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I've heard a lot about this place. Especially from people that grew up or studied in Berkley. Seems like it's a known and popular spot, so I had to check it out! Organization wise it's a little confusing for first timers, so I'll help you out: First you find the "exchange" tent, then you change your dollars for tokens. Those are the tokens you'll use to buy the food around. Each food tent has it's own line. Sometimes you might find a tent with NO line. That just means you're either lucky or those are not the most sought after meals. I was also a bit confused by the "curry" tent, so here's a quick run down: You get a plate with rice + mix. You can pay for 1, 2 or 3 mixes. They are all additive, so you get rice + 1 mix, rice + 2 mixes, or rice + 3 mixes. You do NOT get 3 plates and you do NOT get more of a single mix if you only order one. So if you want the most bank for your buck, go with the 3 mixes. Even if it's the same thing 3 times, which I would also recommend if you don't feel like the options are very appetizing! They also don't have a lot of patience, so make sure you already know what you want by the time it's your turn to order. It's kind of hard to even see what the food is before getting there, but do your best or just expect a rough time. Portion sizes are not consistent, so it will be based on your luck and how they profile you (I got a meager portion while my skinny ass friend got almost double what I got. I don't blame them, she needs to eat, but so do I hahaha). What I do recommend you try out is their Soup. Usually one of the longest lines, but moves very quickly and worth it! Make sure to ask (and pay) for the extra bone/meat in. And finally, if you never had it, they have these little "sweet mini-crepes" that were interesting. Never had something like that. Overall, worth the experience, but I think the days of "I used to buy my weeks worth of food here" are long gone.
Arrived around noon and there was not a lot of food left! And this was the first time I've ever seen the vegetarian line longer than the meat line. So I opted for the meat line and they didnt have many options left. I got a 3 Item plate with a red eggplant chicken curry, a yellow chicken curry, and pad thai. White rice comes on every plate by default. This was a delicious plate. For dessert, we tried the chocolate and cardamom khanom krok. It takes 10 min to make, and its super hot so be careful eating it. The cardamom is super strong which i really liked! It paired really nicely with the chocolate
My brother found this place after reading all the great reviews, and they definitely weren't wrong! He saw that it starts getting busy around 10am, so we made a plan to arrive before then and I'm glad we did. The location is a bit interesting. It's tucked along a small street in a residential neighborhood, with what look like reserved spots and not much signage. We had to find street parking near the houses, but I was lucky enough to grab a spot off Ashby. It's just a short walk over. As soon as we walked toward the back of the temple, the aroma hit us. Wow, everything smelled incredible. You could immediately tell the food was going to be good. The lines weren't bad when we arrived, and we were able to sit and eat before it got too crowded. You have to purchase tokens before getting food, so we first looked at what we wanted in order to calculate how many tokens we needed. Then we went to the token exchange area to get exactly what we needed. It's a 1-to-1 ratio. Each token is worth $1, which makes it pretty straightforward once you understand the system. I got the $13 plate for 3 items, which included rice. My three items were the Pumpkin (Kabocha) Basil, the chicken parang curry, and the minced pork with Thai basil. My plate tasted really good -- all the flavors were spot on, like something you'd get at a full-service Thai restaurant. The pumpkin was tender and flavorful, the chicken parang curry was rich and comforting, and the minced pork with Thai basil had the perfect balance of savory and aromatic. My daughter got the soup. The soup was amazing. I honestly couldn't stop drinking it and my daughter loved it just as much. It was comforting, flavorful, and one of the highlights of the meal. After eating most of my plate, I couldn't quite finish because I was getting full and I knew I needed to save room for dessert. The dessert line was getting long. I waited for quite some time, but it was absolutely worth it, especially since I haven't seen these types of desserts at typical Thai restaurants. We got the Babin (Taro fritter pancakes) and Krok (got the chives and cinnamon) Combo. You get 2 Babins and 6 or 8 Kroks. Both so good. The Next time, we'll probably order everything (including dessert) before we start eating so we don't run into the long wait again. Overall, such a unique and delicious experience. The food, flavors, and atmosphere made it feel special. Definitely arrive before 10am if you can and don't skip dessert. We'll absolutely be back!
If you're a Berkeley student, make sure you grab Sunday brunch here before you graduate--it's such a unique community experience, and the food is pretty solid. Highlights of our visit included the beef noodle soup and mango sticky rice! The green curry was okay, and the pad Thai was very heavy on the fish sauce. Thai iced tea is a must. I really wanted to try the coconut pancakes, but the stall wasn't here when we went. It was a little difficult to find seating, so I would recommend coming on the earlier side (they are open 10-1 on Sundays).
Peaceful and sacred.... There are food for sale every Sunday, make sure you go early( I would say around 10 am) so you don't have to fight for parking and be in line for a long time. If you have company, have one in line for food or dessert and you go exchange tokens to save time. FYI, if you want to take them Togo, there is an extra charge for that.....
My friend and I went there of lunch. We went when it first open at 10am. You first exchanged cash into plastic coins. I got beef noodle for $12 and $11 for mango sticky rice. The beef noodle line was longer than rice line. The selected the fat rice noodles, you have three choices. Everything tasted good, you get big thin slice of beef, beef tender and beef balls. The bean sprouts were good but the celery was out of place. I took home the mango sticky rice, the picture is only half, I ate one half before remembering to picture. Overall, I enjoyed the experience, it is not as big as the one in Los Angeles Thai temple. Street parking was available when come early. They do have tables for sitting down. Place to put away your dishes.
