What a little gem in downtown San Jose! I had a late lunch with my son. We got seated around 1:45PM. It was a sunny day so we got seated outside. The restaurant itself looked so new as if they had finished construction. While we didn't go for happy hour, they had a massive bar inside. We ordered the pad see ew with tofu, and sesame chicken with white rice. It was a good lunch portion and was very tasty. My son works in the area so he has been here before and recommended it. Staff/servers were very nice and accommodating. We closed out our bill and we continued with our lunch date talking and catching up. They let us sit there outside uninterrupted until we were done (and we are SO SO SOOOOO sorry, we were there until 3PM). We had NO IDEA they close at 2PM until dinner time! We were very apologetic on the way out the door but they were saying it was fine. SIGH... No its not fine, I would have expected them tell us they are closing soon and maybe have us take our food order to go. Or closed out our bill and say they need to close to get ready for dinner... My son and I had a great dining experience. Thank you for everything and we have now NOTED your business hours. :D read more

Still serving good Thai food here, and still wish the spice level could be adjusted lol. We ordered a variety of dishes, all of which were full of flavor and cooked perfectly. The pixie wings were nice and crunchy, even better when you get the happy hour deal. I had the khao soi again and loved it; it's like a curry noodle dish with two different types of noodles. Service was fast and friendly. read more

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Awesome Thai Street food. Authentic taste. Tom Yum Goong(Shrimp) with real lemongrass & Kaffir lime flavors. Yummy Pad Kee Mao flat noodles. Pad Prik Moo Krob - Deep fried pork belly with eggplant in a tasty sauce. Thai Scream dessert - Churros with Coconut ice cream is to die for. Cute place, quick service. Absolute must for Thai food lovers. Can walk from Valley Fair mall. read more

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It has been a gamble whenever I dine at Must Be Thai. My very first visit kept me wanting more. The second visit left me flabbergasted- in a negative way. This most recent visit left me pleasantly surprised... and I have discovered my pleasant visits have one common denominator- JOHN!!! Shout out to this young man for being patient, kind, attentive, and very welcoming. My family and I arrived for lunch this past Saturday with 2 other parties already seated. This says a lot since we pretty much arrives shortly after the establishment opened. John immediately greeted and went straight into seating us. We placed our usual order of 2 pad thai made with prawns. This was requested to be "Spicy Spicy". We also added an order of the chicken green curry- made with its default spice level. Food came out piping hot, freshly made, and looking undeniably delicious. Each dish was masterfully made and the kitchen staff deserves recognition for ALWAYS coming through with something consistently tasty. The heat level on the pad thai truly hit the spot with a heat that left you lowkey panting but not wanting to stop. Yes, IT HURT SO GOOD!! 5/5 Stars for this particular visit. Thank you, John for being a great face behind Must Be Thai. Your personable personality truly makes this dining experience enjoyable- other staffers could take a few pointers from you. I'll 100% be back and hopefully we'll be lucky enough to be served by you again!! read more

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One of my favorite Thai spots in the South Bay. Must be Thai is consistent and always hits the spot. Can get busy even on weekday nights. Thankfully they have Yelp waitlist. Favorites: * tom yum fried rice -- love the flavors * crispy fried calamari -- great cuts of squid * panaeng curry * hat yei fried chicken -- super filing and tender! * pad see ew -- great fry! can't go wrong! Staff are attentive! Must be Thai is good for small to medium sized groups. read more

Must be Thai - Tom YUM Fried Rice (back), calamari (right), and Pad See You (front) - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

The first time we came here, we didn't know you could set up a reservation via I! Definitely a game changer! Lol we waited about 30 minutes to eat, but it was packed and everyone's food smelled delicious so we figured it was worth the wait! I love being a foodie, but I have food at allergies too monosodium glutamate/MSG. It's lovely because that's my own cultures food since I'm part Japanese! Lol. I was surprised to see that they actually added MSG to a lot of the sauces here. There was no way to not have the sauce prepared without MSG because the sauces were made ahead of time. So that made me a little sad. Yet the dishes we ordered did not have any added MSG so we got * spicy calamari *Summer roll *Tom Yum soup *Pad Thai with chicken and shrimp Fried Tom, Yum rice All the dishes were delicious and had a really good spice! So spicy I actually had to order a glass of white wine with The southern pad Thai version with a smoked spice. It was too much for me, but my boyfriend could handle it. Lol. Once I ordered the white wine, I didn't realize it would take so long. It was Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc, so a great bottle, but I should've just ordered a Thai beer since that was on tap. The server came back and apologized and said she was having trouble getting the cork off. Lol. I love the murals and the environment here it really reminds me of pictures that I've seen of Thailand! My friends have traveled there, and I love their food and the fact that it's Asian without MSG. There's a beautiful mural along the backside of the wall and a really cute mirror in the bathroom as well. I would love to come back here and eat more dishes!! But next time I will definitely order a Thai beer!! Hee. read more

