Papaya salad is good here but why the heck are we putting it in paper boxes???? Not to mention this type of dish has fish sauce. please find a better storage container this is kinda ridiculous. Also 30 min for some papaya salad is kinda long. Please get a better container something that wont leak through. read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Papaya Salad (Som Tum Thai) - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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I made a reservation through Resy and had such a great experience here! The vibes were super cute, perfect for a date night but also totally comfortable if you're dining solo like I was. I ordered the tiger prawn, crab fried rice, tom yum soup, and a Thai iced tea. Everything was delicious, especially the prawns and fried rice...definitely recommend those! The only dish that fell a little short for me was the tom yum, which I found to be a bit lacking in flavor compared to the rest. The servers were incredibly sweet and attentive, and even though the place was packed, the wait time for food wasn't long at all, really impressive. It's definitely on the pricey side, but hey, it's Irvine...and this feels like a refreshing take on Thai fine dining. I'll happily give it 5 stars and would absolutely come back again! read more

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Food and the ambience was superb! We went on sun eve and they had the live music playing. Loved the entire exp. Will def recommend it if you are looking to try good thai places. Seating is limited so make a reservation before you goz. read more

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Great atmosphere and delicious foods. They definitely have very courteous and friendly servers. read more

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Happy new year Yelp! Nara Thai Kitchen leans more upscale than your usual mom-and-pop Thai spot. The vibe is a bit fancier, but it still delivers on flavor. We ordered the Tom Yum Fried Rice, Beef Short Rib Massaman Curry, and a Thai Tea. Let's start with the highlight: the curry. It was incredible. The short rib was fall-off-the-bone tender, and the curry itself had this rich, slightly sweet flavor that felt layered and complex. We were told they only make ten of these a day because of the long cooking process, so we were lucky to snag one. Worth it. The Tom Yum Fried Rice? It was... fine. If you've had fried rice before, it's basically that with tom yum seasoning mixed in. It wasn't bad at all--just nothing that stood out. A solid dish, but not something I'd go out of my way to reorder. Now, the Thai Tea surprised us. The tea notes were bold and forward, not drowned out by milk or sweeteners like you find at some places. It was refreshing and felt like it was made with care. Service was great--attentive but not overbearing. Our server answered all our questions and even gave us some solid recommendations, which we appreciated. The only downside? The surcharge. There's a 3% fee for "rising costs of doing business in California". I get it, but I'd rather they fold these into menu prices. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's something to keep in mind. Yelp Adventures 2025 - 1 of ?? P.S. Their restrooms are really vibey, 10/10 place to #2 and think about life read more

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To start off this place has has a great interior design! It is really nice and there is lots of seating, I still made a reservation just to be sure we got a table. There is also a lot of parking outside the restaurant as it is located in a pretty big plaza. We ordered the chicken egg rolls, Tom yum soup with chicken (it cost additional to add the chicken), the pepper steak filet mignon, and the mango sticky rice for dessert. The chicken egg rolls were really savory and delicious and my favorite with the tom yum soup. We added chicken as we wanted some meat in there but there was an additional charge for that. The soup does come with mushroom and there was a lot more mushroom than there was chicken. However, the soup itself is flavored nicely and has a bit of spice that balances out the slight sourness in the soup. The pepper steak filet mignon (kind of like a salad) was recommended to us but it wasn't as good as expected. Although the sauce on it was good the meat was way too dry. It comes with jasmine rice or sticky rice; the sticky rice we got was really really hard and we ended up soaking it in the tom yum soup to eat. We wished that the rice itself was a bit softer. The sticky rice in the mango sticky rice we got on the other hand was a lot better. The rice wasn't as hard and it was softer to eat still having that "sticky" feeling. The mango was also really sweet which went well with the sauce and the sticky rice. I will also point out that this restaurant is more on the expensive end. We ordered an appetizer, soup, one main dish, and dessert, which came out to about 107 and after tips was about 130. I would say it's a nice place for a date but not really for casual dining. read more

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All I gotta say is $42 pad see yew with filet mignon is ridiculous. Even if it's a filet the price is unreasonable. Might as well put some caviar on it and charge double. Also, sounds like "Michael" the manager doesn't care what anyone else thinks about the food and service (weird 4% surcharge for no reason) and neither do. Overpriced and rude service. Only thing nice about the place is decor. For a Thai place read more

My friends and I went to Nara Thai Kitchen for a drink after having dinner at Zovs. It was such an impressive vibe as we walked in and were seated at the bar. They have a live musician on Sundays. I have only ordered food to go and it was much better than some of other Thai restaurants in the area. read more

