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    The Orient Thai Cafe

    4.2 (429 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Salad, Soup
    Open 12:00 pm - 9:30 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order The Orient Thai Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    THE ORIENT THAI CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Intimate
    Dogs allowed

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    Josh L.

    Came in here with a mid-size group last week on Saturday for lunch. The place was not busy and we were seated quickly. Service was a bit slow, which wasn't ideal but we were patient with as it seems like they do a fair amount of takeout ordering. Where I was most disappointed in our visit was the actual taste of the food. I ordered the drunken noodles which were supposed to be spicy and they had little to no flavor. I'm an avid Thai food fan and typically love how consistent it is but this food was just straight up bland. My buddies who got the same dish as well as a the Pad Se Ew both said the same about their meal. A few of the folks liked their food which is why the score isn't lower. Atmosphere wise it's not a huge place with just about 5-6 tables so keep that in mind when coming in. The design feels a little dated but authentic and was charming. Sadly just given the food I wouldn't rush back.

    Wonton Soup/ Ton Kah

    I normally really love this place, but I don't know what happened... ordered a Tom K soup and a Wonton soup. Both soups were very small portions. The Tom Kah was bland, no veggies, no green onion, nothing but Tofu & Mushrooms. Tom Kah was really sweet and very viscus. Which isn't really a Tom Kah (plus without the other ingredients). For 2 soups I paid $23 :(

    Cashew Nut
    Jordyn J.

    Ordered from DoorDash so can't speak for the service or the vibe, but this Thai food was pretty tasty. They definitely kicked up the spice level per my request and it was great. I like that the spice didn't overpower the flavor of the dish as a whole. I'll definitely order from here again.

    Menu
    Christina H.

    I love this place!! Everything was so delicious and they had accommodations for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free. This is a cute little cozy spot in PB. There was not too much seating but they did offer both indoor and outdoor seating. They did an amazing job with the space they had, it was so well decorated. It really added to the atmosphere of the restaurant. Not only were the vibes great, but the food was equally as great! I would love to try every vegetarian option off of their menu. I personally got the pad see ew and wow, the vegetables were cooked to perfection. They had the perfect amount of crunch to cooked ratio. The flavor of the sauce blended well with the flavor of the vegetables and noodles and the salt was a the perfect level. 10/10 for that dish. My friend got the drunken noodle and she had the same review as me, you can not go wrong with either of those noodle dishes. The winter roll was also amazing, you could tell that it was freshly rolled to order. All the ingredients inside were so fresh and their peanut sauce was delicious. The staff were super friendly and accommodation. I highly recommend checking this place out! This place feels very "hole in the wall" vibes, so spread the word! Parking was the only slight inconvenience, the lot is shares with the surrounding businesses has minimal spots and fills up quick. Luckily there is some residential areas behind the restaurant when you can find street parking!

    Partially eaten Green Papaya Salad
    lisa j.

    I was very disappointed after reading all high reviews of The Orient Thai Cafe. The food was ok, but the service was dismal. The waitress seemed high and drifted over to take our order after 15 minutes. After dropping off our food, she never checked on us again other than to drop off the check before we finished eating. The green papaya salad didn't taste very fresh and was oddly served with a bunch of romaine lettuce. My Khao soi noodles had a very thin broth and the chicken was overcooked. My friend did enjoy her green curry with mixed seafood. There is a small parking lot. No alcohol served. There are a few other great Thai restaurants in PB. I would recommend The Orient Thai Cafe for a quick lunch only.

    Tom Yum
    fatima j.

    This place is truly a hidden gem. I've been wanting to come here for the longest time, and now I honestly regret not coming sooner. The Tom Yum soup is incredibly flavorful it's like an explosion of goodness in your mouth. The Thai fried the chicken was tender! rice was so soft, super delicious, we didn't leave a single grain of rice on the plate because it was that good. We also ordered the beef eggplant, and I honestly don't even know where to start... you just have to try it for yourself! Honourable mention to the best side dish: peppers in vinegar. They were absolutely delicious and paired perfectly with everything. This is genuinely the best Thai restaurant I've been to, and it's the only place I'll be coming back to. The service was amazing. Min checked on us often and made us feel so welcome she was super kind, professional, and genuinely caring. Thank you, Min! The cultural decor is warm and cozy, and it honestly feels like stepping into another world. I seriously can't wait to come back!

