After dining at some other Thai restaurants, it really made me appreciate how good Manaao Thai is! I made sure to join the Yelp waitlist before heading over, and my table was ready by the time I arrived for a late lunch. Their new space is much larger, which makes for a better dining experience because the tables aren't crammed so close together. I ordered the pad see ew with shrimp (which was the same price as getting pork, beef, squid or tofu as the protein). There were only four shrimps, but they were good quality and very tasty. My husband's fish curry with rice vermicelli was quite flavorful and packed a little bit of heat. The curry here is so much better than what you get at your average Thai restaurant. Maybe it was because I was dining on the later side, but service was very attentive and I did not feel rushed at all. I'm eagerly awaiting their second location at the Irvine Spectrum! read more

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Some reviews practically write themselves. This is one of those reviews. Fellow Yelpers reported that Manaao Thai Comfort Food is among the very best Thai food places be had anywhere, so off I went. I ordered The Pad Thai with beef. It was great and very generously portioned. It's easily enough for two or as a second meal the next day. I washed it down with an order of Thai Iced Tea, which likewise was great. The prices are very reasonable. Ambiance wise, it's a nice, modern place that is quite roomy. The service was great throughout the meal. I would say friendly and on the ball. Cheers! read more

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The upscale atmosphere, the ribeye gravy noodles, braised pork, and squid pad Thai was an exquisite experience and definitely a place to go for a romantic evening. The prices were decent for Michelin rated food and service was excellent. Would come back again read more

I was hesitant to try this place due to the long wait that I always see, but this place definitely lives up to its expectations when it comes to its food. And this is coming from someone who usually refuses to wait more than an hour for a restaurant. We were seated and the inside was bustling due to it always being a full house on the weekends. In terms of the food itself, we opted for the Khao Soi, Crab Fried Rice, and Pad Thai. The Khao Soi had a fantastic curry with a deep and rich flavor, and the noodles were cooked perfectly. The Pad Thai had a perfect mixture of sweet, sour, and umami. It might be the best Pad Thai I've had in Orange County. The Crab Fried Rice was great and had plenty of crab. In terms of price and portion, they're fantastic. The prices may look a little higher than you're used to for the dishes you see, but they all probably serve 1.5-2 people so you can share everything if you want. All in all, if I'm ever craving authentic Thai food and am willing to wait 1-2 hours for seating, then I'm coming here. read more

Manaao - "Khao Soi Noodle with Braised Beef" - Khao Soi Neua - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

Food is always amazing here! This time, I got the crying tiger, Khao soi noodle, rad nah and chu chee curry. The first time I got Khao soi, I couldn't enjoy it since it was so spicy. However, they were able to adjust the spice level this time and I got to enjoy the noodles! The chu chee curry is so unique, great flavor and great crispy texture of the fish. Service is great as well. The servers are always friendly and open to answering any questions we have about the dish. Ambiance was good, the relocation to this new place definitely makes the restaurant feel more inviting with a warm ambiance. Highly recommend! read more

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Wow, Manaao, definitely One of the Best Thai Spots I've Had in Recent Years Ambiance (4/5) Casual and fast paced. The remodel looks great after they moved into this bigger space. It is not really the kind of place where you would sit and linger over a long meal, but perfect for a quick and satisfying bite. Service (3/5) Service was minimal during our visit. The server barely came by to refill our water, which was a bit disappointing. Food (5/5) The food is what will bring me back. -Khao Soi (5/5): The best I have had. Rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. -Panang Braised Beef (5/5): Super tender and flavorful. Unlike many Thai places that use lower grade chewy beef, this was melt in your mouth good. -Pork Jowl (4/5): Very flavorful with the sauce, but it can feel heavy after a few bites. Best to share with at least three people. -Chicken Skin (3/5): It was not served hot, which made it less enjoyable. It would be much better fresh and hot. Overall Manaao hits the mark with its food. I am hoping for better service next time, but I will definitely be back. Tip: No reservations, but you can get on the waitlist through Yelp. read more