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Modern Thai. Unfortunately our parents like more traditional Thai dishes so that will limit our return visits. We all LOVED the tom yum fried rice. Dishes we tried - tom kha: listed under their small plates, they recommend a small bowl for 2 people - Panang curry: chicken was tasty - tom yum fried rice: this was our FAVORITE and if we were to return, we would definitely get this again. The calamari was nicely cooked, had large pieces of calamari - pad prik moo krob (roasted pork belly pieces): the pork belly was not crispy enough and therefore ended up just having tough pork belly. This was the most spicy dish out of all of the ones we had. I don't recommend eating the peppercorn if you're not ready for some heat. Wait - they have two tables that are only for groups 4+. There are other tables for groups of 4. We did not wait but we did join the waitlist ahead of time. You do need your entire party there to be seated - they do have 2 tables outdoors under heat lamps Ambiance - casual, nicely decorated inside - they have an indoor space that is on the small side - lighting and noise was ok for our family. We could have a conversation and everyone could hear each other. Lighting was enough even for the elders with cataracts Service - friendly - waiters came by at least 6+ times during the hour we spent there. Not fussy. Just to refill water and clear dishes because the tables are small in the slightly cramped indoor area read more

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The food always flavorful, although it's also too salty for my liking. But they have some great dishes that not every Thai place has, and the staff is super nice. Some portions are teeny tiny, some are okay. Their Tom Kha soup and Penang curry are sooo good! And try the tom yum fried rice. All the salads are delish, too. Definitely salty, but good. Spicy is like a medium at an authentic Thai place, so if you like heat, you can totally choose the Spicy level. For an Asian place, they have decent wine. Put your name down on Yelp waitlist ahead of time, especially if you're dining around 6 or 7. It can get busy! read more

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This is a fantastic spot for Thai that serves both well-known dishes and an exciting array of dishes that were new to me! The menu is laid out by geographic regions, which I thought was a really neat way to showcase the many different cuisines. We started with summer rolls and calamari, both of which were excellent. The summer rolls were fresh and bright, with a delicious peanut sauce that was among the best my sister (a self-described "Peanut Sauce Snob") and I had ever had. The large pieces of calamari were expertly cooked, still very tender even after frying. There was a hint of spice in the calamari dipping sauce that I quite enjoyed. For entrees, we got Pad Thai, Pad See You, and Panang Curry -- all favorites we've had many places (despite the many alluring new-to-me options, I admit we all defaulted to known quantities) -- and we were impressed across the board. Everything was flavorful, had just the right amount of spice, and came out steaming hot. We really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of this restaurant, which felt lively and friendly. It was very busy, with a line out the door by the time we left, so reservations are a good idea! read more

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This place is delicious! Came here for a late Fathers Day lunch and everything was delicious. The wings were so good, we ended up ordering 2. We got the Tom Kha soup, Pad see Yew, a peanut chick dish and basil chicken. SOOOOO GOOD!!! We will be back read more

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This place popped up in my search on Yelp and its interior looked interesting so I resolved to try it A good decision. They have a variety of dishes from different parts of the nation. So I'd rather than have pad Thai I decided to have their southern version of pad Thai. Honestly, it did not seem much different from the usual version in terms of ingredients. Shrimp and scrambled egg. They told me it would be spicy, but it wasn't too spicy . In fact, those of you who read my reviews will know that I always ask if they have the "four condiments" as I like to call them. And they do! So I added a little helping of Thai chilies and fish sauce to my meal. Yum! I also got an order of tofu summer rolls to go. I'll be having those tomorrow! read more

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Solid Thai food tbh but everything was pretty salty I appreciate that they had papaya salad because I don't find it in many Thai places. I liked the flavor, but again very salty The pad see ew was solid but nothing super special. I liked the veggies that it came with. The panang curry was my favorite but I wish it was less salty so i could eat more Came at an off time (2:30pm) so there wasn't any wait :) read more

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Came back with my extended family this time around. My key takeaways this time- *Prices are high especially given that it's a small strip mall restaurant without much of an ambiance. *Portion sizes are tiny given the entrees are ~$25. *Shrimp was over cooked across the dishes we ordered especially in the soup and spring roll. *One of the dishes came with rice and the blob of hot rice came wrapped in plastic. I think it's a common practice in Thailand to use so much plastic for food but I think it's high time people start becoming cognizant to the ill effects of plastic and micro plastic leeching especially when used with hot food. read more

