Walking into the restaurant one would assume that this place is going to focus on the aesthetic aspect rather than the authenticity of their food. False. This beautifully decorated restaurant is in a perfect location right on the corner of the street. There's outdoor seating for you to enjoy the Austin weather but we opted to sit inside because it was a little bit chilly that day. I had to order the two things that drew me in here in the first place: surf clam ceviche and mini rice pancakes. My friends also wanted to try the eggrolls so we go those as well to start with. They tasted as eclectic as they looked. The ceviche was fresh and light but fulfilled the palette. The mini pancakes were savory and comforting. I asked for some lettuce to wrap around it like I remember eating it at my aunt's house. The entree dishes were large and extremely filling. They were all delicious, as we had expected they would be. Drinks were gorgeously crafted and pretty strong. This is a clean, beautifully decorated, authentic tasting place to explore some Southeast Asian cuisine. read more

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Yummo, atypically Thai dishes with a regional twist that are packed with flavor and personality... alongside the garden variety bellwethers like Pad Thai and Curries. Cajun Fried Rice... Shaken Ribeye... are among the favorites. All of their food has always been consistent and delicious. Third party delivery has made enjoying at home, a convenient option. read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Shaken Ribeye - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Okay so, we originally wanted Ramen but of course Ramen tatsu-ya was super busy. So we took a little walk down South Lamar & we walked past Mandala and was like hmmmmm what is this ..... well good thing we inquired because the FOOD WAS A HIT ! Delicious! Wonderful! Fire good as a mug okay. So they were understaffed it was one server (Justin) & 1 Bartender but that had no impact on our service. Justin made sure we were well taken care of. He was running around like crazy,but still very attentive and also super knowledgeable about the menu. He made wonderful recommendations. & gave us a guide on what to order since it was or first time there. We order the pad Thai 10/10 Shaken beef 10/10 the sauce was so flavorful & rich Surf clam ceviche 7/10 the sauce was great but the clam was super chewy Pan fried dumplings 10/10 made with love flavorful Overall. It was a great dining experience I would definitely go back, I need too try the sweet and sour soup. read more

You saved me Mandala! When I was down and out & sick for over a week straight, I ordered the Phô '84 and it was so perfect! It's establishments like these that make South Congress worth writing home about. read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Before - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Ordered delivery from here based on the recommendation of a friend. Apparently we had much worse luck with them than our friends. After placing a $150 order I was disappointed to find the multiple items on our order missing and the meat for the Pho is uncooked. Not sure if that's normal and we're expected to cook the meat ourselves or what but the broth was cold and the meat was raw (or inedible). This was after we waited an extra half hour longer than the original promise time. Never ordering again and I suggest you do the same. read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Raw meat on my pho. If I wanted raw meat I'd go to the store not a restaurant. - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

i was most excited to visit mandala because i saw they had 'mini rice pancakes' on their menu. it's a take on a viet/cambodian dish (banh xeo) that's very nostalgic to me. i was blown away by their version. the flavors and texture was exactly what i expected/wanted. unfortunately, the other dishes fell flat. the pad see ew, pad thai and fried rice were large portions but they tasted bland and charred. we had leftovers but decided not to take it home. our server is not only serving us but bartending and i think possibly cooking? he was the only employee we saw on that saturday afternoon. took a while to get menus, drinks, food and the bill. also, the decor is strange because theres a clash of modern (cool bar) and traditional (the beachy white chairs) furniture. there's also a cluster of plants in the front that awkwardly obstructs the entrance. i'd definitely come back for the rice pancakes but they got a few kinks to work out. read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Mini Rice Pancakes, sooo delicious! - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

The food and service are amazing! I love Mandala's, the food is always delicious and I've always had the best experiences here! The Cajun garlic butter edamame and mini rice pancakes are delectable! I always order the Yellow curry with shrimp, it's one of my favorites! The pad Thai is really good too! read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Cajun garlic butter edamame - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Delicious food and great service. Apps: started with the mini rice pancakes which are interesting - never had them before but tasty! Didn't care for the coconut cream but the other flavors are good. We also ordered the dumplings which are staple. Entrees: Red Curry (slightly spicy) but very tasty, shaking ribeye was not that great but not bad either and the Cajun fried rice - really good! Unlimited rice which is a nice touch bc I've been to plenty of Thai places that charge. Will definitely return! read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Red Curry, Shaking Ribeye, Cajun Fried Rice - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

