Chiang Mai Thai Restaurant
4898 Emerald St, Boise, ID, 83706
Chiang Mai Thai Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Boise for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Boise for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Boise for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
4898 Emerald St
Boise, ID, 83706 - Phone (208) 342-4051
- Website https://chiangmaihousethai.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey, Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Kevin G.
Wow. Just had a terrible experience here! So this place was a top favorite here in town and we always get the green curry with tofu. As a gift from my mother we went in tonight to get our usual, and granted it was really busy, they made a mistake and gave us red curry. We wanted to let them know(and were planning on eating it anyway) but they tried to brush it off as green. We ate some and it was OBVIOUSLY a red curry! (we are curry conisours) So we mention it again with the same response. Then a woman sitting next to us got her GREEN curry, which was obviously a green curry, I lost my appitite. We told the waitress, who got the owner... She would not back down or offer us to fix it! She said next time we should order it less spicy, and I replied next time we'll go somewhere else. Then our waitress had enough integrity to admit the mistake, but was powerless to do anything. And that is how it went down. And that is how you lose customers and get bad reviews on yelp.
(1)Kim B.
I love Chiang Mai! I love it over ANY of the Thai restaurants in town and I have been to all of them except for Thai Naylan. The portions are huge for the price! And when you ask for it with 3 stars it hot just like it suppose to be! The fresh rolls and satay are delicious!! And do not get my started on the Tom Yum Soup (white coconut soup) we tried the Tom Yum soup at Pad Thai House and it wasn't very good it had something in that tasted like pine! I could just devour the soup and that its! I love in the Pad Thai that when you get beef its like grilled steak! When I got that at Pad Thai House its like mushy meat!! The restaurant may look like a little hole in the ground from the outside and sometimes you can here the drunkards next door at the Navajo Room singing but its fun to try to guess what song they are singing. And the food totally makes it totally worth it! They re-did the interior and it looks soo much better! Please go to Chiang Mai I recommend any of the curry or the Pad Thai and my husband love the Laad Nah and the Chiang Mai Fried rice!! AWESOME!!!!! You cant form your own opinion if you dont try it!!
(5)S. S.
If you are looking for a great place for a nice Thai dinner...this may be a good option for you; however, beware of the various charges associated with select menu items that could make this more expensive than you had originally bargained for. After eating at numerous places and enjoying many meals, I alway choose the whole fish fried with a spicy sauce to test out the place and Chiang Mai didn't dissappoint. At the conclusion of my gastronomic adventure I was pleased by the tasty fried goodness that was my fish and the flavorful tidbits that I had grazed from the plates of my friends; however, this was the end of the enjoyment at Chiang Mai. At the conclusion of our lengthy meal, with the service being markedly slow, distracted, but friendly service for a Wednesday evening I was presented with the check... Not scary, but somewhat higher than expected...but not to worry, we had arrived prepared with a Restaurants.com gift certificate that could take a chunk of that away-or so we thought. First: Beware of the fried fish dish. They will add a random amount-in my case 3 dollars-to the listed price on the menu depending on the size of the fish that they provide you. Mind you, you do not get to chose the size of the fish nor are you informed that they charge more for a bigger fish...I would have been happier with a smaller fish for 3 bucks less- I was not expecting to pay eighteen bucks for my meal. Second: Gift Certificates from Restaurant.com So, the 3 dollar add-on fee for a fish that I didn't chose would have been remedied by using the 10 dollar, yes, 10 dollar-off gift certificate purchased from Restaurants.com . One would think that after the party purchased well over 75 dollars worth of food and beverages from Chiang Mai, that their profit margin would be well above the trivial 10 dollars PLUS eighteen percent auto-gratuity that was added-not so. Unless one orders the oh-so tame Pad Thai or similar dishes, which may be good, but certainly don't encompass the true Thai flavors and foods that make Thai food so amazing, the ENTIRE TABLE cannot use the gift certificate...so despite the fact that we spend over 75 dollars, we couldn't use the 10 dollars off, simple because my dish didn't qualify. So, basically it broke down to this: if anybody in your party, even if you sit at different tables or split the checks ordered a beer, glass of wine, or a dish like mine-a house specialty, not special-nobody can use the certificate...even though somebody acutally paid for the gift certificate...BUYER BEWARE!!!!! And, there was NO room for discussion-despite attempting to reason with the staff-they could have made a great tip if they would have listened...but no. In conclusion to my long, drawn out review: I will not return to the Chiang Mai, despite it's great food and incredible proximity to my house-less than 100 yards- due to the shady accounting associated with menu selections, and unethical failure to honor gift certificates that have been paid for..I am so dissapointed in you Chiang Mai, I had such high hopes.
(1)T M.