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This is the best Thai I've had and I stop at Thai restaurants a lot. Pad Thai, Pad Kee Mao, Tom Yum soup and their Papaya Salad are all my favorite things to order. The spring rolls are really good too. I'd skip on the Thai Tea, but that's just coming from a tea snob. The wait is long but you can add yourself to the waitlist on Yelp. The restaurant is tiny and not many seats. The seats aren't comfortable and the tables are very close to eachother. The service is okay, sometimes its really good and other times its just alright. They do get busy and it can get overwhelming. I also pick it up to go when I don't feel like waiting for a table. But its frustrating sometimes because they dont always answer their phone. I always come back because, well, its the best Thai Food in town! read more

The restaurant has a beautiful and cozy atmosphere inside, with a few outdoor tables for those who prefer an open-air setting. The staff were attentive, friendly, and served everything quickly. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, with portions that were just right. I recommend ordering a few dishes at a time rather than ordering too much, so you can really take your time and enjoy the flavors of each dish. Overall, a great place to enjoy a good meal! read more

Must be Thai - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

One of my friends recommended this place for thai food and it was very funny considering I bumped into a different friend here. We ordered three dishes and it was more than enough for me. We got the pixel wings, tom kha, and the pad see you. The wings were pretty good and I don't love wings. I wish the tom kha was a bit tangier, it fell flat for me. And the pad see you was also pretty standard. I didn't completely understand the rave for this place. I thought it was good, but not great. Everything was super affordable though, which was a plus. read more

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MUST BE THAI is a fantastic spot for authentic Thai street food. The menu has a great variety of interesting dishes, the service was fast and friendly, and the location is convenient with plenty of free parking. It was the perfect place to relax and recharge after a long flight. I only got to visit during a short vacation in California, but I wish I lived nearby so I could come back often. If I'm ever in California again, MUST BE THAI will definitely be on my must-visit list! read more

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One of my new favorite Thai spots in the South Bay. What sets it apart is the regional variety, east, central, south, you can actually explore beyond the standard menu most places stop at. I couldn't find a single miss. I'd push anyone who comes here to order outside their comfort zone and skip the usual pad thai, pad see ew, yellow curry rotation. That said I couldn't help myself and got the pad thai anyway. Cooked perfectly and had sooo much depth to it. Dishes are on the pricier side but the ambiance and service back it up. I'll def be back. read more

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Had the Thai iced tea, spicy pad kee mow and basil fried rice. Though the basil fried rice was not on the menu they accommodated our request. The food and service were exceptional. The drink was a little too sweet for me personally. As for the ambiance, it could have been better, the metal seat that I had was broken and rusted. read more

Must be Thai - Spicy Thai basil fried rice - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

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While I do think quality has gone down a bit recently it is still enjoyable. Their thai menu offers dishes from all regions of Thailand. Most dishes I have had did not disappoint and the staff always makes sure to bring the dishes out quick for everything to be eaten together. Sad to see quality has gone down a bit. read more

Must be Thai - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

This place is really popular, so maybe I need to come back and order other dishes. For our visit, it wasn't quite to my taste. They'll seat you once the entire party arrives. I think we only *just* beat the rush. We got the menus and it was our first time there. I think the menu organization is a bit confusing. You have to read every single item to try to find a dish you might want to eat because it's sorted by region instead of by protein type. I think it would have been more helpful to have a menu organized by protein or dish type (e.g., chicken or noodles), with symbols for regions or just noting the region in color coded text next to the dish. Honestly, other way around would have been fine too, flag the protein or dish type with text next to it so if you don't eat certain things, you can scan for these right away. The pixie wings appetizer was the best dish when I went, but sadly went downhill from there. The hang leh curry was too sweet and the meat was tough. The panang curry was okay. Ambiance was cozy but a pesky gnat kept hovering around our food. The menu looked so promising with all the regional choices that lent it an air authenticity. I do feel I hold Asian restaurants in a more Asian area to a slightly higher bar. But tough meat is tough meat. I wouldn't mind coming back only because they have such a huge menu that I'm hoping something else tastes as good and our orders were just misses. read more

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Came here on a Wednesday around 6PM and it wasn't busy! We were able to get seated right away. I ordered the panaeng curry w crispy pork and white rice along with thai tea and my friend got the vegetable pad thai. The panaeng curry was flavorful and heavy. It looked small but made me full quite fast. I had to take leftovers. The pork itself was okay it was a bit overcooked :o The thai tea was alright i've had better and it was a bit warm. The vegetable pad thai was perfect. Noodles were chewy and very saucy. I would definitely come back to get this and add a bit more spice as well. read more