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I'm so disappointed by this spot, we came around 4:55pm to join the waitlist for dinner. I didn't realize you can join the waitlist via Yelp, be sure to do that if you want to eat here. The wait was estimated to be 47 mins, so we decided to head down the street. When our table was almost ready, we got a text then another one that it was ready. When we on our way back, it wasn't even 5 minutes but we got a text that our name was removed from the waitlist. I had to call the restaurant three times and let them know that we were on our way and that there was a mistake of removing us. It's frustrating because we waited longer than the Yelp eta and they listed that customers have a 10 min grace period to arrive. The wait in total was 1.5 hr, be prepared to wait if you want to go here. The Pad See Ew is one of the best that I've had. It was perfectly cooked and there was a good balance of ingredients. I don't recommend the Crispy Pork, it was on the dry side. The Khao Soi and Thai Tea were average, nothing that stood out to me. read more

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I was so blessed to have come across this place and visit with friends. I was blessed with the following foods *Pad Thai with crisp pork belly * "Panang Curry" Gaeng Penang * "Drunken Noodle" Pad Kee Mao * "Khao Soi Noodle with Braised Beef" - Khao Soi Neua These particular foods were chosen in consideration of finding the right balance of meat, noodles, and soup. This may be the best combination of foods yet. The meats are tender. The broth is warming to the soul. The spices are well-mixed with the richness of the sauces offered. Please get the crispy pork. The service was kind, attentive, and able to show great compassion in spite of the busyness! This place has earned a reputation of serving high quality foods along with high quality service. Everything is maintained to a lovely standard of cleanliness and presentation. There was intentionality put into the plating of the foods and the lighting of each tables. The utensils also were not the usual 'dining' utensils. The whole experience was a gift I will cherish for years to come!!! God bless you all! I'm glad for the friends who have made each food. Please take your friends here. read more

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Good service and amazing food! Their pad thai and pad see ew has great flavor. A bit surprised they don't offer any chicken alternatives so we opted for pork and tofu. We also got the roti with green curry and the appetizer sausage. Everything had great flavor and arrived quickly to our table. The wait was a bit long for Saturday night but worth it! read more

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We came at around 4:30pm on a Saturday and there was already a queue on the Yelp waitlist. We waited until 5:30pm to get seated for a table of 4 and by that point the waitlist had closed. I recommend coming early and even then you still might have a bit of a wait. If you're putting your name on the waitlist at 5pm for dinner I would probably turn away and find something else because it will be a long wait. We ordered the following: fried chicken wings ($13), spicy crispy soft shell crab ($17), northern sausage ($15), lao papaya salad with salted crab ($18), khao soi noodle ($20), Thai boat noodles with braised short rib ($42), pad see ew with crispy pork belly ($21), and crab fried rice ($24). I also ordered the Thai iced green tea ($6) which I really enjoyed. Of everything we ordered my favorites were the crab fried rice, the khao soi, and the braised short rib. I also liked the fried chicken wings and the soft shell crab. We ordered everything at mild spice but I didn't think it was that spicy for me. I usually don't go to medium but wouldn't have minded here to get the extra kick I was hoping for. Despite the long lines and running around the staff was nice and friendly. I also liked the lime decor everywhere from the walls to the staff's shirts. read more

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The grilled squid was served raw. I took one bite, left it there, and ended up taking it home to cook properly myself. The Pad See Ew was overly salty, and the pork was neither crispy nor flavorful--it was dry, plain, and difficult to chew. The steak was also a huge disappointment and definitely not worth the price. It was undercooked, chewy, and tasted like a low-quality knockoff steak. The soft-shell crab dish was extremely salty, to the point that it tasted like ocean water. Overall, it was a disappointing experience. We arrived at 7:05 PM and waited until around 8:20 PM to be seated. After such a long wait, the food was a major letdown and did not meet expectations. The only dishes we genuinely enjoyed were the prawn Pad Thai and the curry served with roti bread. Those were flavorful and stood out as the highlights of the meal, but unfortunately, they were not enough to make up for the long wait and the overall poor quality of the other dishes. read more

