A Hidden Gem: Thai Kitchen

Monday, 30 March 2009 00:00

There probably aren’t many things that give us more satisfaction than discovering a new venue off the beaten path with awesome food. Good thing for us that we are always out looking and found our favorite Thai spot just around the corner in Irvine. Thai Kitchen has been around for a while and has a steady following of regulars who are always greeted with warm recognition by the humble and appreciative management. This hidden gem is nestled in Stonecreek Plaza off Barranca and Culver between a tennis shop and Lamppost pizza. When you walk in you’ll likely be greeted with smiles before being excitedly taken to a modest wooden table clad with pink table cloths. The décor is traditional with orchids and decorative figurines displayed on nearly every ledge.

The first thing you notice when you get your food is they aren’t afraid to make it spicy! All too often local Thai restaurants seem to send out the watered down version of their 10 star plates. But here, be warned that a ‘spicy’ request ensures your food comes out blazing with a reddish hue and lots of jalapeños or peppers that can be easily spotted…for any freaks out there who think this still isn’t hot enough find comfort that their hot sauce setup includes chili paste as well as a number of hot oils and serranos to help you jazz up the palette.

The menu is very reasonably priced, but if you are on a budget we recommend you come for their lunch specials (M-F 11-3pm, Weekends 11:30-3pm) which include a wide selection of Chicken, Beef, or Pork dishes for around $8 all served with an eggroll, soup of the day, wonton, and your choice of steamed or fried rice. The chicken is all white meat so you don’t have to be concerned about finding traditional Asian cuisine that is still up to our California meat standards….some of our favorites are the Ruby Siam or the Cashew Chicken.

Other tasty items are the Imperial Beef or the Pad See Ewe if you are in the mood for a noodle dish. If you aren’t getting the lunch special be sure to have an order of the Thai Spring Rolls. These vegetarian rolls are stuffed with fresh mixed veggies and always come out perfectly flaky and crunchy and most importantly, not too greasy.

Whatever the mood, we are sure that Thai Kitchen will not disappoint. So get your Tums ready and go enjoy a cup of hot tea before the meal. We’ll probably be sitting in the booth right next to you gorging ourselves in spring rolls and peppers….

Thai Kitchen
4250 Barranca Parkway #U Irvine, CA 92604
Ph. 949.857.1788

Lunch: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm | Sat-Sun 11:30am-3pm
Dinner: Sun-Thu 5pm-9:30pm | Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm