4. Restaurants

Mint Leaf Thai Cuisine

712 E Balboa Blvd, Newport Beach, CA, 92661
  • (949) 675-9991
  • Store is closed

Mint Leaf Thai Cuisine Menu

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  • Bryan L.

    Took my daughter here after walking around the beach. Cute little Thai restaurant. The food was good. We only tried two dishes, I got the druken noodles and my daughter got the beef and rice. I will comeback and try other dishes. The service was great. Friendly and fast. The price are reasonable.

    (4)

  • Rachel S.

    I think the food is a 5 star, but the service a 2.5. The food is amazing is the only reason we go, but the service is so slow it often deters us from going. The food is super good and the place is clean and cute on the inside. They just need to hire many more waiters and their slow service would be fixed.

    (4)

  • Hanna L.

    Came here specifically for the Seafood Eggplant and left completely impressed. Best dish of the night, SO GOOD. Cannot find this flavor anywhere else, my grandma still raves about it to this day. (It's been 4 months.) The rest of their Thai food tasted pretty average, but what sets them apart is their presentation. Our duck curry came in an duck designed out of aluminum foil. Crazyy!! Service here really shines. Our family of 8 sometimes have a hard time going out together because we are cheap, loud, and ask a lot of questions. To give you an idea, my dad gets so mad sometimes that he slams the table. Throughout the entire meal, our waiter was a pro. The waters were always filled, questions were answered left and right, and he didn't show the slightest sign of annoyance or frustration. Perfect place for a family outing! TIP: This place is walking distance from practically any parking lot. Don't move your car to get closer to it! It's not worth it! I accidentally thought it was farther away from the parking lot, so being the thoughtful daughter I am and not wanting my dad to walk so far with bad knees, I asked him to move his car away from his perfectly secure parking space....and he drove around FOR AN HOUR fuming at me because it was so close and there were no parking spaces left. You've been warned.

    (4)

  • Erin U.

    Great little restaraunt. Delicious green curry with tofu, vegetarian chow Marin noodles, and papaya salad. All were spicy according to your likeness. PS. Mild spice was enough for me and I like spicy stuff. Very clean interior, updated, and felt inviting. Reasonable prices too.

    (5)

  • Joel R.

    Best dish is their Pumpkin Curry with Beef! Dishes have full thai flavors...lemongrass etc. Prices are cheap too making it even better. No corkage fee so just walk a block down to the corner liquor store and bring your own wine. Small restaurant so reserve for a large party. Otherwise, enjoy Bangkok in Balboa!

    (4)

  • April S.

    Long wait for takeout. Food was not edible. Some of the items I paid for were missing. If someone paid me to go back here I wouldn't. Zero stars if possible.

    (1)

  • Dave L.

    Oh the Mint Leaf let me down** The restaurant is located on the Balboa peninsula across from the Balboa Cinema. It's a quaint place with a few tables and booths. The decor is nice and the location is excellent for those who like to walk around Balboa at night. With good food, nice environment, and friendly service, you'd expect four or five stars, yet outward appearances don't bring back regular customers. I"ll never eat there again. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: nice location and decor great tasting food friendly staff Cons: they charge $3 per scoop of rice per person. We spent $6 on very little amount of rice the pineapple yellow curry and the red curry are exactly the same they over price their food Now let me explain the two stars. When we asked for them to refill our small bowl of rice, they were so happy to comply. The surprise was when we received our check and discovered they charged us $6 for rice. I asked if this were a mistake and they said "sorry" but that's our policy. Why does this upset me so much? It's only $6? The reason why this is so offensive is that this is Thai Food and with curry a person needs a good amount of rice to enjoy the curry. Rice is one of the world's most inexpensive foods. What Mint Leaf is doing is disrespecting their customers by ripping them off with the rice. If you work for Mint Leaf and are reading this, I have this to say to you. You lost a loyal customer for life because of charging me an extra $3 to refill my rice. Yes, you lost hundreds and even thousands of potential dollars if I were to become a weekly patron to your restaurant. I don't think you have thought this through and know what you are doing to your potential customers, in summary, it's a really bad decision to over charge for the one staple you know everyone will need to enjoy your food. Stop doing this and like most other Thai restaurants, refill the rice for free.

    (2)

  • Bob L.

    Had lunch with family....pumpkin curry, Spicy Basil, & fried rice all chicken w/Thai ice tea's. Food was excellent, plenty of food, gr8 taste....careful with your heat....make sure you specify cuz they know how to make it HOT! so if you like it mild be sure to specify. It's a cozy little hole in the wall which is what I like ....those hidden gems have the best food sometimes & I'm really glad we checked it out. Mint Leaf is now our go to thai food place when we're in Newport beach. Oh & be sure to have the mango sticky rice for desert it's delicious.

    (5)

  • Jason S.

    Not a bad meal had here! All of the items that I have tried have been amazing. Green curry is my favorite and the best I have ever had. I have read previous reviews and sometimes the service is slow. Just bring bottle of wine or a 6 pack of beer (no corkage fees) and relax and enjoy the great Thai food!

    (5)

  • Lauren E.

    Good pad thai, pumpkin curry, and appetizers. Yay for no corkage fee! The service was very friendly as well.

    (4)

  • Julian G.

    Order full, not lunch menu. It is tiny !!!.The price is reasonable. We went there for lunch.

    (3)

  • Lalida S.

    Call me a hater but even though this is a convenient little place on Balboa the food is very average. Got the lunch special with coworkers for pick up and just ordering on the phone was a ten minute hassle. Took about twenty minutes to get two orders of the same food out despite the restaurant being completely empty at lunch. We both ordered the pad see ew. Now I'm not saying the food was bad, but there's nothing amazing to be said when the beef is slightly burned, the noodles were smushy, and there were only 3-4 very sad wimpy pieces of broccoli staring back at you. Oh and this Thai restaurant spelled my Thai name wrong. Sad panda. Save yourself some average food and check out other places nearby. You'll get better service and better food.

    (3)

  • Sputnik S.

    Great service! Great food! We had the 'Mint Thai Noodles' which is there own specialty dish and it was BOMB. I'm 1/2 Thai and I'm usually not blown away by Thai restaurants but this place gets my approval! I wanna bring my dad bc those noodles were amazeballs.

    (4)

  • Nick G.

    Thai cuisine done so so right. The design of the place is beautiful, the food tastes home made and full of flavor, the only the thing that isn't outrageous is the price. Family run and so delicious. A great experience.

    (5)

  • Mandy L.

    I have to admit I had doubts about this place (Newport? Thai? For authenticity, I'm the girl that loves to go to ethnic restaurants where they don't speak English well). The food here is actually pretty good though. I was surprised at how nice the inside was. I know this is ridiculous, but I really liked the chairs! They are so comfortable. I need to get those for my dinner table. It's a small place, so the tables are really close together. We went around 2pm after the lunch rush so it wasn't an issue, but being claustrophobic as I am, I might be annoyed if I have to be hugging my neighbor at the next table when I'm trying to eat. Ok: on to the food: We got the tom yum, pad thai, and the fried rice. Tom Yum: Really good. It's hard to find a place that does tom yum well. Some places skimp on the coconut milk/base and you can taste the difference. They overdo it on the mushrooms though. But yah for you if you are a mushroom fan! Pad Thai: No complaints! A definite must try! I wasn't impressed with the fried rice. I don't know...I think it just tasted a bit bland to me. If I come here next time, I probably won't be ordering that again. Oh they also have this hot ginger tea that you can order and they serve it in tea diffusers. It's pretty good. It was perfect though since I'm just getting over a cold (and the temperature is frigid outside).

    (4)

  • Katie B.

    My go-to for Thai delivery in Newport. The muscles are amazing, and the Prik King is worthy of making the order every time.

    (4)

  • Bati P.

    Great food!!! Love Thai food and been to Thailand several times, so a bit picky about my Thai food! Give the Tom Yum soup three stars, but eggplant and drunken noodles and curry were par excellence! Good service as well, considering it was so crowded.

    (4)

  • Jade J.

    I ordered the drunken noodles with beef and papaya salad. Very refreshing papaya salad. I was impressed. I didn't have to tell them to make the noodles spicy, but it came out spicy, and I loved it. Cute little place with a decent ambience.

    (4)

  • Andrew S.

    Great chicken pad thai. And the soups are the bomb.com . Cool atmosphere. The lunch specials are great! Customer service is excellent and they are super friendly

    (3)

  • Rosemary T.

    My friend told me to give this place a try since it has pretty good Thai food, so I decided to try. You would think a place like this in Newport would be very Americanized, but it's actually not. Whenever I crave for authentic Thai food, I usually go to Thai Nakorn; however, since this one is closer, I wanna to give it a try. We ordered 3 dishes for 2, which in my book is just the perfect amount. I know some might say it's a little too many, but hey, I'm Asian, so the more the merrier! Anyways, the dishes we ordered were: 1. Nam Sod - 4.5 stars. With the lime juice and ginger the salad was refreshing on a hot summer day. I only wish it was a little bite spicier given the fact that we ordered spicy. The peanuts on the salad gave it perfect crunch that complements well with the ground chicken. I would order this salad any day! 2. Garlic Chicken Wings - 4.5 stars. The wings are perfectly fried! The sauce that glazed the chicken were sticky and had garlic crumbles on it. I think it can be a little more garlicky, but some people it might be just perfect! I LOVE garlic so I want to eat it until I can scare the vampire away! 3. Prik King - 4 stars. Right of the top of my head....well... this dish needs to be A LOT spicier. I want spicy, but got no spicy. The sauce was great thought. And, the green beans were cooked perfectly. You know how when you under cook the green beans, it squeaks when you chew, but when it's over cooked, it's just mushy. My point? The green beans were good and goes perfect with the beef. Bottom line~ if I'm at Balboa Park: Newport area, I would definitely come here again~

    (4)

  • Kait M.

    So good!!!!!!!! My boyfriend and I have been here a few times and everything we've gotten has been delicious. The fact that it's byob with no corkage is an added bonus. So far, the garlic and pepper chicken is my go-to!

    (4)

  • Steve R.

    Nice ambiance, nice location, friendly staff... But overall the food was just ok. I've actually had more flavorful dishes at places rated lower. My wife got Panang curry and I got the green- hers was much better than mine. My green curry was really soupy and relatively bland, it didn't really have that green chili flavor I like. Overall a stable thai choice in the neighborhood, but I'm not rushing back.

    (3)

  • Vanessa H.

    Yesss! Another solid Thai establishment to add to the rotation. And in the most unexpected of places ...the Balboa side of the peninsula. After Drew M. and Mari H. both raved about this place, I had to come check it out. The first good move we made was to order the cream cheese puffs, which are wontons stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese, carrots, onions, and crab. The crab is buried with everything, so I didn't taste it at all (which is good for someone who's leery of any and all seafood). I of course got the yellow curry with chicken. The chicken was great quality, the consistency was perfect, and the flavor was very good. It's creamy, not oily, which is a must for me. It's a little sweeter than I'm used to, but it's delicious. We brought our own wine to take advantage of their $0 corkage fee!! Our service was good, although it did take a little bit for us to get some of our food and to get the bill, but as it was approaching the dinner rush I didn't mind the wait. This is definitely a place to come back to!

    (4)

  • Melissa R.

    Wonderful for both lunch and dinner. You must try the pumpkin curry! In addition, bring a bottle of your favorite wine. No corkage!

    (5)

  • Mari H.

    Solid 4 stars. The only thing that would give them 5 is if their service were, well, more. It's a really small restaurant. I wouldn't take a party of more than 4 and expect much during busy lunch or dinner time slots. They have one person handling all the tables. It's not that there's a LOT of tables in the place, it's quite small, but 2 servers would really make sure everyone was getting the attention they deserve (at lunch). The food was top notch. I got the Tom Yum Gai and the Pumpkin Curry. Both were appropriately spiced (super hot) and were insanely flavorful. I did overhear some girls complaining that their chicken dry. It kinda is, but if you are only serving breast meat, it's on the difficult side to keep it moist. The fried tofu in the Pumpkin Curry was also excellently executed. Also, they do have brown rice. I must go back with a bottle of wine for sure!!! No corkage makes for an awesome dining experience! I will definitely be back. It's the best curry I've had in OC so far.

    (4)

  • Anthony M.

    Always a fun time when I go there, great prices on everything. I have eaten there 4 times and every time it's an adventure that I enjoy. Can't wait to get back up there again. No corking fees, so bring your own bottle of wine and enjoy!!

    (4)

  • Mia L.

    Cute cozy spot! No alcohol service, but they do allow u to bring ur own with no corkage fee. Good to know for next time. Prik King was my favorite dish of the night. Their thai iced tea was one of the best I've ever had! :)

    (4)

  • Emily K.

    Delicious food - we eat here once a month at least, and have enjoyed everything on their menu! A local favorite.

    (5)

  • Ricky R.

    Food is solid but the service is a constant let down. Can barely hear when you call in for delivery orders and rarely do the orders show up on time. Makes it tough to be a repeat customer. Disappointed local!!!!!!!

    (1)

  • Mary K.

    Delicious Thai food. Service was good, place was clean, portions were a lite small but ok for the price. There was a birthday party going on while we were there so it was loud and chaotic. But I would definitely go back for the food.

    (4)

  • Debbie H.

    I had never had Thai cuisine so I was leery. But I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food. I had the chicken satay with the peanut sauce and it was delicious. Also the chicken with rice and chow mein were excellent. I visit my daughter on Balboa Island a lot so we eat there a lot. No one has had a bad experience. However, one delivery order did take over an hour and a half because of a address mix up, but we will continue to enjoy the food!

    (4)

  • Latisha P.

    Good Thai food. Not a huge place but good sized. Went around 12 and it was empty! So I was iffy about it, but all the food we got was pretty good. There was one lady working the front, she seemed fake friendly. Nice when she came up to us but no smiles. When another couple came in to eat and chose a different spot to sit at then where she pointed you could tell she got annoyed by her facial expression, kinda funny. Okay enough about her, now for the food.. Cashew chicken: Good sauce. Pad see ewe: Pretty yummy. Not as flavorful as I have tried before but still good. Shrimp asparagus scallop: Okay. Tons of asparagus, a few shrimp and a few scallops, not that flavorful. Chili and basil leaves with fried tofu: Pretty good, not too spicy but good enough. Pretty dry, not very saucy. Wanted the tofu to be more flavorful since there wasn't really a sauce. Yellow curry: Good curry. Coconut drink: They give you the whole coconut to drink out of. Drink the water and scrape the inside to eat the soft coconut (= BBQ beef: I don't eat beef but I tried the sauce and that was really good, fam said the beef was tender They do make things spicy here so keep that in mind when ordering how spicy you want it!

    (4)

  • Jenni F.

    The food here is REALLY good. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars and not 5 is because of service. They always seen understaffed and a little frantic. The deliciousness keeps us coming back though! It's worth the craziness.

    (4)

  • M L.

    Worst delivery service in Balboa! Waited a full hour, called them only to hear them say our order was misplaced and they had the gall to ask if we can wait another 45 minutes? Worst service ever!

    (1)

  • Maribel D.

    Service was okay the guy that helped us was kinda rude, food was great . It was crowded when I went

    (5)

  • Justin C.

    .

    (3)

  • Mathew N.

    We ordered the spicy cashew chicken, Pad-Woon-Sen, and Wanton Soup. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. Service was adequate though not exactly service with a smile. I kind of felt like we were imposing on the staff by being there. We don't live anywhere near the area but I would go back if given the opportunity.

    (4)

  • Irene W.

    The food is to die for. Best time to go is during lunch hours. They have special deals for only $7.95 and it fills you right up! My favorite dish is the drunken noodle with pork. It's a bitn spicy with a kick of basil. The meat is so juicy and not at all dry. You wont be disappointed! You can also order it with chicken or beef. Just don't ask for egg cause they will charge you $2.00 extra. This is one of my favorite Thai places ever. The restaurant is nice and quaint, great for hanging out one on one or even for a date. It gets pretty busy during dinner hours. Everyone knows how delicious this place is. They try to do their best with service and they always have friendly staff. They have good pad-see-ew and pad Thai as well. Their mango with sticky rice as dessert is pretty tasty as long as you like coconut rice! Very authentic. I highly recommend trying this place out! You won't be disappointed.

    (4)

  • Gabriela G.

    Mint leaf became my favorite Thai restaurant in Orange County. The ambiance is great, the food more so. Their Asian pancakes are a delight.

    (5)

  • Kimberlee V.

    Dropped in for dinner with my hubby of thirty years..I like it spicy and he prefers mild dishes. Loved the BBQ chicken, shrimp pad Thai and yellow curry. All were very good. I especially enjoyed the curry..not too sweet/rich. I did bring my own wine...such a treat not to spend fifteen dollars on a glass of wine. With tip we spent fifty bucks but we have more than enough leftovers for another meal. Clean, nice large window to allow natural light and very nice soft Thai instrumental music. We will be back again soon.

    (4)

  • William W.

    Came into Mint Leaf as it was one of the Thai restaurants featured in a Yelp email about mango sticky rice several weeks ago. When I learned that a good friend of mine was taking a job in Thailand, I wanted to get an authentic Thai dessert for a party at his house. I called and spoke to the waitress and asked a lot of questions, so we both agreed it would be better if I visited them in person. Given that it was lunchtime, I decided to try the Drunken Noodle with beef. It was very good! High quality lean meat with a wonderfully seasoned (spicy) sauce. It also came with a green salad. Overall the food was good, but I was most pleased with the service and the attitude of the owners. My server was lovely and she was very helpful in my communicating with the owner about what I wanted for the party. In the end she agreed to prepare 20 individual servings of mango sticky rice each served in a banana leaf! Can't wait to surprise my friend!

    (4)

  • Rerra L.

    Absolutely love this place!! Great food atmosphere and great prices. I love that they had vegetarian options too!!

    (5)

  • Simm G.

    Authentic Thai place worth going out the way for. I recommend their Tom Kha Gai, spicy fried rice, and curries. It tastes like they really don't skimp on using quality ingredients and I love that they let you sub brown rice for white rice and will allow substitutions of soft tofu vs. hard tofu in their dishes. Service can be slow and it can get crowded on certain nights so I generally get take out. It is a small space so the restaurant can get noisy.

    (5)

  • Eden O.

    Got delivery from here last night. Were quoted 50-55 minutes (not surprising as it was 7:30 on a Saturday night) sure enough the Mint Leaf man was at our door within his time frame. We ordered the Fried Spring Rolls, Yellow Curry Chicken (made Spicy) and Shrimp Pad Thai. I bit into the spring rolls and was shocked at how HOT these still were. Whenever you get delivery, I think you half expect it to be luke warm. 5 stars mr delivery man. The shrimp pad thai was nothing to write home about, the flavors were on point but the shrimp was actually a bit over cooked and chewy and the noodles were slightly dry (but this could be because of delivery). Now let me get onto the good stuff: the curry was DE-licious. I am not kidding when I say every single bite made my friend and I said "mmmm" after wards. The goal was to leave half of it for leftovers as lunch for today . . . that didn't happen. Very exciting to have a restaurant of this caliber on the peninsula, especially with free delivery within 3 miles. Yay for options outside of Lavatina's! (downside: menu is not anywhere online yet. so we had to peruse yelp reviews for top items)

    (4)

  • Stars And Hearts S.

    Hostess was very nice. Our server was horrible. He couldn't understand why we asked for dinner plates during dinner time. I guess he expected us to use the appetizer plates for dinner. He had a bad attitude and made a face at us when he handed us the plates. Panang curry was very good. Sticky rice was very hard.

    (3)

  • Mike W.

    If you are In the mood for the best Thai Food on the peninsula, this is the place. Try the Pad Thai and the Yellow Curry with chicken. Be careful, because Spicy means spicy! Also the the Drunken Noodle dish is delicious.

    (5)

  • Cynthia L.

    I haven't been to a good Thai place in so long, so believe me when I say I was pleasantly surprised when my fam decided to take me to one, since we were at the beach...I mean, beach and Asian cuisine? Didn't sound like a good mix. - Spring Rolls - Filled to the brim with a very interesting peanut sauce (I'm very used to the Viet-style spring rolls, so if this was the Thai-style take, it was great). - Tom Yum Noodle Soup - Everything you love about Tom Yum soup but with noodles! It's like their take on Pho, which was AMazing! I'll have to say I was exhausted and can't remember much more of what we ordered, but none were bad or too Americanized-tasting. - The place is uber tiny so it is not great to come here in a big group. - Decor was nice, bathroom and place were clean, waiters were friendly (but busy). - I loved that they had a lollipop jar at the cashier counter...made entertaining my nephews a breeze :) I was told they have other locations, so I will def be back.

    (5)

  • Anna P.

    Their green curry is amazing, I got an appetizer-sized serving of it to go with my salad, but I wish I had ordered the actual entree. The waitress was a little bitter and the place feels very cramped, but the food that they serve is worth it. I'm definitely coming back to try their other dishes. It's a little hard to find parking, so we had to walk for a bit to get to the actual restaurant, but the walk was nice, so I didn't mind it. I definitely want to try their soups next time, they serve them with the "fire on the bottom"

    (5)

  • Stephen T.

    Still sitting here waiting for my food. Ordered a pick up order through grubhub. Said to be here at 7:00. It is 7:37 and still waiting. Totally unorganized. Really upset.

    (1)

  • AJ F.

    So happy to have this spot on the peninsula in newport! Certainly not the cheapest Thai food money can buy, but definitely very good and consistent! Pad Thai is excellent, Pad See Ewe is excellent, Mango sticky rice is great, Mee Krob was interesting & tasty as well! Come in for their $8-9 lunch specials if you want a great lunch that won't break the bank or your New Years resolution to diet!

    (5)

  • Werawan S.

    The food. Was. Deliciously

    (5)

  • Cam A.

    This place is delicious! The service is exceptional as well. I love the fact you can BYOB. great place for a date or a group of people. Excited to go back!!!

    (5)

  • Natalie H.

    Decided to stop in before heading to the beach and it was worth it. It's a friendly little place with great food, they play great music on the radio and the service was fast at lunch time. I've been to a lot of thai restaurants and this place is on the top of my list. Will return next time I'm in town.

    (5)

  • Erika E.

    love the coconut soup! and although I am not a fan of ordering dessert, my boyfriend ordered the "mango with sticky rice" and it was surprisingly good.

    (4)

  • Elise N.

    The food was amazing. I can't remember all the dishes we got but I had the cashew nut and a friend had the druken noodles. Both were phenomenal! They had an awesome lunch special. The staff were so sweet and attentive we were happy enough to leave a 20% tip for lunch service. The decor was classy, calm and clean. And if we really wanted we could have gotten to go and eaten on the beach! Simple. Delicious. Clean. Friendly. Perfect. A hidden jem.

    (5)

  • Gen L.

    It was very difficult to find parking near this restaurant at the end of the peninsula. The food was Thai fusion. Not too crazy about it. I've had better tasting and price Thai food.

    (3)

  • Sid P.

    We ordered the lunch specials. One chow mein and another red chicken curry. Red Curry was very good, I can wholeheartedly recommend it however the chow mein was just average. Great service BTW!

    (4)

  • Lena P.

    A small place for a quick lunch that we went to after whale watching (literally a few stores down from the boat/office) and the food was pretty good. We had the cashew nut chicken (could have had a little more flavor), pad see ew (delicious), and tofu basil (everyone loved this one). I really liked the decor inside and the food was good too. We also ordered coconut water for my parents and it comes in a real coconut with the umbrella and straw, they liked it!

    (4)

  • Marilia M.

    AMAZING FOOD. We ordered the garlic broccoli beef, the house fried rice and the chow mein noodles with chicken. EVERYTHING WAS TO DIE FOR. Very fresh, very seasoned and it tasted perfect! P.S.: Im not a fan of thai food at all, but Im in love with this place,

    (5)

  • Tyler N.

    Drunken noodle was so good I had to order a second order. The service and food was definitely good I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in balboa park.

    (4)

  • Carmel U.

    We ordered a HUGE dinner for a work engagement about 4 hours prior to the delivery of our order. I was so pleased to find that the order was intact and still piping hot! The woman I placed the order with was extremely nice, as was the driver who delivered our food. I highly recommend this place as the food was delicious and the service was excellent. - Make sure to order lots of Crying Tiger BBQ Beef, it is delicious and the lime chili sauce they pair it with is HEAVENLY.

    (4)

  • Stephanie B.

    This place is good. Nice staff, delicious food, and you can bring your own alcohol with no corkage fee. We bought a case of beer and they even kept the remainder in the fridge for us. Pad thai is great, every curry is great, the drunken noodles were too spicy for me, but they were still good. My only complaint is that the curry doesn't come with rice which doesn't cost much, but it should be really be included. How do you eat curry without rice anyway? The constant debate in my house is whether to get the yellow or red curry. It feeds two and is oh so yummy.

    (5)

  • Jennifer L.

    And yet another one of my favorite restaurants in Newport Beach. This is a small restaurant adjacent to the Balboa Fun Zone. Great restaurant decor. It's hard to find parking here. I've tried various Thai restaurants, and this is one of my favorites. Everyone should try their Pad Thai here. I brought a friend with me who wanted to try Thai food for the first time, and she's been in love ever since. I recommend.

    (4)

  • Mark T.

    I give it 5 stars based on quality and price point. Relatively inexpensive and some of the best curry I've tried. Yellow, pumpkin and green curry are my favorites. All of them have a nice spice to them, plus they offer brown rice.

    (5)

  • Gagan S.

    I was really excited to try this place out since I read the great reviews. I went with a group of 4 on a random Thursday and it was not busy. We had a horrible experience with the servers who messed up our order multiple times. We sat waiting for them to fix the mistake while our other food was getting cold. The food we did have however was amazing and if the servers were good this place would have got five stars.

    (2)

  • Robert J.

    I feel really bad. However, after my experience here I can't give it anything better than two stars. If I were basing this on just food alone, it would be given 5 stars. To start, my friend's and I were looking for a place to have dinner. We chose this place because it had 4 out of 5 stars. We park, and walk in and it takes them 15 minutes to seat us (which was okay because it's a small place, and it was busy.) Once a table was cleared we got to sit. And wait. It took them at least 20 minutes to come and at least greet us, and bring water. By then we were ready to order. So, the best part was the food. We ordered the Cream Cheese Puff appetizer, which was excellent. I ordered Mint Leaf's Thai Noodles, my friend ordered the Pineapple curry, and my other friend ordered the drunken noodles. Anyways, as stated before the food is EXCELLENT! Everything was really good. The Curry was spicy, and full of coconut. It was delicious, the mint leaf noodles were very flavorful and great. Although, the noodles were reminiscent of ramen noodles. However, they brought out all the food except the drunken noodles. In fact, we had to remind them about 30 minutes later that we still had another dish coming. So, after that two of us were finished and one had just started because they just had brought her plate. So we we're waiting, and we tasted the drunken noodle's. It was good, but not the best in comparison to other we've had. So we all finish, and we wait for them to clear the table, and bring us the bill, and it takes them 10 minutes to just do that. Bottom Line: The food was excellent, but the service was so bad it made us not want to come back. The place itself was small, but decorated very nicely. It's just the service that was so incredibly awful.

    (2)

  • Stephanie A.

    My boyfriend and I wanted to grab some early dinner. We wanted to go to a good thai restaurant so of of course we searched for it on Yelp. We came across this restaurant which had great reviews so we were really excited to try it out. When we arrived there, we were seated right away. We ordered both thai tea. There was only one other couple in the restaurant. The waitress took her sweet time and decided to chat with her co workers only until when I looked at her she decided to bring out the thai teas. We ordered pad thai and steamed fish. She came out and served me my pad thai and then a few minutes later came and told my boyfriend that they had cooked the wrong dish and asked if he would want that instead of what he had ordered. He said that he wanted his original plate. When they finally came out with his plate, mid way through eating his fish he found a long black hair! We informed the waitress, she asked if he wanted a new plate. They didn't seem to really care that there had been a hair in the food like it was a normal thing. They still charged us for his plate. The service wasn't good at all, the waitress kept chit chatting with her other co workers. When I asked for extra lime she again forgot and I had to ask someone else for it. We didn't make a big fuss over it but we will definitely not be returning to this location. This place has average thai food and is way overpriced.