    Pad Thai
    Emily S.

    Had a satisfying meal here the other night! Stopped by without a reservation on a Friday night and were happy that the restaurant was not too busy. We were able to be seated right away before it was very busy. There was a rush right after we arrived, and the one server was definitely not prepared for the amount of patrons. It was a little annoying since our table sat right by the line of people waiting for a table. We ordered the pad thai and drunken noodles, which came out very quickly. Overall, we enjoyed our meal. We wish it could have had more sauce, both dishes were on the drier side, but the flavor is there and due to its proximity to everything in Pacific Beach, we will likely return!

    Good

    Just came for a pick up but the lady working was not nice. The lady was rude when me and my boyfriend arrived. Food was good.

    Panang Coconut Curry w/ Chicken
    Steven Alan D.

    I was surprised to receive a notification on Doordash that they have a $100 maximum on deliveries upon checkout... This restaurant just left an additional $50 on the table! After deleting some of the items that would have given us a taste of some our favorite Thai dishes, we were left with only 2 dishes, an appetizer, and a small side salad. The total bill came out to almost $100 for Thai take out from PB! My guest said jokingly, "It must be inflation..." As a native San Diegan, my recommendation is that this is not the right price point for the region. We started with the vegetable spring rolls, which were tasty, but very greasy. The sweet and sour sauce was light and the perfect consistency. However, the fried tofu side salad came with a very thick peanut sauce. You will need to dilute it 1:1 v/v with water in order to make it a dressing. If it was a dipping sauce for the tofu, then no dressing was provided. The Pad Thai w/ Beef was more sticky that traditionally made. You will need to cut the noodles with a knife in order to dish out a square of the Pad Thai. Also, the presentation was nothing to write home about. They could have topped the entire dish with scallions and chopped peanuts in order to make it more presentable. The Panang Coconut Curry w/ Chicken at a spice level of 1 was just spicy enough to make this dish palatable. However, they did not include the side of chili paste that I requested in order to increase the spice level, if needed... The Panang Curry was way too watery! This may be a form of "shrinkflation," according to my guest, but either way it ruined the dish. Overall, I was not impressed... This was a $50 meal at most, not nearly the $100 that was charged, and it was average and overpriced! I know of several other Thai restaurants in San Diego that have better food with more reasonable prices.

    Tom yum soup with veggies
    Heather W.

    Solid Thai spot in PB. I always get the pad see ew with chicken, cuz that's my jam. Like most places (it seems), the spicy scale leans higher than you'd expect. My first visit I got a level 3 spice for the pad see ew and oh boy was it still spicy. Even getting it at a 2 the following visit still had quite a bit of heat. Be forewarned. If you come on a Friday night, be prepared that it gets busy. I hadn't realizes you could make reservations. When we dropped by, there was only outdoor seating and it was a tad cold and unpleasant for that. Once a table opened up, our server invited us to move inside which was great. In addition to my regular choice, we decided to get an order of the kari puff apps, which were tasty. And also shared a bowl of Tom Yum soup because my companion was feeling a tad under the weather. You can chose between meat options, tofu, or veggies. We opted for the veggies which included a bunch of stuff like mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, cabbage. The soup has some heat to it which I thought would be great for any congestion. On first sip (It was my first time ever having Tom Yum) I said "this soup tastes like healing." My companion agreed. It just tastes like amazing nutrients and warmth and comfort. A delightful beginning. We got an order of drunken noodles with beef and it looks nearly like Pad See Ew but with a bunch of peppers instead of broccoli and a more sweet and sour type sauce. My pref remained with the Pad See Ew. I love broccoli. The staff is so very friendly here. It is very popular for take-out but I enjoy dining in.

    Noodles
    Christina C.

    Omg this place is better then food in Thailand service fasst so delicious I'm gonna come again

    12-11-21 Entrance
    Sue D.

    Ambiance: (3/5) See pics Food: (3/5) - Green Curry with Shrimp ($15.95)-- shrimp were perfect cooked. (4/5) Rice-- disappointing. Thai food, rice plays an important part. It makes a big difference to one's dining experience. (1/5) - Tom Kha Kai ($14.95)-- a little bit on the sweet side. (3/5) - Green Papaya Salad ($8.95)-- very subpar. Carrot should be eliminated. It's not part of the "Papaya Salad". Portion was small. (2/5) - Fresh Mango With Sweet Sticky Rice ($8.95)-- mango was not fresh nor ripe or sweet. Should not be served. Sticky Rice: sugar texture, coconut and rice were not good proportion. The taste was off. Not sure if the rice was fresh? (2/5 stars) Service: (5/5) Courteous and attentive. Note: The restaurant is in the same parking lot as 7-11, before Fanuel St.

