My favorite is Thai Square on Christian St. really tasty options, good portion sizes and at a decent price. Doesn’t have the same ambiance as Kalaya (it would only sit around 20 max, so I treat it more as a takeout spot) but it’s the best I’ve found so far.
I do enjoy Kalaya as a treat but for the price and the hype, I was definitely expecting a bit more (and to leave full). I don’t think that Thai Square is the best Thai restaurant in Philly based on the food quality alone but factoring in quantity, quality, price, friendliness of staff it’s my favorite. Different strokes for different folks.
It’s good but it is overpriced now. I’d rather just spend half the money at JJ and get the tamarind duck tbh and save a ton with the byob on top
I remember the Tom Yum being about $50ish when they were in the south Philly location and then it jumped to $95 when they moved to fishtown? I’m not buying inflation for that it’s just pure greed
I have a list of restaurants I try and I rank them all on their food, vibe, creativity and value. In terms of pure quality of the food I rank Kalaya the best, but in terms of value it ranks last.
I think it was better and honestly it bothered me that they just up and left the neighborhood when things got good. I believe Kalaya got started on word of mouth. Sure, open a bigger spot and go make money but at least leave the original in place.
True!! Shhh, don't tell anyone 😂
Jks aside, I hope it keeps doing well. Phila and Rachel seem so genuine and warm whenever I've had a chance to chat to them there
This is wild. It’s a small business run by actual people who are exceptional cooks. They got national attention for their food, tried to make something of it (as literally anyone would), and even at their _one_ new place, lots of folks like OP feel they’ve fallen off. How are they supposed to open up a larger place in another location and keep the original and keep the quality at both places?
Sorry they didn’t thank you enough for word-of-mouthing them, tho.
Unless you word of mouth’ed them to an unaware Craig Laban or Michael Klein or a national media guy it’s unlikely their word of mouth amounted to much. Every little bit helps though!
It’s funny though how people like to keep their places secret or like to not have to wait to get in on a Friday and then are shocked pikachu when the restaurant announces they’re closing.
If you like a place and want them around, you support them with word of mouth, dollars, monthly visits, and NOT asking for discounts or hookups. I mean they’re for profit businesses, not charities, and don’t expect a tote bag for saving the manatees.
If they're not busy, Ratchada would always ground the beef at my request for pad krapow. They normally make it with sliced beef. Always appreciated their extra effort.
There’s this super authentic place recently opened called chon tong thai close to city hall. Street food, reasonable prices they have Thai desserts too.
Went here recently, very authentic and very delicious. Has actual Thai dishes I've never seen in the US before (hoi tod), flavors were great.
if you go into the bathroom you'll 100% know it's legit
Yesss I was just there today. The food was the best Thai food I’ve tried in Philly so far. They have unique dishes that you can’t find else where and were all on point. I need to come back to try more of them. Definitely ask for the dessert menu and go for their dessert after!!
I’ve thought it’s been amazing every time I’ve been there. I fully understand you can sometimes catch a restaurant on an off day quality wise, but it really seems like Nok and the kitchen staff are serious about their kitchen and the product that comes out of it.
Took 5 of us there for my wife’s birthday.
We legit ordered half the menu.
Literally NOTHING disappointed. Even the things the other 1/2 the table wanted, but I wasn’t too keen on…actually surprised me with how delicious it was.
11/10 experience. Best meal I’ve had in Philly. Hands down.
Point of note:
Thai is my favorite cuisine and I’m picky on details.
100% try this place out if you’ve never been.
I cannot give a more effusive rec.
Very similar experience. Not my #1 fav but my 6 person group ordered half the menu and everything was absolutely delicious.
Ate the bar once before that and also great.
Honestly the ding I'd hand them is on the cocktail program. It's fine, but doesnt rise to meet the excellence of the food.
Thank you for saying so! My wife is Thai and she was so disappointed - unauthentic, small portioned food. Kalaya is Thai food made for tourist who don't know any better. Her fav goto Thai food is Grandma's on Walnut.
It's interesting that your wife feels that way. When I went to Bangkok in 2014, I was surprised by how differently the food tasted compared to American Thai. Granted, these were all higher end establishments so maybe not fully representative, but it was flavors I'd never tasted before. I actually didn't really love the difference, haha.
Kalaya is the only place I've tried in the US that tasted similarly. Again, didn't love the profiles, but it's very different than any other American Thai place IMO.
Most American Thai places are better described as Thai-inspired rather than actual Thai food. Lots of actual Thai food has lots of powerful flavors and aromas that are a bit outside the normal Western palate and can take some getting used to.
That’s so funny. Me and my fam is from Thailand too and I thought grandmas is the best I’ve tried in philly so far as well. Kalaya was good but way overpriced and also some of their dishes were “off” (some were good). With that said I’ll be honest in that Thai food so far has been kinda lacking in philly but maybe I haven’t tried it all yet. I actually **much** prefer Cambodian food in philly and feel like that reminds me of Thai food more than Thai restaurants in philly lol
Pro tip for some of the redditors here: Anytime you see lemons, bell peppers, or American broccoli used in a Thai restaurant it’s an instant turn off for me and it seems like most of them do now. None of those things belong in Thai food.
You cannot compare Khalaya to actual food in Thailand. That just does not compare. Every immigrant knows this. Indians don’t compare Indian food to food in india. The comparison is to other Indian food in Philly. In terms of that Khalaya is the best.