Ok... Green papaya Salald - HORRIBLE! yuck! Couldn't even eat it. Got something I didn't order and they wouldn't take it back! Even talked to the owner of the restaurant and they wouldn't budge... pretty awful experience... go to Thai Cuisine instead, it is so good with WAY BETTER service.
(1)BoiseFoodie A.
I had been lamenting the lack of good Asian food in Boise on one of my reviews on Yelp when I received a msg from a fellow local Yelp user about this place (Thanks!). Several of my colleagues swear by it but somehow I'd neglected to give them a try. Boy, was I missing out. They are top notch. Food is excellent - not too Americanized. When they say how hot you want your food - pay attention. 3 out of 5 is really really hot and this is coming from a person with a really healthy tolerance for eastern spices. Next time I am going to go with level 2. Staff is super friendly. We will definitely go back.
(4)Shayna W.
I'm new to Thai food and love the food at Chiang MAI. They are very helpful with explaining the dishes and the portions are plentiful. My husband and I love to order a ton of dishes and share and try something new every time. The prices can't be beat, the service is always great and the food is excellent.
(5)Amanda C.
I've only had great meals at Chiang Mai. This place has the best Thai food in Boise (I admit I haven't tried them ALL) and great prices too! Its a great place to take Boise visitors too because it has a nice atmosphere. Sometimes I crave the appetizer Fresh Rolls or others so much that we just go there for a meal of appetizers. This is our stand-by fast easy and great night out spot!
(5)Ariel H.
YUM. We moved here from a city that has a Thai place every three blocks. We didn't realize how spoiled we were there until we moved to Boise. Thai food had become our weeknight-and-I-don't-want-to-cook comfort food. We don't want to spend a fortune, but we want a steaming pile of noodles, too (that's not to say we don't appreciate "authentic" or "good" Thai, too, Pok Pok, anyone?--but we were looking for our "Red Robin" of Thai). Chiang MAI fits the bill perfectly for quick Thai take-out on the way home from work. Spicy, flavorful, and a large menu to choose from, we'll be going here frequently. It's not much to look at, and it's in kind of a funny location, but I liked it quite a bit better than Siam Thai. Also, what is it with Boise Thai restaurants being so Pan-Asian? Why not just Thai food??
(5)Lou M.
This was the second vissit to Chiang Mai and I have to say the food is very good as well as the service. Now for the bad. I have never in my 68 years been in a dirtier restaurant. On this trip we sat close to the kitchen doors and Oh My God. Trust me on this one, it is unsanitary and we plan on calling the Board Of Health first thing Monday. Even the walls inside the eating area are filthy
(1)Gloria C.
Reviews are all about bias, so: best Thai curry in town. Any color. Don't ask for hot, you will die (unless you don't, some people are ok with super hot). I like medium, as I can taste the many flavors and have a good amount of heat. Mango sticky rice is especially good when the mango is in season, the dish is available year-round. Pineapple fried rice..mmm. Pad Thai, crunchy and tasty. Good soups. Friendly/fast/know our names service. Take-out! In a hurry, call ahead.
(4)Waynele Y.
The food here was pretty good though I thought it was weird that they had Chinese food items on their menu (sesame chicken, beef broccoli, mongolian beef etc). We had some spicy noodle dish (forgot what it was called #72? - above Pad See Ew) and Spicy Shrimp (in house specialties section). Both were very good. The spicy noodles were REALLY spicy. It was like a spicy version of Pad See Ew minus the egg. The shrimp was equally good, not as spicy, with a little bit of sweetness. I would recommend both dishes. The restaurant fell short of four stars because of the ambiance (kind of tacky/overdone--very decorative "thai" pieces everywhere) and because it felt a little bit on the dirty side though I've been to worse.
(3)Kevin G.
Wow. Just had a terrible experience here! So this place was a top favorite here in town and we always get the green curry with tofu. As a gift from my mother we went in tonight to get our usual, and granted it was really busy, they made a mistake and gave us red curry. We wanted to let them know(and were planning on eating it anyway) but they tried to brush it off as green. We ate some and it was OBVIOUSLY a red curry! (we are curry conisours) So we mention it again with the same response. Then a woman sitting next to us got her GREEN curry, which was obviously a green curry, I lost my appitite. We told the waitress, who got the owner... She would not back down or offer us to fix it! She said next time we should order it less spicy, and I replied next time we'll go somewhere else. Then our waitress had enough integrity to admit the mistake, but was powerless to do anything. And that is how it went down. And that is how you lose customers and get bad reviews on yelp.
(1)Stanton C.
