Best Thai Food Places In The PNW
Thai food is one of the most enjoyed cuisines in the greater Pacific Northwest, if not the best. Such exotic cooking that can be prepared in many different forms. Whatever spices they may add, the many restaurants give the PNW their own taste of Thailand. Some places narrow it down to a certain part of the country to almost showcase where they came from. Others channel every corner of it for showcasing, as well as electrifying their customer’s dining experience. Whether you’re in the mood for rice, curry, or noodles, these Thai food places will bring you straight into the country with a culture so diverse from others
1. Jamjuree
Founded in the heart of Bangkok by four siblings before eventually sharing their culinary love and knowledge to Seattle sometime later. Complimented with a comfortable atmosphere, you’re guaranteed “simple but delicious food–dishes that are neither too traditional nor too ‘nouvelle’– just great Thai home cooking.”
2. Araya’s Place
Of course, no food joint list would be complete without an option that is almost completely plant-based. Opened by matriarch Araya, she had spent her life traveling across the globe and “developing a passion for good food. What she learned from her world-wide travels is not only how important the right ingredients and herbs are to food, but how the right company makes good food great. This is a lesson she instilled in her children.” Dishes include her assortment of curries, vegetable soups, fruit blended salads, and jasmine rice dishes.
3. Thaiku
Located in the Greenwood neighborhood in Seattle, this Thai restaurant got its start at the Fremont Noodle House with the same goal for to share their “love and passion for true, authentic Thai cuisine and culture.” Recipes originate from the villages and street stalls of the indigenous country before being passed down to other generations and bringing that passion to the table.
4. Noi Thai Cuisine
Serves all the dishes that are beloved by anyone, as well as those that are more unfamiliar, but are nevertheless authentically prepared with the freshest and finest ingredients. In addition to the “traditional Thai culinary, they decided to offer “royal” Thai dishes to its fine dining menu, which is known for its refinement, cooking techniques, presentation, ingredient, and flavors to serve the Thai royal household.”
5. Pok Pok
With many locations in the greater Portland area, the original location pf this family-style chain opened in the SE Division “serving food found at pubs, restaurants, homes and the streets of Southeast Asia with the majority of the food coming from Thailand, and specifically from the North and Northeast of Thailand.” House specialties include their charcoal roasted chicken, seasoned pork loins, Berkshire pork, and many other divine eats.
6. Laem Buri
Like many other places, the word “authenticity” seems to be a big word in this next Seattle-based joints vocabulary. It provides “mouthwatering dishes that feature the highest quality ingredients available” including but not limited to their Duck Curry, Avocado Curry and Famous Chicken. Such specialties include their Orange Chicken, Salmon in the Garden, Famous Tofu, and Muddy Salmon.
7. Buddha Ruksa
This next Thai food eatery takes you into their world by keeping as many of the Thai dining traditions as possible, while keeping the classy, romantic Seattle flair. It guarantees “the most diverse spices and aromas. Fiery and mild, salty and sweet, sour and bitter. True Thai cuisine will find perfect harmony in this diversity. Not only in each dish but throughout the entire meal.”
8. Thai Champa
Stepping out of the scene of sit-down dining comes to an option that must be put on any list of food places to try. And Thai food is no exception. Food trucks have been one to showcase their food in a different light since they don’t have to be locked down at a certain location. If you’re exploring the array of trucks Portland has to offer after a long night out, or as an adventure from wherever you’re staying, . . .Combine that and a love for the cultural cuisine that was, like many other places, brought to the United States and the accessibility for this art makes it taste all the more delicious.
9. Secret Savory
The many neighborhoods of Seattle are known for adding their own modern flair to some of the authentic food places it provides. Why not do it with Thai cuisine? Located in Ballard, this place, in particular, originates their dishes from all corners of the country it’s founded from the southern and central regions of Thailand. And, while you’re there, their boozy Thai tea is definitely worth the try.
10. Pop Pop Thai Street Food
If anyone’s in the mood for authentic Thai cuisine, they’d want only the best at somewhat speedy service. This next place takes that speedy service to a whole new level without forgetting where their cuisine came from, made from the “freshest and finest ingredients.”
11. Soi
This next place, for any locals that will understand, has the epitome of Capitol Hill interior to complement their cooking from the five different regions of Thailand. Located in the heart of Seattle, their primary goal is to “return back to what it really likes to eat in Thailand, with a focus on the food of the raised plateau of the North Eastern region of Thailand called Issan. We believe that Seattle deserves better Thai food and that folks are tired with the typical Thai food in Seattle.”
12. Morfire
This next popular Thai joint comes in the form of a hot pot, making it’s aesthetic as fun for the whole family as it is delicious. According to Seattle Met, their dishes, made with love, “that perhaps deliver bolder flavors are stir-fried, like a big nest of glass noodles cooked in a searing cast iron pan with cabbage, beef, and chile-lime sauce.”
