If you're tired of Thai spots that lean too heavily on sugar, Kam Rai Thai is a breath of fresh…read moreair. The kitchen here doesn't shy away from traditional flavors--the food is unapologetically spicy and savory, avoiding the "overly sweet" profile that many Thai spots fall into. Here's the breakdown of what we tried: Tom Yum Goong: This was the star of the show. It had a sharp, clean heat and a perfect citrus punch without that syrupy finish you often find elsewhere. Crispy Pork Belly: Exactly what you want it to be. The skin was incredibly crunchy, and the meat remained tender, seasoned perfectly to highlight the savory pork flavor. Fried Fish: Deep-fried to perfection with a light, crispy exterior. The sauce paired chili and fish sauce with fresh mango. Crab Fried Rice: Generous with the crab meat and wonderfully "wok-hei" (charred) and salty. It wasn't bogged down by sweet soy sauce, allowing the delicate crab to shine. The only real sweetness of the night came from the Mango Sticky Rice, which was the perfect, cooling end to a very spicy meal. The mango was ripe and the coconut milk was rich, providing the only sugary reprieve of the evening. Service was so nice. The hostess and sever were so nice and friendly. The severer felt like a Thai uncle, he made jokes, gave us napkins, joked with my child. It felt so familial. If you want authentic, spicy Thai food that prioritizes salt, spice, and acid over sweetness, this is your spot.

I first went to Kam Rai Thai in Astoria back in December 2024 and recently came back on a Friday…read moreevening in April 2026. Kam Rai Thai has a very cozy and warm atmosphere with fake flowers decor everywhere. Street parking can be hard at times and involve circling around a few times. Food menu can be accessed by QR code and paper menu for drinks. The first time I visited Kam Rai Thai, I shared the papaya salad with my friend and had the Pad woon sen with shrimp. The papaya salad with green papaya, string bean, tomato and roasted peanut with spicy lime juice was refreshing and light. The Pad woon sen has sauteed glass noodle, egg, onion, scallion, cabbage, celery, carrot, tomato and sesame oil. The second time I visited, I had the Pad see ew with beef. The Pad see ew has sauteed wide noodles with Chinese broccoli, black soy sauce, and egg. Both dishes were very flavorful, delicious, delectable, and appetizing. The dishes were very filling and there was a good proportion of noodles and protein. I've had the Rainfall in Loei and Fang Martini Time, both are really good drinks and not overly strong. We shared the mango sticky rice for dessert and it was good. The mango was very fresh and the sticky rice with coconut milk was sweet, but not overly. My friends ordered the Kopi De Trang, Spicy Maesai Plum, Rainfall in Loei, Thai ice tea lychee, pad see ew with chicken, pad kee mao beef (non spicy), and khao soi gai confit. I ordered a pad kee mao beef with a spice level of 2 to go. It is a great option to have a spicy and non spicy option for pad kee mao. Everyone enjoyed their food. Staff are very friendly and the food come out very quickly after ordering. There is a 5% discount if you pay with cash and a 2.95% surcharge for credit cards. Kam Rai Thai serves authentic Thai food and I can't wait to come back. It is a great place for friends to catch up.

Love the food, and service. A lot of options of noodles, and appetizers. Really big restaurant. A…read morelot of walk space.

Great environment and food, love the original noodle with sliced beef. The lady was really nice and…read moresweet. Great service.

Overall rating: 4.2…read more I've been wanting to go here on a recommendation for years. The service was very friendly and accommodating but I don't think curry ramen is for me. It was not good. The place is a tad too far for me (I live near prospect park) so doubt I'd come again.

Nice little ramen spot in Astoria. Tried their signature Hinomaru ramen, and unfortunately felt it…read morewas unremarkable. The ramen was good, but it was also at least 5-7 dollars more expensive than comparable ramen. The egg also was not worth the 3 dollar extra, as it was a cold poached egg and not standard soy egg. Service was good and ramen was definitely still yummy, but it wasn't a standout.

Delicious food!! I always get the pad Thai, it's amazing. Sometimes I get it with chicken, and…read moresometimes tofu- both are very flavorful and cooked to satisfaction. Great portion size as well. Takeout is super smooth. The inside is very cute as well. Nice for dates or casual dining. The owner is very kind! Definitely recommend.

This spot is casual and has some great Thai food. The portions are slightly smaller, but prices are…read morevery reasonable. On average, you'd probably need about 5 entrees for a group of 4. We got everything at medium spice level which was just the right amount of flavor and spice and wasn't too strong. I have a lot of Thai food and I have to say this is some of the best I've had. We also got the drunken noodles and veggie dumplings which I don't have photos of; noodles were good but dumplings were only okay and probably not worth it. Thai curry fried rice was very good. I also personally really enjoyed the Thai iced coffee!! Highly recommend stopping by!