It's weird to give this place a 3 after giving the Thai temple near my house a 3, too. They're on different levels... but here we go: We started coming to this place to get away from downtown during lunch. One of my coworkers has to feed his Thai fix weekly and Mai Thai was getting a little boring. My coworkers came here first without me, but brought me here afterwards and we've been coming here ever since. Compared to Mai Thai, things seems a little more home-y here instead of modern decor. Also, they just remodeled so it feels a little more private (they added a couple walls whereas before it was just lots of tables). The lunch specials are okay - if you don't like peas and carrots (like me), I'd avoid getting the fried rice with your lunch entree. My favorite so far has to be the Pineapple Fried Rice - the portion is HUGE and it has shrimp, pineapple, and CASHEWS. My coworkers like the fresh rolls and the Tom Kha soup as well. I'm not a huge fan of the rolls because of their dense rice wrappers (I'm used to lighter ones), but the Tom Kha is pretty good. We've come here consistently and I think we'll keep coming back as a standby. It's not the best Thai I've had, but it isn't bad for Boise...
(3)David F.
Have to downgrade after some disgusting Tom Yum Goong recently. The shrimp was disintegrating.
(3)Chris B.
My favorite Thai restaurant in Boise. Can get pretty busy on weekend evenings (or maybe they were just short staffed that night).
(4)Minerva J.
Chiang Mai House has the best Pad Thai in Boise. The strip mall area that it is in may lack ambience, but this restaurant is sure to satisfy. The decor is expectedly quirky. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. This is delicious Thai food with a casual atmosphere.
(5)Paige F.
Best Thai food in Boise! enough said.
(5)Lisa S.
This is the best curry in Boise. I've tried every Thai place in town. Everything I've had here has been good, and I've never had bad service. They really dote on you! You get twice as much food at Chiang Mai for less money than downtown, and the food is better. As the other reviewers have said, they will make your food extra spicy on request. They don't mess around, so you have been forewarned!
(5)Brooke P.
Good food. Great Service. The server filled never let our water glasses get empty but wasn't intrusive. The appetizer arrived less than 5 minutes after our order was taken and the main meal within 10 of the appetizer. The appetizers are somewhat expensive at about $6-8 each but the crab ragoon was worth it.The main dishes are about $10 each but didn't have as much food as the other reviews led me to expect. Still, two dishes for my husband and I was more than enough and we had left overs. We had chicken pad thai which had smaller noodles than we're used to but great flavor and mongolian beef. I was pleasantly surprised that the beef was good quality and not stringy like most asian restaurants I've been to. The atmosphere was nice too. We will definitely be back.
(4)Michelle K.
I'm always a little nervous trying ethnic restaurants in a new city without reading reviews, but it was getting a bit late in the evening and I had to find something before I was stuck eating fast food. The waitresses inside were friendly and I could see a number of tables with patrons eating delicious looking and smelling food. I decided to try the spicy seafood soup as an appetizer and the sliced rare beef salad. The soup was full of seafood and surprisingly spicy enough to encourage me to sip carefully. The beef salad was wonderful as well. It was artfully arranged on a plate with sliced cucumbers and lettuce. I really enjoyed the tenderness of the beef and the delicious fish sauce dressing. Next time I'm in town, I am excited to try some more of their dishes.
(5)danger m.
i like the food here, especially the noodles, some of the better thai in town for sure. if you go in a big group they have some family-style specials (multiple entrees/appetizers) which gives you a good variety of food at an affordable price. be warned their spice level is a kick above the rest of places in town. the service is pretty on par with most asian restaurants if not a little bit better, the waitresses are friendly enough. if you are craving thai, i would definitely check this place out.
(4)Matt T.
I'm not sure why some reviews have it as the best Thai in town. Its just OK. I've been a few times. Service has always been good but the food is nothing spectacular.
(3)Julie E.
This is the first Thai food I've had in Boise and I really enjoyed it. I agree the location is kind of odd, but the decor is lovely and the servers are all very nice. They were busy during a weekday lunch, so perhaps they need to hire a few more, but the food was well worth the wait. After we ordered they brought a soup with ground chicken, cabbage, tofu and noodles. We had an appetizer of pork and seeds that was well presented, and then the main course.. Pineapple Fried Rice! This version had a bit more soy sauce in the preparation than I am accustomed to, but it was wonderfully tasty and the presentation, again, just lovely. Someone in their kitchen does a great job with garnishes. I also had a Thai Iced tea.. it was a bit sweet for me, but that can vary depending on who is mixing them . I will definitely go back. the one down point is that I had ordered an item to go for when we were ready to leave, but they didn't start cooking in until I'd paid.. the poor server was so sweet though and she obviously appreciated the fact that I didn't go nuclear on her.
(4)Dave B.
This is the best Thai restaurant in town. My favorites are (please forgive my poor spelling) the musuman curry with chicken, thom ka gai soup, and fresh rolls. This restaurant is about the only place that can make me eat my vegetables... It is all so good. One more tip -go easy on how many spicy stars you want for your dish; these people are not afraid to make it super HOT!
