Yes... the food takes a little while (but hey, great food usually takes time), and the portions are smaller, but the food was so good that it far outweighed those hiccups! The food was fantastic. Great decor and atmosphere - elegant but not too formal or snooty, just right. The portions were a teeny bit smaller than what we've been taught to expect (thanks to Cheesecake factory and others), but big enough to suffice your hunger - also allows more opportunity to try more dishes without feeling gluttonous. And the food did take a bit more time to come out (but again, the quality and taste were worth it). Great dinner place for when you're feeling like having excellent Thai food and you want to enjoy the evening unhurriedly. I'm a very strict grader, so they've really impressed me. Good job, Talesai! PS - Valet guy was on top of it! He saw us ordering the check and ran to get our car by the time we came out! Wonderful service. read more

I seriously do not understand why people could give this restaurant a bad review. The service is super friendly and knowledgable, the food is terrific, and the atmosphere is very welcoming. To start I have been coming here for almost 10 years and the food has always been spectacular. To be honest this restaurant set the scale on how I judge Thai food. At least in LA and this is one of the best places. Whether you are doing to go or eating there I could not speak higher of a restaurant. I really am a snob when it comes to Thai food I almost always find my curry's too thick or the pad Thai is badly done. Never, ever is this the issue with Talesai Studio City. I truly cannot recommend this place enough. It is very easy to see why they have been in business for 25+ years. read more

Very unimpressed :/ I just ordered food delivery for an office meeting and the portions are tiny, I'm worried I won't be able to feed everyone. I took an order of green thai curry for myself, and i can say it's quite sad. It tastes a little funny and has a curdled milk look to it. Also, a very small portion for the price - which is on the high end. I'd say it's not worth it with all the great food options in the area. read more

"This place is f***ing yum yum. 5 stars on all fronts" - Eric Davis who loved the red devil

The food was incredible and their online ordering set up was so easy to use. Will definitely be coming back for a second helping :)

3.5 There are some definite nice touches about Talesai: They are clearly trying to create a nice atmosphere, (clothed tables, newer furnishings with clean lines, etc;); the service was good, everyone was extremely nice and very attentive; and they are located in the heart of Studio City. The problem is that the food, (at least on our visit,) wasn't bad, but was definitely a bit underwhelming. The ginger tofu and the crunchy tofu were both lacking in flavor, not exactly good for a Thai restaurant, and the consistency of the tofu itself was a little 'off', (I.e., a bit on the 'spongy' side even for tofu, which can be done so well, so when it's not, it's kind of noticeable.) Perhaps a preparation issue, and perhaps we just caught them on an off night. The parking options are quite limited, (metered street, a very small lot shared with other businesses in back, or valet at night.) We would try them again, it wasn't bad, but it also wasn't a 'wow!'and given the lack of ease of parking although we would try them again, we wouldn't go out of our way to do so. read more

My brother and I have been coming here since we were little kids with our mom. We love it here!!! Definitely get a thai iced tea, Pleasing garlic beef, lychee deserts, and the fried banana desert! You can do it family style where everyone shares but you'll probably end up trying to defend your dish from your family and friends poaching on it! read more

The atmosphere is cozy and clean. Different from most Thai restaurants I have visited. The food is uber awesome!!! Staff is friendly and attentive. Highly recommend! read more

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Ordered take out for the first time for dinner and it did not disappoint! The pad see ew was delicious and was a generous portion size. I also ordered the chicken dumplings which were some of the best ones I've had in the area. They came with a delicious dipping sauce! I also ordered the chicken sates which were a lot larger and meatier than other Thai restaurants. Will definitely be ordering from here again soon! read more

