Good food albeit modest quantities for the price, but not sure why I even tipped the 15%. They do bring out your food but when I asked for water, they pointed to the jug. However, the jug was nearly out of water, and when I inquired, they 'helped' by tipping the jug to wait for water to pour s-l-o-w-l-y. This is not slow food, it's slow drink! read more

THAI "HIDDEN" KITCHEN (3.7 stars) Craving (authentic) Thai without the need to go to Convoy. It's a mom and pop kind of place, nearly a one person kitchen. - FOOD: good - SERVICE: good but takes 20m for food - PRICE: decent - AMBIANCE: hidden and tiny Would have never discovered this place if I didn't look on yelp. It's hidden in the middle of SeaView corporate buildings. Authentic Thai food cooked by Thai people serving business people on their lunch breaks and a sprinkle of college students. It's an interesting spot, upon arrival there were two cash registers - one for another business and another for this restaurant. The menus are laid out infront of the register (don't forget to flip them as there are more items on the back to select). Typical Thai food selection but I saw Singapore Noodles (yet no picture of it on yelp). I will be the guinea pig for yall. Wait time "15 - 20min" easily turns to "25min" (keep the wait time in mind). :: ORDER :: SINGAPORE NOODLES (~$14) - rice vermicelli noodles with curry powder, served with green onion, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Choice of protein: chicken. Their version is ok. I use to eat Singapore Noodles once a week in SF and hold that experience with high standards. SD does not quite execute Singapore Noodles in the way I remember them and finding a place for my fix has been the challenge. This place does it better than many other places I've tried the noodles in SD and for now would be the place I'd go to order it. However, I do feel the flavors in this dish need to be a bit more elevated. But why did my Singapore Noodles kind of tasted like Pad See Ew flavor with Singapore Noodle appearance (that should not be the case). When the food arrived, the appearance looked as it is expected, had that yellow tint from the curry powder BUT the curry powder's presence was faint. I'd love a little more curry flavor to come thru in the dish - I feel that's what makes the Singapore Noodles pop. All the other ingredients were cut so largely (but chicken pieces, big vegetable pieces). My chicken wasn't as soft and kind of chewy and dry but still edible, not the best but edible. Vegetable ratio was fine but wish there were a little more green onion and onions. And the noodles, something about it was kind of dry. Yes, the dish was oily (at the bottom) but the noodles just felt dry. The description forgot to mention egg, there were small pieces of scrambled eggs. I still ate my meal and felt semi-satisfied. RECOMMEND (if you craving "like" Singapore Noodles). WARNING. Order was "for here" but served in cheap to-go plates. The bottom quickly soaks in grease. When asked for "to go" containers they just provide a lid and rubber bands. Also, watch your clothes... all plate soak like this on the tables and they don't wipe the tables down so expect greasy spots that can get on your clothes. Will be back to try other things. Until the next review... read more

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You can't tell from the name, but Early Bird & Sleepy Owl Cafe is a Thai restaurant nestled in the Sea View Corporate Center of Sorrento Valley. It took over the former space occupied by Soma Cafe & Deli. My employer is less than a few miles away so we have catered lunch from here on a few occasions since the grand opening in January. The neighboring businesses in this office complex have a convenient fast-casual Asian eatery in its midst. Half of the menu was basic American fare like breakfast sandwiches, salads, soups, sandwiches, and burgers. The other half was the Asian offerings which consisted of noodle bowls, stir-fried noodle dishes, fried rice, and curries. One day after work, I stopped by to pick up some food to go. My order was the Spaghetti Kee Mao and the Drunken Noodles. I asked for beef to be added to the spaghetti that was seasoned with fresh chiles, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans, and basil leaves. For the wide rice noodles, shrimp was my protein choice mixed in with egg, onions, bell peppers, garlic, chili, and basil leaves. Both entrees were fragrant from the basil. If I had to nitpick, then I would request a slightly larger serving size for the price. Other than that, the food quality and flavors were worthy of a four star rating. read more

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Great food, right portion, great menu, a bit pricy for lunch but it is convenient if you work nearby the area which don't have many choices for food. Preapre to wait for food or just order ahead and pick them up. They are packed during lunch time. They don't open during weekend. read more

We had egg rolls, Pad Thai and Pad See Ew. The food tasted authentic. Mild spice was too hot for me! Service is a little slow, more staff is needed. The place appears clean and cozy. read more

Caught by surprise how good the food in this hidden gem place. It's best to call or online order if your press with time. Place looks clean