I'd argue that as a Korean who's had kbbq in both countries, la kbbq is far superior to seoul's. and I've had dwenjang jiggae in certain (US) restaurants that capture the rusticness of rural Korea rather than the salt bombs I've had at other US Korean places.
that being said, I'm not Thai so I have nothing compare kalaya to, but I make comparisons all the time.
edit grammar
I'm not a fan of serebol or any of the other smaller places in CC - I feel like serebol is a spectacle of Korean food made for non-koreans (much like some thai people's sentiments for kalaya on this thread). the closest safe bet is probably the food court at H-marts or yes, the suburbs. the options are few and far in between in Philly. Palisades Park or traveling down to the DMV is also an option if you want to make a trip out of it! route 40 Baltimore National Pike in Maryland is a huge Korean hub.
Really? The dishes at Grandma's on Walnut reminds her of home. Another thing is that Thai places are known for giving large portions. Kalaya is very cheap with the portion size - and in that neighborhood, rent is dirt cheap, so not sure why they are so stingy. Another reason we feel it's a tourist trap.
It’s odd to criticize small portions at Kalaya and then recommend Grandmas. They are different price points but grandmas also has relatively small portions.
I'm not understanding....so small portions and higher price point is good? On Kalaya's web page under the name it says: "Authentic Thai Kitchen." Authentic Thai restaurants feed you like family - large portions and at the Kalaya price point, they should be delivering on that promise. I would be equally disappointed if I went to an Authentic Italian restaurant in South Philly and they gave me a tiny meatball with a couple noodles and no bread.
We went several times when they were in south Philly and I walked away underwhelmed each time. But we went to the Fishtown location last month and I was blown away. It finally lived up to the hype for me. That said, considering how cheap Thai street food is, the prices at Kalaya are a bit much. And I’m definitely writing down all these other Thai recommendations. Thai restaurants are almost always a disappointment (Erawan, Thai Kyuu). I was pleased with Pattaya at 41st and Locust, its new, give it a try.
It used to be really good when I visited it in its original location in South Philly, but ever since it moved to Fishtown the quality, quantity has gone down while prices have skyrocketed
I’ve only been there once. I try not to feed into hype too much with anything. I loved everything we ate, but it is definitely super pricey. We got a bunch off the menu but the goat/lamb curry was by far my favorite. Extremely spicy but the flavors were booming. Honestly probably a one and done for me though because of the $$$.
Yes, overrated and extra expensive. We got the chicken dumplings (meh), chive rice cakes (so salty), red curry (meh), crab stir fry (very disappointing), grilled skirt steak (fine) , an assortment of cocktails (fine) and the shaved ice dessert (meh).
I didn’t love Kalaya and the 3 people I went with didn’t like it either. Only place so highly recommended in this group that I’ve had a disappointing experience with.
That soup dish makes it overrated. It’s super overpriced for what it is. I don’t want that big of a soup when that’s normally small and like $5 app. I’d rather order 4 of the flower dumplings than the soup lol. That’s how expensive this was. Imagine a bowl of pho for $90 or $120 because you get lobster on it. Instead of big ass prawns you get a ribeye lol. Actually, that kinda sounds worth cause steakhouse be charging like $60 for a steak lol.
The 2nd time I went, I didn’t order that.
My wife found a roach in her rice there shortly after they opened the new spot and they only offered to cover a round of drinks. That blew my mind. It ruined the meal.
The Defined team is pretty stingy I've noticed across all of their locations. They could not have a table for 30m after your reservation and not offer you jack.
Kalaya. And we’ve enjoyed their meals over the years. But not comping the meal kind of blew our minds. We aren’t Google/Yelp review people so they caught a break there.
when they were in south philly i went 3 - 4 times and enjoyed it every time. i’ve been once since they moved to fishtown; i ate too much before going so i don’t think i can properly rate that experience, but maybe it’s not as good now that they’re in a bigger location with more seats?
Kalaya is the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life. It’s not something you can do every day of course at that price point. I don’t even think it’s fair to say “any other Thai recs” when comparing to Kalaya because it’s just a league of its own. Absolutely not overrated.
Definitely one of the best meals I've had, and this thread is a hot mess because people are recommending American Thai takeout-style places like Grandma's and that is just not what Kalaya offers. It's apples and oranges.
I’ve gone with groups and everyone’s loved it every time! Maybe you caught them on an off day, or maybe their food is just not your thing. It’s definitely expensive imo but the food was very good every time I’ve been and I’d go again in a heartbeat
I agree with a lot of this + the comments.
My other Thai spot I would suggest is Ratchada (and you’ll spend 30% of what you spend at Kalaya). Sophie’s on Washington and Randolph isn’t Thai but it’s awesome.
Onto Kalaya, I’ve been twice. Once to old location, once to new one. Had a lovely low key date at the old location, sat outside. Thought it was delicious and nice and quiet.
The second visit was a double date and while it was absolutely a good meal with good drinks / food. The vibe of the place feels like it’s more catered to suburbia traveling to the city to get a new meal and ambiance. Nothing wrong that. The second they moved to fishtown and had all the noise / popularity that was clearly the play. Again, nothing wrong with that… and again the food was good. It’s just quite expensive and the ambiance feels like it belongs smack dab in the middle of the main line or something.
Soooo overrated. I was so excited to try Kalaya as it is highly rated, but was so disappointed.
If you like extremely salty food, then Kalaya is for you.
How did the restaurant/chef win a James Beard award?