Mandala has been one of my go-to restaurants for the past few years. Always a great portion size and food hits the spot. Their curry is absolutely fantastic and highly suggest going with the red. Pad Kee Mao is always a super solid choice. It's hit or miss on how spicy it is depending on the day. Sometimes it has a small bite to it, sometimes a fire in your mouth, but my favorite dish outside the curry either way. Pad Thai isn't going to wow you by any means, but it has good flavor, a generous portion and something I continually order on a regular basis. Nice, quiet, comfortable ambiance and they have a great bar area that opens to the patio. Surprised this place isn't as busy every night as it should be read more

Wish I could write a proper review. I arrived at 1:30 Tuesday. Parking was tricky.... Not one soul in the place. Sat for a minute-no one greeted me. Just no one was in sight. Went to RR. Came out, waited another 2-3 minutes. Still no one. My friend who was meeting me was on the phone. She said, Well if no one is eating there and the employees are invisible, then perhaps I should pick you up and we can go elsewhere. Went down the street to Super Thai and had a great meal. Very strange business model. read more

THE RICE MINI PANCAKES WERE A CULINARY MASTERPIECE. It was so crispy but the rice was soft and chewy. The savory flavors were so strong but balanced off with the creaminess of the coconut. It was so delicious omfg. the yellow curry was good too, very flavorful! the cuts were a bit big on the vegetables so not bite size and i wish there was more curry. overall the food on this place is pretty solid and good!!! read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Yellow Curry - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This was the most bland pad Thai I have ever had in my life. I was unable to taste the sauce and definitely didn't feel any heat even though I ordered it spicy. The mango sticky rice was surprisingly good, but not even close to being good enough to make up for the lackluster pad Thai. I would be a fool to consider ever spending money on this again. read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Flavorless Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

I've been here twice and am truly baffled that this restaurant isn't more popular. I had never tried Viet-Cajun before and both visits have been blown away my expectations as a lover of both cuisines individually. The mini rice pancakes are a must, it's like an explosion of creamy coconut flavor in your mouth perfectly pairing with the savory pork flavor The portion sizes for the house specialties are enormous and have a nice variety of ingredients used in them. The Cajun fried rice had a nice little kick and each ingredient complimented the other very well read more

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DoorDash orders in these COVID times. Food came pretty quickly and it was HOT!! We've had this a few times but am just now getting around to a review. Portions are pretty decent sized even if the price is just a touch higher than other places. Food is worth it though. What we've had: Mama Phoung's egg rolls. When hot and crispy - yum. When a little cold. Pop these bad boys into the air fryer for a touch. Comes with a good dipping/fish sauce. Foil lined foam container to prevent the foam from melting. Kudos for this. Pad Kee Mao - chicken - this is fire. No literally fire - it's got a very good kick on this and guaranteed to give your lips a little tingle. If you aren't used to spice - you may want to dial it back a touch. Order fills up a Togo box pretty full. We kept a bit in reserve for the next day. Grilled Pork Chop No 5 & Eggs - marinated grilled pork chop was tasty. Had some nice grill marks. Two over easy eggs sit on a mound of rice. Gooey egg yolk mixed well with the pork chop. Pickled veggies where super pickled which was nice - kinda mild. Packed with a foil sheet so the chop didn't melt the foam. Nice touch. Pad Thai - shrimp - pretty good. Healthy dose of peanuts toss on top. Also full into the container. Tom Yum soup - a cup of this is a pint. It's a reddish Tom yum so you know it's got a kick of chili heat. Pretty good stuff. Leftovers all seemed to reheat well so it's nice to get two meals in one! read more

I was a little worried about coming here due to the past negative reviews, but Mandala exceeded all expectations. Don't listen to those reviews. The service was welcoming and attentive. Our server gave us some suggestions and they were amazing. The top dishes we got were the mini pancakes, Vietnamese chicken curry, 5 spiced stewed beef, and the pad Thai. Super surprised this place didn't have a wait. It's a great place to come to for dinner on a weekend night knowing there won't be a long wait. Highly recommend! read more