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Enjoy Visits To Manaao Thai Comfort Food!! Nice Ambiance & Nice Decor!! Friendly Staff!! This Place Is Busy, Line & Wait Always Efficient!! Decided To Stop In For Lunch, Joined The Waitlist & Was Seated Promptly!! Great Extensive Menu, So Many Food Items To Try During Visits!! Ordered The Pork Rad Nah Paired With A Thai Ice Green Tea!! Good Lunch!! Ended With Mango Sticky Rice!! Good Service!! Server Was Attentive & Courteous!! Will Return For Future Visits & Try Other Menu Items & Desserts!! ThankU read more

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The Khao Soi was the best dish! The pad Thai was also good, more on the saucy side. Service was really good and attentive. We went around opening time so not too crowded. read more

Manaao - Crying Tiger - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

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Came here for a Monday night dinner. Joined the waitlist on yelp at 6:36pm and the table was ready at 7:29pm. The wait time was a little less than an hour. They recently changed locations to a bigger spot in the same plaza. The inside was spacious and the walls were decorated with limes. What I ordered: Longan Juice Super yummy. You will like it if you like longan. It's sweet and refreshing. It also came with quite a lot of longan. Ground Rib-eye Beef Gravy Noodle Had a smokey, meaty flavor. I enjoyed it. It was a pretty big dish, so I would recommend sharing it or plan to bring it home. Manaao Pork Jowl Delicious and tender. The pork had a strong lime flavor, which I liked. It has a bit of spice but nothing crazy. Green Curry Rib-eye with Roti The roti was good and great with the curry. The ribeye was nice and tender. Overall, I enjoyed my meal, but wish the wait wasn't so long. I hope they will open their Irvine Spectrum location soon. read more

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Great Ambiance, has a nice vibes, big plus on the lighting and setting are great shows. Service personnel they can be great only if they feel like it, they all have their own personality. Lots of variety you can get from the menu but some are hit & miss. read more

Gets very busy here but for valid reason. Food is amazing here and service tends to be prompt. A lively vibe since it's usually packed! read more

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We stumbled across this spot while exploring locally and had to check it out after seeing all the positive reviews. It's a beautifully decorated Thai restaurant, all thoughtfully put together. We walked in and were seated right away, though to be fair, we came during an off-hour before the dinner rush. The menu is a pretty good size with plenty of offerings, but since we'd had a late lunch, we only tried a few things this round: * Kao Soy with Braised Beef - 4/5 - I believe this is one of the dishes we kept seeing rave reviews about, so we had to try it. It was super creamy and rich, almost curry-like. The flavor was deep and layered, and we ended up ordering a side of rice just to soak up the rest of the sauce. * Crab Fried Rice - 5/5 - Packed with crab and delicately fried. It was perfectly seasoned and honestly one of the better versions I've had. * Pad Thai with Crispy Pork Belly - 4/5 - I've never seen Pad Thai with pork belly before, and it worked well. I'm surprised other Thai places don't have this as an option. Pork was light and crispy, noodles were delightful. I'm already planning to come back so I can dive deeper into the menu. read more

My favorite dish here is the Khao Soi Noodles with soft-shell crab. I ordered it medium spicy, and it was quite spicy. I asked for the soft-shell crab to be served on a separate plate instead of in the broth so I could enjoy it extra crispy. This dish really satisfies all the senses--it has crispy noodle toppings, silky egg noodles, and a creamy yellow curry-flavored broth. The flavors are sweet, sour, salty, and spicy, with a wonderful complexity. The Chu Chee Curry with Fried Catfish Fillet is also excellent and very hearty. We went as a group of eight, and everyone loved their dishes. The restaurant is very small, and the wait is always long even on weekdays before peak hours, so be sure to join the waitlist ahead of time. read more

Manaao - Chu Chee Curry with Fried Catfish Filet - "Chu Chee Pla-duk Tod Grob" - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

Part 2 of Agatha's bday food crawl. It's her first time in America so she wanted to try some of our favorite spots. We went here cause it's currently one of my favorite Thai places. Got a crap ton of food and it was all good per usual. Happy bday agatha! read more

