout. We were seated in the side patio, which is connected to the inside and totally covered with heating fixtures overhead. The drinks here are carefully curated. There are a half-dozen beers brewed in house with nods to South Asian styles and flavors, and the cocktails are creative and fun. I forgot the name of the tasty house special drink I ordered that evening, but it had rum and lemongrass syrup. I later ordered a flight of 3 house-brewed beers ($9 is a great deal). The 3C Porter with cacao nibs, toasted coconut, and a no-joke level of thai chili spice was the clear favorite. We started off with the Malai Favorites Sampler, a smattering of the most popular appetizers for $14. The Fried Imperial Rolls (rice paper cigars filled with ground pork and diced shrimp) and smoky Vietnamese Meatballs (char-grilled pork patties) were both delicious and juicy, with savory and sweet elements. The Chicken Satay had the right flavor profile, but it was rather dry. The Sticky Rice and Eggplant Dip brought to every table is just so-so. The rice is flavorless, though I guess the texture is pleasant and chewy; the eggplant has a nice earthy sourness to it. The Red Curry Icelandic Cod was quite good, with a thick scratch-made gravy that was spicy and creamy. The roast fish was well-cooked and moist, and the quantity was respectable. My main quibble with the base curry sauce was that it was a tad on the salty side (and I have a high salt tolerance), plus it could've used a little more sugar to balance it out. The heat was on point though -- definitely made me sweat! While the quality of the fare is consistently above average at Malai, some of their dishes can be inconsistent in flavor visit to visit. That being said, the atmosphere is great and their menu is unique and bold. I have no doubt I'll be back shortly (and I promise I'm not just saying that because our waiter gifted me a bottle of house-made sriracha sauce that I have been putting on my scrambled eggs every morning). read more

Malai Kitchen - Malai Favorites Sampler - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

See all

This place is beyond fire. If your looking for a place to grab something to eat and your undecided and combing through Yelp to find a place look no further. This is THE BEST THAI FOOD I've ever had. Hands down. The staff work as a complete team. You're greeted with a smile upon arrival. Seated as soon as there's an available seat. They listen to you attentively and suggest options to your taste. They check in at your table regularly to make sure your experience is going well. The tables are cleared of all finished dishes with lightening speed. You can see the cooks putting their love into every dish as the kitchen is out in the open. The aromas are sensational. The staff seem to genuinely like each other. You can here the laughter when they pass one another and make jokes. The energy is great here. Not to mention, the drinks are to die for. And don't think their just tasty, they're deceptively strong. The Thai wings as an appetizer. Mama whew! YOU WILL LOVE THIS PLACE. Do give it a try read more

See all

Can't say enough great things about this place. Food is absolutely amazing. They are able to make a lot of their menu gluten free which is great for us. read more

Came back to this restaurant to meet my mom for dinner. Maquel was our waitress and she was was awesome. We sat inside this time and I enjoyed their music playlist and the atmosphere. The food was delicious and there was no wait. read more

See all

I came here with a friend for brunch and can't stop thinking about how great the food was!! We started with lychee martinis that were perfectly sweet without being over the top. I thought I would try something delicious from their brunch menu, but drunken noodles are my weakness and I could NOT resist their delicious noodles. There's some extra depth to their wok-fried noodles that I cannot find in any other Thai restaurant and makes this dish truly exceptional. What's wonderful about this restaurant, besides the fact that they brew their own beer, have a gorgeous dining room and covered patio, and make amazing food, is that they are SO allergen friendly. My friend can't have gluten and I can't have nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, or dairy, and their menu is very easy to look at for I no residents and their staff is really knowledgeable about their dishes. Honestly, you will have a wonderful experience here regardless of when you go or how you order. Other favorites here from the past are the pad see ew and the Vietnamese BBQ pork ribs, the latter featuring green curry noodles that will leave you wondering how you've never tried it before. read more

See all

Nice little fusion place. Got the pad kee mao which I wasn't really impressed with because I know it's fusion and not going to be like the thai one but I just felt like it needed more flavor and veggies. Needless to say, everything else was good though. We got some type of omelette thing which was so flavorful probably the best dish Their cocktails are so unique I recommend trying some of them. read more