This is my second time here and the waitress remembered us! She is absolutely the sweetest and genuine. I absolutely adore her and she is a big reason why I return, the other half is because the food itself is amazing. The moo ping was so juicy and paired with the sauce, I highly recommend. The crispy tofu was perfect with sauce. If you love a good crunch with a soft middle, it's an absolute must!! read more

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This place is AMAZING!!!! My daughter and I just came here for our date night and OMG the food was as good as ever! The staff are super friendly and accommodating and we're so sweet to my daughter and I. I LOVE this place! Also it is soo fresh and the food came out quick and hot! A MUST TRY! read more

Great Thai option for date night! I feel like there's not many good Thai places in Irvine but this place is solid and pretty upscale. The interior is gorgeous and you can tell they pay a lot of attention to ambiance and details here-- even the bathroom is stunning! The drunken noodles were pretty spicy and I loved the fried rice! read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - thai fried rice and drunken noodles - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

Very authentic food. I love their curry and mango sticky rice Thé server is very courteous and helpful and the ambiance is perfect.

Wonderful service and delicious food! Cocktail was great and the restaurant is beautiful. read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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First, they advertise gluten free without understanding what gluten is and it turns out that all the dishes have soy sauce. Second, they have a voicemail saying that kids under 6 are not recommended to come on certain days and that they don't do takeout over the phone. Third, the food is mid at best. Certainly not worth the price. In response to owner: You made an assumption about this review. We were physically there and asked multiple times. you can talk to your staff. Party of 6 arrived at your restaurant at 5pm on 12/27/25. We ordered and then my husband went to clarify with waitstaff that there was no soy sauce used for the dishes we ordered clearly marked gluten free. The response we got was well, that dish has sweet soy sauce. Let me ask the kitchen. The kitchen (a white guy) then told her that everything had soy sauce. We said even the curry?, the waitress said yes, even the curry, which is surprising because you can make it with salt. So either you don't accommodate or you hated us because we had 2 kids under 6 in your empty restaurant at 5pm. My child has celiac so we left that day. It's a pity because we come to this plaza all the time since we live nearby. You seem to forget that children grow up. Regulars visit often. I came back yesterday to do take out. Because surely, even if they can't accommodate her allergy, maybe we can still enjoy Thai food at home and get her something else. That's when I heard the voicemail. Do not claim to be safe and accommodating when we were told, sorry we are unable to accommodate you tonight in an empty restaurant. Celiacs, avoid this restaurant. It's not safe! By the way, we drive to signature Thai in Anaheim at least once a month. The cost is the same. The service is attentive and the food is actually good! read more

Nara Thai Kitchen is another great Thai spot. The food is consistently solid, full of flavor, and clearly made with care. Everything comes out fresh, well-balanced, and satisfying without feeling overdone. The vibe is relaxed and comfortable, perfect for an easy meal, and the staff really makes the experience better. Huge shoutout to Sophia, she's awesome, super friendly, and genuinely attentive, which goes a long way. Good food, good service, and an easy place to keep coming back to. read more

Besides the fact we found a hair in our pad Thai, the food was also lacking in flavor. Pad Thai was bland and no hint of flavor other than the lemon juice we squeezed. Server was nice enough to make us a new dish after discovering the hair, but it still lacked flavor. Cool interior design and fancy bowls/lights. Price was definitely high than other Thai restaurants. read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - 3% surcharge - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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Very chic local Thai restaurant with quality food. Was a cold night and both of us were feeling under the weather so this place was the perfect spot. Here's what we tried 1. Tom kha with tofu: ordered the large which gives you about two bowls of soup. Served with burning heat to keep the soup warm throughout dinner. Good and recommend. 2. Panang Curry: pretty good curry and up to par with other Thai curries tried elsewhere in town. 3. Mango and sticky rice: was hoping to try their jackfruit version but was off season. So instead ordered the mango sticky rice which I never disappoints 4. Of course had coconut straight from the source. Asked the shell to be opened and scraped the coconut meat all out. Yum Overall would recommend if you're looking for good Thai food. read more

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Had an amazing dinner here tonight, so I'm updating my review after the earlier Resy fiasco. The food is so elevated and fresh! It's truly a joy to come here and enjoy Thai food at its best. We had very flavorful drunken noodles, and I especially loved the fresh crisp veggies included with the noodles and meat. My son devoured the chicken satay with a perfect peanut sauce. Everyone also enjoyed the yellow curry. Love the ambiance and dishes too. Such a refined neighborhood spot! read more