Not sure if we just came on an off day, or if I got the wrong vegetarian items, but I feel like our experience is the complete opposite of all the positive reviews here. I was pretty excited to find out that there was a Buddhist temple serving vegetarian food, because Buddhist vegetarian cuisine is usually SO good. The space is really cool, from the beautiful exterior design of the temple, to the large and sunny plaza in the backyard with plenty of seating. You first exchange cash for tokens, which you then use to purchase the actual food. Vegetarian line was basically nonexistent; most people were in line for the beef noodle soup, understandably as it's the most famous item here. I got a plate of pad thai and cabbage and potato curry with rice for 12 tokens ($12). Veg pad thai: would 100% avoid the vegetarian pad thai if we ever decide to come back, which is unlikely. It was all noodle -- no scallions, only a few shriveled bean sprouts, no tofu, no egg. It was also so sweet for something that should be savory/umami. Cabbage and potato curry: all potato, almost no cabbage, pretty stingy serving of tofu and the curry in general. It felt like they purposefully piled on as much pad thai and white rice as possible to avoid having to dole out more curry. Beef noodle soup ($12 / 12 tokens): husband said it was okay, but way too salty. He couldn't drink the soup at all. Honestly both of us decided to cut our losses, so we didn't even bother trying any of the desserts or drinks. The lines were also incredibly long, 20-40min wait, for almost every stand. It was cool to support the temple, but otherwise I'd say this felt more like a novelty experience than somewhere we'd come for the quality of the food.
A few years ago we had a Thai temple in Nile's that used to also vend food, but it closed down. So after hearing of this spot I was relieved and revived to be able to get my outdoor Thai temple food fix again! Such an amazing and local spot. We visited not expecting too much other than the regular dishes like pad Thai and mango sticky rice. But the options were loaded! They had curries, meat dishes, beef soup, fried items, drinks, and many desserts. We were truly amazed. Super easy system of trading in cash for tokens, and fast service with little to no lines when we arrived towards the end. It was just a gratifying experience to sit with other locals, see people of the community work the event with their loved ones and family. Delicious and filling food overall! This will not be our first time and we hope to come back for the fried foods and warm smelling beef soup!
Tips for visiting: -Food purchases are token-based. $1 = 1 token. Dishes are around $11-12. -Come early if you're driving! Parking can be difficult around Russell Street. My boyfriend and I shared the beef noodle soup, kabocha curry, and Thai coconut pancake. All the food was great, except the kabocha was slightly undercooked. My FAVORITE was the Thai coconut pancake. The perfect sweet treat that's not too sweet and has a memorable crispy exterior with a gooey interior, thanks to the rice flour and coconut milk. They come with different toppings, too, including corn, chives, and cinnamon! Highly recommend coming here. AND you support the temple!
oh no what a hot take. the thai temple in berkeley is kind of mid. sorry! am i an asshole for writing a mediocre review of this place? yes. i apologize. obviously, the service is great. everyone is so sweet and lovely here. however, ambiance is just your average outdoor dining hall situation, so nothing to write home here. obviously not their fault, but sometimes people eating here are really rude and will scoop up your seats if you leave just to throw your stuff away or line up for more food. foodwise, it's fine. i've had better curry elsewhere for sure, and i've also had better boat noodles elsewhere. was the curry and boat noodles cheaper here than elsewhere? yes they were. this place is very cost-efficient as long as you can consistently withdraw cash from an atm. i fear the super popular khanom krok (coconut custard/pancake/dessert) was not my thing as well, but i can see why other people like it. overall, visiting wat mongkolratanaram is definitely a core berkeley student experience and i encourage you to try this place out to form your own opinions. do be sure to go early and buy all of your food (especially the limited quantities of mango sticky rice) ahead of time because they sell out quick!
4.5 The soup was the absolute best on a cold morning! The mango sticky rice and green papaya salad were also really good. I loved how much of a community place this was. It wouldn't work in SF...definitely a Berkeley kind of vibe. The only thing that could have made this a better experience was if the sanctuary were open. A moment to sit quietly and pray would have been really appreciated right about now. I'll be back.
First time ever to this longtime Sunday brunch event. Came with friends who have been going for over 2 decades. We didn't get enough tokens but made do with what we had. Bring cash to redeem for tokens and try to guess how many tokens you will need so you don't have to get back in the token line before getting in the food lines. Parking on the street wasn't too hard but we got there when it opened at 10am. The beef noodle soup was the favorite and I like that you can choose the type of noodle you want. They have skinny, medium, and the big flat noodles. My husband's curry plate was a little too spicy for me. The mango sticky rice was delicious with a little bit of coconut sauce. The Thai iced tea is $3 and pretty good. Seating is mostly in the sun so go early if you want to snag a spot in the shade. Keep in mind the sun is moving so you might start in shade and end up in sun.