    (1)

  • Sarah M.

    Great food, super nice servers and best of all, no corkage. Only downside is that it is TINY, so it can be a wait on a weekend. Also, if you have a large party around you (which I have had several times) be prepared to scream at your dining companion the entire meal.

    (4)

  • Ella M.

    First time but definitely coming back. We went here around 12:34 it was not busy (but I bet they do get busy) The seating arrangement was not that bad (but again the seating is not enough) I wouldn't recommend going on a busy day. We got Mixed vegetables, Pad Thai (chicken), Spring Roll, Thai Chicken and the fried banana at the end. Everyone loved the Pad thai not to sweet not to salty. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE PAD THAI. The Mixed vegetable was great also. The spring roll was refreshing. Dessert was also good.

    (5)

  • Gina K.

    Looks like a hole in the wall and the service isn't great, but the food is delicious. I've been looking for good Thai and I finally found it here randomly while wandering around Newport Beach. The Tom Kha soup is delicious. I wish I had a big pot of it at home so I could drink it all day. I would take containers to work. It is creamy slightly spicy goodness. Usually Tom Yum soup is my favorite, and it was ok, but the Tom Kha just blew it out of the water. I had the yellow curry with chicken, and it was the best I've had in a long time. I don't know how to describe it except that for years I've been going to Thai restaurants and facing disappointment to where I thought maybe I just didn't really like thai curry that much. I was wrong! It's amazing here. I'm eating week-old leftovers and it is still so good. Also tried the cashew chicken- tasted like chinese food- overwhelming... i dunno if it's MSG flavor. Meh. Thumbs up! I want to go back to Newport Beach just for this food.

    (4)

  • Lilmissb B.

    Great Thai food. The Pad Thai is oh so yummy along with the fried cream cheese wontons. The tastes are great and spices are dead on. The service was good. They have a very good lunch deal that goes until 3pm I believe. If you are craving Thai and in the area, I would recommend that you try it.

    (4)

  • Anonymous A.

    My friend and I ate here for lunch after a weekend bike ride. We both ordered lunch specials, which were great! The lunch portions are just enough to fill you up, but not so much that you feel gluttonous and yucky afterwards. I had chicken and basil, and she had shrimp and cashews. Both were perfectly seasoned and flavorful. The rice was fluffy and delicious. While there was a little "kick" to my dish, I think Mint Leaf should amp up the spiciness level. Service was friendly and prompt. Prices were reasonable (especially for the lunch specials). The (unisex) bathroom is a bit cluttered and strange. I don't like looking at shelving stocked full of various cleansers and toilet rolls. It made me feel like I was intruding in a janitor's closet. Put those things in a storage room or, at a minimum, in a cabinet with some doors.

    (4)

  • Trendy M.

    This is probably the best Thai food in the area but nothing outstanding. I'm a vegetarian and as with many Thai restaurants, I'm always disappointed with how little tofu they give on the tofu pad thai. Curries are what you'd expect. Overall, solid but not exciting.

    (3)

  • Cassy H.

    We ordered delivery from Mint Leaf on Sunday (Mother's Day). Our delivery ended up taking just under 2 hours....and they said we would have it within 45 mins. The driver apologized a million times, saying they gave him a ton of deliveries at once. The food was all cold, stale, and dry. While we have ordered from here before, and it was actually good....this time it was TERRIBLE. An hour later, my husband called to complain to the manager who said there was nothing they could do, and apologized we had a bad experience. They said it he comes by the restaurant tomorrow, they would do something to make up for it...which he did, and they did nothing but apologize in person, and say they would refund our money. He asked to speak with the owner, and was told that the owner would call him back sometime that evening, which, she never did. "Lisa" didn't call back the next day either. After another call into the restaurant, my husband was again told "sorry" nothing we can do. This time they would not even refund our money, even though they originally said they would. While the food might have been decent here, 2 hours for delivery is ridiculous. I would have rather them just told us they wouldn't be able to deliver it, instead of driving around with our food in a car for 2 hours. The customer service from the owner was HORRIBLE. As the owner of our own business, if we treated our clients/customers like "Lisa" treats hers, we would no longer be in business. Unfortunately, this will be the last time we try Mint Leaf due to the way we were treated, on Mother's Day no less. Sorry, but never again.

    (1)

  • Jordan B.

    Oh man this place is GOOD! I've got to say that Thai food is by far my favorite ethnic cuisine and I really feel like Newport is lacking in this department. I would generally go all the way to South Laguna to Laguna Thai for a good Thai restaurant, until Mint Leaf came along. I had a friend recommend this place, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to become a regular. We ordered the coconut soup, pad thai with shrimp, and yellow curry with chicken. Each dish was absolutely perfect, I really can't say anything bad about it as it was delicious and we left extremely happy. I also really liked how I could get brown rice instead of white!! Go here now!

    (5)

  • Brian B.

    Very small portions for to go orders. If I'm spending $12 on dinner I would like to be full after I eat. But at least the food has a lot of flavor.

    (2)

  • Marcus R.

    Delicious and cozy! I had the drunken noodles and they were as good as it gets - punchy and bright and hot!

    (4)

  • Felicia A.

    Love. Love. Love. Family owned, amazing restaurant! And perfect Thai! Best Tom Yum Soup ever.

    (5)

  • Brandon S.

    The Pad Thai and and the eggs rolls were great, also we ordered a coconut thai hot and sour soup that I would recommend.

    (4)

  • Sal A.

    So we decide to eat here because we love Thai and this place is brand new plus pretty good reviews. We start with the Chicken Satay which was pretty good and light compared to the rest of the appetizers. hubby ordered the bbq beef salad which was really good, the meat was tender and I just love the seasoning and the dressing they use for the Thai salads, once again so light and yummy. I am anxious to try my favorite soup with something new; Noodles!!!!! Tom Yum with noodles ok, the broth, noodles and shrimp was pretty yummy, but the ground Chicken killed it!!! from experience and watching my mother and grandma cook for many years, Ground chicken is a no no!!! That is why its not a popular choice in restaurants or grocery stores! It looked kind of nasty and the taste was just not right!!! i could not tell if it was even chicken meat!!!!! and to make it worse, its not fried which can help take the grease taste out of it, it was boiled! ewwwwwww that soup would have been perfect if it wasn't for the ground chicken or whatever meat was in there lol! ill come back but rest assured ill make sure no ground chicken in any of my orders!!! the place is pretty small but really cute, and the service is quick and professional for the most part. Would like to try their Pad Thai dish or noodle dish. Will come back with specific orders for sure :o)

    (4)

  • Marisa S.

    Good restaurant! What we ordered: Cream cheese puffs- same as cream cheese crab wontons. These were absolutely amazing! My bf and I love wontons and he is very picky and he loved them as well. They also come with a delicious sweet and sour sauce. Tom kha koong soup- delicious! Coconut soup with shrimp. If you like Thai soup you will like this. We ordered the smaller one and was plenty for 2 and cost $6. Crying tiger BBQ beef- was pretty good. My least favorite item we ordered but still good. A flat rib eye that comes with a sauce that was very interesting. Not bad... Just interesting. Garlic green beans with chicken- AMAZING! My bf got this and I wanted to trade! That sauce was so yummy! Reason I didn't give 5 stars was because the service wasn't great. We got there around 8 and it was really busy and they took awhile to give refills and take our order. We got our soup when I got my entree and didn't get my boyfriends for 10 more minutes which was weird since I got the steak. When the restaurant started clearing out they were at our table every few minutes so try to go in there at a dead time! Overall it was great and the total bill was $46 including ice teas. I am happy to have a new restaurant walking distance from my house! I will be back!

    (4)

  • Lizzy J.

    OMG back and forth back and forth with you mint leaf. A month or two ago their delivery sucked. They would quote 30 mins and come in 1hr 20 and quote 45 come in 1hr 10. So now it's a bit on time, 45 mins is 45 mins!! I totally was going to complain 3 reviews ago but my love for thai food and several orders made my review shift to the right experience. Seriously, they are better on delivery (will post pics) and we ordered some new items! Still on point and yummy! Damn You! I want to complain!

    (4)

  • Blake H.

    my favorite restraunt in town love everything about it. very authentic food great service. THey also do delivery which is great!. they are open late and living in balboa there is not to many places open late.go here weekly

    (5)

  • Judith M.

    5 stars for food! We moved away from the peninsula and I really miss this place! Everything on the menus is great! My usual orders are either the pad thai, drunken noodles, one of the curries (all are delicious), tom yum with or without noodles! This place has the best tom yum soup I've found in Orange County. I've never dined at the restaurant. We always ordered to-go or delivery! So those of you that live on the peninsula or vacationing can just call in! Our order usually was delivered in 30-40 minutes. 3 stars for price. Its all little expensive but well worth it!

    (5)

  • Michelle M.

    Love this place!!! I have ordered take out many times, and honestly everything is good. I actually ate here the other night, brought my own wine, they uncorked it for me and brought glasses. This is my go to Thai place on the peninsula.

    (5)

  • Allison P.

    Yum! Yum! Yum! The mango with sticky rice has me thinking about going back soon. My boyfriend and I walked here for dinner. I read previous reviews and had some reservations about the quality of service that would be provided. We were greeted as we walked in the restaurant, seated right away, given glasses of water, placed our order and received food in a timely manner. We also received many refills of water. We split the following items; cream cheese puffs (appetizer), Mint Leaf's Thai Noodles (Entree) and Mango with sticky rice (dessert). I could have eaten the dessert first, the rice was sweet and perfectly cooked and the mango was ripe and delicious. The cream cheese puffs were hot and tasty and the entree was good. Next visit I want to try a curry; I am split between the yellow, massaman and pumpkin. We noticed most people brought their own wine; we might just have to try that on our next visit. Considering all the comments about the lack of service, I am guessing they must have read reviews and taken them into consideration. There were two servers on our visit and the restaurant had about six couples. I hope the next visit is as good as this time.

    (4)

  • CatLadyHon N.

    This is probably one of the better Asian take out/dine in restaurants in the peninsula considering the "lack of" any type of Asian restaurants in the immediate peninsula. We got their menu in the mail and decided to give it a try and we were surprisingly pleased. Prices are reasonable and the quality of the food was pretty good. They deliver within 3 miles and were on time after giving me an delivery time estimate on the phone. Service on the phone and in person was great. Pad Thai was good. Yellow curry chicken was a little creamy for us and slightly bland for me but mediocre. Their spicy beef salad was delish and so was their garlic beef. Overall, positive first experience and we'll definitely order from Mint Leaf Thai again!

    (4)

  • tami b.

    My good friend who spent several years abroad in Thailand and Japan Insisted that our family try Mint Leaf and we are delighted that we did!! I hope you try it too! It would be a pity to lose a good restaurant in an area That is starved for good healthful affordable grub!! Had the pad see ew, chicken larb, Tom Yum kha and won tons! Yum to all of it !!! 5 stars when they get their liquor license ! In the meantime BYOB, and enjoy good food and the friendliest service on the point!

    (4)

  • Markus F.

    Nice staff but too much sugar in the noodle dishes. Curries are ok but quite sugery as well. Food should taste good even without sugar so please stop using a ton of sugar in all your food.

    (2)

  • Jessica W.

    This is a great Thai place. It is not greasy or too salty. Which are my top complaints about most Thai food. Since the bf and I discovered this place we have been eating here once a week. I had to knock a star off for the super slow service. Also there is no corkage. You can bring in all the beer and wine you want! This place is a GREAT find!

    (4)

  • Tom C.

    Really good Thai! Great service, very personable. Love the food. Free delivery too!!!

    (5)

  • Galia A.

    The food is amazing. Best Thai food I ever had. It's just unfortunate that they do not serve alcohol. You can get your alcoholic beverage and have it at the restaurant though. Must-try place!

    (4)

  • Emma S.

    Food was good, but the portion of the food is what threw me off. For the price the food is very little.

    (3)

  • E. P.

    Such amazing Thai food! Not only is the food great but the presentation is perfect as well. Everything I have had from here has been great, but my go-to for every order is the cream cheese puffs and spring rolls.

    (5)

  • Simran B.

    Great food, atmosphere, and people. Me and my girlfriend happened to walk by the restaurant on valentines day and decided to go in. They immediately seated us and took our orders. The food was absolutely delicious and the staff was warm and friendly. At the end of the meal they gave a complimentary valentines day special dessert - Fresh Mangos On Sticky Sweet Rice. Since then we have been there twice and plan to make it a regular dinner place once a month.

    (5)

  • James W.

    I visited here just the past week and absolutely loved it! The atmosphere was nice and the food was amazing. No problems with service (although it was not crowded when I came). I'm visiting this place again this weekend, and bringing a huge group of friends with me. I'm looking forward to it :)

    (5)

  • Kyle T.

    After a day of sightseeing and beach combing, there's no better stop for great Thai food on the BP. The place was busy. Traffic was "like the Fourth of July out there!" according to one local customer, but the wait was less than thirty minutes. Which is how long it would take to get off the BP, exclaimed the above customer, whose 1980's Ambervision glasses and hefty appetite reminded me of aged caucasian Big E Smalls. Don't fret the wait or the crowd. Mint Leaf and its' local flair are worth the visit! No alcohol aboard this ship so don't expect to wash down your won tons with a kicker. You won't miss the booze though. A high level of effort shows in the quick and attentive service. The menu has enough options for a meat and potatoes guy like me. Order more than one entree, it's that affordable...and that tasty. Who doesn't like leftovers anyway? Dig in....

    (5)

  • Austin S.