I was craving Thai recently and Talesai really hit the spot. I would consider this a little bit more of a upscale Thai place-- the prices are a little bit higher and the portions are a little bit smaller. My group went family style and shared a bunch of dishes: Cashew Lover Chicken, Pad See You (my fav), oh and some delicious beef dish... just to name a few. The server was attentive and accommodating. Also note, the parking is a bit tricky at the Studio City location (small area behind the complex) I'm curious as how the West Hollywood location compares to the Studio City spot.. What my thoughts on Talesai boil down to: The food was quite good but you could probably get a comparable meal for a lot cheaper. read more

The decor was a little outdated. The food which we ordered pad Thai and shrimp in red sauce were good. Unfortunately the spring rolls were very overcooked and I would not recommend. Would come again but would be very picky with my order. read more

This place was a pleasant surprise! I had the Shrimp Curry lunch special that came with a spring roll, rice and a small salad. The shrimp were a good size, cooked to perfection and the red curry had a wonderful flavor to it, not too spicy but it had a decent kick to it. I also really liked that they have an option for brown rice, definitely not a common choice in most Asian restaurants. Good sized portion, although it is a bit more expensive than most other places but it is definitely worth the upgrade. read more

Talesai - Shrimp Curry lunch special, halfway eaten - Thai Near Me - Studio City, California

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delicious food, great ambience, and wonderful service. I highly recommend Talesai!

The food is really good, not a lot of it but good. Great bar they make very good martinis, I had an Appletini it was very good. This place is a little costly but still worth going to. read more

Just had a big dinner party there last night! The owner Chai was really accommodating, he even gave me his personal number! The food was delicious, it took a little longer than i expected but it was worth the wait. Really good portion sizes and very, very fresh ingredients. Definitely coming back. Thanks Chai! read more

This Thai place is probably our favorites....cool, hip place to eat at, usually don't have to wait for a table, great food, attentive and friendly staff, love it. Note they are closed Sundays, as we have tried them a couple times forgetting they are closed. Yellow curry chicken has white breast meat, never any dark meat or gristle which I can't stand. Sometimes it can be a little pricey (especially for take out with the portion sizes), but I guess I get what I pay for. Great food, and people serving it that care. read more

This restaurant is not worth the reviews we can read on yelp. First, we had to wait for more than half an hour to get our dishes and the portions are so small than even for a kid it's not enough!!!! The service is bad and very slow and we didn't receive our food at the same time!!! The food is so-so and we don't think that we will come back here. read more

Worst Thai food I've ever had. The curry was runny and watery. Not authentic at all. Very cheap and tiny portions but very expensive and not worth the price. You have to pay extra for rice?!?!. We asked to share dishes so we could get various items and server charged extra on multiple items including the rice. If you want good Thai food, don't bother here. Very disappointed. Mostly just for show. Would give it half a star if possible. Very disappointed!!!! read more

We started off with the Hidden Treasures appetizer, as well as the veggie rolls. Both were delicious and fresh. I especially enjoyed the curry sauce used in the Hidden Treasures dish. We then got the Spicy Green Beans, the Gourmet Vegetables in oyster sauce, and the fried rice. The portion size was a bit on the small side, but after finishing, we realized we were comfortably full, and I think the portion size was perfect. We finished the meal with some coconut ice cream (which honestly reminded me of the ice milk I used to have as a child), and the Thai Custard (which was made me think of a pistachio and coconut flan). We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and I'm glad we made an effort to go there. I wish we had remembered that they had parking in the back, as we found a spot on the street. read more

We order delivery on a regular basis and love love love their food. Cashew Lover Chicken, Yellow Curry Chicken, Mixed Vegetables and Brown Rice are some of our favorites.... read more

Love Talesai! The food is always delicious, the service impeccable and the atmosphere is calm and not too loud. If you're looking for authentic Thai, this is the place. It is pricier than others, but you know why once you have the food. Worth it! They're open for delivery & pickup during "Safe at Home", so it is an option to support a local business and have a great meal! read more

Terrible restaurant. Unbelievably rude. I came in here alone and the restaurant was empty. Yet they acted like I was Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman shopping in Beverly Hills. read more