We visited on a Sunday in June. Beautiful sunny day in Berkeley! ORDER Beef Noodle Soup Two Meat Combo Plates Konam Krok Sweet Rice and Mango Thai Ice Tea STARS (stand out qualities) -Food (5/5 stars) - all the food was so delicious! My favorite was the mango sticky rice and the Konam Krok! -Service (5/5 stars) - workers seem very friendly and working hard; I wonder if they are volunteering for the temple; I told one of the staff it was my first time and they gave me an orientation for the cooks -Ambiance (5/5 stars) - serene, outdoor ambiance is wonderful; there are chairs and tables with and without shade; there is a grassy area to picnic; plenty of utensils and napkins too; bathrooms are clean; each food section space is well organized STAIRS (areas of growth) -I don't hace a lot to say at this point! TIPS -Bring cash! -Estimate what dishes you get to bring the right amount of cash -Any coins you don't use can be returned for cash or donated to temple -Please be kind and patient with staff. There may be long lines but I think they are doing their best to support temple -There is pretty much a line for each dish; if you are with other people, you can split to order separately -Bring picnic blanket if you want to have a picnic -Bring takeout boxes if you want to save and not buy one (also help with the environment to reuse) -There is street parking if you are driving; you may need to walk a few blocks since it's pretty packed with residential cars
Best Thai food I've had in the Bay Area to date. Stopped by here for an early lunch with my girlfriend and a few friends. The temple itself is beautiful - the building decorations are ornate and there is a lovely Koi pond by the entrances to the food hall. The food hall is broken into a seating area and an ordering area - assuming you arrive at a good time there is plenty of seating and large table (will get back this point later) The food is paid for by donations to the temple - and pricing is very fair. For 13 dollars, I got a plate with rice and three dishes. With my meal I got the green curry with chicken , the basil pork, and the pork belly and egg stir fry. One of the members of our group also ordered taro fritters and coconut rice cakes (the name of which I never got) in the regular and chive flavor. Everything we had was phenomenal - the green curry was some of the best I've had in a long time, The pork belly and egg dish had some super tasty tofu in it , and the basil pork was very solid. Every bite of the entree food packed a strong savory punch. My favorite by far was the green curry - it's a dish I've found that's easy to do ok but when a place does a great job it really stands out. There are also plenty of condiments and extras you can get - I opted for the sambal and pickled peppers The additional items we got were also very nice - I particularly enjoyed the taro fritters. They were very crispy and delicately sweets. The coconut rice cakes reminded me of a South Indian dish called appam - the batter however was a little more custardy and sweet. One thing to note, this place gets crowded extremely quickly. We arrived around 9:45 and the place was mostly empty but very quickly filled up. With that in mind, the earlier you go, the faster you can get your food and find a good spot to eat. All in all - we had an extremely positive experience here. I will definitely be back, especially now that I live in the East Bay. 5/5 read more
The Thai temple is pretty cool and popular spot at Berkeley where you see the local community hanging around at picnic style bench tables and sitting on the lawn. There are different tented areas for tokens, combo plates, dessert, soup, and drinks. I had a three item combo which included pad Thai, green curry chicken, and pork belly for 13 tokens or $13. I also had a Thai tea for 3 tokens or $3. Overall, cool casual spot you can go for brunch on Sundays which is open from 10 am - 1 pm. I suggest getting there earlier as the lines fill up and they run out of some foods. read more
I was so so excited to finally try brunch at the Thai temple and loved all the home cooked food and atmosphere! It is definitely worth a visit and all the food (especially the beef noodle soup) was AMAZING!! It reminded me of my mom's cooking. There are meat and veggie lines for combo plates with various items and beef noodle soup. There are also desserts and ready to made fried chicken. I wish I brought enough cash for dessert. Here are my tips for next time that I also will follow: - trading in tokens is a 1-1 exchange. You can trade in however much you want and you can trade back in what you don't use for the full value - bring enough cash!! Entrees were around $11-14 and desserts were around $8-11. There are also drinks for $2-4 - use the spice rack. it is sooo flavorful but beware of the spiciness - explore the temple areas respectfully! - the hours are 10-1! A bit early but worth the waking up! read more
I've heard about the amazing food on Sunday's at this local Thai temple for so many years from many friends so I was so happy to be able to finally make it out. It's such a cute community event! The food was so comforting and home-y. The process is really easy too. Cash is preferred but Venmo is also accepted for donations. You donate in exchange for tokens and tokens are used to purchase food/drinks! There's a noodles station, meat station, veggie station, drink station and additional spice station - so efficient! Perfect for a sunny Sunday in Berkeley. Definitely go earlier because they can run out of certain things and bring a picnic blanket to sit out on the lawn because tables can fill up. There should be some parking spots in the surrounding neighborhood it's mostly residential. read more
A Sunday brunch classic, unchanged over the years. It's a simple system: exchange cash for tokens and use the tokens to purchase generous portions of delicious Thai food and support the temple. The food is dished out cafeteria-style and it can get very busy, so it's important to come early to secure a seat, snag a place in line, and order the items you're craving before they run out for the day. I usually get a two item veggie combo plate (the vegetarian line is always shorter than the meat line!) and my favorites are the yellow curry tofu and kabocha curry. The best nearby parking is in a quiet residential area, so definitely be respectful of the temple's neighbors when coming and going! read more