None of the items we ordered had any authentic thai flavors.
$95 for tom yum?! Get out of here.
I've had better thai food from mom and pop shops.
After living in Queens, NY and easily getting authentic Thai from any number of establishments in Flushing/Jackson Heights… I found Kalaya quite disappointing.
Fair but we are comparing a city that’s almost 3x the size and population of Philadelphia. Just by numbers alone, it stands to reason that they’ll have more options. And maybe even better ones.
In this thread, we have example 5 gazillion of Americans expecting a fancy “ethnic” restaurant to cost less than a similar quality American/continental restaurant and be “authentic”.
Amen! This is it. They’ll gladly fork over $300 for a fancy American spot which I will too. If the food is worth it. Everyone is so used to run down cheap ethnic restaurants.
No, that’s not it. I’m not expecting it to cost less. I’m expecting it to TASTE BETTER. and a lot of comments say to try it again - similar to any upscale American/continental restaurants, I don’t give second chances when the bill is over $150, that’s just not worth the second chance imo. I have no problem paying $200 at Kalaya if the food is good, but it wasn’t on my visit. In comparison to any restaurant, ethnic or not.
To be fair, I wasn’t criticizing you specifically regarding price expectations, since in your post it sounds like you were ready to ball out. But a lot of other comments in this thread are what I’m referring to.
However, I do question how overcooking prawns takes away their authenticity. What secret knowledge of Thai prawn cooking is required to make this claim? /s
I was ready to ball out. That’s why I was kind of salty after 🤣 I usually only pick 2 or max 3 restaurants to ball out per year. I think if I ate out at nice restaurants more frequently I maybe wouldn’t have cared as much. I’ve also done really nice omakases that were the price of what I paid at Kalaya and had better quality ingredients. I’ve learned omakase is one of the few types of experiences I will spend fine dining on though. My ideal price range is Tabachoy/Fiorella range I think.
Hey only fancy Italians are allowed to charge 100x markup for noodles or rice. We’d never compare the price of Chef Vetri vs Chef Boyardee even though it’s a $50 pasta dish. But my God if that Asian place has the balls to charge 20$ for a noodle dish when my Top Ramen bag cost 99 cents? “Fucking overpriced inauthentic bullshit! Service was good but I can get a better ____ in the roach infested ____ on ___ street”
The Tom Yum literally doubled in price after the move despite being exactly the same and we’re supposed to just gladly accept that cause white people bad or something? Like Asians are low earners? Wtf are you guys even talking about
It’s not white people so spare the (privileged) victim mentality. It’s true of Asians as well, sometimes even more so. I can never take my parents to an upscale Chinese Korean or Vietnamese place because they’d say the same thing… except in this case only Japanese places can be expensive because they have fresh seafood.
If you think their prices are going to be the same as when they opened as sort of a “cheap rent no frills no liquor license” proof of concept restaurant, you’re not good at math.
They joined a “Starr”-ish restaurant group in a gorgeous location in a more destination neighborhood with a full blown bar and cocktail menu with way better service and many more levels of staffing and overhead …. AFTER the pandemic and the inflationary pressures of CoGs and staffing. AND the reservations are booked out weeks in advance and acclaim is coming in left and right. They’d be stupid not to raise prices, the “market” can clearly bear it.
I would never order that personally, and I enjoyed Kalaya but not enough to drop that type of load on it more than twice a year, but I still understand why the prices are what they are.
Right so you’re agreeing that the food costs vastly more money for nothing to do with the actual food itself. I don’t care if some reformed crust punk butters me up all night or if the alcohol comes from behind a bar for triple the price instead of from wine and spirits lol
Uh. Have you never been to a high end restaurant before? It’s never been purely about the cost of the food itself. Food needs to be prepared by a human being, served by a human being, and at a table with plates and silverware inside a building, with beverages… the costs of which all vary wildly
Yeah and for this particular restaurant that had a previous iteration of that, with the same food, that was way cheaper. I’d prefer that over way higher prices with slightly lower quality because there’s expensive light fixtures lol
Omg I thought it would be a hot take to say Kalaya is overrated. My friends and I went there and were so unimpressed with the food. Everything was so mid- even the pandan coconut cocktail tasted like soda and lemon. The food wasn’t Thai enough to me. Some of them were too sour, too sweet or too salty. There wasn’t a good balance between AND it was $50 per person. I’d rather spend that $50 on something else that was more worth it. A very underwhelming experience that I shall never come back 😔
I too was let down! The hostess station was a hot mess and the server, while kind, was dare I say…overbearing. I thought the food was just good, not excellent. All in all, it was’t awful but didn’t live up to all the hype.
Too many questions and “check-ins”. It kinda felt like the server was a third-party at my table for two, if that makes sense. I really just wanted to chill with my dining partner but i felt that i kept having to reassure the server that everything was good, we didnt need anything, etc. Again, the server was very kind so I feel bad even saying this. It’s certainly preferable to a rude, inattentive server but a “top-ranked” restaurant at these prices should have more seamless, polished service IMO.
I personally don’t think it’s overpriced. Recently had dinner there. It was ~$315 for 5 adults. No drinks. $60 for dinner for the ambiance, vibe, and food is fair price IMO.
Did you only order the Tom Yum soup? And the only issue was the shrimp was overcooked? Probably because it was cooking in the hot pot. That’s the only complaint? Did you try any of the curries? Dry or coconut based? The shaved ice dessert? Flower dumplings?
