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    Original Sa-By Thai

    3.5 (547 reviews)
    ModerateThai
    Open 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM

    Original Sa-By Thai Photos

    Business Info

    ORIGINAL SA-BY THAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Original Sa-By Thai

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    Reviews With Photos

    Roasted Duck Curry with rice
    Allison N.

    Located in downtown, there is only street parking available. The restaurant appeared to look very unkept as the menus are sticky and obviously not wiped. We were the only dine in customers at the time, but I noted they have mostly doordash orders during the 25 minutes we were there. The sign by the entrance says "No cash," ok no problem, we can pay with card. Then there's another sign that says "Credit cards $1 surcharge, debit cards no surcharge." -- Paid with debit and still was charged $1 surcharge.. After paying, I saw a sign that says Zelle accepted. 1 entree + 1 Thai Iced Tea with complimentary waters + $1 debit card surcharge + 20% tip was a little bit more than $30. Roasted duck curry with rice $18.95 - 1/5 stars. I'd give this a negative star if I could. This consistency of this curry was more like soup as it was so watery and not thick. I was able to count how many tiny slices of duck + duck skin was given in this dish (10). By tiny, I mean TINY. If you were to put all the pieces together, you wouldn't even get a normal portion of a slice of duck LOL. It's all green peppers and like 3 slices of cucumbers. The flavor of this curry was more sweet than savory and way too liquid-like to eat as a curry over rice. Thai Iced Tea $5 - 4/5 stars. This was extremely sweet, good thing I have a sweet tooth! Only thing was I ordered regular iced tea but was served and charged for Thai Iced Tea. Omitting this from the overall rating because it's not what I originally wanted. Overall, the entire dine-in experience was... awkward. We walked in, was confused what to do, sat ourselves, stood up and slowly walked over to the cashier and grabbed the menus, looked at the menu, sat in confusion as we waited to order, then got up to order at the counter. It feels awkward and weird to even converse with the cashier/server when he brought out the wrong drink. Normally I give Asian restaurants with 3.5 star ratings a chance because the food is usually good and makes up for all the inconvenience (service, price, etc), however this is not the case LOL. Definitely will not be coming back or purchasing from doordash. Overall rating: 1/5 stars. I felt ripped off going here and walked across the street to get different and more filling food. Maybe the other location is better?

    33. Pad See Ew
    Brian T.

    I didn't eat in as I got my order to go. I got the pad see ew and a panang curry, which both felt pretty lackluster to me. The pad see ew was really dry which made it feel like it was undercooked or just not fresh. The noodles had that harder texture from undercooked/refrigerated noodles. The panang curry had some separation in it that didn't really go away when mixed up. It also felt a bit old and didn't taste great.

    25. Seafood Noodle Soup
    Tessa J.

    $18 for a portion of seafood noodles.??? I feel scammed, the restaurant owner gets rich this way.? I really don't understand how they can be so bad.

    55. Panang Curry 33. Pad See Ew
    Poonam D.

    The Pad See Ew with prawns was incredibly tasty and full of flavor. It would have been nice if the veggies were cooked just a bit more, but they were still crunchy and delicious. The Panang curry with beef was also absolutely yummy. I only wish Thai food wasn't so filling because I wanted to enjoy even more! Definitely recommend.

    34. Pad Kee Mao 56. Red Curry
    Rubel D.

    The pad see mao and red curry were both delectable, bursting with spice and flavor. There's an option to dine in and enjoy the cozy ambiance.

    Sampler
    Jessica H.

    Honestly, I'm really impressed by Sa-By Thai. I came here through a reddit recommendation, and this was the closest Thai place that was recommended by the Westfield/Valleyfair. Sa-By Thai is right across the street from San Jose State, and me and my friends came here after shopping on a Saturday evening. We were the only sit in customers. We ordered the Papaya Salad, the Sampler, Pad See Ew, and Pad Thai. It was honestly, pretty amazing. One of the best places I've gotten Thai food at. Their Thai Tea was pretty dang good as well. I personally really enjoyed the Papaya Salad, the Sampler, and the Pad See Ew. The Sampler allowed us to try a bit of everything, so that was really fun, My favorite were the fishcakes. Salad was good. I really enjoyed the flavors of the Pad See Ew. It was light enough, and just enough sauce for it to be enjoyable. Noodles and meat were well cooked as well. While we were eating, there was a man across the street at SJSU who was on his knees for the longest time. Paramedics came to get him, so we hope everything worked out. Would totally come back.