1 year ago
incredible thai food at incredible prices! you can tell that each dish is cooked fresh with love. this huge plate of food was only $13 - just keep in mind that they only take cash so bring $15-$20 in cash! how it works is that you exchange your cash for tokens to use at different food stalls & you bring back any leftover tokens to exchange for cash (1 token = $1) read more
My friends recommended this temple to me since I was in search of some delicious authentic Thai food and let me tell you.. obsessed is an understatement! Food is offered at Wat Mongkolratanaram on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.. There is a small parking lot adjacent to the temple but most likely you would have to find street/ residential parking, which hasn't been super difficult for us. In terms of paying for the food, you trade in cash for temple coins at the exchange counter ($1 = 1 token). My boyfriend and I came here two Sundays in a row because of their superstar Beef Noodle Soup! This soup is a must try here! The broth has a delicious umami flavor, a variety of vegetables - celery, carrots, green onions, daikon radish [I think?? I don't know my veggies that well :')]. The broth was light yet super flavorful and included beef balls and tender beef pieces. You can also choose between various kinds of noodles! There are tons of condiments and sauces available for you to spice up the dishes! We also tried the Mango Sticky Rice which was a solid dessert option, but I think there was a lot more sticky rice compared to the coconut milk and mango so we had quite a bit of sticky rice leftover :(. Another must try is the "Curry over Rice" option which is essentially a plate with rice and whatever entree dishes you would like. We added Thai Basil Beef, Pad Thai, and eggplants to our dish! Each entree was so delicious and tasted fresh so we really enjoyed them. We have yet to try any curry dishes but it looked like a popular choice so we will have to give that a go next time! We also were able to try their Khanom Krog and Khanom Babin which could be made as either a savory or sweet dish! The only downside was the wait time for this since we had to wait for these to be made in batches. But definitely worth trying at least once! I would also suggest bringing your own to-go containers since there will be a charge for them! Overall, there are tons of areas to sit at large communal style tables so you will probably be sharing your table with others. Only some of the tables will have umbrellas for shade so wearing a hat would be helpful since it can get pretty sunny! We will probably be back next Sunday haha.. read more
Coming to this temple was such a great experience! My friend and I were dazzled by the bustling community, the wide variety of food tents, and the friendly atmosphere. We ordered beef noodle soup and combination platter with Panang chicken, chicken pad Thai, and kombucha squash. The beef noodle soup was so savory, and everything on the combo platter was very flavorful as well. Just as a side note, the Pad Thai had a slight kick to it, but it was very delicious! For dessert, we ordered the Kanom krok (mini coconut pancakes) with cinnamon and chives as well as the Kanom babin (fried taro pancake with coconut flakes). Both these desserts were definitely the highlight of the visit-- they were just the right amount of sweetness and tasted absolutely amazing fresh off the stove. Definitely planning to stop by again in the future! read more
This Thai temple offers great curry dishes & desserts in the heart of Berkeley. You exchange cash for tokens and then line up to exchange those tokens with delicious food. They have aunties & uncles working the stations and they were super helpful with picking out the best curries. My favorite is the pumpkin pork: tender pieces of pumpkin paired with semi-fatty pork melted on a heaping mountain of rice is definitely my vibe. Afterwards, we tried the mini coconut pancakes: you do have to wait 15ish mins but worth every single minute. You can get sweet, savory or a mix of these lil guys. We went with the mix but we preferred the sweet version. I would definitely come back, hopefully with more cash in hand next time around. read more
2 years ago
I highly recommend getting the pumpkin (kabocha) basil! It was everyone's favorite. I also got the vegetarian yellow curry and loved it!!! The pad thai was not as flavorful/spicy as I would like but I found out later there is a condiment station where you can add spice! Unfortunately they ran out of thai tea and mango sticky rice around 11:30 so I was unable to try those but will be back. They also give you very generous servings which is nice! Definitely recommend coming here! read more
I always heard about this place but never took the time to get here. So glad that I finally set a time to come. We came around 11am on Sunday and it was already pretty crowded. It's cash only, and we didn't see any ATMs nearby, so be prepared! Exchange cash for tokens first then get into line for food. By far, the beef noodle soup is the best. It's a must order! Honestly one of my favorite beef noodle soups I've had in a while. I chose the thin rice noodles, which had the perfect texture! The bowl is $11 and comes with a generous portion of noodles, an okay portion of beef, and veggies (celery which added a great crunch factor and carrots that were cooked to perfection). For Berkeley, $11 is a great deal. If you want it to go, it'll cost you $1 extra so be sure to bring your own tupperware if you know you won't be able to finish. My friend ordered taro puffs and coconut pancake bites. I liked the pancake bites better, but thought it wasn't worth $10. He also ordered a plate to-go, which came with their most popular items -- pad thai, pork, and eggplant. To me, everything was just okay and didn't compare to the noodle soup. Next time, I definitely want to try the mango sticky rice! It looked so refreshing. Making this my Sunday morning ritual for sure. read more
6 months ago