Just ordered from there for the first time and "meh" is the best words that comes to mind. Delivery was fast, and $2. The meal itself wasn't terrible but it was a TINY portion of Chicken Pad Thai and the "Crab Fried Rice" was horrible to me. All this for almost $36 + tip. I ordered the crab fried rice, chicken pad thai, spring rolls (which saved the dinner), for my wife an I. The Pad Thai was OKAY and tiny, the spring rolls were amazing (only reason not 2 stars), and the crab rice we threw out. I wouldn't recommend it to a friend but it seems like the kind of place that some people would love and others dislike. I never saw the restaurant but from a strictly food point of view, over priced, under good. If I had paid $20 for all of it instead of nearly $40, I would have been happier. They nickeled and dimed me by charging for things like $1 for extra peanut sauce. Strange because I told them it was my first time ordering from them, which it was, so usually that gets you good food service. If this is the best they can do, then no. I hate giving 3 stars to a place that isn't really bad but I can't give four. read more

My low score is for the horrible delivery service. We ordered at 6:40p.m. and did not receive our order until 8:45. When we ordered we were told it might be an hour. When we called back after an hour, they said our order was being made right then. Then when we called back after an hour and forty-five minutes, they said they were waiting for the delivery guy to return. When my husband said this wasn't acceptable, they said we could have a free appetizer next time. My husband pressed them that he wanted something done THIS time and they gave him a small discount. I would not order delivery again. The food is tasty and no complaints there. I would consider eating in house or picking it up myself. read more

One of my favorite places to eat in Los Angeles. The only problem I have is deciding what to order because there are a few dishes I crave from here. I usually wind up taking a lot home because I can't decide. SO so yummy and the staff is always nice. read more

Very good and elegant Pad Thai. Smaller portions.

Talesai has been around since the '80s, and it continues to thrive in 2012. We had dinner there tonight despite negative Yelp reviews about small portion sizes, and I have to give Talesai a solid B+. Ambiance ranks an A+, with a beautiful picture window and a good view of Ventura Blvd. Our servers were a bit nervous, but they loosened up over the course of the evening. The spicy beef salad was the hit of the night. The beef was tender and rare, and the spices were perfect. This was a bit pricy at $15, but I'd get it again (it was that good). The spring rolls were very good. The seafood Pad Thai was scrumptious, and the portion of seafood was reasonable. Again, this was a bit pricy at $17, but I'd get this again too. The only dish that I'd not reorder was the Garlic Chili Beef. It was very good but not excellent, and the serving size was disproportionately small for the price ($13). Talesai has great prices for alcohol, though -- their hot sake is only $4 per serving, and their martinis go for under $10. I think a couple who splits a soup, salad, appetizer, and noodle dish will walk away very happy. The food was superb, the atmosphere was snazzy, and it's nice not to walk out of a restaurant feeling overfed. The only reason I'm not giving Talesai five stars is that the prices are a bit high. I'd like to give their $10 lunch special a try. read more

It's getting 3 starts because if its smell... More fresh air please. The food was good and pricing was not bad.

Quiet, small but delicious portions, and you never have to wait!

I absolutely love the food here. Not your typical Thai, the offering here is refined. Spice is moderate, not overbearing so it adds dimension. Salmon, shrimp and lamb are cooked to perfection. Veggies are crisp and tasty. I"m really glad this establishment is here. It really offers true Thai flavors. As for portions; PERFECT. I love this place. read more