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My partner and I wanted to grab dinner before watching a movie at the Alamao so we came here. Originally, I was against the idea because I had ordered Mandala on Doordash and did not enjoy it. However, I was pleasantly surprised by our experience and will be back! We had the tofu spring rolls and the pad ke mao which were absolutely delicious. However, the real star of the show were the cocktails. We had the mojito and margarita and they were heavenly. Probably one of the best drinks I've ever had! Shoutout to the bartender read more

The ceviche was refreshing and the crispy rice pie were amazing! If you're in the area, definitely skip Elizabeth Street Cafe and come here instead for unique and delicious Vietnamese food. Q's Pina Colada was yummy and came topped with a fresh flower. Our waiter was attentive and personable which made the dining experience even more enjoyable. Plenty of outdoor seating and great location to people watch! read more

This place moved up to #1 on our Thai food list. Crazy good service and crazy good food. Pork Chop & pad thai was the move. Cecil, our waiter, was so kind to us. He even brought water and a treat to our dog! 6/5 stars from us. read more

The Mango Sticky Rice is incredible - I order it for takeout all the time! I can't wait to try more items on the menu & go for dine in.

I've decided to give Mandala another chance for dinner. It's definitely good but is a much higher price point than needs to be in my opinion. The portions are decent sized and flavorful and leaned mostly toward the sweeter side of the spectrum! On the bright side -- parking was easy in the garage, staff with quick, kind, and attentive, and the Thai Tea was a favorite! We didn't find the drinks very balanced though read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

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My friend and I were excited to visit this high-end Thai/Vietnam restaurant in the bougie South Lamar shopping district. My friend and I ordered 3 items. The menu was rather clunky since we both saw different listings. The clam cerviche is so-so, the clams rather flavorless against a vinaigrette too sharp. The appetizer rice cake was incredible. The coconut milk against a umami meat taste is so pleasing. The both crispiness and smoothness of the rice cake only added to its awesomeness. The clam curry is also good, though overpriced. We got a generous portion of clams against a well seasoned sauce. Though the curry was accompanied by 2 toasts, we were disappointed that rice was an additional $2 read more

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We stopped by here fairly early on a Sunday afternoon despite the area looking seemingly empty. After seating us, our server did a fantastic job explaining many of the dishes on the menu and giving recommendations for what we would like. Many options made it hard to narrow down, but the mini rice pancakes seemed like a unique item to choose, and they really did live up to the expectations I set! The mixture of shrimp and pork on pillowy pancakes and topped with a coconut cream that was not too overpowering provided the perfect balance on sweet and savory. The Vietnamese curry was a solid choice, and I especially loved how tender the chicken was, as it fell apart easily into the sauce. My partner got the shaken ribeye and he was extremely pleased with his dish as well, for a more protein heavy option that was still filled with a number of complex flavors. While the restaurant was empty due to it being fairly easy, we enjoyed where we were seated. The restaurants interior and exterior make it a great place for both a quick sit down lunch or a for a more special occasion. Would recommend this place to anyone looking for food on south Lamar! read more

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Omg!!! I don't even know what to say. The food is just spectacular!!! So good guys!!! Keep it up!!! The crispy rice is the best I have ever had. And I'm from vietnam. read more

First time here, first time in Austin, TX. I found this place on Yelp! Wanted to try something outside of traditional Thai cuisine. The service was okay, not the best but the food was fantastic! Highly suggest ordering "Surfer Clams Ceviche" I love the taste, presentation so much that I will be going back to this place on my next business trip. read more

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I looked this place up on Yelp and really enjoyed what I saw for the menu. My mom, sister, and I went for dinner and we're not disappointed. First of all, Justin is amazing. He was managing all of the guests on his own and still managed to check on us several times. Although we could tell he could use some help, he was a total rockstar during the whole experience which really made it nice for us. We ordered the chicken wings because we saw another guest eating them and they smelled delicious. WOW! I have to say these are some of the best wings I've had. Justin recommended the basil fried rice. We added shrimp. That was so delicious! But mom was craving crawfish so we tried to save some room. You get 2 lbs of crawfish for $22 and if you order 4 lbs you get the 5th pound free so why not? We did it! Overall, this was such a good experience, we will definitely be back! read more