Tried this place for the first time today. Came in around 11am to place a to go lunch order-- wasn't quite busy yet and my order came out pretty quick! I got the fresh rolls with shrimp, pad see ew with fried tofu, and pineapple curry with crispy pork. The pineapple curry was phenomenal! So flavorful and not too heavy. The pad see ew was good as well but I thought it could have used a little bit more seasoning. The fresh rolls were great as well-- I would definitely add tofu or shrimp to them. I also got mango sticky rice (not pictured) and this was a great way to top off the meal, not too sweet and the mango was perfectly ripe! This place is a great lunch stop read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Fresh rolls with shrimp, pad see ew with fried tofu, pineapple curry - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

I came here for some quick Thai food and drinks for lunch, and it wasn't half-bad. It's a bit hard to find, located on the corner of a business park. However, the service is great here and they have a ton of delicious, though pricey, options on the menu. read more

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I do like the food here. I love that they have Crispy pork on the menu, lots of thai restaurants don't always have that option. Food is a tad on the pricey side. I have noticed that every time I do order To-Go and specify a spice level, I do not get any spice at all. I've ordered many times in the past, and for some reason they do not add any spice... My coworkers have also noticed this for their to-go orders. read more

Thai Test Kitchen (B+ or 4 stars - Very good, and a little bit of driving is fine): A cool little casual Thai restaurant in the middle of an office park. The food is very good, albeit on the pricey side, but still made it to my "revisit worthy" list. Thai Test Kitchen is in the middle of an office park, with lots of parking beside it. The decor is very casual and simple, with limited seating, some inside and some outside. The chairs and tables aren't hang-out comfortable, but adequate for lunch. Their menu is very vast for a little restaurant. Nicely categorized into appetizers, curries, wok mains, etc. but I have to wonder about their turnaround time during busy lunch hours! We were the only customers there when we went so that was quite nice. Basil eggplant with shrimp (A- ) : This was a great dish! The eggplants were cooked perfectly, well enough to have proper sweetness but not to the point of mush. The basil sauce was deliciously savory. Most impressive were the shrimps, decently sized, perfectly cooked to a springy, chewy texture. Slight points taken off for being a little too salty, and a bit more sauce would have improved the dish. Pad thai with chicken (B+ ) : Debated whether to give this dish a B or a B+ but since it was served piping hot, that made me quite happy! The good: the flavors brought back memories of Thailand, the balance of sweet, savory, spicy and sour. The chicken, although breast meat, was very flavorful and not dry. The bad: why so wet? I distinctly remember the Pad Thai in Thailand was more on the dry side, but having tried numerous Thai restaurants across the US, I've yet to find one that duplicates those fond memories of Thailand. Reminded me of baristas making what resembled a latte when ordering a cappuccino. Spicy basil duck (B ) : The duck tasted fresh and nicely cooked, but it felt unbalanced. It would have been great to have more onions and peppers for sweetness for wetness, but instead, there was an over abundance of bamboo shoots. Overall, the dish was a bit too salty, and a bit dry - more sauce would have helped a lot. The next time I go for the duck, it'll be in a curry! With that large menu, there are quite a few dishes I still need to try, including the crab fried rice, the crispy pork, the curries, and the khao mun gai. But as a retired marketing guy, I can't help but wonder whether they should rationalize / consolidate their menu to improve efficiency and margin, and pass some savings to consumers to make themselves more price competitive. For the price, the portions are rather small, but I always prefer quality over quantity, so I'll be back! ------------------------------------------- Food Grading Scale: A+: Life changing. You remember these bites for the rest of your life. Occurs very infrequently and when it does, you'll know it. You don't even know how to further improve it with a magic wand. A: Wow! Excellent. You felt happy biting into it. You're considering whether it's life changing, but know it misses the mark. A-: Very very good. Whatever it is, it's one of the best, but you can think of further improvements. B+: Very good. Very enjoyable, not to the point of "impressive," but worth revisiting. B: Good. A solid example of whatever it is, offering enjoyment, but not enough for making an effort to get. B-: Not bad. If in a pinch to eat something, this offers some enjoyment and is a reasonable option. C+: Mediocre plus. Pretty average, but with one or two positive characteristics you can identify. C: Mediocre. "Meh". Very average. Not bad enough to make you angry, but nothing good about it at all. C-: Bad. You recognize it for what it is, but a very bad rendition. Your foodie self is a little pissed, and feeling like a dummy you ordered it. D: Awful. Whoever cooked it should be ashamed of themself. Somehow, you still managed to swallow a bite. F: WTF is this? Inedible. One chew, you had to spit it out. Fire the chef. read more

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I got the minced chicken Gra Prow with level 5 for the spice and it was phenomenal! I also called to place my order and asked if they can accommodate food allergies, since Thai food has nuts in some of the dishes. They were extremely kind and able to accommodate my allergy, making sure my food was safe for my allergies! It's quite a cute place near some office buildings, with ample seating inside the store and out. They also have the cutest little logo! Definitely look forward to getting food here again! read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Sign out front - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

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Fresh ingredients and ample portions. This location caters to the lunch crowd in the Sorrento Valley office centers.