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Very slow to get the tables ready and get us seated. There were multiple parties waiting and a few tables were already ready. The servers were just not getting people seated and I don't know why. People were just waiting outside. They could've just let them sit and look at the orders. I don't know what the servers were doing, very slow... food is just ok, just horrible service, will not come again read more

Must be Thai - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

Vegans and Vegetarians BEWARE! I was told the papaya salad could be made vegan by leaving the dried shrimp off. Much to my surprise, I ate a serving only to find dried shrimp on the bottom of the plate. This restaurant can't be trusted to follow dietary restrictions. Thank goodness I was not allergic to shellfish! While the restaurant did comp the salad, it does not negate the seriousness of the situation. read more

YUM! Must Be Thai was great and lived up to the ratings and reviews. I must have been feeling adventurous as I took both my picky child/teen and my picky Asian parents at the same time. Well the risk paid off as all my picky family members enjoyed EVERY dish. Admittedly I am pretty shocked. We ordered: Crispy Fried Calamari: deep fried, chunky tender pieces of calamari that was perfectly portioned for our smaller group Tom Yum Fried Rice: fragrantly fried with a good lemongrass flavor Hat Yai Fried Chicken: light crisp outside and oh so tender and not dry on the inside. Southern Pad Thai: ok Must Be Thai. You get us. This is the first place to live up to my family's level of spice. There is a reason it is marked "SS" on the menu representing "Seriously Spicy". Kiddo and I loved it. NSFCP (Not Safe for Canto Parents) however lol. Overall, we really loved the variety of the regional Thai dishes, flavors, and textures. Can't wait to go back. Hoag Me: read more

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Must Be Thai was excellent--one of my new favorite Thai spots in the greater South Bay! We went for an early lunch on a Saturday and I was surprised how packed it was, but I think that's speaks for how great this spot is. We ordered the pad see you with chicken, pad prik moo krob (pork belly), and the tom yum fried rice with shrimp and calamari. First, these were pretty big portions; three main dishes was great to share because we didn't eat breakfast and were starving, but it's certainly not necessary. Second, I thought the proportions of protein in the dish were sufficient (sometimes I feel like places skimp on the added chicken, for example). And third, everything was so flavorful! I particularly loved the fried rice, but even my boyfriend, who doesn't love pork belly, really enjoyed the pad prik moo krob. There was a good balance of spice in each dish too--you could feel the heat but not too much. As far as ambiance, the restaurant was small and quite busy when we went, but not uncomfortable. It's definitely more casual for a lunch or weeknight dinner than a date night, in my opinion. The food was out quick and the service was attentive, but they also didn't need to do a whole lot other than take our order once and bring out the food. Lastly, I like the variety of regions represented on the menu. Definitely want to come back to try other plates! read more

Must be Thai - Pad See You - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

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I'm surprised there is no review from me for Must Be Thai! I have been bringing the family here for at least 2 years. I'm like totally flabbergasted, rn! Frfr! Nevertheless, let's get into it. First and ultimately, I love a business that makes iT their business to cater to the community they're in! We normally visit for Happy Hour and enjoy their pixel wings and shrimp spring rolls, both a great value. Our go to that is not part of Happy Hour is the Tom Yum soup, always fresh, always delicious, and also a very good price. The service is always fast and efficient. I love the interior decor. It's a bit tight, but very intimate. read more

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4.5 One of my new fav Thai restaurants now!! The Penang curry was excellent!! The sauce was creamy and thick with super thin chicken breast slices in it. Definitely a must have if you like Thai curry. The beef Pad kee meo was excellent also. Noodles were cooked perfectly and beef was super thin sliced as well. The Tom yum soup was meh for me. Only because it was really tomato flavored. Every Thai place makes it differently and they chose to go heavy on the tomato flavor. It was good, but not what i want in a Tom yum soup. The saving grace was that it was extremely reasonably priced. It was eight dollars and enough for 4 people to have a bowl each with some left over. I also got the Phad fuqthong. This was excellent. The ingredients were fresh and the dish was perfectly seasoned. Overall, the service was good and the environment was lively. Will definitely go back. read more

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While we enjoy the food here, the waitlist especially the yelp estimate is totally off. We put our name on the waitlist before we got to the restaurant- wait time was 16-30 minutes. We were given a time when we would be seated. 45 minutes later we are still waiting to be seated and the restaurant is closing in 30 minutes! I had checked in with the staff and they assured me that we would be seated and served. This is the second time we've been here where the estimated wait time was way off!! Finally got seated and we ordered our food. Felt rushed to finish as the restaurant was closing. My husband has had it with the wait times and swears that this is the last time we dine here. The food is good but the wait time and service makes it unbearable unfortunately. Will only be ordering to go going forward. read more