    Shrimp Pad Thai
    Pamela Y.

    We were looking for a Thai place and this one had decent reviews. No, just no. The pad Thai is so sticky, flavor is just not there, and I paid $4 extra for shrimp to get 5 smaller sized shrimp in the entire dish. Shrimp was dry and over cooked. I literally threw this dish away after taking one bite. Not pictured: -Green curry was just ok, the taste was off like a sourness or something to it that makes you feel like you'll get sick if you continue eating. -Thai Iced Tea, flavorless like you're drinking water -My dad got the fried tilapia, he did not complain and ate the entire thing, but he may be the most accommodating person alive so take that for what it is. (Hence why I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1)

    Chicken pad Thai to go
    Learnee L.

    This closes mid afternoon so it's hard for me to get late lunch from them. However, I haven't seen much Thai restaurant around so I went to check it out. The place is a bit dark but clean. The lady who helped me was nice. Order pad thai for lunch. The flavor wasn't quite there but it was good. I think it needed for chicken but that's just my personal preference. Thinking I should go back and try other food in the menu.

    32. Pad Thai

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    2 years ago

    Tasty! Green curry, yellow curry, and pad kee mao were delicious. Ordered to go and no utensils were included :(. Inside looks really small.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I got the papaya salad, Yellow Curry with rice and Sticky Mango rice. They food was bland and could really use more seasoning and some love.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Nice small place. Got the lamb curry, was sweet and tasted good. Service is pretty good since it's just a few tables lol

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Our food was really good. The girl helping us was one of the best waitress ever. Prices were good for the area. I like this place a lot.

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    7 years ago

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    10 months ago

    their pineapple fried rice was very good but the restaurant was kinda quite when went in at around 6-7pm

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    2 years ago

    Came at 9 PM and the guy with long hair wouldn't take us even though a couple sat before us 2 minutes before. Yelp says close at 10:30?

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    Page 1 of 14

    Ask the Community - Original Sa-By Thai

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    Must be Thai - Pad See You

    Must be Thai

    4.0(2.5k reviews)
    3.8 miWest San Jose
    $$

    Being a mom to a very picky toddler leaves me with a large void in being able to enjoy foods that I…read morewant|crave. One type of food in particular that I am always missing is Thai. If the dish is not spicy, it just isn't worth eating IMO. Dining with kids typically guarantees no spice level and that is simply depressing. While she is occupied with school, I took the opportunity to satisfy one of my many cravings. This lead me to Must Be Thai. With a solid 4 star rating and nearly 2500 reviews, I took a leap of faith and detoured from my normal go-to eatery. Our party of 3 adults arrived right before the lunch rush and we were seated immediately upon us signing in with the tablet. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. Menus were provided and the staff went right into trying to take our order. A simple request for more time was obliged. Offerings you will find are sharable appetizers and a list of foods broken down into specific regions of Thailand. Lunch: *Anchan Lemonade (Butterfly Pea Flower) x2 *PAD SEE YOU [Calamari] *PAD THAI [Prawns] x2 *GREEN CURRY [Chicken] *Single Serving of JASMINE RICE [[Spice level here is apparently not an option. Dishes are made without spice unless the menu states heat. An assortment of chili condiments are available upon request to remedy the lack of heat.]] Food was absolutely delicious! The best item during the meal was the pad thai. This was so good we had to order 2. The noodles were cooked well- still having a nice amount of chew to it. These managed the thorough coating of the pad thai sauce without making the dish mushy. Shrimp protein was an added $5 fee but the portions were plentiful. We went with the green curry due to it being described as sweet and spicy- the perfect balance in flavors. The curry is automatically made at a medium spice level but on Thai terms- be advised this may be too spicy for the average person. The green curry was enjoyed by all and I would easily order this again. Pad see you was good, not as good as the pad thai, but still very delicious. While other reviews note this dish as being too sweet, I didn't notice since I put a good dusting of the dry chili powder on my food. The anchan lemonade deserves a little bit of the spotlight. This drink is 100% recommended due to it being refreshing, beautiful on the eyes, and sour as any lemonade should be!! You won't find a sugar packed cup of color liquid here. 5/5 stars for Must Be Thai!!! Pricing is definitely pricey and I only wished the portions were a little bigger. But!! Everything is made fresh, the ingredients are high quality, and the staff is killing it in the kitchen. I'm a fan!!