This place is a lunch spot for the office folks in the surrounding business buildings. It is in an unassuming location and very tasty. I have been to Thailand for work over a dozen times and i would say the taste is more authentic than anywhere else in san diego. read more

I saw this place on TikTok and the everything from uniqueness of the dishes, each having a story behind them, the unique location near my apartment, and finally the feud with the landlord painting over the sign got me to try this place. I came on a weekday at 12 p.m. and the place was extremely crowded, with a lot of folks who I think work in the office complex. This meant there was a long line waiting to order, waiting for food, and eating in the store. When I got to the front of the line, my friend and I ordered the green curry with chicken to try. After a bit of a wait, it came out piping hot. The taste was phenomenal, and I could tell there was a lot of love put into this dish! There was a good amount of veggies and the chicken was very moist. I just wish the portions were a bit larger, but this is a good example of quality over quantity. I think the store was really cute too. It seemed to be an old cafe/bakery from the old glass display cases and sugar packets. There was plenty of seating both indoor and outdoor, and plenty of parking as well. I think the food was overall amazing and I would definitely return another time! While the hours are a bit limited and the wait was a bit long, you do have to consider that this is a family-owned establishment and the love really shines through the food! read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Green Curry with Chicken - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

Food: ordered sticky rice with mango - 4 star for this dessert. It was still warm and not overly sweet but creamy with the riped mango made it a fabulous dessert. I finished all of it. The crispy pork would be 3.5 because the sauce didn't taste right somehow. It had a somewhat bitterness in the sauce of the dish. I couldn't finish it so I took the rest home and added my homemade adobo sauce and it was better. I did like the crispiness of the pork belly. Overall, place was clean, as there were only a couple of people in there from time to time. I went midafternoon so after lunch crowd. You order at the counter and they bring the dish to your table. Customer service was fine but they were mostly in the back so didn't really see anyone until they served your dish. I think I want to try their pad thai next time. read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Crispy pork with Chinese broccoli and sticky rice with mango. - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

This is a legit place. Authentic Thai food without flying to Thailand. It's like home-cooked food served in a restaurant. I added a sunny side up egg on top of my Gra Prow Kai. Spice level 5 is just right for a spicy food lover like me. It is very flavorful with just the right amount of vegetables and basil leaves. My hubby had the Pad Thai with fried tofu, spice level 5 too. A tad sweet but tasty nonetheless. The mango sticky rice is the best I ever had. The mango is ripe and sweet, the rice is cooked just right, the mung beans topping is a surprise. Usually I don't like topping on my sticky mango rice. Theirs are crispy mung beans. Very nice. I would prefer a little bit more coconut cream. Overall fantastic lunch on a Friday with seating outdoor. Hope the restaurant will thrive as we want to come back to try other dishes! read more

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New Thai place close to work. Plenty of parking spots in the business park and a parking structure nearby as well. I got the Pad Thai to go. I actually really like the to-go container - it is a compostable bowl with a lid, much nicer than a regular paper box. The Pad Thai had a good amount of sauce and the chewy noodles were cooked to perfection. Service was friendly and there were plenty of seating options inside and outside. The ambiance was clean but pretty bare-bones and cafeteria-like. Thought the portion size was a little small compared to other restaurants given the comparable price. read more

I tried a variety of dishes (green curry, roti, crispy pork, yellow curry, pad prink khing, thick toast with pandan custard with fresh coconut topping), and they were all flavorful and delicious. You can tell that they care about the food they make. I drove from downtown San Diego to their Sorrento Mesa location to enjoy their food. They also offer friendly service. It's in a business park so it's not readily viewable from the street. Check it out! read more