(5)Cody E.
Excellent option for quick, reasonably priced takeout. Most recently, we ordered two noodle dishes with beef and shrimp, along with crab rangoons. Food is delicious (it's not too spicy or artificially sweetened like a lot of American Thai). Also, the portions are large, so two orders can feed maybe four people. An excellent choice for reasonable Thai food!
(5)John V.
I am obsessed with all the complex and intoxicating ingredients that are found in Thai cooking - chilies, lemon grass, lime, GARLIC, cumin, coconut - so when I find a restaurant that can put them together properly I am ready to open my wallet again and again and again to experience this world class cuisine. Chiang Mai House prepares superb Thai food...I wonder if I can get a house account because I am going to be coming here a lot, the food is that good. Try the fresh rolls: you get three of them, each cut in 1/2 (that would be 6 pieces for you non-math majors). These are a total deal @ 6.75 and they are great for sharing! Served with peanut dipping sauce and chili sauce (found on the table). The Tom Yum Koong soup is great for what ails you. I should quote from the movie The Exorcist: "it burns, it burns"; lemon grass, kaffir lime, galangal - all the wonderful tastes of Thai brought together in a mesmerizing combination that is quintessential Thai. The bowl size can be a meal in itself. I can't imagine how generously sized the pot must be! Pad Kra Pao (Basil Stir-Fry): mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapeno, onions, carrots, and sweet basil leaf. Add chicken. Yummy. Salty. Garlic-y. Intoxicating. Red Curry: red bell pepper, basil, Thai eggplant. So spicy, so rich with the coconut milk; there is garlic of course, and chili peppers, and galangal and fish stock and kaffir lime, and cumin and lemongrass and OMFG oh so tasty. So, why 4 stars? Even though the service is friendly, it seems as if they are in a rush to get you out of here. Just keep shooing them away, they are secondary to the food. I love that the place is not fancy, not in the 'burbs, not next to a mall, and not in gentrified downtown. Added bonus is that it is next to a colorful bar which offers its own kind of spice and heat!
(4)P N.
Ordered take out - Pad See Ew . Best description is lazy. I don't think they even bothered to stir fry the noodles, very limp and watery. No sign of an egg and the chicken a little off. Won't be going there again.
(2)Bob S.
Enjoyed the soup special, green curry with shrimp, and panang curry with chicken. The food was wonderful and the service excellent. Will definitely return.
(5)Kevin Q.
I've been here MANY times and not once have I had a bad experience. Today I had the yellow curry lunch special, that came with a house soup. Egg drop. The meal was delicious... prompt seating, meal was quick and had a Thai iced tea with it. Perfect. You can't go wrong with Chang Mai.
(5)Waynele Y.
The food here was pretty good though I thought it was weird that they had Chinese food items on their menu (sesame chicken, beef broccoli, mongolian beef etc). We had some spicy noodle dish (forgot what it was called #72? - above Pad See Ew) and Spicy Shrimp (in house specialties section). Both were very good. The spicy noodles were REALLY spicy. It was like a spicy version of Pad See Ew minus the egg. The shrimp was equally good, not as spicy, with a little bit of sweetness. I would recommend both dishes. The restaurant fell short of four stars because of the ambiance (kind of tacky/overdone--very decorative "thai" pieces everywhere) and because it felt a little bit on the dirty side though I've been to worse.
(3)Brian M.
I'm a fan ... great lunch deals, not as good a deal at night. I'm a big fan of the Chow Mein ... others i know really like how spicy you can get your dish. That's not my style but i do like to watch 'em sweat. They could do with a little tidy / spruce up of the restaurant / bathrooms but it doesn't keep me from going. As a friend likes to say, "It is what it is". Well said.
(3)Aspen R.
One of the best Thai restaurants in Boise! The food here is excellent; especially the curry! Waitstaff is friendly and they always have smiling faces. Once your order is placed, your food is on the table before you know it. Prices are extremely reasonable and portion sizes are large. There is plenty of seating for a large group in the center of the restaurant and booths along the walls for a more intimate dining experience.
(4)Gwen M.
With all the Thai restaurants now available, its nice to find one that offers dependably great food and good service. We ordered Tom Ka, red curry, yellow curry and Pad sew - all were tasty and hot. We were surprised that the Pad sew, ordered with 2 stars seemed spicier than 2 stars, but it was delicious nonetheless. Would definitely recommend this for dinner - take out or dine in.
(4)Janet N.
Just had the Pad Kee Mao, aka Drunken Noodle, and had my sinuses cleaned out. The Pad Kee Mao is a flat rice noodle dish with veggies, jalapeños, basil, and Thai chilis with your choice of meat. The food was delicious and not too spicy (can be adjusted) but had enough spice to make your nose a little runny. The service, however, was subpar, I understand lunch time gets busy, but instead of dropping the check halfway in our meal and condescendingly saying "don't feel rushed to leave" and never coming back to ask we wanted more water, soda, or to-go box have the courtesy to ask if the check is together or separate. You should know that at this hour your clientele is mostly coworkers who will be paying for their own portion.
(4)April N.
Definitely not my first choice for Thai in Boise. I ordered the yellow curry and asked for a "1 spice" level with chicken. The portion was decent and fairly priced for a lunch special, and came with the soup of the day, which appeared to be a chicken noodle type deal. My curry was not spicy at all, and had hardly any chicken. Some positives: my friends ordered Thai teas which were excellent, and an order of crab rangoons which were also very good. They also seemed to enjoy their entrees, mine was just okay. The lunch rush caused a line at the front cashier who had to ring each individual up separately, and by herself. If you're in a hurry to get back to work from your lunch break, be weary. Basically, the food was okay if you're in the area and MUST have Asian, but as I said, not my first choice. Not bad, but not the best.
(3)John H.
Not yet having lived in Boise for a full year, this is the first place I patronized after moving here ... my first dinner out. By now, I've eaten here four, maybe five times. Yesterday was the first time for lunch during daylight hours (see below). Every item on the lunch menu is $7.95. So, I had the Pad Thai with chicken and fried rice on the side. I washed it all down with a Thai Ice Tea. Even the lunch-sized serving was too much for me at one sitting. So, I left with a box. The waitress even added-in additional fried rice to top-off the box. This is all to say, a very large serving and it was quite good, especially for the price. The Thai Ice Tea was $2.95 and worth every penny; very good, served in a large, tall glass. The service, although friendly, was less than perfect. Turns out, I was the last customer before they closed after the lunch hours ... so ... the waitresses may have already mentally checked-out for that shift. Again, when they were around, they were friendly. However, I was looking for them a couple of times and they were nowhere in sight. My experiences during the times I have been in here for dinner, when it was far more busy, were completely different ... the service was excellent. I am giving this place only three stars because the place needs a deep scrubbing. Eating here in the daylight for the first time yesterday, I could see the dust, everywhere. The light fixtures need a cleaning. The floor needs a deep clean and, perhaps, even a resurfacing (carpet?). As much as I enjoy the food here, I could not help but ask myself what the kitchen looks like if the restaurant seating area is so much in need of cleaning. I'll certainly go back but maybe after dark. :-)
(3)Michele R.
Highly suggestible when it comes to food, I have had a craving for summer rolls since reading Lydia L's review a few days ago for a restaurant near her home along with photo of luscious looking specimens of the same. Lunch time and my husband and I found ourselves near Chiang Mai Thai where I figured summer rolls would be in the offerings. Had I not remembered reading some decent Yelp reviews for this place I would have passed on by given the location in a seedy strip mall. Bottom line from our experience: Chiang Mai isn't a bad place to stop if you're in the area and craving food that is Southeast Asian or Chinese in concept, if not authentic in execution. It isn't a place we'll go back to again but glad we tried it. Once. So let's start with the GOOD THINGS:. 1) The spring rolls were good. Freshly filled and expertly rolled. I would have been a bigger fan if they contained some SE Asian herbs in the mix, like cilantro, Thai basil and mint instead of only lettuce as the greens element. I liked the dipping sauce served with them was a vinegar tart, sweet, salty offering instead of the more usual peanut sauce. I used red chili paste on the table to add spicy heat to the mix. 2) Very friendly service. It seemed virtually a wave of people were leaving through the narrow entry as we tried to enter just after 1:00 and we had the then advantage of few tables being occupied and attentive servers. Food was delivereed promptly with hot food served hot and cold food served cold. 3) Decent seating options including booths with elephant pattern woven tablecloths topped with glass or formica topped tables and chairs all at standard height. 