    Only got take out, but the food was fantastic and well priced for Newport. Tom yum soup - they did this classic lemon grass soup perfectly. Summer rolls - maybe the best I've had. Partially because the satay dipping sauce was thick and flavorful. Best dipping sauce ever. Pad Thai - not the best I've ever had. Fairly mediocre but decent. Curious what their other noodle dishes are like. All in all great experience I would highly recommend

    (4)

  • Cammi H.

    Pros: -Great location! Right by the beach. Surrounded by many shops, bars, and restaurant. So if you're in the mood to do walking, shopping, or bar hopping after lunch or dinner --it's perfect! -Cute interior! It's small and cozy, perfect for a date or a little get together to catch up. -Nice food plating/presentation! It has to look appetizer because you eat with you eyes first! -Free corkage! This one is my favorite. So bring a nice bottle of wine and enjoy!~ Cons: -Small space! Although it can be nice and cozy, it can also be a con because this is not the place for large parties. -Service! The service could really use a lot of work. -Mediocre food! I don't mind if it's a little overprice, but I at least expect it to be good. The Crying Tiger was overly sweet for a beef dish, and the papaya salad was lacking a lot of flavor to where I had to drizzle extra fish sauce over it to taste. The only dish I that really stood out were the steamed mussels I'm a little disappointed... Overall, not something I'd drive almost 25 minutes for again.

    (3)

  • Carmeli S.

    The place was packed...The papaya salad was tasty and the green curry was one of the best! Sticky rice with mango was superb! Service was great, too!

    (5)

  • Jaimie L.

    A very cute little Thai restaurant with awesome food presentation. However the food was exceptionally good. Slightly overpriced Thai food...but it's located in Newport beach so that's a given. I'm usually not a big fan of desserts, but the mango sticky rice here was so delicious. The mango was abundant and cut/presented so beautifully!

    (3)

  • Natalie Z.

    HORRIBLE SERVICE- WORST EVER. The food is good, but after going here three times as a local , the service is horrible. First, expect order traditional dishes like curry without rice included (yes- a side of rice is $3 extra for what equates to like a 1/4 cup). Expect a long wait for your food and a lack of customer concern and satisfaction when there is an issue. I went there for the last time tonight for take out. I ordered $47 worth of food. When we got home, there was literally hardly any rice for $3. So, I called and spoke to a server and then to a manager. They have NO customer service skills and explained that rice isn't included and that we need to pay for it. I explained I did pay for a side of rice and they literally put like a 1/4 cup in a takeout container. The manger was given an opportunity to correct the situation over 50 cents worth of rice, however he opted to yell at me over the phone and tell me if I want more rice I need to come back and buy more, and then hung up on me. I will NEVER go back. The management here is inept when it comes to service. I'm completely in disbelief.

    (1)

  • Johnny U.

    Omg this place is an awesome find in the heart of newport peninsula. They have a secret menu too which is phenomenal! We ordered about 7 different things from curry shrimp to the drunken mans noodles to the eggplant and tofu. All were bombtastic! The flavors with this place were awesome!

    (5)

  • April M.

    Shrimp and scallops were chewy and overcooked, took 1 hour to get 3 entrees from them...

    (3)

  • Kira W.

    Located right by A Street and the ferry, it couldn't be more convenient to stop by Mint Leaf on the way to or from the beach. The menu is pretty expansive and they do their best to keep the inside cool with fans. I ordered the fried rice which was so-so. It was tasty but nothing amazing. Prices are reasonable, especially since the portions are pretty big. I just wish the onion in the fried rice was more chopped up instead of in big slices.

    (3)

  • Craig P.

    I didn't want it to stop. The Pad Thai and Green Curry were both delicious! The service was so-so but still very enjoyable. We are just passing through but we would be thrilled to have a place like this in our neighborhood. If you are in the mood for Thai don't hesitate to take in the Mint Leaf.

    (5)

  • Jean D.

    Great food. Great service. Fast & yummy. Loved chicken satay. Husband said fried rice was best he's had. Salad was fresh & plentiful. I would suggest this to anyone heading to Balboa. Many regulars eat here.

    (5)

  • Jeremy L.

    NO. No. Don't bother. I went there once to sit down and have a dinner with my fiance and it was the worst mistake ever. The place is small and every table seemed to be shouting at each other. My fiance and I literally could not speak to each other during the meal because we couldn't hear each other. The food was extremely lackluster. Much better places around. I wouldn't even come back here to eat even if I had a coupon - and I love coupons!

    (2)

  • Lilly H.

    Mint Leaf is a favorite of mine to visit again and again. I haven't been able to bring myself to order anything except the chicken pineapple curry - it is so delicious! The Thai iced tea is also wonderful, very exotic and different. The portion sizes are decent, and the prices are fair. The only drawback is the lack of parking *anywhere* but that's pretty much par for the course anywhere in Balboa/Newport/SoCal in general. So as long as you come slightly before you're going to get hungry, you shouldn't be disappointed with the dinners, location, or prices!

    (4)

  • Leslie B.

    While wandering around the adorable Balboa Island on a dark Friday evening, my friend stumbled upon Mint Leaf while looking for a place to catch up and have dinner. It is a tiny, quaint sort of place, perfect for sitting and catching up with a good friend. It is definitely popular, and it was full, but we were lucky and got a table in about 10 minutes. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and the food was delicious. We had chicken sate, tofu yellow curry with brown rice, and larb chicken salad. I was with a friend who didn't do well with spicy food and I had asked for the larb chicken to be mild, but is still came out a bit overly spicy. Other than that, everything was great. Food was beautifully arranged on the platters.The sauce with the sate had the perfect consistency. Looks like the alcoholic drinks are BYO, as everyone had bottles on their tables. We didn't know, so had water with our meals. Mint Leaf was the perfect place for dinner on a cool night, and a warm gossip session with a good friend.

    (4)

  • Anna P.

    It was sooo good. Good quality food, not oily, we had the tum yum soap, pat Thai and the mint leaf noodle, yum yum

    (5)

  • James C.

    I love Thai food and just happened to pick this place. The location itself is kinda small. Only about 8 tables or so. We lucked out and went on a day when it wasn't busy. Service was quick and our server was really friendly. I ordered the Panang curry with tofu and it was amazing. Could have been a bit spicier but that's just my personal preference. Still amazing though. We walked by the restaurant later in the day and it was packed. If you're ever in the area I highly suggest it. Just hope you get there when it isn't packed.

    (4)

  • Mark W.

    Awesome food! I've become a bit of a thai food snob as I work in the Bay Area and was dying to try and find something comparable in SoCal. This is a nice little joint on the far end of the peninsula in Newport. Yes, parking can be a hassle (although we got lucky). On to the the food... We had the Pad Prik Khing with chicken....great flavor on the sauce, and the green beans we cooked perfectly. We also tried their house special noodles with chicken and shrimp. Dang these were great also! A bit greasy, as expected, but tons of flavor and tender meat. Overall a great ma-pa Thai food place. Would like a bit larger portion size, but otherwise the food stacked up to some of the better thai food I've had. Can't wait to return to try some of their other dishes.

    (4)

  • Van L.

    Very tasty, not super authentic, healthy and delicious.

    (5)

  • Annie K.

    The best Thai food around! I absolutely love their spicy twist on food and their amazing service. My favorite things are the Green curry and the drunken noodles! I do warn it is very spicy!

    (5)

  • Cathy L.

    This place is located on Main Street by balboa pier funzone and a block away from the beach. Nice ambience in the place, modern contemporary feel.. They keep the AC running so be prepared to be cold .. The food menu is is nice and detailed and in English, so it makes it easy to order. The lunch specials are great price and worth trying if you want to explore their menu without spending too much money. The lunch portion is a good and filling. My favorite is the fresh rolls for appetizer, the glass noodle salad, pad Thai and pumpkin curry. The green beans with shrimp and shiitake mushroom was good too with white rice . I also had the banana split ice cream, coconut, vanilla and green tea scoops of ice cream, it was a bit on the pricey side for that I think $10 for one.. But I guess it's okay if you're sharing. Overall , this place gets five stars for food taste, quality, cleanliness, service and consistency. M

    (5)

  • Sara T.

    Great 5 star experience overall!!! I have been there few times , highly recommend Pad Thai!!! Also Coconut water is fresh and sweet. The only problem is the parking, its a nice little Thai place,,, I had to wait good 15 mins to be seated but I think it is worth it.

    (5)

  • Rahul S.

    Discovered this gem of a thai restaurant only about a year ago. its on the peninsula but I think its the best thai food in the OC. Papaya salad is amazing, make sure to watch out for the chillies in there. Chicken larb salad also very good. Best pad thai (and i don't even like pad thai that much). Crazy cashew chicken is delish. You can carry beer and wine for no corkage.

    (5)

  • Neil D.

    Really good place. Authentic Thai food at great prices. The food is outstanding, and also the service. One of the very few really good restaurants south of Newport Pier.

    (5)

  • Sophia K.

    I'm determined to try everything on the menu once! Thank God it's walking distance from my house because this is my new favorite spot on the Peninsula. The place is small and always busy, but definitely worth the wait. The food is absolutely delicious and filled with so much flavor! Like I said, I haven't had a dish I don't like and I am DETERMINED to try everything :) My favorite so far is the Pad See Ew and the Mint Leaf Thai Noodles. The Seafood fried rice and the Honey Duck Curry (special) follow closely after. *CAREFUL with the spicy dishes. They are SPICY! I had the Drunken Noodles and my mom has tried the Spicy Eggplant-- my mouth was on fire, in a good way of course. But, next time, I might ask to bring down the heat just a bit. THE PRICES ARE UNREAL. I've never had such good quality Thai food for such reasonable/cheap prices. A noodle dish for under $10? Yes please and thank you! The last time I was there, my 3 friends and I ordered 3 noodle dishes, fried rice, orange chicken and summer rolls - we all left there paying $15 each. Unreal. The staff is very personable and attentive. They're also extremely accommodating; my friends and I lost track of time and were very slow to realize we were the last one's in the restaurant. The staff was cleaning the tables and closing up shop, but did not rush us out at all! THE BEST THING -- no corkage fee + no liquor license, bring your own bottle of wine to enjoy with the delicious food. I'll be back. A lot.

    (5)

  • Beth M.

    Got take out. Veggie Pad Thai was just a bunch of noodles with a few bites of veggies. Disappointed but flavor was good. Mango sticky rice was good. Overall I feel everything was overpriced. Glad I tried it but won't be back.

    (2)

  • Victoria B.

    Food and service was great! I'm definitely coming back here with more friends! Im not one to stuff myself, but everything tastes so good, I couldn't help myself!

    (5)

  • Alexandra R.

    I live on balboa island, so when I found out that I could pay an extra $5 to have them deliver just over the ferry, I was ecstatic. The person who brought my food was very nice and happily delivered repeated times cuz he said he enjoyed the ferry ride :-) Every time I ordered, I tried something new...in addition to the staple Pad Thai and Tom Kha Gai soup. Everything was always delicious for takeout! Recently I decided to walk over and try dining at the restaurant. The staff was just as friendly and the food was good. I thought maybe it would be even better since it would have been freshly served direct from the kitchen, but it was about the same. I have been a couple times and the quality is reliable, flavors are bright and tables are nearly always full. Just yesterday I had the beef satay and the taste was yummy but meat was a bit tough. Next I tried the orange chicken and the fried part around each piece was also a bit too hard. Still I ate every bite and I will continue to visit, because the soup and noodles are always on target. *another current benefit to this place is that they don't have a liquor license, so you can bring your own alcohol without an extra fee.

    (4)

  • S W.

    The food here is really delicious. We had the larb salad, pumpkin curry, praram and mango sticky rice. Every dish was good. The praram was served in sizzling hot cast iron plate. I found the service to be very good, pleasant, friendly and prompt. It is worth noting that they do not serve alcohol at all, but guests are welcome to bring their own wine and there is no corkage fee. I would definitely eat here again and again.

    (5)

  • Danielle D.

    What a great little find here in the crazy, busy area of downtown Balboa/Peninsula area. It's a tiny place with maybe 10 tables and gets very crowded on weekends. Their food is great and cheap and probably my favorite part is they have no liquor license so you can bring whatever you want to drink including wine without the corkage fee and drink it with your meal. If you show up here randomly, they are conveniently located about 1/2 block from a liquor store so don't fret if you forget to bring whatever you like to drink. This is my favorite Thai food in OC by far and it's such a local spot too.

    (5)

  • Kristen S.

    Not always a fan of Thai food, but this restaurant totally changed my mind!! Went here at the recommendation of a local, and was not disappointed. The restaurant is very small, so be prepared to wait on a busy night. They had too many wonderful options to choose from, but I went with the Drunken Noodles. So delicious! My cousin also had the Pad-See-Ewe and it was also very good. Next time I'm in Newport, I will definitely be coming here again.

    (4)

  • Andres M.

    I love this place. The Thai Tea is delicious and so is the fried rice (with a choice of your preferred meat). I like how they bring the sriracha sauce in a small bowl (it looks very fancy). This a great place to take someone out for a date. It is a small and intimate place which does set a comfortable mood for a good date. You can dress casual here, but it looks better if you wear something nice. You don't have to dress too formal unless you want to. Also, if you're coming at night make sure to bring something cozy because it is always cold outside since you are surrounded by a beach and bay. The only small detail that I didn't like was that there is only one single bathroom and when the place gets packed, it might take 5-10 minutes or so to use the bathroom. Keep in mind this place is really small so it shouldn't surprise you. Overall, this is a great restaurant and I would recommend it to everyone I know.

    (4)

  • Jodi C.

    Really enjoyable dinner! We started with the crispy vegetable spring rolls- very good and crispy too. Then my other half ordered the drunken noodles and when asked how spicy "on a scale of 1-5, just don't say 5" he said 4 and they still extremely spicy but he liked it. They said people often send back a 4 so they were impressed. He enjoyed it. Me, I'm not so spicy and can't eat seafood so we shared the orange chicken and vegetable fried rice. Both very good. The orange chicken is in a tempura batter so again very crispy not doughy. The vegetable fried rice was very flavorful as well. We noticed everyone around us cleaning their plates so that's a good sign. Really nice and friendly staff. Another cozy restaurant with great food. Balboa pier area- we've been delightfully impressed!

    (4)

  • Jackie D.

    Had the pumpkin curry, it was bomb. Place is legit and the staff is great. So glad we have a good Thai place on Balboa

    (5)

  • Johnny D.

    Food here was great! The pad see ewe plate is amazing!! The mint leaf is a very busy restaurant but is worth the wait. They definitely need a bigger place and more staff. 5 stars!

    (5)

  • Maheshwari W.

    We celebrated My Daughter's Birthday at Mint Leaf Thai Cuisine. They were very nice and attentive to us. The food is very tasty. The Crab on fire was a hit at our table. The place filled up very quickly and yet, they took care of our every need. Thank You for making this a great experience. We will be back!

    (5)

  • Mike H.

    Very good food and even better service. Portions are a tad small but the mango sticky rice presentation makes up for it. Also honey duck is pretty great.

    (4)

  • Jim W.

    All around solid Thai cuisine at fair prices...particularly for Newport Beach! I have discovered over the years that many Thai restaurants do noodles well...or they do curries well...but few do both well. We shared around several dishes and if this experience was representative...they manage both pretty well. While I did have several basil leaves in my food I don't think there were any mint leaves...just sayin'.

    (4)

  • John P.

    I have never been a big fan of Thai food, but I do enjoy this one quite a lot. I had the chicken fried rice, which I would say is quite good, although not as spicy as I like it. I end up using a ton of sirracha to bring it to the spice that I like. Service is always friendly, and on this particular night, they allowed me to order even though they closed 5 min before I got there. A business that's willing to stretch their hours in favor of the customers, is a business I can get behind! Highly recommended for those living or visiting the balboa village.

    (4)

  • Ryan B.

    This place so amazing. They deliver(they will go 3 miles) which is super convenient. The Panang curry is so good and really perfectly balanced in flavor. I am not even a huge noodle person but the Mint Leaf Thai noodle is awesome! It's a little sweet, the noodles are cooked perfectly! Ask them to add a little spice to it :). So good spicy if you like that. Honestly everything I have tried their is great. And service is always on top of it and very friendly. Trust their recommendations ! This place deserves 5 stars!

    (5)

  • Sasan S.

    One of the best quality Thai food ever had. Every dish has Amir's distinct flavor, and it's served hot and fresh! The only thing that bummed me a lill was the stressed-out, not-so-friendly server but beside that this place is a bomb. The service could be better!

    (5)

  • Julie B.

    5 Stars For Sure!! We go here all the time & Never Disappoints.. Very nice staff and service.. Just bring your own booze! They don't charge cork fee!! Definitely the place to eat for Thai in Newport Beach!!

    (5)

  • Jim W.

    This is the best Thai restaurant I have found outside BKK. The atmosphere, although not elegant, was typical of good Thai restaurants in Thailand. The staff were actually FROM Thailand. Every dish we ate was a winner. We had so many dishes, I don't know where to start. Chicken with cashews was very tasty and not oily like its Chinese counterpart. The Tom Yung Goong soup was excellent. The Red Curry with beef, banana desert...you get the idea. Definitely in my top 5 wheelhouse whenever I come to town.

    (5)

  • Beth S.

    Not the best Thai I've ever had but definitely up there at the top. I had the standard Pad Thai fare and my only complaint is that the sauce was a little too sweet and too much of it but all in all it was delicious. Others had the curry dishes and raved about them. Will definitely be back

    (4)

  • Duff E.

    Love this place. Don't forget to bring your own wine and beer or both. Or girlfriend. Very reasonably priced excellent food. What more do you need.

    (5)

  • Armani T.

    Decided to give this Thai restaurant a try since it's about 7 minutes from my house. All I can say is : meh. Food - 2/5 Service - 2/5 Pad See Ew (w/ Chicken) - I thought it was decent, but very bland. I had to sprinkle some chili powder to get a kick out of it. Duck Curry - They made a duck out of foil, it was cute. Duck was tender and flavorful! The pineapple tasted fresh, but the cherry tomatoes tasted not so great. Sampler Appetizer - Fried Everything, The best item was the cream cheese ragoon. Tom Kha Soup - Average, pretty good. Will ask for extra spicy next time since it was very mild when we ordered medium spicy. It got very busy very fast and our requests often took a long time, even if it's for a to-go box or the check. I wouldn't come back here again. There are a lot cheaper places out there that give bigger portions. This place was more expensive with small portions.

    (2)

  • Dan M.

    Very good food and very nice servers. Pad tai was one of the best I have had and the chicken coconut soup was great . We also tried the new pork special it's not on the menu and it was amazingly flavorful. They have one out door seating that accommodated our dog and the brought him ice water in a bowl . Definitely will be bank and recommend to try it if you like Thai food .

    (5)

  • John S.

    Super friendly staff and great food. The green curie was awesome. No alcohol sold here but you can BYOB. The food was delicious and spiced just right. Definitely will be back again and looking forward to trying more on the menu.

    (5)

  • El W.

    One of the better Thai food places in Newport. I came in a group of seven. There was a couple sitting on a large table (with empty small table around it). The waiter politely ask the couple if they don't mind to move to the other table. Good handling! Kudos to you too customers for letting us sit! Throughout the evening, the waitstaff is so friendly and attentive. 5* The food was great. The pumpkin curry is probably the best pumpkin curry I have ever had anywhere. Though the noodle dishes are mediocre. Pad Thai and Drunken Noodle are a little sweet for my taste. The drunken noodle are not drunk enough (not enough vegetables). 4*

    (5)

  • Haley B.

    The best Thai in Newport hands down. I live here so I also order delivery at least once a week. Crying Tiger is my favorite but the yellow curry is also to die for. Great customer service and food.

    (5)

  • Michele S.

    This is one of our favorite local restaurants we go here in Balboa. Love the food and love the service. They don't serve alcohol but you can bring your own wine and they provide the glasses .

    (5)

  • Kat A.

    This is a perfect place for delicious thai food in Newport Beach! We went here for lunch and took advantage of their lunch special menu. Great prices, service and ambiance. Highly recommend for those who are vegetarian or vegan and are dining with those that are not veg or vegan. They have an excellent selection for everyone.

    (4)

  • Al W.

    The food is always great. Ive been going here for a few years. The service can be a little bit slow if you're eating inside. Ever since they've been so busy the last 3 years, I usually get delivery. Ive tried just about everything on the menu and I haven't had something I dont like! If they get really busy on a Friday or Saturday night the quality of the food can slip a little bit. Sometimes I think they are more worried about getting here within a certain time period versus the quality. Because I know how good the food is when they really try, I would rather wait an hour and get better food than just getting it a bit quicker. I bring any visitors from out of town here because I love it so much that I just have to share. The staff are always so good to me. I love the MintLeaf

    (4)

  • Jess Z.

    Yummy Panang Chicken Curry and drunken noodles! I'll definitely be back. Spice level 3 is a good mild version.

    (4)

  • Charles G.

    While staying in Newport Beach, we were hard pressed to find a takeout and delivery service last night. No! not Italian food again. So I checked with yelp and was pleased with the reviews of this Thai restaurant. The delivery was successful - with in 30 minutes after I phoned in my order. The chicken satay w peanut sauce was well prepared. The chicken pad Thai was even better, very light and airy noodles, and seasoned with the perfect amount of heat. Green curry was seductively sweet, yet savory, as well. I highly recommend this fine Thai eatery!

    (4)

  • Trina D.

    There are very few Thai places in the area that I'd absolutely rave about and this place might be one of them. First of all, no corkage fee. AWESOME. Secondly, fellow foodie friend, Drew M. has been talking non-stop about Mint Leaf Thai since he discovered it on the Balboa peninsula last year. He loves that they will make dishes "legitimately" spicy for him. Both of us detest places that say they will make it spicy but hold back because they think the customer can't handle the spice. If we are asking for an 11 on a scale of 1 to 5, give us an 11!! Anyway, I finally made it down to Mint Leaf with Drew M., Mike M., and Lindsay M., feeling a little left out because my last initial isn't M but we had a great meal. We ordered: Appetizer Sampler: ($10.95) Combination of lady fingers, veggie crispy rolls, fried wontons, and cheese puffs. Typical fried fare. This was just ok. Pumpkin Curry with chicken spice level requested was 6 but it came out a 4: ($10.95) Red coconut curry made with tender pieces of pumpkin, tomato, basil, and bell peppers. The curry was barely spicy but the flavors were so delicious I kept coming back for more. The pumpkin was perfectly cooked with a creamy bite to it and the coconut gave it a very rich satisfying flavor. Delicious! Larb with pork spice level requested 6 but came out a 5: ($8.95) Seasoned minced meat with basil, onions, roasted Thai chili and tossed in a lime dressing. There's so much flavor in the dish that I absolutely loved it. It's served with lettuce leaves and you can essentially make a lettuce wrap with it. The balance of spice and citrus is spot on. So good! Mint Leaf Thai Noodles spice level requested 6 and it came out a 6: ($10.95) Stir-fried egg noodles with chicken, shrimp, cashews, onions, carrots, celery, and dry Thai chili tossed in the house sauce. This was by far the spiciest dish we had at the table and it was just what I wanted in a noodle dish. I love noodles. Lindsay who loves very mild dishes ordered the Mongolian beef ($9.95) which was really tasty. We also had a large serving of white rice ($3.00) but they do happen to serve brown rice or sticky rice if you prefer it. We also had the Tempura ice cream which was a special of the day type of dessert so I don't remember how much it was. For the four of us it ended up being less than $20 per person with tip included. Not bad at all for Newport but pricier than other Thai places I've been to. I have to say though that they do take their time. Service is not their forte but the fact that there is no corkage fee helps out a lot. Bring your own bottle of wine and they will provide wine glasses and a wine opener for you. That's pretty cool if you're not in a hurry to eat. Otherwise pick out your entrees if there's a wait and immediately order food once seated.

    (4)

  • Miss J.

    This thai restraunt is even better than the one by my house and thats hard to beat! The food was absolutely delicious. High quality ingredients. Beautiful presenration. Amazing customer service! I am very pleased and cant wait to come back ! Yum! :)

    (5)

  • Megan M.

    5 stars for food 3 stars for service I recommend ordering the food to go. I give this place 5 stars because the food is delicious and, being a local you have to give them some local love! Just wish the service was better!

    (5)

  • Heidi Y.

    3 stars for service 3.5 for the food Came in on a Monday night. Nothing much is open on Monday night apparently so we ended up here. Cute little place on Newport peninsula. Really small but has a decent amount of tables. Took a while to get menus because they felt understaffed (restaurant was fairly empty). But our waitress was very nice and recommended good dishes for us to try. Food; - larb salad (cold minced pork mixed with lime and spices, etc). Strong lime flavor and very spicy. Good with rice. - Thai house noodles. On the salty side, but had good flavors. Comes with chicken and shrimp. The shrimp was good. - crying tiger. Tender ribeye grilled medium-well. Comes with spicy sipping sauce. Large portion, good for sharing. Didn't try desserts but the mango sticky rice looked good. May come back if in the area but nothing too spectacular to drive out of my way for.

    (3)

  • Larry W.

    The wait during summer is long. The fried rice is good and if you ask for it spicy... holy hell - its hot.

    (4)

  • Claudio S.

    Just had it for a first time today delivered from postmates i got to say it's delicious I'm a big fan of their crab fried rice, sweet-and-sour chicken truly amazing I'm a fan of this place now delicious food

    (5)

  • Carolyn H.

    Well, I have some bad news: The pad thai wasn't spicy at all. I came here with a friend for dinner on a Saturday evening because I had been craving Thai food for the longest time and we had already planned on an excursion to Balboa...so after a yelp search, this is what we decided on. They offer an online RSVP, which I used, but then had to call to make a change to the time because aforementioned friend somehow ended up on the ferry by accident. When I called, the guy who answered said he would try to change our time and that they are very busy tonight. Crap. When we arrived, the place was dead. Well, mostly. There was maybe 10-12 customers in the place. Maybe this is what they considered a busy night? An important thing to note is that they must not have a liquor license because this is a BYOB kind of place. When we were seated, we were told that they do not serve alcohol but that we are welcome to go to the liquor store and get whatever we wanted and bring it in. Upon closer inspection of the crowd, people were literally pulling wine bottles and beer bottles out of their bags. The service was spotty. I could not for the life of me get the server to come over and take our order, then to refill our waters or to get some chili to spice up my aforementioned non spicy pad thai.

    (2)

  • Michael P.

    Great quaint local restaurant. Very good curry, and the mango sticky rice was wonderfully authentic.

    (5)

  • Raquel R.

    I really don't know how this place has such good ratings, I was let down! ...sigh... I came in here for dinner on a Friday evening with my family, when we walked by we checked the menu posted on the door, everything seemed to be good so we decided to walk in and give it a try. Customer service is kind of a big thing when your running a restaurant and I felt like the employees here were rude. There was two guys, a younger guy and another about middle aged. The young guy sat us down and walked away, didnt ask if we wanted anything to drink or water. We had to flag him down to come back to our table to place our drink order, oh and we were the only party in the restaurant, he was too busy watching the t.v. We ordered our drinks and decided what to order for that table. When the drinks came, we decided to order, but we had to tell the waiter, he did not initiate conversation or engage in any host conversation. We ended up ordering the pad thai, garlic shrimp, mint leaf beef, shrimp fried rice, white rice and teriyaki chicken. Our order took a while to get, again, we were the only people in there at the time. Finally, we got our food and I was really disappointed, the portions were super tiny, it yielded maybe about 2 spoonfulls of food per dish. The garlic shrimp portion looked like it was enough for only one person. I was under the impression the was "family style" since that's what is printed on the menu. Normally, when I dine at thai restaurants the portions are plentiful, not at Mint Leaf Thai Cuisine. On to the taste of the food, the pad thai was good, I enjoyed it but didn't get a big enough serving, my family said that the garlic shrimp and shrimp fried rice was also tasty ( I don't eat seafood so I didn't taste it). The mint leaf beef was a total let down, the one thing I was looking forward to in the whole meal and the meat tasted like it was a cheap and old cut of beef. At the end of our meal, the waiters/hosts came to clear off our table and were quick about giving us our check. Not once during our dining experience did they ask if we were okay, if we needed anything else or bother to top off our soft drinks. I had to flag them down again to bring the chili for the table. I found it interesting that as we were cashing out two older asian women came in to dine and the employees were waiting on them hand and foot, they were sat right away, got drinks served and had their food at their table before we left, hmmmmmm! Needless to say I wouldn't come back here. Shame on you Mint Leaf Thai Cuisine!

