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    Orchids Cafe

    4.2 (32 reviews)
    ModerateThai

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    Orchids everywhere
    Dave D.

    There are some restaurants and businesses that mystically pull you back over and over again. Orchids is one of those places. The food? The pleasant setting? The before 6pm specials? As I have considered the allure of this Thai restaurant that also claims to specialize in "Continental Cuisine" all of these come to mind. Orchids is located in a plaza whose exterior reminds one of the fact that it is an old building that was never retrofitted for the 1990's much less the 21st century. However Orchids sits in the middle like a blooming flower rising from the squalor. As you enter this small dining room the quiet resonance of Thai music soothes your angst while the presence of beautiful orchids removes any thoughts of the larger plaza or the world outside. A large white board displays the daily special and your menu offers many classic Thai options plus a few items that one can associate with Franco-American (No, not the canned ravioli but dinner choices that hint at the classic but were designed with American palates in mind. So no worries about overly French sauces.) Cuisine. My first recommendation GO THAI! The Tarragon Chicken I chose on our last visit was well ... Not very good. Neither was the Cream of Carrot soup which my taste buds anxiously searched for the taste of carrot rather than thickener. However, my dining partners made the Thai choice and were very happy. That has been our previous experience the Thai was simply and deliciously prepared. But ... and here is why I struggle to understand why we return. The service is so so slow and as evident on our last visit but affirmed from past visits the servers cannot give any insight into the food that is being served. If you have any other plans for your evening forget them because you will never make it there on time. Just remember keep breathing in the scent of those beautiful orchids, the soothing music of Siam, and the flavors of the meal ... No need to rush outside to that old plaza and the highways of the world. Don't worry you won't be rushed. A final note ... If it is very cold outside it will be cold inside so be prepared. I am guessing those orchids have some insulation because their flowers remain beautiful. Giving 3 stars because even with slow service that can't give insight about the menu and cold winds blowing in from winter streets the food (Thai) is good, the pre-6pm special is a good deal, and the music with those orchids chases the ugly world away for awhile (A long while ...).

    Menu
    Wilson C.

    Decided to try this place out. Not far from hamilton mall and stockton college. For apps ordered lrb chicken and somtum salad. Both were fresh and light, but needed a little extra thai herbs. Entrees were chicken green curry, nice spice and taste, and the panang curry w half rack lamb. The lamb was delicious. Tender and cooked medium rare as i asked. Will definitely be back for this dish. For dessert we tried the coconut and coffee ice cream. It was homemade and perfect after this spicy meal. I could of ate 12 scoops of this. Overall food was 3.5/5. Place is small and you can hear everyones conversation. Drafty door was chilly. Cant remember our server name, but she was a young blonde woman. She was really helpful and would come back thanks to her.

    Thai Tea...mix mix!
    Diane C.

    Best Thai food in town. Be prepared to wait very long though. :)

    Masaman curry

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    18 years ago

    The best Thai restaurant in South jersey. If it was in NYC it would be the second best, since Sripaprahi will always be my number one.

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    15 years ago

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    15 years ago

    This place is delicious! It is small and cozy with great service and food to match.

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    11 years ago

    Great food, great pricing, Generous Portions and delicious desert and a great homely ambiance. Would give higher than 5 if possible.

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    15 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    16 years ago

    Food was pretty good to just ok. Price and value are amazing. 10$ for three courses. Service is also good.

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    11 years ago

    This is my go-to restaurant for curry. Light yet packed with flavor. Quite and calm atmosphere. Always leave happy and satisfied.

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    Kalaya - kanom jeeb nok (bird-shaped dumplings)

    Kalaya

    4.4(642 reviews)
    45.5 miFishtown

    Some of the best food I've had in my life. The sausage based salad and prawns were amazing dishes…read more The sausage salad was similar to a lettuce wrap base, minimal "salad" fillers.

    What an absolutely amazing experience. Knowing how popular this restaurant is, I made reservations…read morea few weeks in advance. We arrived early and were quickly shown to our seats. We both saw the 'Taste of Kalaya' which goes for $85 per person. It comes with a few sharable appetizers, an entree and dessert served family style. Starting off with their Shaw Muang which are flower shaped dumplings with ground chicken, cucumber and a Thai chili, these were phenomenal. Simple, but beautifully presented. The fact these bite-sized dumplings were packed full of flavor and texture were extraordinary. Next were the Gui Chai which are crispy garlic chive rice cakes with a spicy sweet soy sauce. These were also tasty, but I would have preferred a thicker accompanying sauce that coats the rice cake after each dip, rather running right off it. We were also able to choose an extra appetizer, which we opted in for Plah Hoy Namg Rom which are grilled oysters with a chili jam, crispy shallot, lemongrass and herbs. These looked beautiful, but I felt the flavours overpowered the natural taste of the oyster. For mains, we opted in for the Goong Thod Kluae which is their wok-fried river prawn in brown butter w. shrimp paste and seafood nam jim, Gaeng Pae which is a goat and lamb curry with their own spice blend and toasted coconut, and Gai Yaang Naa Por (add-on, extra charge) which is charcoal grilled chicken glazed with coconut cream, turmeric, dark soy and fish sauce. The river prawn was phenomenal. The fact this was the size of a lobster was a huge wow-factor. It's served tableside where the head butter is first removed, then the succulent meat, and finally topped with the head butter. Presentation-wise, not that prettiest thing, but the flavours were incredible. Perhaps as the server is dissecting the river prawn, they could move it onto a clean plate with garnishes to make it look more presentable. Nevertheless, this is one of the best dishes I've had anywhere. The goat and lamb curry was slightly disappointing. We found it to be overly spicy where we couldn't taste the goat and/or lamb in the dish. We're not shy when it comes to spicy food, but this set our mouths ablaze and it was difficult to take 2nd and 3rd bites from this particular dish. For the charcoal grilled chicken was decent. I found parts of the dish to be on the dry side and other parts to be tender and juicy. I didn't necessarily taste the coconut cream or turmeric, but it was a decent dish. For sides, we opted in for the Yum Makhua Yao which is marinated eggplant w. mint, galangal, fried shallots and prik nam pla, and the Moo Tod Nam Pla which is crispy pork belly w. fish sauce. The eggplant was a nice side dish to take a break from the main courses and the crispy pork belly was nice as well. Crispy, not overly fatty or oily, and would have preferred that as a main over the goat and lamb curry. For dessert, we saw a couple of our favourites but with a twist. We opted in for their Durian Sticky Rice (Great spin on a traditional mango sticky rice) and their Thai tea tiramisu (a spin on your traditional tiramisu which comes with coffee-soaked ladyfingers). The durian sticky rice was out of this world. Durian in place of mango was brilliant. Perfectly ripe, soft and was a breathtaking dessert. As for the tiramisu, this was fantastic as well. The Thai tea flavour didn't shine through as much as I would have liked, but overall, excellent. It's worth noting, the service at this restaurant is impeccable. Probably one of the best hospitalities I've received anywhere. The servers reset your table in between courses by wiping it off and everyone was professional, knowledgeable and kind. Overall, I can see why this is listed on the top 50 restaurants in the U.S. coming in at #11 according to 'theworlds50best'. The quality of food, the service, atmosphere is top notch.

    Photos
    Kalaya - Bar Area

    Bar Area

    Kalaya - Gong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

    Gong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

    Kalaya - Goong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

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    Goong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

    Orchids Cafe - thai - Updated September 2026

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