Malai Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

See all

After hearing so many amazing things about this restaurant I decided to come here and give it a go with some friends during happy hour. Service: The service was exceptional here, the waiter was not up in our grill (which I prefer) but he was also very attentive and helpful with what we should order (especially with the cocktails). I would give the wait staff personally a 5 out of 5 stars. Food: We ordered wings, some chicken sausage dish, and beef dish as apps. Then for dinner we got green curry, and two orders of the tom kha extra spicy. The wings were okay, I wasn't particularly fond of the flavor it was too sweet and not savory enough. The chicken sausage also okay and the dipping sauce with it was a little weird. The tom Kha soup was absolutely delicious! It was spicy just like how I wanted and the waiter (without even us asking) brought some extra spicy sauce to add just in case it wasn't spicy enough. The green curry (I didn't get to try) but my friend said it was okay. The reason why I am so disappointed is because (one I consider myself a thai food connosiuer I was born and brought up on it) thai food is so supposed to be flavorful, spicy and sweet and so much FULL of flavor. I just felt like the flavor was just so subpar and disappointing in all the appetizers. The only thing that tasted good was the soup. Another thing is that thai food is meant to be shared, eaten family style. The portions were just so small (especially for the price) that it just did not seem worth it to me. I love my thai food and I'm glad I got to try this place out. I will definitely come back for the happy hour and try their creative cocktails again but definitely not coming back for the food. read more

Malai Kitchen - Happy hour - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

I have visited Malai several times now. Each time has been wonderful. Waiters/waitresses are super attentive. The patio area they have is very enjoyable. Definitely recommend their mussels appetizer. The broth is rich and the bread they give you is very tasty. I've had their pad Thai, their Banhi Mi sandwich, and drunken noodles. All great options! They have great options for kids as well. So whether you are going on your own, friends, or with kids everyone will have ample choices. The plates are well sized and we've had to get to go bags almost each time. Don't sleep on this place! read more

This is a must go place for delicious Thai/Vietnamese food. Starts with good ambience, hospitality and a very unique taste with good balance of spices. We really enjoyed the experience. If you like margaritas then do try their jalapeños basil margarita. Grilled chicken satay was okay..little dry but loved their spicy basil chicken. So ya lots of option and overall good food. read more

2 stars for food, 4 starts for service and ambiance. We love both Vietnamese and Thai foods. After moving in this area, one day, my kids were asking for pho, so we decided to try this place due to the good rating we saw on Yelp. While noting that we are not neither Vietnamese nor Thai, all of the food we tried here (Pad Thai, Pho, Thai green curry, I believe) were nothing close to those dishes we have tired before and the price was higher than other places where offered much better food. Yes, food was presented nicely but I prefer good food over good looking food. Their bar section looked pretty which might be nice for having a drink with your friend, etc but we won't come here for food. read more

It has really good fusion of Thai foods with other asian cuisines. It has great service. The atmosphere is modern one with pop music during lunch. read more

WOW IT IS HECTIC IN HERE ! My man and I came here for an early dinner during the weekend. It was very packed and we had to wait outside on their patio, which was pretty nice. The wait wasn't too long. If you're wanting a place that's nice and quiet then this may not be the place for you. Also, it is a little upscale place. We came wearing a tshirt which is fine but oops ^^ Its more of a lively, a little-crowded type of restaurant. Maybe during their non-busy hours it's not as hectic. Service was definitely a 5! Not only was our waitress coming by to check up on us but I believe it was the manager that came by to ask if everything was tasting okay :) okay now the food. I got the Lemon Grass Chicken : Very tasty! : Not too salty or sweet! : We had an appetizer so it was hard for me to finish this whole dish speaking of appetizer we got Malai Favorites Sampler : The spring rolls with the tuna.. OMG IT WAS AMAZING!! : Chicken on the stick .. Also amazing :Vietnamese meatball.. really good when u dip in the fish sauce and eat it with the veggies that's below : Egg rolls.. my least favorite Overall please get this! it was so so delicious! My man got Pad Thai: : He told me it was a little too sweet than other thai restaurants. : overall he said he still enjoyed it but preferred if it had less sweetness or not drenched in the sauce. read more

See all

Had the chicken and broccoli noodles yesterday when I went for lunch with my siblings. I asked for level 2 spicy and honestly was one of the blandest dishes I've ever had. The chicken tasted like it was boiled, shredded, then toss into the dish... I only had a few bites at the restaurant and just had the rest for dinner. The experience got worse. As I was eating I felt a hard crunch and realized it was an egg shell within the noddles. My bite broke the egg shell piece and it tore my gums... wtf. That should not have happened at all. Cleaned that mess up and guess what I found! ANOTHER PIECE OF EGG SHELL. This one bigger than my freaking thumb nail. This restaurant was highly recommended to me, after this experience will never step foot into this establishment. read more

Malai Kitchen - DISGUSTING. - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

