Very small and usually a line on weekends. They make up for it with excellent food made quickly. They also accept takeout orders, and those are an excellent way to avoid the line.
One of my tests for Thai food is whether or not the curry is basically a soup like it's supposed to be. They half pass this test, and the green curry is excellent.
Their spice scale is just a touch steeper than most places, and they'll try to talk you out of 5 stars, but will do it if you insist.
Kalyanashis Chakraborty
+4.5
"Don't judge a book by cover".. Same implies here.. A small smoky restaurant in University street with delicious taste of food. It's always better to call them and order and pickup the food. We ordered pad thai with fried roll and spicy noodle veg. I can't complain on any item. I want to specially mention the chef he was standing in that smoky place handling 5 stoves with frying pans. Awesome!!
Had the Panang Vegetarian curry over here. Must say the food is too good! I was recommended to this place by a friend and definitely worth the visit and the money. There is not much seating area here but it can be overlooked at with the really tasty food served!
My favorite thai restaurant/cafe in seattle! I tried almost everything on their menu and everything was great! You have to be ready to be seated if you are dining in as this place is small. My favorites in this place are their pad thai, tom yam, fried tofu, swimming rama ,and pad see ew! They have reasonable price too!
Best ever! This Thai place is packed and lively every time I visit Seattle! And it's also my go to Thai place when I visit. It's a quick grab a bite and go place, service is okay but since they do market themselves as street food style, service isn't what I'm looking for anyways. The flavours are great and the food is absolutely amazing!
Tip: parties of more than 4 will be a stretch since the place only seats around 15 people!
And their spicy level starts at a medium and go up to extra hot being a 5. So be sure to gauge how spicy you can eat!
Fresh rolls, Pad Thai, Cashew Chicken and Thai Iced tea = All Great. Great place. Located on "the Ave" or University Way if you are not from Seattle. Thai Toms offers an intimate atmosphere with some high quality and great priced Thai food. The line is always out the door, they don't take reservations, and they are cash only so be sure to bring your green backs. As far as the food is concerned: It's delicious. Made to order fresh and prepared in the same room that you dine in; Thai Toms makes for a fun, cheap, and delicious date if you ever happen to be roaming around the UW area and desire some of the best Thai food Seattle has to offer.
Oh, and a note on the price: Fresh rolls, Pad Thai, Cashew Chicken and Thai Iced tea all for under $30.
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Artistry and passion on display. It was a rainy, chilly December Friday night, and we waited in a line for about 75 minutes. A lady was handing out a simple wooden menu to those in line and taking orders to speed things along. This place is small, probably doesn't seat much more than 15-20 people at a time, but heck, it is WORTH the wait. We got lucky and got a spot at the bar - trust me, it's the best seat in the house. The stage was just a foot off our nose practically, and the chef (of which there was only one) practically bumped into into us while reaching for a shaker behind his back without looking. But we didn't care. What the man did was nothing short of artistry. A dab of this, a dab of that, throw the raw eggs in the ladle, drop them in the pan, scoop them out again, grab the special sauce, a dab here, a dab there, change your mind and go back again for just a smidgen more. I was transfixed and couldn't look away... like watching somebody who is so in the zone, they are not aware of anything outside of what they are doing. The food has this taste unlike another thai place - I eat a lot of thai too - a smoky taste, an amalgamation from all the flavors off those gorgeous cast iron skillets at the hands of the master himself.
My guests have been here before and loved the place upon first bite. So when visiting Seattle for the day, we made a point to have lunch here. At 4pm there was a line and a wait requiring 50 minutes. 50 minutes we spent loitering around the University District. Apparently this is a common occurrence, to see lines and people standing by outside. Though most are here to get their meal taken out. A great way to avoid the wait, and having to dine in their cramped and less than modern setting. The restaurant was a dark narrow space. An older building that felt less than clean with its dingy corners, dusty fixtures, and edges filled with grout. The brown patchy walls and photos faded with age didn’t help either. The traditional Thai elements lent their authenticity to the place and gave a distraction from the above. These included framed art of Thai deities, a large tapestry of gold figures sailing in boats, an elephant’s bust with trunk extended and tusks out, and lamps of wicker and wooden
Right in the heart of the Ave you will find one of the best Thai food places in Seattle, Thai Tom. Back in college I really didn’t get a chance to come here too often because the place is always so busy. Things have not changed too much in the last six years other than these guys are a lot busier then it was back in the day. The wait here used to be 20 minutes wait max but my last trip here I waited about 45 minutes for a to go order. So if you have the time and patience to come here you will be handsomely rewarded. The place is typically filled with college kids looking for good cheap food. But even with five other Thai places just down the street it continues to be very busy. In addition to the place just being very popular it is also very very small. It seats 20 max and you will be stuffed in there right next to your neighbors. Getting food to go is the best choice for sure.
Worth the wait in line (for the place only has a few tables!), the rock-star-type chef is the star of the show, creating Thai masterpieces for your delectable enjoyment. The waitresses weave their way deftly through this small place without dropping any of the culinary gems. More, please! YUM! - See more at: http://www.wanderingeducators.com/food/restaurant-reviews/foodie-finds-7-best-places-eat-seattle.html#.dpuf
This is a must try. First time I came here, I was amazed at how close I was to the rising flames of the cook, whisking briskly my food which was followed by spoon slaps of added sauce and finished in minutes, my food steaming on the plate as it was directly served in front of me. This is a small intimate place that gives off such a unique vibe. Flavors are wonderful. As you finish, they was and clean your plate as soon as possible, ready for the next dish. It’s a slick process they have in there. Only downside is it is cash only. I would have come here SO MUCH MORE if they accepted credit card. Parking is a little challenging but this is expected on the Ave. Love this place. Pad Thai and fried rice are delicious.
This place was awesome. It was a cozy little bar which could only fit a few people at a time. You could see the food being cooked and felt like you were immersed in the restaurant. The service was great and the menus were really cool, being wooden blocks. The food was really good and fairly priced. I saved some for leftovers and loved it.
This place is not to be underestimated. It’s a tiny spot that fits less than a dozen people and they are a cash only business. The pad see ewe is utter perfection. The incredible char on the wide rice noodles and their distinct techniques make every dish here an absolute treasure. It’s a small menu, but everything is prepared with heart and soul.
The first time I came here was nearly 8 years ago and I was nervous to come back after so long. I’m happy to say that the quality of the food is still far above any Thai restaurant I’ve been to in the US. You aren’t going to get overly friendly service from this place, but the people there are working very hard and moving quickly to get you your food quickly. There are no fake smiles here and they don’t need them with food this good.
If you’re looking for an alternate option after the disappointing 1.5hr wait time at Kin Len, then I highly recommend Thai Tom. It’s a small but mighty hole-in-the-wall place where you’ll see a chef working up to six beautiful items at once.
I loved that I could see my dish being made fresh and served immediately.
We got the pad Thai with Tofu, chicken yellow curry and curry chicken noodles. All meals were delicious and reminded me of the street food of Phuket.
Service was also with a smile. On busy nights be prepared to wait up to 30 mins for a seat and another 20 mins for your food. But it’s worth it for the freshness, flavour and price!
Food cooked in front of you & ingredients looks fresh and the sauce is strong. Clean environment. One thing would not recommend is drinking their Thai iced tea at night, because might not be able to fall asleep.
Enjoyed the unique experience here, you can observe the master chef doing his job.
The Thai foods are pretty good, tried the TomYum soup, love it the most.
Two Notes:
- They only accept cash
- The food in a plate not the much as regularly, so you might need to order 2 portions in different flavor.
In the University district this IS the Thai restaurant you go to! The location is only a dozen seats, and it can get hot in there. On summer days take out is best. Any other time you must sit at the bar and take in cooking. It really feels like you are in another country. The menu is simple and they run out of stuff all the time so you know it's fresh. The curry and the pad Thai are classics and so good. To top it off they make a killer Thai iced coffee!
Unique amazing place- every visit to Seattle includes a stop here. Some of the best Tom Ka ever! The cook makes it fresh in front of you- he has been the same cook for at least 12 years! I love this place- kind people too- warning- this is a small place and authentic
my son loves 21., peanut spinach
Went to Thai Yom for the third time. Still, super delicious and very fresh! The fun part is that the chef actually cooks it in front of you! Very very fun 🤩 to see! Super friendly customer service and very delicious 🤤!! Highly recommended! Love love love it 😍
Probably the best Pad Thai I've had in Seattle. This place only accepts cash, so make sure you have before you go. I sat right next to the chef and saw them cook my meal. Well worth the experience, I'd go again in a heartbeat.
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