Manaao - Agatha - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

I wasn't as impressed with Manaao as most here it seems. I got to try the soft shell crab, grilled pork jowl and the green curry ribeye with roti. The first dish was the soft shell crab and I thought it was pretty decent. The grilled pork jowl while not bad, I thought could be more interesting. Taste wise, it's quite plain and they want you to rely on using the sauce but I don't know, I didn't find the sauce all that complementary. And lastly, the green curry ribeye with roti, this one was puzzling. While the roti was perfect and delicious, the ribeye meat that they put in the curry was way too tough. It was a waste of ribeye meat to cook it like this. Big disappointment, considering how much it cost. Overall, I think there are many places with better Thai food than Manaao and provides a better value while not having the long wait. read more

Really good food, recommend the crying tiger and green curry with beef. Drink menu is interesting because they have Thai beers, Thai themed cocktails. Feels refreshing. Line is always long though read more

This is my daughter's favorite Thai restaurant when she's in OC, so she wanted to introduce it to me. Man oh man, the food was amazing! We ordered the Khao Soi Noodle and Drunken Noodle with Shrimp to share. I highly recommend both dishes! The food was amazing, the staff friendly, and the ambiance inviting. read more

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We were the first to arrive when they opened at 4:30 pm but stayed in the car while we waited. At around 4:20, customers started coming so we joined the line to the 3rd party to go in. There were 11 and of us adults 3 young kids. We were celebrating our grandson's college graduation. The restaurant has a pleasant ambiance with a clean refreshing look. They have a pretty extensive menu and can be overwhelming. We were seated as soon as they have arranged the tables. The servers gave us ample time to review the menu with rush despite of the long line outside the restaurant. We decided to get 2 orders of each of the following: Crab fried rice, green beef curry with roti, Tom yung gung with shrimps, morning glory with crispy pork, flying tiger and pad si sieu. The crab fried rice was a notch down from being delicious. It needed a tad of salt and pepper, maybe a bit of soy sauce or Knor seasoning and chives. It came with a tangy green sauce which enhanced the under seasoning. The green beef curry with side of Roti bread is fantastic and my favorite. Also, the Tom yung shrimp soup was so delicious that I didn't mind the spicy spike. The morning glory was perfectly blanched, sautéed and seasoned with crispy pork belly. The Flying Tiger beef steaks were too bland for me and lastly, the Pad see ew with beef just okay. I've had better ones at other Thai resto. We ordered too much for our party. I gave them 5 star because we enjoyed majority of the food and the service was good! We were fully satisfied and highly recommend this place for those who are craving for Thai food. read more

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Very popular Thai restaurant in Tustin. No reservations, waitlist only. Every table was full with people enjoying their food. I had ordered takeout and my large order was ready in 20 minutes. Service was friendly when I arrived and I was struck by how good it smelled inside. My order was carefully packaged with soups and fried items packaged separately. Food was good but I bet even better fresh at the restaurant. read more

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Manaao must have gotten a fantastic review out there in foodie world because they have a line forming at the door way before opening! The restaurant interior is really nice and clean with lots of lime-themed decor (apparently "manaao" is Thai for lime). Even tho they're busy, everyone from the hostess to the wait staff is friendly and helpful. Came the first time on the recommendation of a friend. Came back because it is THAT good! I'm brand new to Thai food, so exploring new dishes has been fun. Although I'm still trying all the Thai food that I've missed out on my whole life, my top faves so far are: DRINK: Thai green iced tea ~ crave-worthy! APPETIZER: chicken sate ~ juicy dark meat chicken with a delicious peanut dipping sauce MAIN DISH: green curry with beef rib eye and roti ~ roti was perfect to dip into the curry. I ended up getting a side of rice which really tied everything together nicely. DESSERT: I've been too full to actually order dessert, but I'm looking forward to exploring some of their sweet offerings soon. read more