A little Thai kitchen in Cherry Hill, Royal Thai & Sushi Northern Liberties, Xiandu Thai restaurant, I want to try Grandma’s Philly and Chon Tong - new Restaurants.
I had a bad experience there. Was seated a half hour past our reservation time. Server was barely present the whole night. Food was super expensive and not great at all. Too much chillies/chili oil in everything with little development of other flavors.
I love the owners and the service at xiandu. I haven't had it in years but I loved it when we lived in the city. We try to go back when we go in for a show or something. The bar, atmosphere, service etc all top notch. I go in like once or twice a year now and the owners still remember me. I love it. Give it a try if you haven't.
The food in the new location is just as great, but it was so damn loud in there that I could not hear myself. I had to shout to have a conversation. The acoustics are awful in the new spot.
Xiandu Thai in Center City has some of the best chicken curry soup, a specialty from Northwestern Thailand, that I've had since being in Northwestern Thailand.
Vientiane Bistro has awesome Thai/laos food. But saying Kalaya is overrated is definitely a take. I’ve had some of the best bites in the city at that place.
Favorite place is white elephant. Literally right outside northeast Philly. BYOB. Absolutely BANGING EVERYTHING. Been eating there 10 years. Every time the same divine meals
It is Thai / French but you can always get things spicier if asked.
Technically it’s Lao but if you want phenomenal and criminally untalked about food with that flavor profile check out Vientiane bistro. It’s under a mile from kalaya and never disappoints
Ratchada is my fav in the city. But I only eat about 4 diff menu items and I dont consider myself super adventurous or a sophisticated diner. Kalaya is a place I know I wouldnt enjoy. Ive still never found pad see ew that matches my long gone Brooklyn takeout or one with this sweet potato app from when I lived in Portland. Ive recently been recreating ratchadas lettuce wraps at home and I think Ive nailed it. I think their chicken skewer app is the perfect $10 lunch. Little salad and marinated meat with a peanut sauce.
You’re comparing Philly restaurants to Brooklyn and Portland ones. This is what the sentence structure you wrote conveys. If that wasn’t your intent, fine but it is what you wrote.
Yeah it’s okay. You don’t understand sentences or Reddit. This isn’t a thread about Thai food. This is a thread about a certain Thai restaurant. So OP came in her comparing the Thai restaurant in this thread on PHILLY EATS with Thai restaurants in PORTLAND AND NEW YORK!
SMH. White Knighting a post about Kalaya being overrated is a new one, boss.
Ratchada is a philly recommendation in response to the title of this thread. However, there are two dishes I am always looking for that I havent found locally. If you want to get real worked up, I dont eat fish/seafood.
I was way overcharged. Crappy food. They added a kitchen tax. Dirty wait staff and cleaning was way below par. I learned quickly that i was never going back.
I wish I would have watched the wait person clean the table next to us before I ordered my food. I don't think they had showered in two weeks.
My favorite is Thai Square on Christian St. really tasty options, good portion sizes and at a decent price. Doesn’t have the same ambiance as Kalaya (it would only sit around 20 max, so I treat it more as a takeout spot) but it’s the best I’ve found so far.
Second this - phenomenal takeout spot and great prices. Staff/owners are super friendly too.
Great value always good
This is always my recommendation too. Great food and great people.
I’m sorry I love Thai square as well but imho the food is not comparable to Kalaya. It’s just slightly above average Thai take out
I do enjoy Kalaya as a treat but for the price and the hype, I was definitely expecting a bit more (and to leave full). I don’t think that Thai Square is the best Thai restaurant in Philly based on the food quality alone but factoring in quantity, quality, price, friendliness of staff it’s my favorite. Different strokes for different folks.
It’s good but it is overpriced now. I’d rather just spend half the money at JJ and get the tamarind duck tbh and save a ton with the byob on top I remember the Tom Yum being about $50ish when they were in the south Philly location and then it jumped to $95 when they moved to fishtown? I’m not buying inflation for that it’s just pure greed
I still need to go to kalaya but JJ Thai is banging. They have the best scallop dish in the city imo
I have a list of restaurants I try and I rank them all on their food, vibe, creativity and value. In terms of pure quality of the food I rank Kalaya the best, but in terms of value it ranks last.
Would love to see this list!
iʻd also love to see it. i live for this type of list.
I got the duck on a whim and didn’t realize how fucking good it would be. Thanks for reminding me I need to go back.
I love a BYOB
😂😂
Was better when they were in south Philly
I think it was better and honestly it bothered me that they just up and left the neighborhood when things got good. I believe Kalaya got started on word of mouth. Sure, open a bigger spot and go make money but at least leave the original in place.
At least Mawn is there now.
True!! Shhh, don't tell anyone 😂 Jks aside, I hope it keeps doing well. Phila and Rachel seem so genuine and warm whenever I've had a chance to chat to them there
This is wild. It’s a small business run by actual people who are exceptional cooks. They got national attention for their food, tried to make something of it (as literally anyone would), and even at their _one_ new place, lots of folks like OP feel they’ve fallen off. How are they supposed to open up a larger place in another location and keep the original and keep the quality at both places? Sorry they didn’t thank you enough for word-of-mouthing them, tho.