2 years ago
I live about a mile from here and never knew this place existed! I randomly saw a video about it on IG so decided to check it out as I have gone to the Wat Thai of LA so wanted to see how it compared. First things first, It is tucked in a residential area, again you'd never know this temple was here unless you drive through the side street. With that being said, there is lack of parking, so if you live close by, I highly recommend walking, taking Bart (as it is just down the street from Ashby Bart), or coming EARLY to get a parking spot on the street. Secondly, there are a TON of seating available with and without tent coverings for the warmer weather. There is also a grass patch area if you want to go picnic style. There were also accessible bathrooms on site. Now on to the food. Compared to the one in LA, this is about half the size so a bit smaller. Again, just like parking, I highly recommend coming early and BRING CASH for the tokens you will be using to get food. The lines can get very long. We got to the location right at 9:50am and there was already a line forming for the beef soup. We got: - Fried Taro: 10/10! SO DELICIOUS! The taro still had a bite to it but was not hard. Perfectly not too sweet and the batter was so crunchy. - Kanom Krok (Mini Pancakes): 7/10 - They come with different fillings (cinnamon sugar, corn, scallion) or you can get it plain. They pancakes are mini and a hint of sweetness from the coconut within the batter. Surprisingly I LOVED the corn one. The corn gave it an extra texture and a hint of sweetness as well. - Beef Noodle Soup: So worth the wait! I probably waited 20 mins and I even came early! The beef broth is so clean and refreshing but has a lot of depth to it due to the meat and veggies (carrots, celery, etc). You can choose between wide or thin noodles. I choose the wide noodles and I loved it. You can have them add toppings such as cilantro, green onion, and bean sprouts. It also came with beef slices and beef ball. - Thai Ice Coffee: 8/10 - This was good and will get it again. I wish it had a toastier flavor but overall still a great choice for a pick me up. - Mango Sticky Rice: 10/10! The glutinous rice was sticky and delicious paired with the sweetest mango all topped with a coconut sauce. Great way to end the meal and such a classic dessert. Can't go wrong with this choice - Steamed Pandan Cake w/ Shredded Coconut: 7/10 - The pandan cake was a bit too soft for my liking but still had good flavor. They had a station for people to grab a food tray, napkins, spoons/forks and another station with chili oil, dried crushed peppers, pickled peppers, etc which was a great addition to your meal if you love spice. I will definitely be coming here again! read more
11 months ago
11 months ago
1 year ago
Most important thing is to bring cash! You'll trade it in for tokens that you can spend at any of the food and drink stations. There are a handful of vegetarian and meat options, and you can either get an entire plate of one dish, or split it between two or three dishes for a couple extra bucks. The food is all fresh and tasty, but since it's made in larger batches don't expect them to be able to customize anything (e.g. spice level). You can also get desserts like mango sticky rice, or sides like coconut rice cakes. The lines move pretty quickly and there's plenty of seating, although not all of it is covered. The prices are reasonable considering the authenticity of the food and the portion sizes. read more
3 years ago
This place has decent vegan and non vegan thai food options. The wait can be quite long but the ambiance is fun and unique. Theres only outdoor seating and it can get quite packed. The thai food isn't the best I've had but its decent for the price. This was a fun place to visit on the weekend. Note: Cash only. read more
I've been wanting to come to this food market for a while now and finally got the chance. When you get there, you go to their token line to exchange cash for tokens to pay the stalls (they are cash only) and different items cost a different amount ranging from $1-$12. I got their beef noodle soup and put some chili sauce and pickled jalapeños on top for an extra kick and it tasted so yummy! The broth was very flavorful and wasn't too salty and their beef was very tender. When you order the noodle soup they cook the noodles and assemble the bowl in front of you so the noodles don't get soggy. After, I got their coconut milk jelly for dessert but I wasn't really a big fan of it. The texture was a bit unexpected since it wasn't like your typical jelly that is bouncy and chewy. It was firmer and not very bouncy and was also kind of salty which I wasn't a big fan. This place has a lot of outdoor seating with chairs and tables or you can sit on the small grass lawn as well. The stalls are all run by volunteers so all profit and donations from this market are given directly to the temple which I thought was nice! read more
A fun experience! The temple is on a side street right off MLK. It's not a through street and is usually jam packed, so I recommend not even trying your odds and make your life easier by parking a block or two away. If it's your first time, make sure to bring cash and head straight toward the back to exchange for tokens. $1 = 1 token. There are different lines at various tents for the food. I got the 3 item plate for 12 tokens + Thai tea for 3 tokens. I got the pad Thai, eggplant basil, and chicken panang curry. The chicken panang curry was my favorite overall. My friend got the beef noodle soup. This one had the longest line. I tried a bite and I am going to go for this the next time! It can get really busy. It's all outdoor seating. Self-serve on utensils, chili station, and trash. read more
4 years ago
Food: -Beef Soup: $11 -most popular, reminds me of pho -Thai Iced Tea: $2 good iced tea, no complaints -Chicken Panang Curry + Pumpkin: $11 overall good, chicken was a bit dry and the pumpkin could've been cooked a tad bit longer for a softer texture -Green Beans & Tofu: $10 green beans were delicious -Mini Sauce Bar of ~4 different chilis and sauces Parking: small onsite parking lot but decent amount of street parking. Tips: -Hours 10:00-13:00, limited outdoor seating so come early ~9:30 -Exchange cash for coins (you can always exchange back). It is cash only but you'll need ~$15 per person -Lineup for food by splitting up your party and grab a seat before it runs out -There are limited bathrooms -Dogs are allowed -This helps raise money for the temple so please be kind to all of them and clean up after yourself read more