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I've been wanting to come here for soo long and so happy I finally did. The green curry was the best I've ever had and even better with rice! Khao soi is always a top Thai dish for me and they did it justice here at Manaao. There's a hefty amount of chicken in there and the curry is just perfectly spicy. The garlic pepper pork was also super flavorful and went well with the other dishes. We even got an extra side of rice to eat with the leftover curries and sauces because they were that good! I want to come back again and again to try everything on the menu because everything looked so delicious. We also went at 6 PM on a Tuesday and there was only a 10 minute wait which was surprising and amazing to hear. read more

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Not your typical Thai takeout situation. You know the kind -- plastic containers, mystery sauces, and pad Thai that somehow tastes the same everywhere. This place is the opposite. Everything here tastes fresh, vibrant, and like someone in the kitchen actually cares about what they're cooking. We started with the fried chicken wings and fried chicken skins, which honestly should come with a warning label. The wings were crispy, juicy, and perfectly seasoned, but the chicken skins... wow. Light, crunchy, salty little sheets of happiness. Whoever decided frying chicken skin was a good idea deserves a standing ovation. Then came the grilled giant river prawn, which looked like it might climb off the plate and start a fight. It was massive, smoky from the grill, sweet, and incredibly tender. One of those dishes you pause and admire for a second before diving in. The crab fried rice was another standout -- fluffy, fragrant, and packed with real crab. Not the sad little decorative flakes you sometimes get. It already tasted great on its own, but once you add the dipping sauce, it takes the whole dish to another level. Suddenly the flavors pop and every bite becomes addictive. The pad Thai was comforting and balanced without being overly sweet -- just a solid, satisfying version of the classic. The mussels were simple but brilliant. No heavy sauce drowning them. Instead, you dip them into this insanely delicious sauce that's bright, tangy, and addictive. Honestly, the dipping sauces here deserve their own fan club. They somehow make everything taste even better. At some point you'll start dipping things that probably weren't meant to be dipped... and you won't regret it. The space itself is lively and welcoming -- as bright as the sauces they serve, which feels perfectly on brand for the food. A quick tip: come early. They don't take reservations, and if you show up later you will probably be waiting for a table. The good news is the service is attentive and A+, which makes the whole experience even better. Final verdict: Fresh ingredients, big flavors, and dipping sauces so good you'll think about them later that night. read more

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The food was amazing!! The service was great and the environment was a vibe! 10/10 would and will come back! read more

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Brought out of town friends to try this restaurant and they really enjoyed it. I arrived at 5:15pm to get on the waitlist, and it actually wasn't a long wait at all. However we noticed the line got really long by around 5:30pm. The food was delicious. We tried a few new dishes this time and all of them were very good. The spicy spare ribs showed 3 but it actually wasn't that spicy in my opinion. It was similar spicy to my papaya salad that I ordered mild. We actually liked that dish quite a bit, and glad we dared to order despite the spicy warnings. Catfish is always yummy, and you can't go wrong with papaya salad. The satay chicken was surprisingly tender and very good, too. Service was attentive and the restaurant was well lit and tables and seats were comfortable. read more

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Parking spaces are limited, but there's plenty of street parking in neighborhoods. I didn't waitlist on Yelp before I left, and I'd recommend doing that 'cause it does get packed. Once I arrived, I waitlisted using their ipad at the front of their restaurant and it was about an hour wait. If you waitlist via the mobile app, you may not need to wait that long when you arrive, but keep in mind they do close the mobile app waitlist sometimes. The restaurant is decently sized and I ordered the Crispy Pork Belly to share and Khao Soi Noodle. The Crispy Pork Belly was very crispy indeed and delicious with the sauce they provided. It does have a small side of salad as well. The Khao Soi Noodle with Braised Beef was so good and not spicy (it was listed as one chili pepper -- so semi-spicy). The yellow curry was so good and very creamy. Everything was delicious! Recommendation(s): - Crispy Pork Belly - Khao Soi Noodle with Braised Beef Service: 5/5 Tip(s): - Waitlist via Yelp app (but they do close the waitlist sometimes) - Restrooms available - Expect one hourish wait (it does get packed) read more