    (2)

  • Gaia G.

    It's a little chaotic since they don't take reservation, but the servers make up for it in willingness and attention. The food is excellent, extremely flavourful, some of the best Thai food I've ever had anywhere. Definitely worth a visit. They don't serve alcohol, so bring your own, and there is no corking fee.

    (5)

  • C. I.

    Not a bad spot, The service is excellent and personal. The one thing that bugged me was, we asked if they had tempura veggies, and they said yes,what came out was panko fried veggies. Not the same at all. I wish the server knew what they had. I know it wasn't on purpose, but I also know my food. For the price, I won't be returning. Not a bad spot, but if you do your homework, you might find some other spots near by...

    (3)

  • Melissa J.

    My husband and I have been disappointed with most of the Thai restaurants we've eaten at in Orange County since leaving Atlanta several years ago. Mint Leaf was recommended by a friend and it did not disappoint. I will NOT go back during tourist season however because it's location on Balboa made it impossible to get there and find parking. But once some of those tourists scurry back home, it will be a staple. We tried the Tom Kha Kai soup, Shrimp Rolls, Panang Curry and Drunken Noodles. Everything was great. My only complaint was that I did not realize that rice does not automatically come with the curries. It must be ordered separately which I was not made aware of (upsell people!), and was sad to have to make my own rice after getting home, looking for it and then reading the BACK of the menu where I saw the rice listed for just a buck or two per side. Partly my fault, but anywhere else I've ever ordered provides rice as part of a curry dish or asks if you would like to order it. Must try! I will be back.

    (4)

  • Michelle W.

    Really solid Thai food. Great flavor. Tonight we had yellow chicken curry, drunken noodles , veggie fried rice and spring rolls..plenty of food for 2 people and very reasonably priced. .total WITH delivery was $39!! It was so convenient..I placed my order online through yelp before I left work, they gave me an estimated eta and my food arrived hot and fresh 10 min earlier than that! ! Definitely will use again!!

    (5)

  • simple g.

    I wasn't expecting much from this place. The Tom Yum soup was good, the Red Curry and Sticky Mango desert was the best I've had! Left wanting to come back for more. Very good.

    (5)

  • Melanie S.

    Delicious food! Really love their spicy eggplant dish. Only complaint is that when you order an entree you then have to pay an extra $3 ($3!!!!?) for rice. This is the first Thai restaurant I've been to that does not include rice with your entree. If it wasn't for that, they'd be perfect.

    (4)

  • Michelle K.

    Everything was delicious especially the drunken noodles. Other than the food, the service was kind of slow. I didn't get my food or check at a fair time. Also, they add gratitude onto the check which I thought was a little strange since they should have let us do that on our own.

    (4)

  • Rocky R.

    Been once. Will be returning weekly. Awesome little slice of zesty, authentic delicious glory. Just what I have been looking for in Newport/mesa area. Clean, quaint setting and very nice staff. Spicy curry flavors, great thai ice tea. Looking forward to being back again.

    (5)

  • Mike G.

    Currrryy! Love it here! Basically Delicious Affordable Thai Food. -Very Tasty Gourmet Thai Food -Friendly Staff -Great Cooks -Open till' 10:00 pm -Bring your own alcohol :) I like it here, It's small, clean atmosphere. The type of food you get is authentic Thai with great cooking and preparation yet affordable. (Example, they grill the Eggplant and then put it in the Curry Sauce. I can taste everything). I've been here a few times now and cant be happier. Everything is worth 5 stars here. I also love the variety on their menu. So much stuff to choose from. Take Out is well too. 2 things though... which didnt bother me but did notice. I was charged $1 extra for Peanut Sauce for my Fresh Summer Rolls because I was sharing them and didn't want to "Double Dip" (I wanted my own sauce) Additionally, it costs $1 to add Shrimp to any dish...How does that add up? :) I'll be back for sure Great Food here! Parking can be a challenge depending on the hours you go.

    (5)

  • Michelle L.

    Awesome service!!! Delicious food!!! Traditional Thai food and great prices. Love this place!! Delicious!!

    (5)

  • Mel A.

    Great tasting food, great service and cutest presentation! They're food is delicious, my boyfriend and I always get their calamari and yellow curry. The pad see ew is really good as well as the pad Thai. Only thing I didn't like here was the shrimp roll. We come here all the time for lunch and they have the best lunch special. Great food for an even better price.

    (5)

  • Skye H.

    I am very disappointed along with my mother and sister. The food lacked culture and was equivalent to a saltene cracker. Very white, very dry and disappointing. I am half Caucasian and half Asian and I could say say that the food was more Chinese than Thai. There was no usage of lime, dried shrimp or fish sauce. It was a package of regret I am saddened by and will be until I step into my next Thai place. Good by Thai.

    (1)

  • Emma W.

    They were able to do both the noodle dishes and they curry well. Ordered Panang Curry with beef, Pad See Ew with chicken, and Pad Thai with shrimp. All of them were great, and I usually don't like Pad Thai very much. Service was very attentive and friendly. I felt like it was a bit overpriced, but it was a block from the ocean. Understandable I suppose. Atmosphere was also pretty neat.

    (4)

  • Minhan D.

    Pretty good food, but a bit small on the portion size. This place is located in the heart of Newport and is surrounded by tons of cute shops and within a walking distance from Balboa. The service itself was sporadic, but the food was really tasty. I got their pad thai, which tasted pretty good, albeit small. The definite highlight of the place is their dessert - we got their mango and sticky rice, SO GOOD. The mango is super ripe, like butter in your mouth ripe, and the rice has just the right amount of stickiness and sweet from coconut milk. The dessert had this great balance that didn't make me feel like I had gulped down a ton of sugar. Overall, good experience, just wish that I got more food!

    (4)

  • Amy C.

    Came for lunch here and I thought the food was great. They have lunch specials that are really good deals too. I had the Drunken Noodle which was amazing. It was pretty spicy though which is okay with me but it's definitely not a good dish for people that don't have a high tolerance for spicy food. The reason I gave them 4 stars is because of service. The restaurant is really small and they have 2 servers but only one was doing most of the work which means he was really busy. The servers didn't even refill our water when our glasses were all the way empty.

    (4)

  • Cat H.

    My bf's friend was in town so we all decided to go have some dinner. We walked down towards the end of the peninsula and realized that we had a choice of either Mexican food or Thai food. So we chose thai food. I'd been wanting to try this place, so it was a great opportunity. The thai iced tea here is so yummy. So sweet. I had to have a couple of glasses. In addition to that, we had fried wontons to start. For my entree, I had the pineapple curry with brown rice. It was so yummy. It was nice and sweet with a bit of a kick as it went down. It was great. Even my bf couldn't stop fishing for some sweet spicy chicken. Service was similarly great and it wasn't expensive at all. I'd definitely come back.

    (4)

  • Chris P.

    Came in on a Wednesday night. No waiting, and seemed like a lot of regulars. After the crunchy Tempura Calamari, we had two of the house specials--the Jungle (green) curry and a Thai Mint Leaf Noodle dish with vegetables and chicken. Both had rich flavor and the fun textures of Thai food. Parking was easy at the lot down the street. It was a bit of a hike from our place in Irvine, but I expect we'll bring friends back another night.

    (4)

  • Chris M.

    I finally got around to trying the Mint Leaf the other day. Enjoyed it. Really nice people. A couple days later suggested dinner with the folks, take out from the Mint Leaf. Everyone enjoyed the food. It's fresh, clean, well prepared, tastey goodness. The other Thai place in town isn't any good so it's great to have a replacement, finally! I like the free local delivery thing and will probably take advantage of that eventually too. Anyway, Pad Thai and Pad See Ewe are good. The sampler platter of fried goodies is tasty. I can't wait to try more stuff out.

    (4)

  • Frank N.

    I'm new to the neighborhood and glad to find a good Thai food place here. I have been a couple of times and have had several curries and noodle dishes. All have been excellent. Eating in, the atmosphere is good. Small with not a lot of seating, but I've never had to wait. Standard Thai food that delivers what you're looking for. I'll be back...

    (4)

  • Ken J.

    Delicious Thai food! Lots of creative dishes. Contrary to other reviews, our party found the waitstaff attentive, charming, and very flexible. Please note: this place is byob. There is a reasonably well stocked liquor store right up the street.

    (5)

  • Natalie Y.

    I'm from Chicago so have had my fair share of Thai cuisine. This is some of the best Thai food I've ever had. My boyfriend and I love spice so if your courageous ask them to serve it Thai spicy hot. We usually get the Gulf of Siam soup and Pleasing Garlic entree. I'm sure there are other great items on the menu but we're boring and we tend to stick to the things we like. Highly recommend giving this local restaurant a try!

    (5)

  • Jill V.

    The food was ok but took forever to get. The restaurant wasn't full, when I asked about the food they said it was slow because of all the takeout orders. The low stools at the tables are VERY uncomfortable. I would never eat here again...maybe try takeout.

    (1)

  • Jeff O.

    The Thing That's Great: Finally a top notch Thai restaurant in Newport Beach!!! If you're looking for Thai then go here and - regardless of what you order - it'll be far better than anything you've had previously in NB. The Thing That Irritates Me: The only reason that this review isn't 5 stars is because I frequently order carry-out here and there is always some kind of issue on the phone. First, as an annoyance, they always correct you when you order. If I say "I want to place an order for carry-out" they ask "you want it for take-away?" If I say "take-away" they ask "you want it to-go?" If I say "to-go" they say something else and it's every time (~6) I've ordered for carry out.. Buy a freaking thesaurus. Second, they need to get a phone that works. It's busy there and it gets loud and I get that, but they need a phone that has a volume control and a clear line. I call them from a land line that I know has zero issues and THEY CAN NEVER HEAR ME!!! It gets old repeating your phone number, your order, your name, your address, all 3 or 4x.

    (4)

  • Jennifer M.

    Delish. Prompt delivery (on weekdays...they have to take the ferry over to deliver to us so they can't do it on weekends). Everything was really, really good. Haven't actually eaten at the restaurant yet though. But in terms of delivery, it's pretty much the best delivery you can get in the area.

    (4)

  • Hannah K.

    I love this place! I order something different every time I go. Anything you order you will love! You must go! Great staff, great food, great prices!

    (5)

  • Chris L.

    Food is good. Customer service is terrible. Delivered multiple times then just decided to stop, even though they continue to advertise delivery to my area. Lost my business.

    (3)

  • Amy S.

    great food, terrible service. went with two friends and they got their food before me, waited a long time before I got mine and had to remind them. go for the food, but good luck getting service... do take-out instead of dine-in. 3 stars for food, none for service.

    (3)

  • Awnnie M.

    Best thai in all of newport

    (5)

  • Rebecca S.

    Mint Leaf kicks ass. The yellow curry and the drunken noodles... amazing!

    (5)

  • Lilia S.

    My husband and I love Thai Food. In fact, we just came back from a vacation in Thailand. I would have to say that the food at Mint Leaf is comparable if not better. We ordered the CREAM CHEESE PUFFS (cream cheese wontons) as an appetizer and I'm not sure if it would be considered authentic Thai but either way it was YUMMY! For our other dishes we ordered the MASSAMAN CURRY, PAPAYA SALAD, and STICKY RICE. That was some of the BEST curry I have every had, I highly recommend it. Their menu had wide selection of dishes, we're looking forward to going back. The server was super friendly and they always had a smile on their face. However, the service is a bit slow so don't go there if you're in a hurry. Overall, nice environment and a great place to go for dinner. Note: Bring your own alcohol since they don't have their liquor license yet. They don't charge a corkage fee.

    (5)

  • G S.

    WOW-- Came here with my best girlfriend when i wasn't even in the mood for thai food. She lives on the peninsula and said she had found this amazing thai place and had ended up eating there for a week straight (she always gets the yellow curried chicken i believe) Anyway's I'm obsessed. I have been suggesting it to everyone AND cannot wait to bring my family (thai food lovers like me) in to try all the amazing food that this restaurant makes. Keep up the good work guys :)

    (5)

  • Ken T.

    Great food; they're a relatively a new establishment so logistics of service still needs to improve. Yet, they do try really hard and are really friendly overall

    (4)

  • Sandy A.

    This local, small yet inviting spot is definitely a WINNER. Finally a Thai Restaurant that delivers on both taste and price. Plus, BYOB without corkage is an added benefit. Food is very, very good and service with a smile. A small location right across from the Balboa Theater but once you go there, you'll be hooked

    (5)

  • Ted D.

    the Thai garlic wings are the bomb!! nuff said!!

    (5)

  • Matt Z.

    I had the yellow curry and pad thai. Both were decent, I would give 3 stars a piece. The service sucks however. There is no one to refill your drinking glass and it took 45 minutes to find someone to get our check.

    (2)

  • Christie H.

    We love mint leaf thai! My fiance and I are new to the area and saw this quaint thai restaurant one night when I have having a serious pad see ew craving. Let me tell you, they did not disappoint! The service is great and the food is some of the best I've ever had! We've tried the chicken satay, 3.5 out of 5 stars. The pad see ew with chicken, 5 out of 5 stars. The panang curry, 4 out of 5 stars, a little spicy for my taste. We've been here three times in the past five weeks. Only one con, parking is hard to find. They only have street parking, no private lot.

    (5)

  • Julie D.