Trust is an integral part of the dining experience. Whether it's handing over your credit card to pay the bill, being served food that is healthy and safe or asking for recommendations as to which food won't make you violently sick due to ingredient allergies. Cafe Talesai broke the trust with me. I would never, ever consider this restaurant again. Luckily for them, I'm not the suing type. On Wednesday, February 25th we met friends for an early 6 PM dinner at Cafe Talesai on Ventura in Studio City. I told the food server that I have a terrible food allergy and asked asked for suggestions. I ordered what she suggested. When the food was delivered, I asked the food server if the dish contained the ingredient and was assured that it didn't. It did, and I got violently ill with effects for the next 24 hours. The place was empty. This detail is listed because they were not in a rush to discuss the matter with the chef. They had time to take my request under consideration. I had eaten Thai food daily for 3 years so I know there are work a-rounds for my allergy. I like Thai food. I would never consider this restaurant again. Regarding Valet parking: for $3 they will park your vehicle in the lot behind the restaurant. Because we had a dog in the car, we self-parked, yet we gave the valet $3 because we know that times are difficult. read more

Always loved this restaurant! But also, always amazed at how poorly it's patronized. The food is a delicious Thai infusion theme with excellently flavorful starters and a great selection of Thai curries and noodle dishes... And it's pretty reasonably priced! It has been around for a very long time, which may account for the small customer attendance the night we went...but that should just show how GOOD it is, that it's lasted so long against all the ever-changing competition in the area! read more

I ordered Thai curry. But the food didn't fill me up + the rice needs to be ordered separately. I ended up finding a most nearby fast food place to order something else instead. Sadly, they don't have tom yum noodle soup. All they have are fried noodle. Overall, the food tastes like an Asian fusion cafe. Its ok / average, but not a very traditional & authentic kind of Thai food. The parking is not easy to get either. read more

The food is very tasty and the drinks are nice and strong... Close to Universal city walk, so it was a perfect place to eat before the event we were attending. read more

This used to be a good restaurant many years ago. I would stay away solely for the fact that my father-in-law, a co-worker, and I were served bad food. Two out of three of us got sick. We didn't even eat together! This is over a span of years. I do not recommend the BBQ chicken (made my father in-law ill). My co-worker ordered fish and didn't feel right afterward. And I was served a simple glass of cranberry juice that had turned bad! I asked if they put alcohol in it because it tasted fermented. They said no and opened a new jar of Kirkland/Costco branded cranberry juice for me. I stuck with water. It's always empty during the lunch hour as I drive by. Other people must not be feeling it as well. It definitely has seen better days. It's too bad because the recipes were very good and the service is friendly. read more

The food was absolutely amazing. I ordered the crispy duck which was off the charts, my sweetheart had the fried rice and some horderves with shrimp which put us in heaven when it got in my mouth my mom ordered the pork which was so tasty and her boyfriend ordered the filet mignon which melted in your moth and was sooo tender. The sauces the service the people so wonderful and nice easily the best Thai restaurant hands down in the valley. God is good!!! read more

This is one of the best Thai places in LA. I have no idea why it's not usually packed. The food and the service is top notch. If you like Thai food you should at the very least give it a try. read more

Well, after deciding to give them a go, I called to place my take out order. I went over it specifically with the manager. I picked it up and asked if all was correct. I was assured. I got home (in the hills) and lo and behold no vegetable fried rice for the chicken. I was irate. Bad start for a new customer. I phoned and then was informed the I was not billed for said rice. I replied that the manager then had screwed up. Said manager has yet to phone to smooth things over. Bad form. And truly the food is mediocore. The price does not merit the food. Don't waste your time. I have little patience for poor customer service and rudeness. read more

After four years of eating here, I'm finally breaking up with Talesai. The food is still good but unfortunately, the prices continue to rise as the portions continue to shrink. It cost us $50 for three curries and two small boxes of rice last night. The portions were so small they were not enough for an evening meal. We are small eaters and we were all still hungry after eating our full dishes. Talesai no longer offers any value at all for money. There are plenty of other Thai options, we are sticking with them now. I honestly wonder how this place stays in business with such a stingy attitude to portions. read more

I ordered papaya salad and it was honestly pretty good but the portion size was definitely dissapointing for the price. Usually when I order papaya salad at Thai restaurants the portion size is about 3 times the size and half the price. It was $12 for the amount I got (it was basically a side dish) but maybe it's just because the restaurant is more up-scale. read more