Manaao - "Crispy Pork Belly" Mu Grob and "Khao Soi Noodle with Braised Beef" - Khao Soi Neua - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

I've had this bookmarked for the longest time and couldn't wait to finally try it. It definitely lived up to the hype! I highly recommend adding yourself to the waitlist once you're 5 miles away. The wait can stretch up to 1-2 hours. Parking: Very small lot, parking can be difficult. Ambiance: Beautiful and spacious. DRINKS: - Mango Sticky Rice beer 4/5 - Tom Yum beer 4/5 FOOD: - Crab Fried Rice: 4/5 - Mama Tom Yum Hotpot: 4/5 - A little on the sweeter side. Wish it was more sour and spicy. - Fried Chicken Wings: 5/5 - Fried to perfection. Dry seasoning but wings were meaty and juicy. - Spicy Crispy Soft Shell Crab: 5/5 - One of my favorite dishes of the night. Crispy but also soft and fluffy. I think it may be the same dry rub seasoning that's on the wings. - Grilled Pork Jowl: 5/5 - My 2nd favorite dish of the night. So tender and the green sauce really set it off. - Crying Tiger: 3/5 - Meat was very chewy and lacked in flavor. It was stated as a rib-eye but tasted more along the lines of a sirloin steak. - Drunken Noodles w/ Pork Belly: 4/5 - Pork belly was tender but still crispy on the edges. The noodles had great texture. Only complaint I had was that it didn't come with enough of the sauce/gravy. - Mango Sticky Rice: 4/5 - Can never go wrong with closing out our Thai meal with this dish. It always hits. The infused pandan was a nice touch on the rice. Wish it was just cooked a bit more on the sticky side. Overall, everything was great! Glad I don't have to travel to LA county for really good Thai food.- read more

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Placed an online order for takeout and was able to pick it up about an hour after placing my order! ~the food~ - Khao Soi Noodle w/ Soft Shell Crabs ($28): This is one of their most popular dishes! This a super rich curry noodle dish (personally, I like to eat it with rice to cut some of the richness!) and the crispy soft shell crabs were great! It's a $6 add on to the $22 Khao Soi dish, but personally, I think it's worth it for the amount of crab they provided! - Crab Fried Rice (Khao Pad Puu) ($24): so good! They use real crab in the dish and I also loved how generous they were with the egg! Super flavorful and the rice was cooked to perfection! - Green Curry with Roti (Gaeng Kiew Wan Roti) ($22): Also really enjoyed this dish! Loved that this green curry dish had strong flavors and the roti paired really well with it! - Pad See Ew ($19): this was potentially the favorite dish of the order for us! It had a super nice smoky flavor, a slight sweetness to balance out the spiciness of the dish! Beef was very tender and the noodles had a nice chew to them! ~parking~ Definitely tough parking! Seems like many cars were struggling to find parking since the plaza is quite small! ~overall~ The ambiance of the place seemed nice and casual, so definitely would love to try dining in once, but I know the waitlist can get very very long! Takeout was definitely not bad an option tho, so I recommend trying takeout instead if you don't want to deal with their crazy waitlist! I think pricing is pretty reasonable, and personally, felt that they portions (at least for takeout) was pretty generous! We ordered these 4 entrees for 4 people an we definitely had a LOT of leftovers! read more

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First time here having an early dinner with my aunt the ambience and service is great and the food is delicious read more

Manaao - Steam New Zealand muscles - Thai Near Me - Tustin, California

Best Thai I've had, and everyone who's been there who I know of has said nothing but good things about their food. Exceptional is really the word. I'd say order out via online though if you're in a hurry. The wait is sometimes long during meal times and parking can also be crowded. Still worth it. read more

Came here with my family for an early dinner and had a really great overall experience. Everything we ordered from the drinks to the food was delicious. We ordered a few plates to share so we could try a little bit of everything, and every dish was flavorful and well-prepared. The restaurant itself was also very clean, which made the experience even better. The only thing that stood out was the host situation. We arrived early and were the first to sign in, waiting about 30 minutes before opening. Another party that came after us was seated first after being a bit more aggressive and going ahead to sit down. It wasn't a huge issue, but something to be mindful of when managing a waitlist especially for guests who arrived and checked in first. Aside from that, everything else was great and I would definitely come back! read more