3 stars for the food but the whole experience was 4 stars Note: make sure you bring cash! My friend and I came Sunday morning around 11:15 and it was packed! It was our first time and the signage is a bit confusing, so I'm glad I checked some Yelp reviews beforehand for guidance. Here's what to do: 1. Exchange cash for tokens and make sure you don't get too much. I was only planning to get food and not any dessert, so $15 was enough for me 2. Get in line for food. There are 3 lines - beef noodle soup, meat + vegetarian curries and stir fries, and vegetarian only 3. Get any drinks or desserts with your remaining tokens 4. Find a seat and enjoy! There's plenty of seating, but it was so packed when I went that we had to wait a little bit to find a spot, even just for the two of us. Most of the seating is also in the sun with no shade. I wish I had known that beforehand so I could've brought a cap. The beef noodle soup line was too long and unshaded, so my friend and I decided to wait in the meat + veg line instead. The pricing works as follows: 1 item - $10 2 items - $11 3 items - $12 You also have to pay an extra $1 for a takeout container. The options when I went were: -chicken yellow/green/panang curry -pork belly, eggs, and tofu stew -pad thai -kabocha basil stirfry -eggplant basil -green beans with tofu -tofu yellow curry I got a 3 item plate with chicken yellow curry, pork belly, and kabocha basil. The chicken curry was okay, the pork belly was dry but I liked the flavor, and the kabocha was too sweet. Honestly, most of the food was too sweet for me personally, hence my 3 star rating. My friend tried the pad thai along with two curries, and she couldn't eat more than a bite or two of the pad thai because it was so sweet. There was still many boxes of mango sticky rice left when we finished getting our food around 11:40, but $10 seemed a bit pricy for what it was so I decided not to try it. read more
2 years ago
First time visiting the temple and I was so pleasantly surprised! I didn't expect for there to be so many food options. The beef noodle soup was to die for and their pumpkin basil was everything. I will def be coming back to try the rest of their menu items!! Their prices were pretty good, especially considering how much food you get. Next time I come, I need to bring a tupperware lol! read more
4 years ago
Been wanting to come for years now then COVID hit. I'm glad they're open again. The food is comforting and nothing fancy. But it's good. Also - Be nice. They're moving as fast as they can. Hours 10-1pm SUNDAY only We arrived around 11:45am. Line was long but moved pretty quickly. By the time we left (12:30pm) - a lot of things were sold out. Note- Cash only PSA Have someone wait in line while you buy (just enough) tokens for what you're gonna spend. The 3 of us shared: Two Beef noodle soup (super good). $11 Mango with sticky rice $10. Three item combination. $12 There's a table stocked with condiments/ hot sauce/ fish sauce etc etc. dude the hot sauce is burning hot. Gonna pay for that later Tables are available for diners. Bring table wipes if you're that person. BYOD also otherwise $1 for water or $2 for Thai tea. read more
4 years ago
I perused through the Yelp reviews before coming here and I don't regret the experience, albeit thinking it was just okay. It seems like prices have gone up in recent times as well, gotta love inflation. Upon arrival on Sunday at around 10AM, there were already around 15-20 people in the beef noodle soup line and quite a few people eating. You have to exchange tokens ($1=1 token) to buy the food. There is a token line where they have a large menu that you can check how much everything is if you want to get the exact number of tokens for what you want to buy (cash only). You can also exchange it back afterwards if you bought too many tokens. I went to the token line, while my bf got into the beef noodle soup line. There are a few different booths for different dishes (meat, vegetarian, beef noodle soup, desserts, etc). We decided to try the beef noodle soup and mango sticky rice. There was no line for the mango sticky rice/desserts that early. The only large line was for the noodle soup. + Beef noodle soup: I saw on other Yelp reviews you get the choice of noodles between thin, flat, and thick. My bf wasn't asked about his choice, though, and was given thin automatically. The broth is very sweet, but has a meaty flavor to it. You get a substantial amount of noodles, a few chunks of carrots, celery, and a decent amount of beef (meatballs/beef slices). This line takes the longest because they make the noodles to order, so they're fresh and not soggy. There's also a condiment bar with this fish sauce based chili sauce. The soup was much better/balanced with the spice once I added that into the broth. I would get this again if I came back. $11 + Mango Sticky Rice: There's quite a few mango chunks in here. The rice is nice and sticky, and not too sweet. It also comes with the coconut sauce, which I prefer without. Overall, the mangos were fresh and decently sweet, but I thought it was just okay for $10. I definitely think it's worth a try, though, especially if you like the dish. $10 Tips: Split up and get into different lines asap. Bring cash. Bring your own water bottle! (You can purchase water/drinks (thai tea) here though). Come early! Parking can be a little hard, we parked a block or two away since it's in a residential area. -And don't forget to wear sunscreen since it's outdoor seating, and most of it is in the sun. Everyone's pretty friendly, and it does get packed, so a lot of people share tables as well. -Bring tupperware if you want to get it togo (+$1) or if you can't finish the food (they give the rice plates to you on a paper plate). The experience is pretty cool and the food is decent. I'm not sure if it's worth the lines though, but I do like the community vibe of it all! Regardless, definitely worth trying at least once. read more