    Glass noodles with pork

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    8 months ago

    I love this restaurant, nice decor and cozy. the food is great!! I love the papaya salad and the eggplant with tofu.

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    2 years ago

    Vibey little Thai spot. Very fast service and the best basil chicken you'll find in Pacific Beach

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    Soup Du Jour

    Soup Du Jour

    4.7
    (450 reviews)
    6.1 mi
    $$

    Food: everything tasted clean and delicious! Loved their congee chicken, Chinese donut, braised…read moremeatball soup the noodles were excellent and chewy and we also got their spicy chicken! Me and my husband was impressed for their food! We will be coming back!!! Customer service! Great service and the food came out so fast! Parking is plenty for retail parking! We can't wait to try more braised meats from this restaurant. Thank you chef!

    Soup du Jour, a French? (No, Taiwanese fusion) restaurant in Convoy? (No, just south of Convoy)…read morelocated in a crouded strip mall? (No, lodged in an apartment complex). This place is decieving on many levels and subverts expectations in the best way possible. Walking in you wouldn't think much. I was surprised by the tall ceilings; this place is not large in square footage but it doesn't feel cramped in any way. We opted for the online menu as it included pictures, though not on every item. Very reasonable prices for generous portions. Every dish was a winner, though some better than others in the minute details. The Hainanese Chicken Rice was tender and rich that the ginger sauce cut through, but the color was strikingly yellow. The Rotisserie Chicken Salad offered a welcome sight of veggies, though the chicken itself tasted like that straight from Costco. The Scallion Pancake was crispy on the edges, doughy in the center, and you only get one per order. The Shitake Mushroom Minced Pork had no drawbacks, and would come back just for this. Combining familiar flavors and spices, adding roasted vegetables and rice made this a complete meal! We were unbothered by the service staff the entire time until asking for the check, strange as we were the only two in the restaurant. However, with these minor setbacks, I will be coming back to try their noodles, soups, and desserts!

    Photos
    Chicken and front counter
    Chicken and front counter
    Fried bread for congee
    Fried bread for congee
    Soup Du Jour

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    PHOnomenal

    PHOnomenal

    4.8
    (505 reviews)
    12.0 mi
    $$

    They only have a few selections on their menu. They specialize in the beef rib bone Cambodian…read morenoodle soup and they have huge spring rolls. The meat on the bones was so tender, it fell right off of the bone. Their broth is so delicious. Don't forget to taste that before you put in that bomb ass house chili oil. And to all the Cambodians from a Cambodian, it tastes better than most of your momas house, j/k, but I'm not, lol. The chili oil sauce is spicy, but that's how I like it. And oh, that sugar cane drink completed the whole meal. It was good and not too sweet, just the way I like it. The owners were great. They were so sweet and welcoming. Don't forget to order some of their Chili oil house sauce for the house. I would definitely come back again if I am in the San Diego area. I highly recommend this place. Disclaimer: No one got hurt making the opening the can video, j/k, lol. https://fb.watch/HUlvHgClrw/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://fb.watch/HUmb-tAb9h/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://fb.watch/HUmfFqBVpF/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://fb.watch/HUmih3PsDJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

    One of the best pho I've had at a restaurant. The broth was flavorful, the ingredients were fresh,…read moreand everything tasted great. I also ordered the cococane (coconut and sugarcane) drink, and it was delicious. My wife loved her meal too, which always makes the experience even better. Happy wife, happy life! Our food came out quickly, and the staff checked on us throughout the meal without being overbearing. The balance was perfect. Modern, clean, and comfortable. A great place to relax and enjoy a good meal. We'll be back, San Diego. And we'll be ordering that pho again.

    Photos
    Partial view of the dining area
    Partial view of the dining area
    Their Phonomenal food item that always sells out!!!!
    Their Phonomenal food item that always sells out!!!!
    Shrimp and Pork Roll

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    Shrimp and Pork Roll

    The Orient Thai Cafe - thai - Updated August 2026

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