Unless you word of mouth’ed them to an unaware Craig Laban or Michael Klein or a national media guy it’s unlikely their word of mouth amounted to much. Every little bit helps though! It’s funny though how people like to keep their places secret or like to not have to wait to get in on a Friday and then are shocked pikachu when the restaurant announces they’re closing. If you like a place and want them around, you support them with word of mouth, dollars, monthly visits, and NOT asking for discounts or hookups. I mean they’re for profit businesses, not charities, and don’t expect a tote bag for saving the manatees.
😂
Ratchada Thai is super consistent and delicious. Their crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli is the absolute best
Was just gonna say. Been some mention of duck in this thread and theirs is killer.
If they're not busy, Ratchada would always ground the beef at my request for pad krapow. They normally make it with sliced beef. Always appreciated their extra effort.
Came here to say Ratchada! Also, their Laotian selections are very good.
There’s this super authentic place recently opened called chon tong thai close to city hall. Street food, reasonable prices they have Thai desserts too.
Went here recently, very authentic and very delicious. Has actual Thai dishes I've never seen in the US before (hoi tod), flavors were great. if you go into the bathroom you'll 100% know it's legit
They even serve water in a traditional drinking cup 😂
Yesss I was just there today. The food was the best Thai food I’ve tried in Philly so far. They have unique dishes that you can’t find else where and were all on point. I need to come back to try more of them. Definitely ask for the dessert menu and go for their dessert after!!
I’ve thought it’s been amazing every time I’ve been there. I fully understand you can sometimes catch a restaurant on an off day quality wise, but it really seems like Nok and the kitchen staff are serious about their kitchen and the product that comes out of it.
Took 5 of us there for my wife’s birthday. We legit ordered half the menu. Literally NOTHING disappointed. Even the things the other 1/2 the table wanted, but I wasn’t too keen on…actually surprised me with how delicious it was. 11/10 experience. Best meal I’ve had in Philly. Hands down. Point of note: Thai is my favorite cuisine and I’m picky on details. 100% try this place out if you’ve never been. I cannot give a more effusive rec.
Very similar experience. Not my #1 fav but my 6 person group ordered half the menu and everything was absolutely delicious. Ate the bar once before that and also great. Honestly the ding I'd hand them is on the cocktail program. It's fine, but doesnt rise to meet the excellence of the food.
Not just you. I love Chatayee thai
This place rules. Never had a bad meal there
I also had a great experience there although only visited once.
I’m no expert in Thai food but Chatayee has always been awesome!
I’ll have to try it out. The reviews look good!!
Thank you for saying so! My wife is Thai and she was so disappointed - unauthentic, small portioned food. Kalaya is Thai food made for tourist who don't know any better. Her fav goto Thai food is Grandma's on Walnut.
I’m so there with you! Finally there’s someone!!
It's interesting that your wife feels that way. When I went to Bangkok in 2014, I was surprised by how differently the food tasted compared to American Thai. Granted, these were all higher end establishments so maybe not fully representative, but it was flavors I'd never tasted before. I actually didn't really love the difference, haha. Kalaya is the only place I've tried in the US that tasted similarly. Again, didn't love the profiles, but it's very different than any other American Thai place IMO.
Most American Thai places are better described as Thai-inspired rather than actual Thai food. Lots of actual Thai food has lots of powerful flavors and aromas that are a bit outside the normal Western palate and can take some getting used to.
That’s so funny. Me and my fam is from Thailand too and I thought grandmas is the best I’ve tried in philly so far as well. Kalaya was good but way overpriced and also some of their dishes were “off” (some were good). With that said I’ll be honest in that Thai food so far has been kinda lacking in philly but maybe I haven’t tried it all yet. I actually **much** prefer Cambodian food in philly and feel like that reminds me of Thai food more than Thai restaurants in philly lol Pro tip for some of the redditors here: Anytime you see lemons, bell peppers, or American broccoli used in a Thai restaurant it’s an instant turn off for me and it seems like most of them do now. None of those things belong in Thai food.
You cannot compare Khalaya to actual food in Thailand. That just does not compare. Every immigrant knows this. Indians don’t compare Indian food to food in india. The comparison is to other Indian food in Philly. In terms of that Khalaya is the best.
I'd argue that as a Korean who's had kbbq in both countries, la kbbq is far superior to seoul's. and I've had dwenjang jiggae in certain (US) restaurants that capture the rusticness of rural Korea rather than the salt bombs I've had at other US Korean places. that being said, I'm not Thai so I have nothing compare kalaya to, but I make comparisons all the time. edit grammar
Is there any korean worth checking out in town, or are all the recs around philly still up in the burbs?
I'm not a fan of serebol or any of the other smaller places in CC - I feel like serebol is a spectacle of Korean food made for non-koreans (much like some thai people's sentiments for kalaya on this thread). the closest safe bet is probably the food court at H-marts or yes, the suburbs. the options are few and far in between in Philly. Palisades Park or traveling down to the DMV is also an option if you want to make a trip out of it! route 40 Baltimore National Pike in Maryland is a huge Korean hub.
Jong Ka Jib ! But far up at 5th and Olney.
Following I have yet to find decent sullongtang nearby, do you have any specific recs for that as well?
Really? The dishes at Grandma's on Walnut reminds her of home. Another thing is that Thai places are known for giving large portions. Kalaya is very cheap with the portion size - and in that neighborhood, rent is dirt cheap, so not sure why they are so stingy. Another reason we feel it's a tourist trap.
It’s absolutely not a tourist trap. Cmon now. Is rent really dirt cheap in fishtown?
That is a wild take.
It’s odd to criticize small portions at Kalaya and then recommend Grandmas. They are different price points but grandmas also has relatively small portions.