4) Good music selection on the sound system of rock ancients like Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger. (Embarrasingly, I know all the words to all the songs.) Set at at a low enough level to know it was there but not to override all else. 5) Prices were low ($19 before tax for three dishes at lunch) and servings were large. But I'd rather have higher prices and smaller servings of better food. Which leads to the list of 'NOT SO MUCH THINGS': 1) Like many Thai restaurants in the area the menu seems an amalgam of Chinese - American and Thai items with the latter tamed down from the robust flavors I have enjoyed at Thai restaurants in cities like Portland, San Franciso, Las Vegas or even my former hometown of Bend. For a city of Bosie's size it is surprising to find so many Thai restaurants don't "pick a lane and drive in it" for authentic Thai food. 2) The food is just OK "minus". Pad Thai is one of those dishes I am almost ashamed to hear myself order as it is sometimes so poorly done, but when it is well made it is a treasure. It was on the lunch menu here and so I ordered it as a good litmus test for any Thai restaurant which arguably ought to get this rice noodle dish right. (Like say an Italian restaurant's ability to turn out spaghetti marinara right.) This was not the worst Pad Thai I've ever had, but it was not good Pad Thai either. My husband veered to a Chinese food item selecting Hoonan (not a typo, that is how it appeared on menu) vegetables. The mix of veggies, whicih included bok choy, napa cabbage and pea pods, was cooked to just right toothsome doneness. Oversauced, but that seems to be a trend in Chinese - American food service, with too much soy sauce in the mix of things, another trend, and just barely a hint of the Hunan heat as promised on the menu. 3) The infrastructure of the restaurant looks like it is falling apart, from the parking lot through the door and all around. Which may be nothing the restaurant owners can do anything about unless they own the building. 4) Getting in the door can be a challenge at the narrow entry as people are going out and you are coming in given they have a host station set up as "traffic stop". It is awkward and uninviting. This they could fix. THIS N THAT: 1) PARKING: The ramshakle lot shows looks rode hard and put away wet, but it is a lot with parking and that is a good thing in spite of the condition. 2) NEIGHBORS: Bar to the left, Asian Market 2 to the right. The latter is an interesting place if you're trying to find some harder to find SE Asian ingredients like shrimp paste or a choice of half a dozen plus brands of fish sauce. 3) ACCESSIBILITY: One blue wheelchair marked spot in the entire lot is outside the Asian Market. It is not van accessible. Restaurant is level in and throughout. Table seating is standard height. Adequate path of travel to several tables.
(3)Michelle S.
My favorite Thai restaurant in Boise. Their spring rolls are simply amazing! I love going for lunch because you get a side of delicious fried (yet seemingly not too heavy) rice and a delicious cup of soup (flavor varies by day). If I am craving Thai, this is the place I go! Oh, their shrimp in lobster sauce and pineapple red curry are recent favs! Not lunch menu items though.... which is fine :)
(5)Nate P.
I really try to love this place because when they are on the food is fantastic! When they off...super disappointing. Tonight they are way off. Pad Thai is bland and spring rolls are like they were made yesterday. Come on guys stay consistent and I will visit more.
(3)Brian S.
I am no foodie, but I grew up eating food from the San Francisco Bay Area which is not short on restaurants. I moved to Boise and really miss the variety of good food I once had. I had a great culinary surprise at Chang Mai. I ordered the Pad Kee Mao spicy noodles and got exactly what I imagined back home only better. Nice wide noodles, layered with hot peppers, they meant spicy! They had a touch of fresh basil and a bit of crunchy cabbage to offset the noodle, very nice. I was surprised and so was my wife who ordered chow mein, her favorite is green beans and I wanted her to go over the top where I was, so I asked and I received. Great green beans a bit spicy with a tiny bit of spicy sausage and garlic to pop the dried green beans. It all worked, soup was ok, tea was luke warm, ambience is cheap Thai and service is cheaper Thai. The servers were super nice, spoke English (American) and supplied me with whatever I asked. If its 3pm no noodles for you! I think I will make sure I am in before cut off, regularly. I am bringing friends so I can try theirs, as I will have to order spicy noodles. I would like to save room for the mango sticky rice and coconut ice cream next time.
(4)Leland B.
Really tasty Thai. Some of the best Tom Yum soup I've had, with a good balance of hot and sour tastes. Had a noodle dish which probably went a little heavy on the jalapeños. Fast service to get the food out, but then a little lite on attention after that.
(4)Audrey B.
My boyfriend, mother and I tried going yesterday around 2:45 pm. The waitress was friendly enough. She sat us down, got us water and menus and immediately asked if we were ready to order. We all looked at her confused as she told us the kitchen leaves right at 3 and then she simply walked away with no explanation.... We all sat for minute wondering why she would even seat us if she is going to be passive aggressive about it. Then another waitress comes and tries to take our order within seconds of her leaving the table! Not coming here ever again. There are plenty of friendlier, tastier Thai food places in Boise.
(1)Rook T.
Always yummy! Always friendly. Always authentic. Always happy to please and customize your dish. Always burn my face off and spend three days with RING OF FIRE if I order more than "2 star spicy" on any dish. I'm a regular and will keep coming back for more masochistic green curry, pad Thai, Tom ka Kai, Tom ka ga, pad woonsen, and pad kra Prik, just to name a few dishes that are like an Asian tongue massage! Oh Gaaahd!
(4)Eric B.
This food is mediocre at best. We got takeout; after eating, I debated putting the leftovers in the trash instead of the fridge. I have no clue why this place is so popular. We moved here from Portland, and the only Thai food in Boise that comes close to Portland or Seattle standards is A Taste of Thai at 8053 Emerald (by TGI Fridays near the mall). That place isn't incredible, but it's much better than this.
(1)John S.
I have been going to Chiang Mai Thai for lunch between once a week and once every week for several months. Recently, I had a bad experience that changed my opinion of them, which had been good up to this point. The restaurant was about three-quarters full, which is pretty typical for a lunch service. I was seated promptly, had my order taken and was served my bowl of soup all within a reasonable time. Then the waiting began. And continued. And continued some more. After 22 minutes since I ordered, my waitress came with the bill. She did a double- and triple-take at the table as she sees my entree dish is not there. She gulped and asked whether I had received my meal. No. Nevermind that she passed my table at least three times since serving the soup, yet it didn't register that I hadn't gotten my food. She never even noticed, because she had her blinders on since she wasn't going to my table during those passes. She apologized and said she'd take care of it. And then I went back to waiting. Another waitress came by to refill my water glass and asked if I was finished. I told her I was still waiting for my meal. And she realized I had been sitting there much longer than folks at other tables that had been served already. Later, another server came by and asked if I had gotten my food. No. The original waitress came toward my table again with the bill, but looked ahead and saw I still was waiting and turned around and went the other way. By the time I finally got my food, 45 minutes had elapsed from the time I ordered. The waitress apologized again, but it didn't seem very sincere. And this was a woman who had served me probably seven or eight times before. At the end, they said they would take 25 percent off the bill. I thought to myself, that was a time where you should comp the meal. As it is, I won't return here despite having enjoyed their food and service every other time I had been there.
(1)Neda S.
Chiang mai used to be sooo much better. Unfortunately I've seen their quality decrease over the years. It is still my go-to thai place in town but I hope they catch up again. Get their pad prik khing.
(3)Jessica L.
By far my favorite place to eat in Boise. Everything is delicious but the potstickers will change your life they are so good! Seriously, if you go you HAVE TO try the potstickers!
(5)Guy H.
Food was so so. The restaurant itself is falling apart with cracks in the floor and chipped flooring everywhere. Staff was nice, polite and did their best while running around chaotically. The restaurant was nearly empty on a Friday night, do others must be noticing the filth too. We used to dine here often, but will likely not return anytime soon. A major remodel soon is needed to improve cleanliness. The loud racist group didn't help.
(1)Marc M.
Lunch specials are a great price. Green curry chicken is delicious. Not overpriced Thai food!!
(4)Nicole W.
Located in sort of a creepy strip mall, between a oriental market with limited selection and a bar with dark windows... Staff was very friendly and welcoming. As other said this place is homey and decorated almost completely with elephants - my favorite animal! I asked for pad thai - figured i'd go with the staple to do a comparison. I said - i would like it hot. Our server says we have a 1-5 for hot levels. I said 4. She talked me down to a 3. Sigh. I guess I should have said i wasn't from Idaho! My other diners went with 2 different curries. We all shared and theirs were pretty good, but again, definitely not enough heat. My pad thai was meh. It was greasy, it didn't have enough heat, it was pretty sweet, no bean sprouts... Definitely not impressive. At the end of the meal we asked for 4 containers for the 2 curries, pad thai and the rice. My co-diner feared putting the curries into the regular Chinese take out boxes. That should have been something obvious. Probably wont return, i'll see what the rest of the city has to offer.
(3)Megs H.
Actually... make that 0 stars. Don't go here. Stay away. I want it all to myself. I'd prefer not to share my favorite Thai place in town. Thanks! Or... get the chicken green curry and the fresh rolls. Mongolian beef is amazing. Pad thai is outstanding. Service is peppy and sometimes slow, sometimes ridiculous fast. Sketchy location but as long as you dodge the drunks outside the Navajo, you'll be golden. This place deserves awards for how good it is! Love love love! Favorite Thai place in town.
(5)David L.
The Pad Prik Khing I ordered was quite different from what I was expecting. I am used to a mixture of green beans, coconut milk, chicken, red curry paste, sliced red pepper and lots of basil. What I got instead certainly was the Pad Prik Khing from a different regional cooking style. It could have been Northern Thai style, since Chiang Mai, the city, is in the north of Thailand. Regardless, the combination of stir fry chicken, Asian bean, bell pepper, peas, carrots, ginger, kaffir leaves and straw mushrooms was VERY different. It was good, but not as good as what I remember from other restaurants in other cities. I'm going to sample other Thai restaurants in Boise for the elusive Pad Prik Khing I covet before I return to the Chiang Mai.
(3)Jeni K.