Absolutely love this place. Excellent service. Fabulously fresh. Waitresses really know their menu. Explain dishes. Recommend dishes. Clean interior and the ambiance is cool and refreshing. Patio dining is available as well as a full bar with seating read more

If you're looking for a good Thai restaurant, Malai Kitchen is a great choice! Everything from the drinks, appetizers, and main dishes were fantastic, and service was also really good which makes the entire experience 5-star!! read more

My husband and I have been to Malai Kitchen countless times and each time has been a great experience! Our servers have always been attentive, friendly, and helpful. The food is absolutely delicious! We tend to order the peanut crusted fish, which is always amazing. read more

Love love love this place. Outstanding service and even more outstanding food. I got a complimentary sticky rice starter with some type of sauce (not sure what). I will say that the sticky rice was a little dried out, but the flavor of the sauce was really unique and delicious. Then came the drunken noodles. I got it with beef. you cannot go wrong with the beef here. Perfect texture/chew on the noodles and mouth watering char flavor. I also got the thai tea to-go and it was definitely one of the top 3 thai teas I have ever had. and my standards are high ;) read more

Malai Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

See all

I cannot say enough good things about this place!! I visited this place for the first time a few weeks ago ans I could NOT stop thinking about their chicken & broccoli noodles. I took my leftovers home & ate them the next day & even the leftovers were amazing. I had to come back & my experience was just as good as the first time. The staff was super & I just love their silverware for some reason. The aesthetics of the restaurant are also very nice too with lots of plants and open lighting. It's just all together a very nice restaurant. I can easily say this is my new favorite restaurant read more

We have eaten here several times. Now sure how I missed reviewing on previous visits as we always love it. Our go to is the pork tacos and Pho. The bowl of Pho is huge! And the pork taco appetizer is so yummy. The fresh slaw on the crispy shell is perfection. read more

Bartender served me a delicious Mango Guava Kolsch. Please make more beers like this! read more

Malai Kitchen - Mango Guava Kolsch - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

We have dined at Malai for many years and enjoyed every meal, recommending it to all of our friends. We will not be recommending it now. It has changed hands at least three times, our recent meal was such a disappointment, for so many reasons. The restaurant's music was so loud we could not hear our waitress when she spoke. The cooks were very disorganized, they taunted the staff and made fun of them, making everyone uncomfortable. The batter on the Shishito peppers was lumpy and greasy, not light and tasty. My soup was overpowered by hot spices even though I asked for no hot spices. My salad was limp and barely edible. My husband's Pad Thai was bland, with more peanuts than noodles. read more

Holy crap! I was NOT expecting this level of Thai food. I consider myself a thai connoisseur in this place met everyone of my cravings. We started with the vegetable samosas. They come with a tamarind chutney and a cilantro yogurt sauce. Super delish. My husband and I shared the veggie green curry. Spice level 3 was melt your face off hot! AMAZING. Our server Mikael is the sweetest and most attentive server! read more

Malai Kitchen - Dining area - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

Not sure what happened to the menu. Why is most of the food loaded with salt?? I ordered yellow curry and wife ordered Vietnamese beef noodle. My wife warned me that the food is extremely salty and she could not finish it when she was out in her last lunch date with the girls. Sure enough. I had three spoons of the curry only. The broth for the Vietnamese soup was also loaded with salt. I guess if you like your weekly dose of salt, this is a five star. The staff is friendly. read more

The food here was really good - it was not the best Thai food in the world but I would return to try something else. I recommend the Thai tea and the fish. Extensive menu and pretty interior. read more

Malai Kitchen - Pineapple Fried Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

See all

It pains me to give this location such a low score, but this one lacks in cleanliness. Table was sticky to begin, my drink had to be returned as the glass was extremely filthy and even something floating in it, napkins full of lint, sauce container -sticky, and a small bug crawling on the table mid dinner. The food at this location just seems off, the sauces don't taste the same and the flavor leaves a quite a bit to be desired. I think I'll avoid this location going forward. read more

I've been wanting to go to Taverna Rossa (next door) but Malai ALWAYS wins! I just can't not choose it. Everything that comes out of their kitchen is freakin amazing. BONUS! Cocktails are soo good even! Service is great, staff are friendly (even when super busy) and my water was always topped. read more

See all

Came in for lunch with two other coworkers and we liked everything we ordered. They start off your meal with complimentary sticky rice and some sauce that tasted like it had anchovies in it. We shared the crab dip, good. I got shrimp pad Thai and really liked it! It was so good! The presentation was also on point. The sprouted were dyed pink and yellow for eye candy read more