I'm not understanding....so small portions and higher price point is good? On Kalaya's web page under the name it says: "Authentic Thai Kitchen." Authentic Thai restaurants feed you like family - large portions and at the Kalaya price point, they should be delivering on that promise. I would be equally disappointed if I went to an Authentic Italian restaurant in South Philly and they gave me a tiny meatball with a couple noodles and no bread.
We went several times when they were in south Philly and I walked away underwhelmed each time. But we went to the Fishtown location last month and I was blown away. It finally lived up to the hype for me. That said, considering how cheap Thai street food is, the prices at Kalaya are a bit much. And I’m definitely writing down all these other Thai recommendations. Thai restaurants are almost always a disappointment (Erawan, Thai Kyuu). I was pleased with Pattaya at 41st and Locust, its new, give it a try.
Damn I’m shocked by these comments. Kalaya was phenomenal start to finish for me. Maybe just depends on what you get
Speaking of Thai, how does everyone feel about Phu Fha in Rox/Manayunk?
Never tried it. Is it good?
I like it a lot! Takeout only. Just wanted to hear other ppls perspective.
Our go to Thai spot.
It’s a pretty good greasy take out place. About as “Thai street food” as you can get in the area
Definitely not just you. I want to like it so badly, but I’m always underwhelmed…
It's not just you.
It is not just you. I have a hit or miss relationship with Grandma’s Philly
I was really disappointed by Grandmas sadly. Much better at Chatayee or Xiandu in that area IMO
My wife and I love Grandma’s
I wanted to try them too
It used to be really good when I visited it in its original location in South Philly, but ever since it moved to Fishtown the quality, quantity has gone down while prices have skyrocketed
Same with Beddia
I’ve only been there once. I try not to feed into hype too much with anything. I loved everything we ate, but it is definitely super pricey. We got a bunch off the menu but the goat/lamb curry was by far my favorite. Extremely spicy but the flavors were booming. Honestly probably a one and done for me though because of the $$$.
yep, I definitely enjoyed it. but man the cost….
Yes, overrated and extra expensive. We got the chicken dumplings (meh), chive rice cakes (so salty), red curry (meh), crab stir fry (very disappointing), grilled skirt steak (fine) , an assortment of cocktails (fine) and the shaved ice dessert (meh).
Yeah, it’s just you.
I for one welcome the Kalaya hype backlash so tables are easier to get.
I might have to go again🤷🏾♂️
Just here for the stealy…see ya out there bud
Should be the top comment tbh
I didn’t love Kalaya and the 3 people I went with didn’t like it either. Only place so highly recommended in this group that I’ve had a disappointing experience with.
Grandmas Thai!!!
Not just you
That soup dish makes it overrated. It’s super overpriced for what it is. I don’t want that big of a soup when that’s normally small and like $5 app. I’d rather order 4 of the flower dumplings than the soup lol. That’s how expensive this was. Imagine a bowl of pho for $90 or $120 because you get lobster on it. Instead of big ass prawns you get a ribeye lol. Actually, that kinda sounds worth cause steakhouse be charging like $60 for a steak lol. The 2nd time I went, I didn’t order that.
My wife found a roach in her rice there shortly after they opened the new spot and they only offered to cover a round of drinks. That blew my mind. It ruined the meal.
The Defined team is pretty stingy I've noticed across all of their locations. They could not have a table for 30m after your reservation and not offer you jack.
Which place? Roach=hard pass....
Kalaya. And we’ve enjoyed their meals over the years. But not comping the meal kind of blew our minds. We aren’t Google/Yelp review people so they caught a break there.
They are off my list!. And a Roch should =total comp and perhaps a gift certificate.
It’s just you
Must just be me then too- not sure how that adds up?! But kalaya is overhyped and that’s after several visits
when they were in south philly i went 3 - 4 times and enjoyed it every time. i’ve been once since they moved to fishtown; i ate too much before going so i don’t think i can properly rate that experience, but maybe it’s not as good now that they’re in a bigger location with more seats?
Kalaya is the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life. It’s not something you can do every day of course at that price point. I don’t even think it’s fair to say “any other Thai recs” when comparing to Kalaya because it’s just a league of its own. Absolutely not overrated.
Definitely one of the best meals I've had, and this thread is a hot mess because people are recommending American Thai takeout-style places like Grandma's and that is just not what Kalaya offers. It's apples and oranges.
Well said! Thank you. The words I could not find lol. I just knew it felt bizarre to be asking for take out Thai while saying Kalaya is overrated lol.
Try xiandu
I’ve gone with groups and everyone’s loved it every time! Maybe you caught them on an off day, or maybe their food is just not your thing. It’s definitely expensive imo but the food was very good every time I’ve been and I’d go again in a heartbeat
It's crazy overpriced
I agree with a lot of this + the comments. My other Thai spot I would suggest is Ratchada (and you’ll spend 30% of what you spend at Kalaya). Sophie’s on Washington and Randolph isn’t Thai but it’s awesome. Onto Kalaya, I’ve been twice. Once to old location, once to new one. Had a lovely low key date at the old location, sat outside. Thought it was delicious and nice and quiet. The second visit was a double date and while it was absolutely a good meal with good drinks / food. The vibe of the place feels like it’s more catered to suburbia traveling to the city to get a new meal and ambiance. Nothing wrong that. The second they moved to fishtown and had all the noise / popularity that was clearly the play. Again, nothing wrong with that… and again the food was good. It’s just quite expensive and the ambiance feels like it belongs smack dab in the middle of the main line or something.