A forgettable lunch I had here. It's not terribly bad but I can name a couple other Chinese…read morerestaurants I've had a better experience in. The restaurant is a few blocks from the main street of Steinway so it'll take a bit of searching. Going inside, the area is rather abstract. Pink flower wallpaper on one end and dry wall on the other, it's kinda off-putting but I didn't come here for the atmosphere anyway. Service was lukewarm, I got my order in but the two workers inside weren't too receptive and the menu itself is kinda barebones with most of their food being a bit more than I would like to pay for so I just settled on one order of Singapore Mei Fun. After waiting 10 minutes for my food to arrive, the Singapore noodles which are usually spicy were kinda salty but it was nothing a bit of duck sauce wouldn't fix. This one order cost $17 while not the worst Singapore Mei Fun...well technically it is, even though it's not horrible but I've had much better from other places for a stable price of $12. Yeah, a rather disappointing visit. Not the worst I've ever had but could be so much better.

We happened upon this spot after a workshop across the street, and were so pleasantly surprised by…read morethe unique flavors served up by this small local business. I got the wonton soup and pork juicy buns. The soup was different from other wonton soups with the addition of cilantro and some nice balancing flavors for the salt, and the juicy buns were your classic soup dumplings with a very nice rich sauce to dip in. The dandan noodles my friend ordered were maybe my favorite, they were the perfect level of spicy and so flavorful without being overwhelming. I'd go back just for my own plate of those. The service was quite fast, and it's a cute little shop that feels like a small town Chinese restaurant. Very reasonably priced as well. Some of my favorite Chinese food I've found outside of Lower Manhattan !

Pye Boat Noodle is solid…read more The Pad See Ew is pretty good. Kway tow Kake Chicken is good. The boat Noodle with beef is good, but if you don't tell them no pork, it will have pork rind. Salt wings and chive pancake are tasty. I have had decent experiences with the Thai Iced Tea with milk. Staff has always been attentive.

Only reason this place gets 4 stars is because I hate when the staff just hovers over our table…read more The place was packed for lunch! My best friend recommended it as she's had it a number of times. We were seated at a table that made my stroller very accessible. Our drinks were good and the food was amazing! The menu is massive and the prices were reasonable. I would definitely come back here to try something else. Thank you Pye Boat!

Walked in ~6pm on a Sunday. The bar counter only has 5 seats. Joined the wait line for dining and…read morewas seated in ~10min (the two parties ahead did not show). There is a kiosk for takeout. Team is very friendly and answered question about the menu. Got the chicken and lourou fan bento and the dry beef noodle bento. Each bento comes with popcorn chicken, tea egg, and classic side dish (braised nappa cabbage and noodle). There is also unlimited pickled cabbage, chili oil, and sweet cold tea available. Food and drink are delicious and authentic. Not sure whether dining in vs take out is more worth it for the price. For example, the chicken and lourou fan rice bento is ~$25 when dining in, but ~$16 (but no popcorn chicken, tea, etc) when taking out.

usually there's a line and the only option is to go but we came around 3:40 pm and were able to…read moredine in (there are only about 5 seats) got the combo and they were super generous with the sauce. honestly if i wasn't flying i would've taken the remaining to go. the popcorn chicken was so elite. crispy on the outside & super juicy inside - v similar to what i've had in taiwan cucumber salad was l flavorful and garlicky!! really refreshing and crunchy with a nice balance to the other items.

Some of the best noodle soup I have tried in Long Island City. I would recommend the signature beef…read morenoodle soups. I like it spicy. Like drinking the soup and makes you feel full and joyful. Maybe a little pricey because majority is noodle in the bowl and not much meat. But overall is a good restaurant to go to again.

Noodle craft is a nice spot for lunch. Noodles were good, needed to give it a good mix to get all…read morethe flavors. Lacked a little salt for everything in general. Popcorn chicken and spicy dumplings were regular, nothing to make it outstanding, but still delicious. The place is like a lunchroom. Not sure if we were just supposed to go take our own seats. There was no one to greet us as the ordering station is all the way in the back and all the staff were just hanging out around there. Service was odd, the server did not come check on us and when we needed something we just went to the ordering station. Please note, when we went it was pretty much empty, so it was not busy at all. As mentioned not sure how it supposed to work here, but we did get our food fairly quick. The place is cute, lots of plants, looks like a very big space, believe it used to be a garage. Overall food was filling, able to share if needed, give it a try. Its definitely a nice addition to LIC.