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This place was really good! I visited on a Friday night with a party of 3. We were lucky and joined the waitlist right at 5pm on yelp, but we still had to wait over an hour so I'd recommend you check it regularly before they close the waitlist! Parking is really tough but there's a few plazas around if you don't mind walking. Very clean restaurant lots of seating. Lime themed decor lol. we ordered the crab fried rice, chicken Khao soy, crying tiger steak, and pad kra pao moo krob. The crab fried rice was great, we loved the sauce it came with, gave it some acidity. The khao soy was average to me but still good! Crying tiger was good and tender, and I wasn't a fan of the pad kra pao moo krob, but that's just a preference - I usually don't eat pork. Service was alright, it was very busy and our food took a little long to come out. I'd visit again if I'm willing to wait! read more

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Service was smooth overall. We arrived right at opening on a Wednesday (11:00 AM), and there was already a line. After signing up for the waitlist, we were seated by 11:18. Staff checked in a couple of times to refill water and clear the table, and we appreciated that they didn't rush us once we finished eating. We ordered the green curry rib-eye with roti, the softshell crab khao soi, and the chicken wings. The khao soi was the clear standout--absolutely delicious. The softshell crab was perfectly cooked, not over-fried, and full of flavor. The broth struck a nice balance: not too spicy or salty, just a rich, complex flavor bomb. I would come back for this alone. We tried the green curry with roti since it's one of their more popular items, but I didn't find it particularly memorable. The roti itself was good (less greasy than the one I've had at another well-known Thai spot in Costa Mesa) but the curry didn't quite stand out for me. I'd likely skip it next time. As for the chicken wings, they were solid, but again, not exceptional. I personally prefer the sticky wings at another Thai place I've tried nearby. What I appreciated most about Manaao was the fair pricing and the freshness of the ingredients. The flavors felt clean and well-balanced. I'm already looking forward to coming back to try the boat noodles, and definitely getting the khao soi again. read more

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Manaao is known for their Khao soi which won best dish of 2024 in Tustin. There's a wide assortment of Thai food and it's representative of different regions in Thailand. I recommend making a reservation since they can get pretty crowded. The food was all very good and staff were very friendly. I did try the Khao ski and overall it was good but not amazing. read more

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Manaao, one of the few Thai spots with a long wait list that's always worth it! First things first, come early! They often close the wait list hours before closing because they simply can't handle the amount of people despite having a large establishment and very fast workers. The parking lot also gets full so be warned. But trust us, the hype is worth it! Manaao delivers on comfort Thai food that is traditional but also offers options with a modern twist. The dishes are authentic, the ingredients are premium, and you can tell the food is made with love and care. They perfect even the simple things. For example, many places don't even offer morning glory and the ones that do, it's usually tough and not fresh. Manaao's morning glory reminds you of Thailand - the ingredients are fresh, the flavors are bold, the vegetables are soft, chewy, and burst full of flavor. They also nail the more complex dishes. The Khao Soi has creamy and rich texture with a slight kick while enhancing the flavor of the soft shell crab. The only somewhat disappointing dish really is the grilled giant river prawn. Not because it's necessary bad per se but because it just isn't spectacular enough to justify the high price tag when even their regular prawns are already great as is. Have had other premium prawns that were more memorable. The restaurant itself is large, clean, and well managed. The design is modern and inviting. The staff is extremely friendly and efficient. They always checked up on us and made sure to refill our drinks. Overall, if you are looking for comfort Thai food that makes it feel like home cooking while delivering on high quality ingredients, Manaao is a must try! read more

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TTS ! Top Thai Spot Food was excellent, perfectly cooked Ambiance was beautiful and clean Service was professional, maybe a little too professional Be sure to make a reservation via Yelp or you will be waiting, as this spot is popular read more