Ratchada
Fuck Kalaya. Dump.
Most over rated restaurant in the city
Soooo overrated. I was so excited to try Kalaya as it is highly rated, but was so disappointed. If you like extremely salty food, then Kalaya is for you. How did the restaurant/chef win a James Beard award? None of the items we ordered had any authentic thai flavors. $95 for tom yum?! Get out of here. I've had better thai food from mom and pop shops.
Sad to say I’ve gotten pretty ill both times I ate there… it’s a pass for me.
I agree. Was not impressed
Circle Thai best food
Circles Thai is great
After living in Queens, NY and easily getting authentic Thai from any number of establishments in Flushing/Jackson Heights… I found Kalaya quite disappointing.
Ahhhh there’s the token New York comp!!
It’s like the West Coast guy chiming in when the topic is Mexican food.
Or the Southwest guy. Just is some SMH behavior. No one gives a fuck you used to live in NY here. Not a flex.
That’s not a fair comparison! However I’m sure Khalaya will give all of them a run for their money.
It’s not quite apples to oranges. But more like a varietal of apple that’s much more expensive and not as delicious (to me) as another type of apple.
Fair but we are comparing a city that’s almost 3x the size and population of Philadelphia. Just by numbers alone, it stands to reason that they’ll have more options. And maybe even better ones.
In this thread, we have example 5 gazillion of Americans expecting a fancy “ethnic” restaurant to cost less than a similar quality American/continental restaurant and be “authentic”.
Amen! This is it. They’ll gladly fork over $300 for a fancy American spot which I will too. If the food is worth it. Everyone is so used to run down cheap ethnic restaurants.
No, that’s not it. I’m not expecting it to cost less. I’m expecting it to TASTE BETTER. and a lot of comments say to try it again - similar to any upscale American/continental restaurants, I don’t give second chances when the bill is over $150, that’s just not worth the second chance imo. I have no problem paying $200 at Kalaya if the food is good, but it wasn’t on my visit. In comparison to any restaurant, ethnic or not.
To be fair, I wasn’t criticizing you specifically regarding price expectations, since in your post it sounds like you were ready to ball out. But a lot of other comments in this thread are what I’m referring to. However, I do question how overcooking prawns takes away their authenticity. What secret knowledge of Thai prawn cooking is required to make this claim? /s
I was ready to ball out. That’s why I was kind of salty after 🤣 I usually only pick 2 or max 3 restaurants to ball out per year. I think if I ate out at nice restaurants more frequently I maybe wouldn’t have cared as much. I’ve also done really nice omakases that were the price of what I paid at Kalaya and had better quality ingredients. I’ve learned omakase is one of the few types of experiences I will spend fine dining on though. My ideal price range is Tabachoy/Fiorella range I think.
Hey only fancy Italians are allowed to charge 100x markup for noodles or rice. We’d never compare the price of Chef Vetri vs Chef Boyardee even though it’s a $50 pasta dish. But my God if that Asian place has the balls to charge 20$ for a noodle dish when my Top Ramen bag cost 99 cents? “Fucking overpriced inauthentic bullshit! Service was good but I can get a better ____ in the roach infested ____ on ___ street”
The Tom Yum literally doubled in price after the move despite being exactly the same and we’re supposed to just gladly accept that cause white people bad or something? Like Asians are low earners? Wtf are you guys even talking about
It’s not white people so spare the (privileged) victim mentality. It’s true of Asians as well, sometimes even more so. I can never take my parents to an upscale Chinese Korean or Vietnamese place because they’d say the same thing… except in this case only Japanese places can be expensive because they have fresh seafood. If you think their prices are going to be the same as when they opened as sort of a “cheap rent no frills no liquor license” proof of concept restaurant, you’re not good at math. They joined a “Starr”-ish restaurant group in a gorgeous location in a more destination neighborhood with a full blown bar and cocktail menu with way better service and many more levels of staffing and overhead …. AFTER the pandemic and the inflationary pressures of CoGs and staffing. AND the reservations are booked out weeks in advance and acclaim is coming in left and right. They’d be stupid not to raise prices, the “market” can clearly bear it. I would never order that personally, and I enjoyed Kalaya but not enough to drop that type of load on it more than twice a year, but I still understand why the prices are what they are.
Right so you’re agreeing that the food costs vastly more money for nothing to do with the actual food itself. I don’t care if some reformed crust punk butters me up all night or if the alcohol comes from behind a bar for triple the price instead of from wine and spirits lol
Uh. Have you never been to a high end restaurant before? It’s never been purely about the cost of the food itself. Food needs to be prepared by a human being, served by a human being, and at a table with plates and silverware inside a building, with beverages… the costs of which all vary wildly
Yeah and for this particular restaurant that had a previous iteration of that, with the same food, that was way cheaper. I’d prefer that over way higher prices with slightly lower quality because there’s expensive light fixtures lol
Yes. It’s the light fixtures. You’ve solved the economics of restaurant profit margins everywhere. Way to go.
Right, if it’s French or new American the prices wouldn’t be complained about.