    Really great Thai food! We had the pumpkin curry, Mint Leaf noodles, and spicy beef salad. All three were the best I've had! Great menu selection and below average pricing. Will definitely be frequenting this little gem!

    (5)

  • Joy T.

    Food.... Delicious!!! 5 stars, two thumbs up!!! We ordered Red curry, Beef Panang, Drunken Noodles, Pad See Eew, thai iced tea & Mango Sticky Rice... This place didn't disappoint us at all. Everything was very good. The only drawback though is the service.. The lady that took our order was really nice but she was by herself. No help at all. Some customers were waiting for few minutes. Although we got our food on time. We're hoping that they hire at least one more person..lol. Aside from that..everything is perfect... Their plating and presentation matched up with how the food taste which is a big plus +++++ the Mango Sticky Rice was way too pretty to eat. Excellent!!! Would definitely come back (.^_^.)

    (4)

  • Justin L.

    Excellent food, atmosphere, and friendly service. Various selections of standard Thai staples including curried dishes and pad thais. Restaurant is also within walking distance of Balboa Beach.

    (5)

  • Robert M.

    I am very impressed with the Tom Ka Kai soup! Also having sweat and sour chicken that is not breaded with a lighter sauce was very satisfying!

    (4)

  • Nan D.

    Delicious lunch! Why didn't I try this sooner?

    (5)

  • Mihir G.

    I've ordered (they always deliver on/before time) from Mint 20-30 times, and ordered damn near everything on the menu. Outstanding. Particularly: Larb (Chicken), Spicy Thai Beef Salad, Pad Thai, Spicy Yellow Curry (Shrimp). You will not be disappointed.

    (5)

  • John S.

    great place!!

    (5)

  • Denny K.

    Every time we go visit Balboa Pennisula, we eat at this location. It has been quite sometime since we have been back as the previous restaurant Teriyaki Jet was a family favorite. Since I am from Thailand, I always want to try new Thai places. Mint Leaf does not disappoint. The place and atmosphere was decorated very tastefully and the ambiance was refreshing and relaxing. The lunch menu is very reasonable and my family and I ordered the usually Phat Thai and Yellow Curry. The flavor of the Phat Thai was very good; my wife really liked it and my son always enjoys eating Thai Curry and the yellow curry was very tasty. The service was excellent and the waitress was very attentive. I would recommend eating here especially if you are out at the beach and have a craving to eat Thai Food!

    (4)

  • Lynn S.

    Great food and service.Small and loud, so this is a no go if u want to have a quiet evening. BYOB - no liquor license yet, but no corkage fee. Food was worth the noise.

    (4)

  • Guinevere E.

    I just went for lunch and I can't wait to go back for dinner. This place is really good. I had the green curry it was delicious!!! I love Thai food and this place is probably one of the best that I've had in orange county. Go now!

    (5)

  • Maraia H.

    I've only had their delivery, which has tasted fantastic! The only reason for the 4 stars and not 5 is the price and that you have to remember to order rice if you order a curry dish - it does NOT come with it automatically, which I have never seen done in a Thai restaurant before... But so long as you remember to order it, then no harm done... =} Tonight we ordered Veggie Pad Thai, Tofu Curry and Veggie Fried Rice and it was over $35 which seems high in comparison, but rent downtown isn't cheap AND they are the only place that delivers Thai around here so I really can't complain too much! Bottomline, the food is GOOD, the family that runs it is very nice and did I mention they deliver?! =)

    (4)

  • Nicole G.

    I was never a fan of Thai food until I came here. The workers are super friendly and are very accommodative. Fried wontons and the pleasing garlic chicken are my favorites.

    (4)

  • Ashley H.

    Okay, this place is AMAZING. I live just a few blocks from this place, and the majority of my pay checks go directly to Mint Leaf. Everything on their menu is absolutely amazing. I love their yellow curry, coconut curry, drunken noodles, cashew chicken, and pad thai! Great for family style dinner with big groups! They also don't charge a corkage fee, so be sure to stop by the liquor store across the street to pick up a bottle of wine! It's a very small building, but they have done a great job squeezing lots of tables and chairs inside. They also have take out and free delivery. I highly recommend this place!

    (5)

  • Brandy O.

    This place is really a hidden gem! The food was really excellent for the price it was and the service was very friendly. The food was a little on the sweet side but I'm sure they could change that if you asked. The Thai iced tea was so delicious! My only complaint would be the seating because its a tad tight in that place but other then that I love this place!

    (4)

  • Angel H.

    I am so glad I found this little gem! It's a very small place, very intimate and you will definitely be sitting close to your neighbors. There is no alcohol, but don't be turned off by this, because there is no corkage fee and you can bring your own alcohol! You can't beat that! The pricing was not bad, service was pretty good, and the food was great. The only disappointment was that we ordered the drunken noodles and did not know they were going to be spicy... they were so hot that after one bite my friend and my mouths were on FIRE and we couldn't eat any more. The curry was great, soup was great, and the wings we got as an appetizer were a must try. I was just so disappointed about the drunken noodles. I asked the server about getting the noodles not so spicy next time, she took them and then when she came back said that sometimes their peppers are spicier than others and that we were the first to order the noodles that day and it looked like the peppers were extremely spicy that day but it normally was not that spicy. So I will have to go back and try them again not so spicy. I'm definitely looking forward to it!

    (4)

  • Karissa D.

    I live right next to this place, so I literally crave it aaall the time. They have a great lunch special for $7.95. I always get the yellow curry, and it has yet to disappoint me. A small Thai salad comes with it and the dressing is to die for... like a sweet mustard almost. I usually order my food to go, but I have sat in a few times. I will say that those few times the customer service wasn't the best. They didn't come back to check that our drinks were refilled or to ask how the food was, but I guess they don't have to when the food is so dang good!

    (4)

  • Kyria R.

    Went for lunch and really enjoyed. My boyfriend found the lunch portion small but it was perfect for me. I got the pad Thai.

    (4)

  • Anoosha S.

    Bullshit service! Hate this place. Took our order 20 mins after we sat down and its been 45 mins and we are still waiting for the order. So basically, bribg your own booze, drink for an hour till your food arrives... Food was very spicy even at the mild level.

    (1)

  • Ted H.

    Not sure about Amanda's experience, because I just ordered the green curry and spring rolls for delivery. The portion of curry is huge, at least enough for 1 to 2 more meals. Price a bit steep though (21 dollars with tip), but they gotta pay the rent I suppose. I've only been living on the peninsula for a few months now, so I'm used to the same kind of quality but at much cheaper prices e.g. Wirin Thai. But really glad to have a close Thai delivery place. Anyway, definitely recommend.

    (5)

  • Jennifer L.

    I would have given this place 5 stars, but the restaurant was sooo understaffed when we came in and the other customers were soooo loud and obnoxious. The restaurant is kinda small so when one of the families eating there decided they needed to have their conversation at max volume, nobody else could even hear themselves think! The servers/busser were really nice and helpful, but they were clearly overwhelmed with a packed restaurant (at 9pm). It took a while to get a seat 'cause they were trying to serve a party of 12 while cleaning up from another party of 12. And the rest of the restaurant was full! A bit much for two servers. But the staff was really nice about it, and put our white wine in the fridge while we waited for a seat. Once we were seated, the service was great and the food was amazing! My boyfriend and I shared the appetizer platter and the Jungle curry. We also ordered a side of rice because the curry doesn't come with it. We brought our own wine and there was no corkage fee (Yay!).

    (4)

  • Andrew B.

    I have never written a review on Yelp before but I felt this restaurant deserved a great one. The service was exceptional and the staff always had a smile on their faces and made sure we were happy with our food. We tried to order a bottle of wine but they don't have their liquor license yet so they directed us to the liquor store down the street. I thought it was nice of them to offer this as an option, essentially waiving any corkage fee. I ordered the drunken noodles with beef and it was amazing, my friend had the same with shrimp which was also very tasty. The presentation of the food was also very nice, always something I look for in a good restaurant. My other friend had a green curry dish that was some of the best curry i have ever had. Most of the dishes were just under $10 which was very reasonable given the quality of food and service. I believe this restaurant, unlike many other new start ups around this part of the peninsula is here to stay. I am definitely coming back for more, thanks Mint Leaf!!

    (5)

  • P T.

    I've been to Mint Leaf about 5 times since it has opened. They have a very friendly staff as it is more of a mom and pop restaurant. The food is absolutely delicious. They are open until 10PM 7 nights a week which is great and they also deliver. Be sure to try this place out.

    (5)

  • Randy A.

    Thrilled to have a super nice new restaurant on the Peninsula...cozy dining in...bring your own wine with no corkage. Fresh, well cooked food, large menu. Great selection of vegetarian choices. Very nice servers. Happy, happy to have a cute, GOOD place to eat close to home!

    (5)

  • rishi k.

    Great healthy flavorful Thai food. Casual atmosphere, large portions, BYOB. Love the lemon fish, ground chicken and tom yum soup.

    (4)

  • Courtney L.

    Horrible service, if your not a local .. They totally ignored us and started cleaning all the tables before helping us. The food Wasn't even good..

    (1)

  • Amne N.

    What a local gem!! Yummy Thai dishes at decent prices in a warm atmosphere. Mint Leaf serves their Tom Yum soup my favorite way in a metal chafing bowl! Served this way just makes it takes even better. Must try dishes: Tom Yum Kai, Ginger Lover w/chicken and Pad See Ew Oh my! If you are a big fan of ginger like I am or just have an upset stomach, you must try the Ginger Lover. Tom Yum broth was the best I've had here in OC with just the right hint of tang for my tasting. My only criticism of this entire meal is I wish the Tom Yum had shiitake mushrooms....instead of plain white mushrooms. But unfortunately that is hard to find these days but I will yelp it once I find it! Elite Tip: Don't forget to bring your own bottle of wine, no corkage fee!! (or even if you do forget there is a wine & liquor store one block down)

    (5)

  • Vivian L.

    The food was pretty good, we ordered a soup, a yellow curry and an appetizer, the curry was smaller than expected though. It took us half hour to find a parking spot, don't know if it's because it's Sunday afternoon. The location is good since it's within 3 minutes walk to the beach.

    (3)

  • Jared G.

    This is my new favorite Thai spot! NO CORKAGE and the food is great. I had the yellow curry, mongolian beef, pad thai and shirimp spring rolls. Everything was great except for the Mongolian Beef, which was small and in a watery sauce that didn't have much flavor except for being too spicy. Portions are on the smaller side as was mentioned in other reviews and service was average. Ambiance is nice and it's located right next to the balboa fun zone, which is a nice walk after dinner. Hoping to try the Pumpkin Curry next time!

    (4)

  • MariTess C.

    Cute little restaurant. I went on a Saturday evening and got there just in time before the big rush. It seemed like a very popular spot. My friends and I ordered the appetizer sampler. And I personally got the yellow curry with a side of brown rice. It was probably the best curry I've ever had. The perfect amount of spice. My friend got the jungle green curry and it was just as delicious. It has vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and celery in it.

    (5)

  • Sasha M.

    Cute little family owned restaurant with a nice assortment of Thai dishes! Everything on the menu was tasty and appetizing! The reason I will not give it 5 starts is because of 2 things. 1. No back round music to drown out the noise 2. They are under staffed during dinner rushes. This place has potential to be franchised which often times scares me but all in all I had a great experience!

    (4)

  • Krysten K.

    Great Thai food here! We love the food, friendly service & location! Great local restaurant! Order the pad Thai noodles & brown fried rice w/ chicken YUM!

    (5)

  • Kimberly N.

    Delicious!!! I got the Tom Kha w/ flat rice noodles. ($3 upcharge). My dude got Seafood Pad Thai ($6 upcharge). Super small place so not a lot of room to sit. Service was great. They were really nice. Just super small and kinda over priced. $41 for 2 entrees was a bit more than I expected for Thai food.

    (4)

  • Emme E.

    Good place to eat Thai food. Tom yum koon and green curry is my favorite. They use a lot of sugar in the food and It's a little sweet for me but I still like to come back sometimes.

    (3)

  • Amir Matin S.

    Yellow curry was very good. I got it at a 3 out of 5 spiciness level, and they did not disappoint. Waiter was a bit clueless with recommendations, but that didn't take away from the overall experience.

    (4)

  • Matt M.

    On my quest to continue looking for really good Thai places, I came to Mint Leaf. On a Sunday afternoon (12:30pm) parking wasn't too horrible, I just had to pay for it. I think I parked in the lot right next to the beach (down C St. I think?) - there were plenty of spots. The location of this restaurant is really good - if you go behind the restaurant towards Balboa Island, there's an arcade strip that has tons of stuff to do and plenty of places to walk to in order to walk off what you just ate. There was something add about arriving at the restaurant during peak lunch hours and having it be empty. I waited outside for about 40min before my friends came, and in all that time no one went into the restaurant. People started coming in around 1:30pm or so - maybe for a later lunch? Or maybe I just eat early. The restaurant itself is on the smaller side - but definitely not cramped. I felt like the service was rushed and slightly intrusive, which was weird given the lack of business. The people there were Thai though, so that gave me slightly higher hopes for the food. For the appetizer, I ordered mee krob (one of my favorite appetizers whenever I go back to Thailand) and said that the table was going to share. When the dish was brought out, there was one spoon and no plates. I think the server was a little confused when we weren't touching the dish, and about 5min later I was able to get his attention to bring out some plates for us to share. The dish itself had very good texture on both the noodles and the meat, but I found the flavor to be heavily concentrated on the meat and it wasn't anything too special. Still, if you haven't tried mee krob before, this place does it decently. For my entree I got panang curry as part of their lunch special. Panang is my grandfather's favorite curry and he has made it mine too over the years. Normally it has a nice heat kick to hit but mellows out quickly. I was surprised when I dug into my dish that it was more on the sweet side, and seemed to get sweeter as I was eating it! The taste was good, but I would never have known it was panang. Also, I found some inedible bay leaves still in the curry, which was slightly off-putting. Lastly, the ratio of rice:curry was too low, such that I still had a bunch of curry left when my rice was finished. It was weird too that my friend ordered the duck curry and he never received rice, and my girlfriend ordered pad Thai and received a blob of rice - maybe they got the rice mixed up? Still weird though. Desert was sticky rice and mango (I wanted to try the roti banana as it's one of my favorite "street" desserts in Thailand but my table wanted the sticky rice). Now this was a good dish. Presentation was superb, the use of coconut milk was restrained, the texture on the rice was perfect, and the mango was very vibrant and very flavorful. It was gone within a minute. Overall, an appetizer, 4 entrees, and dessert cost about $75 with tip - so I'd categorize this as cheap+ to moderate- (please excuse the comic book geek in me!). Definitely not the best or most authentic Thai place I've had around the area, and I wouldn't go out of my way to come here. But for the one meal I had, it ended pretty darn well!