Food 10/10 Very clean Quick polite service Food was incredibly fast and we cleaned them up even faster read more

Must be Thai - Mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

Flavor town with reasonable prices so it's a 5/5 from me :) I came for lunch on a Friday and there was a little wait. I heard from friends this place can get quite busy on the weekend. Taste: The pad thai was tangy and chewy. The tom yum was delicious and sour. Parking: They have plaza parking Service: You go up to the front to check in. Despite being busy, they were quick. read more

Must be Thai - tom yum soup with vegetables - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

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This is a place which looks great and might be, but not impressive for my vegetarian folks. 4- 5 vegetarian options only. Green curry tasted good but unusually thick; pad kee mao was good. No one asked about our preference for spice levels. I was surprised the summer rolls were not made with basil leaves. So we skipped that. Service was not upto the mark! No serving spoons provided. No preferences asked. So i will not return unless they improve service and more vegetarian options. Again, might be great for non-veg options. read more

Must be Thai - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

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Great food! Cute little place in a strip mall. Service is good. Food never disappoints! read more

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We came on a Thurs evening, got pad kee Mao & green curry. Great food (tho pad kee Mao was a touch too oily), attentive service, modern & pleasant dining room. However... - $4 for a small bowl of white rice is robbery. - kitchen's slow. Food took forever to get out. Even tho the food was good, not sure I'd be back. Waiting that long (didn't time it, but I'd guess about 45 min) about killed me after work. read more

Must be Thai - Pad Kee Mao - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

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I came here for lunch around 12:30pm and was seated right away. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The servers were very friendly and checked on us regularly. The food was very delicious and came out within 20 minutes ! We ordered Tom Yum soup, chicken pad Thai, and fried calamari. The pad Thai was so good we ordered one to go! I highly recommend eating here!! The restaurant is very clean and inviting. read more

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This place is delicious, i really get the kick of the name. Must be Thai, i guess so! We were on the way home from Santa Cruz and found this spot on yelp. The food is amazing, the Tom Yum Fried rice is a must, very delicious and flavorful. The Pad Thai, with pork bbq was another level compared to the regular shrimp, it was amazing, the waiter recommended it. The fried chicken reminded me of some of the flavor back home in Indonesia, so good. I didn't take a picture of the Tom Yum Soup, that was gone so quickly. Service was quick, checked on us a few times and the ambiance is relaxing. We will come back again. read more

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Food: we've tried this place multiple times before and after they update the menu. Their tom yum fried rice amazed us for sure; definitely our favorite of all. Service: they get very busy so it's always better to get on the waitlist earlier. Their price is definitely more up there compared to other Thai restaurants in Bay Area. Ambiance: vibey and cozy. Small party are more suitable. read more

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Food is great, their accommodation and yelp check in thing sucks. What's the point of having it if you're not going to use it correctly. 3 stars for food read more

A favorite for both lunch and dinner. Anticipated a wait during dinner but the waitlist moves quickly. It's a casual restaurant and expect surrounding chatter, but the standout food makes it a regular date spot for us. We particularly enjoyed the rockfish for a stunning presentation and the fact that it's already been filleted. (I admit I'm not a huge fan of picking out fish bones.) The curry and pad kee mao are also my usual favorites, but I switched it up with the phad fuqthong and was pleasantly surprised! Recommend if you're a fan of kabocha squash. read more

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I especially liked the seafood based items here, but overall I think for Thai food, I have other favorites. Their noodles and curries don't quite stand out to me in flavor. Restaurant is small so anticipate a wait if coming for peak lunch or dinner. TIP: Get on the Yelp waitlist! ETA is variable but better to have a spot than not. I waited maybe 20 additional minutes while idling at 1st in line. RECS: + Tom yum fried rice ($24.25) is exactly as you'd expect, with an addictive tom yum flavor + Crispy fried calamari ($14.10) was DELICIOUS. The batter was perfectly crisp and well seasoned, and the squid was so plump. I loved the dipping sauce which reminded me a lot of nuoc cham! PASS: + Hat yai fried chicken ($18.95) had good pieces of chicken but I should've gotten an appetizer for fried chicken wings instead. The sticky rice that came with this was incredibly dry + Green curry ($18.95) could be better for the price, it's pretty washed out by the coconut milk read more

Must be Thai - Pad See Ew ($18.95), Crispy Fried Calamari ($14.10), Hat Yai Fried Chicken ($18.95) - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California