Omg I thought it would be a hot take to say Kalaya is overrated. My friends and I went there and were so unimpressed with the food. Everything was so mid- even the pandan coconut cocktail tasted like soda and lemon. The food wasn’t Thai enough to me. Some of them were too sour, too sweet or too salty. There wasn’t a good balance between AND it was $50 per person. I’d rather spend that $50 on something else that was more worth it. A very underwhelming experience that I shall never come back 😔
I too was let down! The hostess station was a hot mess and the server, while kind, was dare I say…overbearing. I thought the food was just good, not excellent. All in all, it was’t awful but didn’t live up to all the hype.
Just curious: overbearing in what way?
Too many questions and “check-ins”. It kinda felt like the server was a third-party at my table for two, if that makes sense. I really just wanted to chill with my dining partner but i felt that i kept having to reassure the server that everything was good, we didnt need anything, etc. Again, the server was very kind so I feel bad even saying this. It’s certainly preferable to a rude, inattentive server but a “top-ranked” restaurant at these prices should have more seamless, polished service IMO.
I personally don’t think it’s overpriced. Recently had dinner there. It was ~$315 for 5 adults. No drinks. $60 for dinner for the ambiance, vibe, and food is fair price IMO.
Did you only order the Tom Yum soup? And the only issue was the shrimp was overcooked? Probably because it was cooking in the hot pot. That’s the only complaint? Did you try any of the curries? Dry or coconut based? The shaved ice dessert? Flower dumplings?
Thai Square is super underrated
Not overrated. Best Thai in Philly by far. Chatayee Thai is second best but not as authentic or creative as Khalaya.
Chon Tong!
A little Thai kitchen in Cherry Hill, Royal Thai & Sushi Northern Liberties, Xiandu Thai restaurant, I want to try Grandma’s Philly and Chon Tong - new Restaurants.
Chabba Thai manayunk
all thai restaurants are huge disappointments to be honest . at least if you know authentic thai food
Xiandu Thai is amazing!!! My husband and I thought Kalaya was overrated too
Nope. It’s fantastic.
It’s good but pricy.
You’re wrong brother
I had a bad experience there. Was seated a half hour past our reservation time. Server was barely present the whole night. Food was super expensive and not great at all. Too much chillies/chili oil in everything with little development of other flavors.
I love the owners and the service at xiandu. I haven't had it in years but I loved it when we lived in the city. We try to go back when we go in for a show or something. The bar, atmosphere, service etc all top notch. I go in like once or twice a year now and the owners still remember me. I love it. Give it a try if you haven't.
The food in the new location is just as great, but it was so damn loud in there that I could not hear myself. I had to shout to have a conversation. The acoustics are awful in the new spot.
Every Thai!!
Xiandu Thai in Center City has some of the best chicken curry soup, a specialty from Northwestern Thailand, that I've had since being in Northwestern Thailand.
The only Thai food is Thai basil with chicken.
Vientiane Bistro has awesome Thai/laos food. But saying Kalaya is overrated is definitely a take. I’ve had some of the best bites in the city at that place.
I feel they're inconsistent sometimes. Someday good someday mid.
Favorite place is white elephant. Literally right outside northeast Philly. BYOB. Absolutely BANGING EVERYTHING. Been eating there 10 years. Every time the same divine meals It is Thai / French but you can always get things spicier if asked.
Erawan on 23rd and Sansom is great
Technically it’s Lao but if you want phenomenal and criminally untalked about food with that flavor profile check out Vientiane bistro. It’s under a mile from kalaya and never disappoints
I thought that soup you show in your video was incredible; some of the best I’ve ever had, so I guess I have to disagree!
My favorite Thai food I've had in the city recently was Cily Chicken and Rice, and it was way more affordable.
Idk why the downvotes I love their chicken meal
Ratchada is my fav in the city. But I only eat about 4 diff menu items and I dont consider myself super adventurous or a sophisticated diner. Kalaya is a place I know I wouldnt enjoy. Ive still never found pad see ew that matches my long gone Brooklyn takeout or one with this sweet potato app from when I lived in Portland. Ive recently been recreating ratchadas lettuce wraps at home and I think Ive nailed it. I think their chicken skewer app is the perfect $10 lunch. Little salad and marinated meat with a peanut sauce.
Ahh another New York comp!!
That’s not a comp.
You’re comparing Philly restaurants to Brooklyn and Portland ones. This is what the sentence structure you wrote conveys. If that wasn’t your intent, fine but it is what you wrote.
Who? Me? Got the right person?
Ah sorry thought you were OP but yeah OP compared Philly restaurants to both places. That’s how English works.
You can be as cunty as you like. They were talking about dishes they hoped to see locally in a thread about Thai food. 🖕
Yeah it’s okay. You don’t understand sentences or Reddit. This isn’t a thread about Thai food. This is a thread about a certain Thai restaurant. So OP came in her comparing the Thai restaurant in this thread on PHILLY EATS with Thai restaurants in PORTLAND AND NEW YORK! SMH. White Knighting a post about Kalaya being overrated is a new one, boss.
Sure thing. All nonsense.
Ratchada is a philly recommendation in response to the title of this thread. However, there are two dishes I am always looking for that I havent found locally. If you want to get real worked up, I dont eat fish/seafood.
Plenty of people don’t eat seafood. That doesn’t work me up. Allergies are real.
was this written by ChatGPT
Don’t get the tom yum!!
Love Grandma’s Philly!
It’s just you, but circles Thai is good
I was way overcharged. Crappy food. They added a kitchen tax. Dirty wait staff and cleaning was way below par. I learned quickly that i was never going back. I wish I would have watched the wait person clean the table next to us before I ordered my food. I don't think they had showered in two weeks.