4 years ago
Finally had the chance to check this place out! Token system for donations and ordering food. $11 for beef noodle soup / 11 tokens $2 Thai ice tea / 2 tokens They had ran out of everything but Pad Thai in the other line- looking forward to coming back and trying their other items. Communal seating, no fuss kind of place. Good place to have a casual meal with a lot of folks! read more
What a cool experience! This place is a legit Thai temple near Downtown Berkeley that serves hot food to the public every Sunday from 10 - 1 PM. The food is DELICIOUS and one of my favorite places to get an authentic Thai meal. Cash only. On arrival, you walk to the token book and exchange your cash for tokens, which you will use to pay for your food. Any unused tokens can be exchanged back for cash. There are a few different food stands for different dishes -- beef noodle soup (~$10), rice plates (~$10), coconut-based dessert called kanom kruk (~$8). Everything is very affordable, authentic, and come in very generous portions. Thai food is typically expensive at the restaurant so you can get amazing value here. The beef noodle soup is probably my favorite. The broth is out of this world and the meat is super tender. The rice plate is probably the best value. You can get three items and they really pack it on! The kanom kruk is typically the slowest line (30+ min), as they require a longer process to make, so if you are in a hurry, I would advise skipping. There are tables and chairs set-up on the lawn. Street parking only. Berkeley parking can be a mess so I advise parking 2-3 blocks away in the neighborhoods and walking to the temple. read more
5 years ago
**3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars** The Thai Temple is only open for Sunday lunch and I definitely recommend coming right when they open because the lines get long and the food can run out! Once you get here, you trade in cash for tokens that can be used to purchase a variety of food. It's a fun experience with good priced food and outdoor seating! 3 Item Plate ($10) with chicken panang (red) curry, pork belly & eggs & tofu stew, and eggplant and tofu: The curry was definitely my favorite, but everything was delicious. I do wish they had given more of each item (only one piece of pork belly) though. Beef Noodle Soup with Thick Noodles ($9): They were super generous with the amount of toppings put in! The broth is a bit on the sweeter side, but it's full of flavor and I couldn't stop drinking it. I chose the thicker noodles, which could have been a bit firmer. Kanom Krok & Babin Combo ($8): My favorite part of the meal! I never tried these before but Kanom Krok are like creamy coconut milk pancakes and you can get them with toppings like cinnamon, chives, or corn, or just have them plain. Kanom Babin is a taro fritter that was super crispy and lightly sweet. Combo comes with 5 Krok and 3 Babin. read more
Visiting the famed Thai temple in Berkeley is an experience in and of itself. This place is popular amongst locals for their Sunday brunch, which draws individuals of all backgrounds to share authentic Thai food in a communal setting. You get great value for what you pay, and this is a very unique way to experience Thai culture and food. The food itself is authentic and feels home cooked, but be warned that the flavors are stronger and the food may be spicier than your average local Thai restaurant. Would definitely recommend checking this place out on a Sunday morning- not just for the amazing food but for a communal experience unique to a place likely Berkeley, CA. read more
This Thai Temple in Berkeley is truly a hidden gem. Every Sunday from 1000-1300, they serve up some serious eats for a great price. But I'd suggest getting there early because they run out of food fast. Lines are long for each food station, but so worth it! As others have mentioned, it is a token system. They charge one token ($1) for to-go containers or you could bring your own. (CASH ONLY) They do provide plates for dine-in. There are plenty of outdoor seating and street parking throughout the residential area. Definitely give this place a try if you're in the area! read more
Definitely not hidden spot in Berkeley anymore but this place is always packed as it is only open on Sundays! Most people coming are students, locals, and families so they just walk there, but the temple is located in a residential area so parking is super easy to find and it's free. Entering the temple from the front there's a menu outside and also the alley for the lines for veggie and meat rice plates. I came around 10am and veggie line had 1-3 ppl while meat has 2 lines and around 10 people each. You have to go extra money for tokens first ($5 for red and $1 for green) but they are equivalent to paying for food. The line for the beef noodle soup is the longest for good reason so I suggest getting a friend in that line asap while someone exchanges money for tokens. I got the beef noodle soup (of course) for $10 and it comes with choice among thin, thick, or flat noodles (get flat!) and beef balls, beef slices, and veggies. I added chili flakes and fish sauce at the sauce bar. Overall 10/10. You can ask them for extra meaty bone used to make the broth for $1. This bowl is a must get even if the line is long! I also got 3 item combo for $11 (they raised the price) and it comes with rice. My items were pad Thai, yellow chicken curry with veggies, pork belly (they really skimp out on this selection tho fyi one egg and a few pierces of meat because it's more expensive compared to pad Thai and chicken). Big tip here is to bring your own Tupperware and ask them to fill it up using that! They scoop waayyy more into the Tupperware than the plates. If you want a togo containers it's $1 extra so you might as well bring your own from the start. Food overall was good tho, pad Thai 7/10 nothing special, pork belly 8/10 tender, juicy, could used more flavor, yellow curry 7/10 also nothing special. There is also a dessert stand! There are taro fritters, Khanom Krok (coconut milk pancakes), and mango sticky rice. I got the last two! The pancakes comes with choice of cinnamon, corn, or chives topping. I picked cinnamon and also used sugar (from sauce bar) to dip them in! This was $9 and my rating is 9/10. Overall very delicious, but they felt not done on the inside and was kinda gooey? Could be good for others but I would've liked them more crispy on the outside and done on the inside. The mango sticky rice was also $9 and was 8/10. Mangos were fresh and rice with the coconut sauce was not too sweet. read more