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Came here because of the Instagram sign guy. If you know you know. It was pretty slow here, though I probably came after their main lunch hour. This place is an office park, and so they most likely get their primary business around 12 PM. The service here was very nice, and they even brought the food out to us, even though it's mainly a to go place. Ordered the boiled chicken over rice, which came with a really delicious broth, as well as pad Thai noodles. Both were cooked to perfection, the former feeling like a really great healthy option that you could eat daily. I am not even from Thailand, but I think this had a very home food feel. I'm not so surprised since the provenance of this store involves Aroi thai in La Jolla, which in my opinion is the best Thai restaurant I've ever been to. They did a great job with this location. One might say the price is a little higher given the portion, but the quality is definitely there if that helps. Overall awesome. read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Pad Thai shrimp - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

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Wow! I really liked this place. Delicious, spicy dishes and very fast and friendly service. Yummy beverages as well. However, definitely more of a cafe style. If you are looking to be waited on in a more traditional style, skip this place. It's a bit unconventional, self serve water, outside bathroom, etc, but personally that doesn't take away from the experience at all. Just something to note. read more

Out of the way location but the food more than makes up for it. I took the recommendation to have the crispy pork belly and Chinese broccoli and it did not disappoint. Great flavor with a good portion size at a fair price. read more

Came in during lunch time, it wasn't as busy as one would expect being surrounded by offices. Atmosphere and furniture are nice, very well kept, food was flavorful and a good price-food-quality ratio. The only thing is the attitude of the staff, if you ask for any modifications or even cater to a special need, you'll get a rude answer and a "it's $X extra" even though it is just removing an ingredient or asking for more veggies instead of meat. I get the meat surcharge but more onion and cilantro seriously?! Vegetarian Options: They have limited to a few vegetarian options, just be wary of the added-inflated surcharges for those options. Parking/Accessibility: Has multiple spots, it is inside a business/office complex so plenty of parking Wheelchair accessible at street level, not huge inclination, parking street level average read more

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I saw this place pop up on my yelp lunch searches which I never seen before so I assumed that this place is new. I came here with a few colleagues for lunch and was pleasantly surprised by how delicious the food was. I ordered the chefs special crispy pork rice was as good as it sounds. It had 3 types of pork (crispy, braised?, and sausage) with a nice gravy sauce. Additionally the mango sticky rice dessert was a perfect finish. read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Crispy pork rice - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm soooo excited about this place next to my office. The eggplant was cooked how I liked and the tofu was lightly fried and cut into bite sized pieces. I ordered a spice level of seven to test how spicy it would be. I'll get it a bit spicier next time. My coworkers have said the soup and noodle dishes they've had were all excellent. I could have kept eating until I was sick so I'm glad they didn't give me a portion I couldn't handle. Ha! Looking forward to next time and trying all the entrees. I'll post more each time. read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Eggplants with fried tofu - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

First off all this place is hiden Gems They are brand new office and business area is might hard to find but is worth it. Food is excellent 100% authentic Thai, p" kwan and Mr. Cbarlee very sweet give customer all attentive and friendly service Definitely will come back read more

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I had this order delivered. I think I'm a little over 13 miles away and all of my food was steaming hot when I opened it. I ordered pad see ew, mango and sticky rice and roti for dessert. I'm from out of town and didn't know to ask for a fork. Like I said, the food was so hot I had to wait to eat it. Noodles were delicious and I can say I wasn't disappointed with my selection. Would definitely recommend them for your Thai food needs. read more

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Decent pad thai. It's an order at the counter type of restaurant. Not much space to sit down and dine.

I Love the Food and their service -- The mango with sticky rice U must try... and ask for a coconut sauce to marry the mango and sticky rice together read more

Thai Test Kitchen - I love their sticky rice with mango yummy - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

Best Thai food I've had in SD, and I've been to nearly all of of the Thai places south of the 56. It's a small, family-run, order-first / eat later type of restaurant located in a random industrial lot. Don't let the appearance deceive you though, as the food is 100% worth the trip. I have shamelessly made this trip multiple times. The crispy pork belly and drunken noodles are some of my favorite things to order here. . The crispy pork belly is basically a better version of chicharron, and the pad see ew / drunken noodles have an amazing wok hei and texture that I haven't found anywhere else. The Thai spice and basil mix they use here hits differently for some reason too -- it's absolutely perfect for a "cold" San Diegan day. I've also ordered crab fried rice, boat noodles, most of the stir fries, half of the appetizers, and I've been very happy with everything I've ordered. Couple things to watch out for: - Make sure to get a -1 to whatever spice level you normally like (5/10 is perfect for me, and I usually get like a 7 everywhere else. I've also had some friends get a 3/10 and say it was a bit too spicy for them). - It smells amazing in there but I had to hold back tears of joy as wafts of capsaicin permeate the main dining area (there's outdoor seating too btw) - It will get busy during lunch, and your food might take an extra 10-15min to arrive depending on how many people order in. My max wait was 40mins on a particularly busy Friday. read more