    It pains me to say this, but Must Be Thai must be going downhill. It's been a few months since we…read morelast came back, so I didn't realize the menu had changed. This restaurant used to be my favorite Thai spot in San Jose, but it feels like the quality has changed tremendously since the last time I ate here. The portions got smaller, the prices went up a lot, and they got rid of the butterfly pea rice! I got my usual pad kee mao and although the flavors were good, my plate had a pool of oil at the bottom after I finished, and my stomach hurt from how greasy the food was. My fiancé ordered a green curry with a side of rice, but the $4 rice was extremely dry and unpleasant. I used to tell all my friends and family to try this place, but after our experience yesterday, I don't think I'll be coming back. We took our close friends from out of town to dinner here last night and were so embarrassed afterwards since we had been hyping it up so much and we left hungry!

    Photos
    Must be Thai - Online Yelp waitlist available. check in on the iPad when you arrive.

    Online Yelp waitlist available. check in on the iPad when you arrive.

    Must be Thai - Pad See You

    Pad See You

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    Fox Tale Fermentation Project - Funk Bowl w/ Red House Kimchi ($18)

    Fox Tale Fermentation Project

    4.8(196 reviews)
    0.3 miDowntown
    $$

    Absolutely one of the most unique spots in downtown San Jose. Fox Tale Fermentation Project somehow…read moremanages to feel like an experimental brewery and community gathering space all at once. The fermentation concept is woven into everything from the beers and botanical mocktails to the food and it actually works incredibly well. The drinks are creative without feeling gimmicky, and the flavors are layered and thoughtful. The food was surprisingly memorable too, especially how vegetable-forward dishes still felt rich and satisfying. The atmosphere has this warm, artsy, almost hidden-gem energy that makes you want to stay for hours. What really stands out is that the place feels intentional. You can tell the owners care deeply about craft, community, and creating an experience instead of just another brewery. Easily one of the coolest and most distinctive food/drink concepts in San Jose right now.

    I need to start off by saying I never had good vegetarian food. I hate vegetarian food. I am a meat…read moreeater and need it for every meal. Fox Tale Fermentation is a small place like a Japanese ramen shop. My high school classmate suggestion this place and I thought she was vegetarian. I asked her why this place; she wanted to try it out but she's a meat eater. I'm down to try new places so we went. When we went, it was really crowded for a Thursday dinner time. A lady saw my cane and offer her table to sit at so I felt seen. You pretty much order at the front counter; you pour your own water. Front counter was so nice to us as we try to order. We got the funk salad and kombucha. We didn't order a lot because we wanted to try the place. When we got to our table, it was near the door. Our funk salad came and it was hefty mf. It was a bowl of salad all right. So you know how I said earlier that I don't like vegetarian food? OMG I was amazed. The best salad I've eaten. The vinaigrette was so good; it was citrusy. My salad was cut into small pieces so it wasn't big that I need to cut it. The sweet potato was sauteed. The princess sauerkraut was so good. I don't like sauerkraut at all but it was divine. I never tried kombucha because I thought it was dirt tea. I was wrong. It has the fermented taste and I never knew. After trying it, it's not something I would order again. I liked how I was eating "healthy" food after I ate bad yesterday. I don't have that bad bloated feeling. It's very wheelchair friendly and restroom is unisex. The restroom is clean. The establishment is clean. I would go here again if I have a vegetarian visitor. This place rocks!

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    Fox Tale Fermentation Project - Caesar salad

    Caesar salad

    Fox Tale Fermentation Project - Arancini ($12/2)

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    Original Sa-By Thai - thai - Updated June 2026

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