1 year ago
Delicious! Sunday lunch is usually from 10am-1pm, some days it's run late to 2 pm. It is so yummy everytime I go. You have exchange money for tokens and you pay for the food with those. One dollar equals one token so no change involved. Everything I have tried is delicious but the beef noodle soup is one of the best, always has a long line! Sometimes food sells out so if you want all your options get there earlier rather than later! read more
4 years ago
Food: 3/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 3.5/5 Overall: Be prepared to wait in lines. The food does very in flavor from rich and flavorful to standard fare. Food: Beef Soup - 3/5 - The broth in this is very flavorful but the amount of meat and noodles is a little small in portion size. The pricing is fairly reasonable for this. 3 item plate - 3/5 - I got the pad thai, yellow curry, and pork belly. I would say the taste here was pretty standard fare. I would not say it's the best thai food I've had but it was decent. Coconut Dessert - 3/5 - There are typically 3 flavors. I got regular and cinnamon. It was a crispy exterior and milky center, It's basically coconut milk. Service: 4/5 - The servers are pretty friendly. Ambiance: 3.5/5 - In the backyard of the temple, there's a bunch of folding tables. Be prepared to cozy up next to some people. read more
3 years ago
TLDR: worth it for the unique stuff and Thai tea, but your "basics" are gonna be overpriced You arrive and they are always busy but move fast enough. You need to bring cash and exchange it for tokens. For a good time your probably going to need at least $50. It's $1 per token and most things are $10, so if you want to try a few bring the cash, or a few friends to share with. Thai tea: $3 worth it because it's actually more expensive at restaurants now Kanom: $10 worth it bc you can't really get it anywhere else Taro fried: $10 fun to try but personally just taste like fried dough for me. Pad Thai: $10 don't bother most nasty "pad Thai" I ever had and also has no meat Soup: $10 kinda worth it bc where else can you get it for this price read more
2 years ago
Get the pork belly and egg curry and the penang curry. So worth it. IMO better than the noodles. read more
Always a feel-good time! Yummy/hearty food, excellent prices, generous portions. First, get tokens. When I came most recently, $21 was enough for me, my partner, and leftovers lol. Then attack either the meat/veggie lines or beef noodle soup. Beef noodle soup line definitely gets long so maybe attack that one first. Bring your own Tupperware, your largest ones for largest portion sizes lol. I brought glass ones and it keeps the sauce contained nicely rather than the disposable to-go containers that might leak. We did the 3 meat combo for 10 tokens, beef noodle soup for 9 tokens, and then a Thai iced tea to share for 2 tokens. The beef noodle soup is so flavorful and satisfying. In our 3 item combo, we did Chicken Panang curry, chicken yellow curry, and pad thai (veg). Yum- I recommend it all! They have plenty of seating. We went at 10:20 this past Sunday and we found a table easily. However, there was a pesky bee/wasp that was threatening to touch my food lol. I noticed lines get much longer as I was eating. Love this place! Good vibes and good food. read more
More info about Wat Mongkolratanaram
1911 Russell St
Berkeley, CA 94703
South Berkeley
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(510) 849-3419
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Ask the Community - Wat Mongkolratanaram
Are small well behaved dogs ok?
As of February 2022, are they open for outdoor dining? If so, which pandemic restrictions are in place?
Yes, most people were wearing masks today, but not everyone.
Wll they be open Sunday July 4th 2021 for brunch?
Yes - they open Sunday July 4th 2021 for brunch.
Do they have vegan options with no fish/oyster sauce?
Yes, last I checked their vegetarian curry was vegan and I believe some of their noodle dishes are vegan, you can ask where you order. Other vendors also have some vegan offerings.
Asking this as of Feb 9th, 2021 -- Anyone know when they will open back up? It's about to be a year since they've closed! I miss going and have been wanting to show my husband this place for so long.
They just posted on Facebook and will be open for take out only starting March 7, 10am-1pm
It's September 19, are they currently open during the pandemic?
I just called and they said no, they're not open
Is this place open on Sunday during shelter in place?
just called them; they are not open
Is this place a working temple or restaurant ? Seems every post is about the food.
It is an active Thai temple that serves food to the public every Sunday.
Is it open every Sunday? I heard it may just be open one Sunday a month now but I don't know if that's true.
It's open every Sunday. I've been there the last 3 weeks in a row.
I have a gluten allergy (allergy to wheat, barley, rye). Are there gluten-free options?
Are the noodles rice noodles?
Aside from popular holidays, is the food and festivity offered every Sunday year-round?
The food is available every Sunday but they only have music, dance & chanting on Thai festival days.
Are English/ non-Thai speakers allowed to come practice? Are there classes or events available for English speakers?
Yes
Open in the rain?
Yup! Rain or shine, they're open. I've been there in the sunshine and in a downpour.
Review Highlights - Wat Mongkolratanaram
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
49 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
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Wat Mongkolratanaram - thai - Updated September 2026
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