Been here a few times now and I can't help but rave about it--and honestly wonder why there are any negative reviews. Every visit has been consistently excellent! Service is exceptional. Our waitress has been genuinely friendly, attentive, and on top of every detail without hovering. You feel taken care of start to finish, and this type of service makes the experience phenomenal! The food is top tier. You can taste the quality in the ingredients and the care in preparation. I have to say I've discovered some favorite dishes here like Moo Ping, and their filet mignon. The ambiance is really neat, well decorated, and creates a warm, polished atmosphere that's perfect for date night, dinner with friends, or a special occasion. Some reviews call it overpriced--I disagree. You're paying for quality across the board, and in my experience, it's absolutely worth it. Highly recommend. read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is a bit shady. We asked to see the breakdown of our bill and waiter said we will see it after we sign and receipt is printed. Nobody explained what this 4% charge was and they were too busy to come explain to us. On top of that the food is mediocre at best, certainly not worth what they're charging. read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

Food was decent but not particularly memorable, and not a go-to spot for Thai food. The dishes leaned on the sweeter side overall. We ordered the Thai-style fried chicken, Pad See Ew with chicken, Pad Krapao, and Panang curry with black tiger shrimp. Everything was fine, just nothing that really stood out. That said, the customer service was excellent and very friendly. The ambiance had club-style music playing in the background, which was okay if you're into that kind of vibe. read more

Beautiful space but pretty expensive for fairly standard Thai food. Staff here were attentive and helped me with recommendations and favorites, which I greatly appreciated. This place does the job when you are craving Thai. read more

Been here a few times but didn't get to review it until now. Love the place very cozy and inviting. Always great service. The food I say is one of the best Thai I have experienced. It's very flavorful and just the right spices. But unfortunately I noticed that the quantity of the food has decreased significantly. The price does not do justice to the amount of food you are getting now. I mean soup we got was good for only one person and the rest is good for two people. I mean their food is delicious no doubt. But the quantity is not the same anymore. read more

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Excellent service, excellent food. Had the pad kaprow, very tasty. Service was great as well, waitress very attentive

Food was delicious and service was great would def recommend shout out our server Tara read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

Very unhappy with this restaurant. We had 5 people, and they charged a 20% "large party" tip without telling us when we made the reservation. The portion sizes were also extremely small -- a $42 steak came with only five pieces of meat. We also ordered a to-go order and waited 20 minutes, but it was still not ready. When we asked to cancel, they refused. To make things worse, they also charged a 20% tip and a 4% "restaurant support" fee on that to-go order. I've never seen a restaurant charge an extra 24% on top of the bill without clearly informing customers. They don't tell you when you walk in or make a reservation -- it's just hidden in fine print on the menu. So please, read the fine print carefully before dining here. If you don't want to pay an extra 24% and still leave hungry after waiting over 30 minutes for your food, I do not recommend this place. read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - 5 people already consider large party here. And will charge you 20% tips .Also 4% support fee is mandatory here. - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

This is the second time I visited this restaurant hoping that things will be different this time! I like the food, ambiance and yes it's an upscale restaurant. I came here to celebrate Father's day with my husband and daughter. Our waitress ( I didn't get her name) she was the same one from my first visit. She is just not friendly!! I asked her about their cocktails what's popular she just didn't answer! She just said we don't make our drinks sweet! That didn't answer my question! We ordered our food with her and she didn't come back to check on us if we needed anything!! I kept waiting and waiting to order more food and we wanted the spice rack. Finally I made eye contact with another waitress I told her our waitress hadn't come back to check on us. She said sorry and took our order. That was very disappointing that the waitress had a little attitude and wasn't friendly! It happened twice!! I won't be coming back here. Just not worth my $$$$ read more

The inside was soo pretty and aesthetic! Perfect for pictures. The food was also so yummy, we got the green Thai iced tea, drunken noodles, and crying tiger filet. I could eat a whole plate of the drunken noodles myself- it was that good! read more

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Changing my review because the owner was extremely kind in his response. The food here is still a 10/10! read more

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Nara Thai Kitchen provides and upscale Thai dining experience. From the moment we walked in, we were impressed by the elegant ambiance -- warm lighting, tasteful décor, and a refined atmosphere that leans more toward fine dining than casual eatery. It's definitely the kind of place where you'd want to dress nicely and expect the same from your dining companions (including well-behaved kids). The service was polite -- attentive without being intrusive, and friendly. Our server made great recommendations and was happy to explain ingredients and spice levels (medium for me, please!). We started with the Tom Kha soup, which was rich, aromatic, and perfectly balanced between creamy coconut and tart lemongrass -- comfort in a bowl. For the main courses, we shared the steamed Chilean sea bass, which was incredibly tender and infused with a delicate blend of herbs, and the Panang curry with shrimp, which was full of bold, nutty flavor and had just the right amount of heat. Overall, Nara Thai delivers a sophisticated experience with authentic, high-quality dishes. It's perfect for a date night, special occasion, or a classy dinner out. read more