    (3)

  • Lynn A.

    Best food, best service. I've had the best green curry here! They are so accommodating to picky people like me. I love it. Must go!!

    (5)

  • Carley C.

    Very nice food. My partner thinks their Pad Thai with fried tofu is the best around, and I/we have had great yellow curry, Tham Kai soup, beef teriyaki and mango sticky rice dessert (please excuse any spelling errors as they pertain to cultural foods). Especially good with a side of chili sauce and a BYOB beer.

    (5)

  • Karen D.

    Very limited seating so the wait can get really long. Everything on the menu looked amazing so it was hard deciding on what to order.They provide a lot of photos on their menu so that was helpful. The Drunken Noodles were spicy but soooo good! noodles were soft and cooked perfectly. I would definitely come back to try other dishes on the menu!!

    (4)

  • Drew M.

    This place is a find. A few notes about this restaurant: Pros: - No corkage fee! Enough said. - Complex and legitimately spicy dishes (if you want them). I let our server know that we wanted our dishes fire hot, and she listened- they were hot while still retaining their complex flavor. Big plus when I ask for it spicy and they actually listen. - Small, chic, and intimate interior. You'll be right on top of your neighbors, but I'm cool with that. - The price point for Newport is extremely reasonable, and the portions are what you would expect. Cons: - Service was splotchy. We had a mistake on our order, and definitely could have used more water a few times during our meal. I feel as though we got a "hole in the wall" level of service, with a classier atmosphere. Some room for growth here. What we ordered: Prik King: yelp.com/biz_photos/sbeO… We had this with chicken, served over a spicy red curry with green beans. The red curry was indeed spicy, and the green beans were crunchy and perfectly cooked. (4 Stars) Pumpkin Curry: yelp.com/biz_photos/sbeO… This was perfect in my eyes. The pumpkin was soft, and the flavor was complex and eclectic, as thai food should be. There was coconut milk, pumpkin, lemongrass, and thai chili all up in there, and it will definitely be ordered again. (5 Stars). Very stoked to have this place so close, and in my mind, a legitimate choice for Thai food in Orange County!

    (4)

  • Joshua L.

    Found this place before our boat ride. TINY little miniature restaurant. However, somehow, they make it work. Friendly service. Nice full menu. Excellent fresh, nicely prepared food. Portions were perfect / small but flavorful. The pad thai was a little too sweet for my taste but overall not bad. Nice tender pieces of chicken. The rib eye was delicious although marinated like Korean bbq. The papaya salad was a treat. Not a lot of Thai Restaurants actually have it. Overall nice well rounded meal.

    (4)

  • Becca B.

    That was the best panang curry I've ever had! Cute little place with great decor. My husband and I always get curry and pad se ew at thai restaurants and this restaurant passed the test!! The pad se ew was really good too.

    (5)

  • Khalid N.

    Thai fried rice and half chicken was great. Pad see ew was ok - too many onions and not enough egg.

    (4)

  • Titi L.

    We went here after our Holiday Lights boat tour on a Friday night. We were chilled to the bone so we were looking for some hot soup to warm us up! The place is small and it was packed on a Friday night (8:30pm) but we were lucky to find a table for 4 people. The tables are close to each other so you can easily get whacked in the back or head with a purse or someone's booty while you are seated since they did not have chairs with backs on them but rather these ottoman-style cube chairs. SERVICE The server came by quickly to take our drink and food order. The food was prepared quickly as well. The server checked on us a couple of times. FOOD Tom Yum Kai- We ordered a pot of this hot and sour soup! It really hit the spot and warmed us up quickly! It had the right chili spice and lots of mushrooms and chicken (maybe they could add in a little more cut up tomatoes?). Fried Wontons- Crispy, hot and fresh. Of course, the chicken was the size of a dime but that's typical for Thai fried wontons. Combination fried rice- It had shrimp (2 large pieces), chicken and beef. It was enough for 2 people to share. It was good but the rice seemed a bit "wet" (too much sauce added?). We were lucky to find this Thai place in walking distance from the Balboa Bay Fun Zone area as we knew we wanted good hot soup and a rice dish. I wish we had more of an appetite to try their other entrees. We would go back here again the next time we visit the Balboa Bay area.

    (4)

  • Pat O.

    This is a quaint little restaurant that could be called "a hole in the wall" which usually equates to a hidden treasure of great food. Mint Leaf totally delivered! There are about 8-10 tables and a cute counter at the window that seats four which is a perfect perch for people watching. I was very impressed with the flavor, spice and portions. I had the papaya salad that was deliciously spicy... Beware of the very small Thai chilis which add superb flavor but can ruin your tongue for up to five minutes if eaten by accident. The Thai noodles were amazing and I highly recommend them. They offer several dishes that can be made with your choice of meat or with tofu or veggies. Mint leaf is a must!

    (4)

  • Ingrid Y.

    This place is the best Thai food! The coconut chicken soup with glassine noodles is my favorite also the chicken Penang is amazing!!

    (5)

  • Elaine Y.

    The food here is SO good. Not only have great presentation, but also SO yummy!!! You should absolutely try the Drunken Noodle, Duck Curry and Mango Rice. I will definitely come back more often

    (5)

  • Ju A.

    Very tasty and authentic, pad Thai was great and the panang curry ( w/ fish)was the best we had!!!

    (5)

  • Richard R.

    Excellent salads for lunch. We had the beef salad, yum woonsen, and mee krob. All had an excellent flavor. The Mango and sticky rice for dessert was one of the best we ever had.

    (5)

  • Macht S.

    Best Thai around. Quality food and great recipes, the pumpkin curry is my favorite. Great atmosphere, nice people, and the delivery is quick and on time.

    (5)

  • Winston N.

    I made a yelp account specifically to make this post. I ordered the orange chicken, pad see ew, and white rice for pick up ($26). The portions were embarrassing! The white rice was wrapped up in a foil ball that filled maybe half the container, and the pad see ew hardly had any meat. I wish I would have taken pictures. Next time I will remember to stick to my guns, and go to MaDee's on 17th street.

    (1)

  • Michelle H.

    Mint Leaf Thai Cuisine is a small Thai cafe on the peninsula that is just so delicious and very well-priced!!! The decor is... Colorful modern... In a good way! I was only here for take-out so I didn't get to look for too long, but the restaurant was very well-kept and clean. The staff here is also really friendly and very helpful with takeout orders. Not only did they double check my order for me, have it ready right when I got there, but they also added some yummy extras (steamed rice & extra pieces in our sampler!). The food is really good! I had the Pad Thai with shrimp... It came with 7 large pieces of shrimp and a ton of really awesome noodles. They were perfect because they weren't too soft and not too chewy. Also, the noodles weren't super greasy which made it even more perfect! My coworkers had some of the other entreese, but from what I could see everything was fresh made and piping hot. The portions are really large, so bring a friend to share or get the lunchtime-sized portions. Pros: -GREAT FOOD -Nice staff -Good ambiance at the restaurant -GREAT pad thai Tips: -Parking is always tough on the peninsula; save yourself the time, and grab takeout!

    (5)

  • Muni R.

    Great food. Amazingly friendly service. South east Asian hospitality experience - at its best. :)

    (5)

  • Anita L.

    I kept thinking, "how authentic can a Thai place in Newport Beach be?" Well, I was wrong. The food here is very respectable and so good for south OC. I read a lot of reviews which said the food is too sweet. You can just tell them not to make it so sweet. Most Thai food tends to be on the sugary side and I always tell them "no sweeet" and they will usually accommodate. I prefer the Northern Thai cuisine -- Issan -- which is not sweet. We came here 4x in two weeks and honestly, it was no fluke. They are very good, albeit on the pricey side. We've ordered the tom kha gai all 4x and each time it was good. The pumpkin curry is their signature dish and is quite tasty. Green curry, my favorite was also very good. One of my favorites was the fried trout topped with an apple slaw. The larb is nice as well, not as intense in flavor as your hole in the wall places, but still decent. Eggplant with tofu was delicious! I love eggplant so this totally appealed to me. The prik king was just okay, too much sauce. The pad kee mau was very good, the pad Thai, too mushy for me. Service is always friendly.

    (4)

  • Kiat P.

    This place is nestle in the middle of that Newport pavilion near the street. It was my first time there and having no set place in mind we decided to try this Thai restaurant. It was a great experience as we received great service when we walked in and was immediately seated and got our drinks. We ordered the tom yum soup noodle and their house special noodle both great dishes, very flavorful and spicy enough to satisfy our appetite. Only thing negative was the serving size, I wish it was a little larger as I was still a little hungry afterwards. Again, at the end of the night the hostess asked how our food was and was grateful when we mention we will be back for more dishes on the menu. Overall, great experience and would be back again.

    (4)

  • Andrea W.

    Seriously amazing Thai food. Small, family run place with modern ambience and good service. Went for a family dinner, and each dish we ordered was awesome - yellow curry, drunken noodles, cashew chicken, and lemon fish fillet. The lemon fish was quite outstanding, it was a white fish filet with a light lemon sauce with a slight spice that was perfectly steamed and packed with flavor. Rice is separate, with individual bowls or a large bowl (serves about 2-3). We also go the spring rolls appetizer which was great as well. The Thai iced tea was too sweet for my taste. We got a free dessert for a birthday and got a freezer burned scoop of mango ice cream - but it was free, so I can't complain there. Overall I think this is a gem of a place on the main drag in Newport area. Definitely worth checking out, though its small so would recommend getting a reservation or at least calling ahead. Street parking. BYOB.

    (4)

  • C S.

    This place is fantastic! Had the green curry, mango sticky rice and Thai iced coffee. The curry was just the right amount of spicy and the mango sticky rice was the prettiest and most delicious sticky rice I have ever eaten! The iced coffee was also absolutely delicious. Service was quick and server was very attentive. Will definitely be back here when I find myself back on Balboa Beach!

    (5)

  • Brynn S.

    LOVE this place. My husband and I have been coming here pretty regularly the past 2 years (at least). I tend to always get the same thing (or at least alternate) between the pumpkin curry and the jungle curry. Both are amazing. Pumpkin curry is less spicy than the Jungle curry. I get a large side of rice and take whatever I don't eat home with me (which sometimes is nothing). My husband always get the Drunken Noodles and loves them. If we are super hungry we split an exotic rice as a starter also. All are delicious. We take friends here all the time and they always love their food and the place also. So I feel like you can't go wrong with whatever you get at this place. Prices are fantastic. BYOB makes it that much better. It can get SUPER busy in the restaurant plus take-out orders can lead to long times waiting at the table for your water or for the server to take your order. So if it's busy when you arrive, be patient.

    (5)

  • Robin W.

    Very good thai food at decent prices in a casual setting. Have had the soup, the massaman and penang curry, pad see ewe and it is all very tasty. They make it with just the right amount of spice (but they have a nice plate of fiery chili options just in case you need more). The service is efficient and friendly. It is a great neighborhood find.

    (4)

  • Clayton H.

    As you will read within a few other reviews, it is a bit chaotic given they do not take reservations and it is a small place. Small, but mighty! The Cream Puff appetizer is tasty, a dish most would enjoy. I had the Drunken Noodle, tasty, glass noodles and great spicy level. Great food overall. As you will also read, the best part: the restaurant has no corking fee!! Feel free to bring your own beer or wine of your choice and they'll provide the glassware. Cool place! Stoked to live close and have this place to feed my Thai cravings. (Tip: Not ideal for parties of 6 or more, as it is a small venue. On a busy night, a bigger group could have quite the hefty wait.)

    (4)

  • Nicole G.

    Everything here is delicious! I love to crab fried rice but you seriously can't go wrong with any of the menu items.

    (5)

  • Andrew M.

    Preface: My review of Mint Leaf Thai cuisine may be skewed. We went to this restaurant just to grab a quick bite after a walk at the beach and we must have gotten there after everyone else had just left. There were dirty tables and dishes on about 1/2 of the tables. First impressions are everything they say and this was a poor first impression. The decor and overall look of the place was nice but the lingering dishes reflected a staff issue not a building issue. So, with that we sat down at the cleanest table and then were told to move because that table is for six people...it was 3 2 tops pushed together...We ordered food from our weird awkwardly fake friendly waiter and then chaos hit! They were getting slammed with carry-out and deliver orders non-stop then a group of bros came in who had tried ordering online and failed and were crowding the poor waiter/cashier man's space generally being aloof to the fact he was busy with phone calls and getting food out. He did his best got us our food and dealt with the bros and after they left the room's testosterone level went back to normal. Slow to get the check but he was quick to run my card. Food was average. Nothing popped. So average score for average food.

    (3)

  • J D.

    New favorite restaurant on the peninsula. It's a little small but they make great use of the space and I love the ambience...very nice decor. It was actually quiet for being pretty busy, so that was nice. The staff was very friendly, we had two people helping us and both were good. Now for the food....so good!! We had an appetizer, split two entrées, and shared a dessert and everything was amazing. I will definitely become a regular here :) It looks like they have good lunch specials as well so I plan on checking that out. Update: I gave this place 5 stars before I even realized you could bring your own wine and that's typically a game changer! Tip: Since my 1st review they took tempura ice cream off the menu. Fortunately I had a picture on my phone and a helpful waiter to have them make it But please bring it back! See pic :)

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 10

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : Yes
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Intimate
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Mint Leaf Thai Cuisine

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