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Mandala is a cool Southeast Asian fusion restaurant in their soft opening phase. It's hard to pin down a specific focus on the menu - there's curries, Viet-Cajun crawfish, several steak options - but that's probably more of an asset than a liability. By acknowledging its diversity and blending of cultures, it doesn't need to be judged against the authenticity level of traditional Thai or Vietnamese joints. They were happy to accommodate our party of six at last minute's notice on Saturday evening - though, it was outside, which was comfy but a little loud. Two friends and I split the Saigon's sausage, the pineapple-tamarind fish, and the mango sticky rice. The sausage appetizer had the right seasonings and strong lemongrass flavor to be traditional, but was less springy and smooth than we expected. The fish was sweet and tangy, and thankfully came with a large bowl of rice - a good choice if you like dishes such as sweet and sour pork. The mango sticky rice was definitely the most successful of the three, with the perfectly ripe mango resting harmoniously atop the creamy, coconutty rice. I had a little bit of my friend's pad kee mao but didn't enjoy it - it didn't have that flash-fire sear and smokiness that makes you go back for another bite. The house specialties are pricier ($18-28) but it's not difficult to build a more affordable meal from the appetizers, curries, and rice/noodle dishes. Overall, I'm supportive of Mandala's culinary mission and appreciate how they've crafted their menu - give them a try next time you get out of Alamo. read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

I went to Mandala's with a friend Saturday night. Our waitress-Bella was great. The food was yummy & we saved room for dessert. The chocolate cake was awesome but the coconut ice cream was to die for. I'll be headed back there soon. read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Dessert - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

We came here for lunch. Delicious food. Generous portions. Fast service. Quite environment. What we got: - Mini Rice Pancakes: Vietnamese "banh khot." I would return for this appetizer alone. The rice cake is soft inside, crunchy outside, the middle is melted with charred ground pork, small shrimp, topped with coconut milk and a splash of fish sauce. Perfect for 2-3 people. - Pad See Ew: got it with chicken and tofu. Simply done and simply fantastic. The flat rice noodle was so well cooked on the wok that it tastes good even by itself. - Cajun fried rice: crawfish was small but there was plenty of them, as well as sausage. The rice was charred fried leaving a smoking fragrance to the over all dish. Yigit was our server. Super friendly and nice guy. We would definitely come back to try other dishes on the menu next time. read more

Fast, alright quality, and a better lunch than fast-food, wings, etc. especially when you order from the lunch menu. Service is ALWAYS super fast and for the price and speed, you can't really ask for a nicer venue. The restaurant is clean, the kitchen is visible and tidy, and the restrooms are clean. I used the run a galley on a Navy ship serving 2,400 people, 4 meals a day, 7 days a week, and I am impressed by their operation. read more

I got the rice cakes here which were a bit on the dry side. The crawfish was actually quite fresh but I didn't really taste the Viet portion of the Viet Cajun spices and it was just more semi-Cajun spicy. read more

We didn't feel enough to cook for Christmas so looked around to see what happened to be open and this resutruant was one of a few options. Placed a take out order through the app that is linked on thier site while knowing that the wait time will be long considering it was the holiday. Arrived a little later than the estimated puck up time and discovered that our order was never put into the que to be cooked! Apparently they don't receive notifications when an order is placed in the app and they never check! Basically it was up to us to call in and tell them that we placed the order on the app, and how where we supposed to know that!? So it ended up taking an extra 45 minutes to get our order ready. Staff was indifferent to the situation and we were not the only ones that had their orders delayed. I get the staffing shortage issues can cause bumps in service, but there was no contingency plan put in place by the owner about the issues with the app and the super busy holiday rush. Now on to the food... Sub Par. Ordered the PAD KEE MAO and on the menu it did not indicate what the spice level was so we just assumed it will be mild at most. BOY THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. The flavor of the dish is SPICY and nothing else! Now I love me some spice, but if all I can taste is spice and nothing else and feels like torture to eat then no thank you. I like complex flavors in my food, and did not find it here. To sum it up, bad service, bad food. read more

I've ordered ubereats here twice so can only speak to the food I got the red curry w shrimp - amazing flavor and fresh ingredients Red curry with chicken - amazing flavor and delicious Pad Thai - meh it was ok Coconut lover - definitely properly named. Delicious Clam ceviche - clams were really dry. Flavor of the sauce was amazing Mini pancakes - lacking salt, but good crunch Overall will be ordering from here again because the flavors are so amazing. read more