The service here was so-so. The cashier who helped us wasn't able to answer our questions about some dishes and drinks available on their menu. For instance, I was wondering if they made their Thai tea extra strong (I.e. if the taste was more like the tea leaves) or if it was just extra sugary. The cashier mentioned that it tasted strongly like the tea leaves. However, when we got our drinks, we could barely taste the tea, it just tasted like watered down tea and milk. My pad Thai also was disappointing- it was quite dry for my liking. In terms of ambiance, it is nice and causal here. There is an open floor plan with large windows that give natural light. My friend said she really liked the pad see ew so maybe I just ordered the wrong things. read more

Thai Test Kitchen is located in the Sorrento Valley area and is easily accessible for many UCSD students. It's in a business plaza and can be tricky to find at first but has plenty of parking spots available. I came here after studying and I was more than happy with the food I got. We ordered the drunken noodles and the pad thai, which were both delicious and has that smoky/charred taste that I really enjoy. Prices were affordable and it's a great place to have a quick lunch. I was also made aware that this is a family-owned business which was more of a reason for me to support it! Will definitely return here for more Thai food! read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Drunken Noodles & Pad Thai - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

Meh, it's 7 out of 10 for me with their yellow curry. The wait is ridiculous, there was like 20 people gathered picking up 25 min quoted food. My food took 35 min. My favorite place in San Diego BAHN THAI is and hasn't been beaten out. & my serving for $15 was a joke. I forgot to add that. read more

Was craving pad gra prow and it was good. Just like in Thailand. I'll be coming back to try other dishes

Quick and convenient food! My office is nearby and each time I go it's just a easy. I typically place my orders on the online platform and that is typically sufficient enough. I highly recommend the steamed veggies, Drunken noodles or true pad Thai. Honestly my whole office speaks highly of this location and I understand why. You can't go wrong with anything. read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Drunken noodles - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

Cravings satisfied! This was one of the things that tik tok made me try. And I definitely do not regret it one bit. I stopped by after work to grab a few items to go. The customer service was topnotch. The food was so incredible. 100% would recommend getting the crispy pork with basil and pad gra prow. Oh and the mango sticky rice! Or any of the dessert options for that matter. I devoured everything so fast that I forgot to take a picture. I mean that just speaks to how great everything was. The only bad thing is I wish they were open longer/for dinner. Definitely a hidden gem in Sorrento Valley. read more

My first time eating here and my dish was phenomenal. I ordered the Gra Prow Kai level 10 and the basil, garlic, and chili complemented everything so well. The minced chicken mixed with the rice so well making the perfect balance for each bite. The staff was very polite and had a great dessert suggestion of the honey toast topped with a pandan custard. Perfect way to end my lunch. The aesthetics of the restaurant are full of life with mint condition vintage toys to stunning vibrant unique posters. It's a showcase of art and music with such a unique niche you could probably discover something new every time you eat here. Definitely coming back with friends next time! read more

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The food / service is outstanding and located in a really cool looking building I guess that clicks your ambiance box For those who are into that. I am a little picky on the Thai Places I go and this one hasn't failed in my 3 experiences. I will return for more and soon !!! read more

I'm so glad I stumbled on to this place. I got the drunken noodles with chicken and extra vegetables, spicy #3 and an order of Siamese rolls. Everything was so good. The rolls were fried perfectly. Portions are a good size. I highly recommend if you are in the area. read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Drunken noodles, chicken and extra vegetables - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food is amazingly tasty. Only disappointing aspect was the crispy pork belly rice bowl with chinese broccoli came with only 5 pieces of pork that are mostly fat. Could have gotten more meat and less fatty as well. Besides from this, food is amazing read more

Thai Test Kitchen - Crispy pork rice bowl with chinese broccoli - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

i came here again since this place changed their name + expanded their menu. again, the location is still just as quiet with plenty of parking, which i appreciate. while the cup size looks small i was actually super full afterward after finishing one dish. there is a bell you can use to call the servers attention if you need to pick up your dish. you can also request additional utensils if necessary. I also think the decor of this place is very cute :) overall, i think this place is a new go to place of mine now for lunch at work! read more

Thai Test Kitchen - silver noodles - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

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