See all

This restaurant is a delight to dine at. The food tour begins here , a plethora of flavors in their unique dishes . In addition to dinner , the desserts get a 5 star. And the hospitality and service we receive is the cherry on the cake. The Manager Davin is always warm and inviting and always aiming to please. read more

Malai Kitchen - Coconut Creme Pie - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

See all

We were visiting Dallas and looking for some good place. Very good Thai food. Good ambience and service. Highly recommend this place. read more

See all

Love this place. All their noddles and curries are great. I also love their mango rice yum. Service is wonderful. For your birthday you get a free dessert or a bottle of their house made Sriracha. read more

This quickly became a favorite, and I am not a big Thai/Vietnamese food guy. Great ambiance and the staff is top notch. I go with the pineapple fried rice with shrimp. They also have six house-brewed beers to try out. All good stuff. read more

We've eaten here several times...never fails to hit the culinary bulls-eye! Our favorites include the spring rolls and tacos appetizers; the drunken noodles; the BBQ spareribs (fall-off-the-bone & savory) and my personal favorite - shrimp pad Thai. When prepared "medium spicy", it's the perfect heat level to compliment the amazing flavors. From the bar, I'd highly recommend the house-brewed Vietnamese lager, Bia Hoi. Very light and refreshing. I'm also a BIG fan of the "bourbon smash" cocktail....Tin Cup bourbon, apricot and mango. It's a winner! I hope to try the coconut gelato one day. We're always so full we don't have room for dessert. read more

We absolutely love it here! The quality truly shows in their food and great service! And of course the mango sticky rice is to die for!

Food is always delicious, I'm finding new favorite dishes and appetizers eat time we visit. Always perfect service too-

Love!!! They are so accommodating to vegans & explain all the options available! The service is so quick & the staff is so friendly!!!! Food is amazing! read more

Oh yeah oh yeah. I love me some green curry. Try their beers. They have a great selection. I'm a huge fan of the thai PA. Our waitress was so kind. She was very nice and gave her recommendations. read more

Upscale Thai/Vietnamese fusion restaurant that offers a wide selection of food, with its very own brewery! Located in Southlake Town Hall, make sure you call for reservations early in the day and come 10 minute early; parking can be pain. I ordered the Massaman Curry Lamb Shank. Aesthetically, the dish was very appetizing. Eggs were a nice addition to the plate and was salted accordingly. Lamb shank was good, albeit messy to eat with fork and knives. You're better off using your hands and eating it like a chicken drumstick. For dessert, we ordered coconut cream pie to share. Was a delicious and fresh take on the classic Thai dessert. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to try their home brewed beer. Malai Kitchen offers a wide variety of dishes on the menu that I haven't tried, but will definitely come back again in the future to taste. read more

Malai Kitchen - Massaman Braised Lamb Shank - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

Beautiful blend of Thai and Vietnamese food. The service was great and the food came out very quickly. We got the appetizer sampler which came with Vietnamese meatballs, imperial rolls, ahi tuna spring rolls, and chicken satay. Our favorite was definitely the Vietnamese meatball. You get a complimentary sticky rice appetizer which is just sticky rice with a green sauce. For entrees we got the Thai eggs Benedict which was off their brunch menu (11a-3p) which was delicious! I was curious as to how they would mix brunch and Asian food but they did a great job with the slightly sweet bread balanced out by the basil, shrimp, and sauce. The lemongrass didn't have as much lemongrass flavor as we expected and it was as spicy as we asked for but they were happy to oblige with a side of sambaal and Thai chili peppers. read more

See all

Excellent attentive service without being intrusive. Very relaxing environment and everything was super clean. Kitchen is open so you can watch the show if you're seated up front. Full bar and on site brewery. Beers were very good. Beautiful presentation, but the two dishes we tried, Pad Ke Mao and Basil Chicken, were a bit dry and lacking in flavor. Basil chicken didn't have very much basil flavor. Pad Ke Mao was very dry. We asked for "spicy" but I would consider it medium. It was our first time dining there. All in all a great experience and they are very open to suggestions on changing the dishes to your liking. We will definitely return when in the area! read more

See all

Loved the whole experience and the flavors. The staff is also very helpful in helping us pick the right dish! Their recommendations were superb! Definitely going to visit this again. read more

Malai Kitchen - Ordered the Panang curry. This is the full dish. It came with a small portion of steamed rice! This was superb! Loved it - Vietnamese Near Me - Southlake, Texas

See all