Legit Thai food in South Austin! Have been here several times now, mostly for takeout (available late!) and one for dine-in with a party of 11. Everything I've had was delicious, and everyone in our large party was really happy with their food. I like that they also have a full bar and some really nice cocktails! One word of caution, sometimes the dining room closes early if they're having quiet night, but takeout will still stay open. So if you're trying to go late, it's a good idea to call ahead. read more

Great staff, awesome location, good food. Depending on what you get, the food can be pretty yummy. The red curry is great, though definitely not very spicy. The pad kee mao wasn't my favorite but still decent. It's a bit pricey but that's expected given the location and attentative staff. Overall, I wouldn't go here for the food but more for the ambiance, particularly if you're in the area! read more

I came here with two others for dinner and it was a lovely experience! The restaurant had a very pleasant atmosphere, the place felt well-maintained and clean, and the service we received was impeccable. Our server was very attuned to our needs and helped us make great choices for our food. I got the Cajun Fried Rice while my friends got the Viet-Cajun Crawfish and the Vietnamese Chicken Curry. The prices are on the higher side but we definitely had enough to take home as leftovers. All-in-all, I would definitely come back here again as I had such a great time eating delicious food with great friends in this lovely restaurant. read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Cajun Fried Rice (below) + Vietnamese Curry Chicken (above) - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

I got takeout here and ordered the pho, save your money way overpriced and probably the most bland broth I have tried in austin. My meat came raw and the broth was too cold that the meat didn't cook in it, I had to cook it separately on the stove I expected more for such an overpriced bowl of pho, maybe their other dishes are better. read more

I got the pad kee mao with tofu made vegan (I think they had to change the sauce to make it vegan). It tasted really good and the portion was pretty big too but I wish there was more noodles compared to veggies (felt like the ratio was a bit off). Very pricey tho so I prolly wouldn't come here very often! read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Pad Kee Mao with tofu - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

Walked in this place no one greeting us I have to ask if they already close since I was totally ignored for a while. Came in 2 person ordered appetizer and 2 main whole fish and Pad See Ew with a bottle of Sake. Sake came out un cold. Ordered two other cocktails instead. I still want to have cocktails so asked server if they can put it in ice bucket they said NO because OWNER already put FINGER inside the Sake and said it was cold. So we are not allow to order a bottle of Sake because the first bottle make them lost already 45$. We end up paid 86$ and trash all the food there and left due to horrible service at this place. Who know what else they put finger in. They would have get way more $ today serving us the right way and more $ to get customer return. Worse experience in Austin so far. read more

Mandala Kitchen & Bar - Just left all these food because of bad service - Thai Near Me - Austin, Texas

I haven't spent much time exploring this area near the alamo drafthouse south lamar since it has been built up so much. It seems like there are lots of great restaurants in this area and it was difficulty not to get distracted by all the other options! Luckily, we decided to stick with our original destination, Mandala. I'd recommend parking in the alamo parking lot because it is free and covered. We had the mini rice pankcakes and fried rice pie for appetizers. These apps were the highlight of the meal! So delicious and great for sharing. For mains, we had pad kee mao and 5 spice beef dish. These were also both excellent but we were already full from apps and the portions were huge! I am really excited to eat my leftovers for lunch today! There were plenty of other items on the menu that i'd like to try so will have to come back another time! read more

Dare I say it. No, double dare I say...the Vietnamese Chicken Curry is the most delicious curry dish that has ever graced these lips. Now, I'm not an extensive curry connoisseur, but this one was outer space level good. I asked the server what the difference was between the Vietnamese version and the Thai (regular) version on the menu and he said, it's more of the latter. And for some reason I understood that and he was spot on. He was referring to the chicken vs the curry. It's more of a stew than a curry dish that has chicken in it. There were huge chunks of both white and dark meat (boneless) wading in a curry sauce over a crispy coconut rice patty. While a hefty dish, not having the rice on the side had me walking out feeling satisfied but not overstuffed. Chicken dumplings were fine. Garlic chili edamame was a great starter and they didn't skimp on the garlic or chili! read more

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