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Ordered a thai coffee & it was very strong. Had never had a thai coffee so nasty. Asked the cashier to add a little more cream and she was very rude about the encounter stating it's "authentic" thai coffee and if i were to go to thai land i would get the same. Unfortunately didn't get a photo of it because i threw it away even after adding more cream to it. FYI beware: he will message you directly to talk shit read more

Overall, food quality and taste was great. As was the ambiance. However, the prices compared to the amount of food given was extremely off. For only having ordered two appetizers and 2 entrees, I was shocked at how much we spent. The portion sizes were very small, so I don't recommend sharing with more than one person. The Tom Kha soup was super good but again, shocked at how small this soup was. It was more of a personal size. The cocktails were all good, especially the Lychee Mojito, however, all of their drinks here are sake based, but still the price of a normal alcoholic cocktail elsewhere. read more

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This place is so nice and the food is soooo good. The Thai Jerky was ridiculous good. I ate it all myself. And I had to get my favorite Drunken Noodle with filet. Sooo good. I just sat here taking my time drinking Singha enjoying the nice atmosphere and great service! read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Drunken noodle - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

More like a 3.7 star than 4 but I can't figure out how to do half stars lol anyway food quality and portion was amazing. The massaman curry and green curry we loved with their brown rice. Short rib in massaman curry was an interesting twist but too much fat on the ribs. Service also could be better with only one server... ambiance was super cute tho I feel like if it wasnt in a parking lot they could get so much traction. Most Thai spots never have nice ambiance so pleasantly surprised with interior decor; brown wooden vibes cool wood piece tables. Bathroom dark and sultry. Loved ambiance. also one of the best Thai iced teas I've had!! wish their menu did have dumplings tho lol read more

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Just an overall nice place with a good ambience and food--I liked the decor and their bathroom feels like you're inside a fancy spa. The food is pretty tasty but I can see why people have some reservations about the amount of food in comparison with the price. We got the panang curry and fried rice with beef and we to-go tom kha. All the dishes are tasty and I don't think you can go wrong. The curry is filling but yes, I'd have to say the fried rice was more like a shareable amount in my opinion. We added beef to the fried rice and while the beef is very tender, the amount you get is not much and the current menu for adding beef is an extra $18. Basically a bougie place that sells Thai food--I think it's worth a try and it seems like the people in that area enjoy coming here for a date or girls' lunch. read more

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Nara Thai Kitchen is an upscale Thai eatery focusing on delicious food, aesthetic presentation, and amazing ambiance. This spot is located in the Orchard Hills plaza where there is a good amount of parking spots. Wifey and I made reservations for our anniversary dinner and were seated right away upon arrival. Inside, they have about 7-8 tables for seating surrounded by boho chic tulum-inspired decor. The dimly lit lighting in tandem with the decor made for a very nice and romantic atmosphere. As for their menu, they have all the Thai staples with some upscale twists along with some more imaginative Thai inspired dishes. We opted to try the Thai Style Fried Chicken, Tom Yum Fried Rice with Filet Mignon, and Pad Thai with Black Tiger Shrimp for our dishes and a Thai Iced Tea and Nara Thai Lime Tea for our drinks. To top it all off, we got the Fried Roti with Mango Sorbet for our dessert. Everything we had was beyond flavorful and delicious. The portion sizes were great for sharing and every bite was as delicious as the last! Overall, I would definitely recommend this spot for your next dinner date or for a more upscale environment for your next hangout with friends/family. All of the staff here are very friendly and accommodating. We will definitely be back forsure! read more

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Complex flavor profiles and high end ambience. Our waitress Grace had some great suggestions from the menu. Massaman curry and lettuce wraps were excellent. Wonderful experience read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Beautiful presentation - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

What a pleasant surprise! We ordered something standard: papaya salad and curry. The most well balanced papaya salad I've ever had and a very good curry. The quality justifies the price. The meal was elegant and not just normal Thai. I think this place beats some of the better known Thai places in Irvine/Tustin area. Service is fast despite of being understaffed. read more

Love this place! Nice service, nice vibe, and the food was super authentic. I feel like this is a perfect spot to catch up with friends! definitely coming back! read more

Nara Thai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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This place is so pretty and beautiful and I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately, the food is okay. The service is okay as well. I ordered green curry which comes with egg plants, but I didn't get any eggplants and they brought another dish out and I was too full by that time and it was just alright. We also ordered tom kha, but the flavors weren't as good as other places I've been and we also ordered pad se ew and it was just alright. It's also interesting they make you pay extra for all kind of proteins. Even for tofu! I wish I would say I would be back, maybe in the future one day. I am glad I got to try it though read more

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