I was hesitant to try any Thai besides Saw-Wah-Dee but this place holds it's own! Had the FRESH ROLLS for an appetizer--fantastic and the YELLOW CURRY and CHICKEN, SCALLOP & SHRIMP SKILLET were absolutely delicious! The service was fast and very friendly. They all seemed to be working together which made the meal run smoothly. Out table was always clean and our glasses always full. We left happy and will come again SOON!
(5)Amy K.
Located in a strip mall next to a sketchy looking dive bar. Frozen vegetables in the red curry I ordered. Ugly decor. Server was the best part although it seemed like most people were doing take-out. I feel like Pad Thai is a good way to measure a Thai restaurant....I tried a bit of my friend's and they just didn't have the flavors dialed in correctly. It was much too sweet. My friends seem to love this place. I am clearly spoiled after having lived in Seattle. Still looking for a decent Thai option in Boise. It doesn't seem like I will find one.
(2)Matt T.
I'm not sure why some reviews have it as the best Thai in town. Its just OK. I've been a few times. Service has always been good but the food is nothing spectacular.
(3)Julie E.
This is the first Thai food I've had in Boise and I really enjoyed it. I agree the location is kind of odd, but the decor is lovely and the servers are all very nice. They were busy during a weekday lunch, so perhaps they need to hire a few more, but the food was well worth the wait. After we ordered they brought a soup with ground chicken, cabbage, tofu and noodles. We had an appetizer of pork and seeds that was well presented, and then the main course.. Pineapple Fried Rice! This version had a bit more soy sauce in the preparation than I am accustomed to, but it was wonderfully tasty and the presentation, again, just lovely. Someone in their kitchen does a great job with garnishes. I also had a Thai Iced tea.. it was a bit sweet for me, but that can vary depending on who is mixing them . I will definitely go back. the one down point is that I had ordered an item to go for when we were ready to leave, but they didn't start cooking in until I'd paid.. the poor server was so sweet though and she obviously appreciated the fact that I didn't go nuclear on her.
(4)Steve T.
Cindi and I tried this place on the recommendation of someone we met at a party in McCall. Our gold standard for Thai food in Boise is Bangkok Thai by Boise Towne Square, so we were hoping Chiang Mai measured up. Alas, it was not to be. The service was terrible. Our tea (which they charge for!) took 15 minutes to get, and it was cool by the time it arrived. It took us 30 minutes to get our soup. Cindi's egg drop soup was bland with what appeared to be an oil slick on top of it. My Tom Kha Kai had good flavor, but was very watery. It took over 40 minutes for our main courses to arrive. Cindi's Mongolian beef had more onions than beef. The flavor was OK, but not as good as what you can get at Fortune Wok. My Pad Thai, which I ordered as a 4, was closer to a 2. Its flavor and texture were not even close to Bangkok Thai. One advantage of Chiang Mai is that you can order a wide selection of Thai and Chinese cuisine. But if you want good Thai, go elsewhere.
(2)Darius L.
The food was great. It took some convincing to get the owner to agree to bring me the Pad Ke Mow 5 star hot. It didn't disappoint. Fresh jalapeño chilies and red and green Thai chilies were all over the place. Ingredients were fresh and all over the place. The only knock that I have was the service. Took the owner 5 minutes to recognize that I was there and once I sat down another 10 minutes before I had a chance to order. She was nice, but they weren't the most attentive staff I've ever seen.
(3)A K.
It is in a strip mall, and that will throw you off a bit, but the food and the service are top notch. The pineapple red curry with shrimp has the kind of spicy tasty flavor so addictive you add more rice to the bowl to sop up every trace of sauce. the Tom Kai Kai is perfect. The Pad Thai is very good, but occasionally a bit bland- be sure and request they spice it up.
(4)Janice T.
I feel kinda crazy for ordering Sweet and Sour Pork at a Thai Restaurant 'coz it's something I should get at a Chinese restaurant but i'm glad they didn't disappoint. The serving was generous and it tasted really good. Our server was really nice, service time was reasonable. The mango sticky rice was delish...wished i didn't have to share it with hubby :) maybe next time i'll try their curries....
(4)James S.
Certainly the best Thai food in town. I was a regular lunchtime customer for years--all lunches served with soup for about $7. Recently I had my first dinner here and I was blown away. Every course was absolutely delicious. The service could not be friendlier either. Mak is the owner and primary waitress. She's one of the friendliest people I know. Her husband does the cooking. The two of them have been living in Idaho since they left Thailand about 20 years ago. Pan is the daytime waitress and also very cool. These are good people. Careful with your spice here. They operate on a 1-5 star system. I've spent most of my life near the Mexico border, and I can't handle anything more than 2 stars. Oh man, I love this restaurant!
(5)Jasmine P.
If no stars were an option I world have gave that. Went based on other reviews. Ordered to go: Chicken Pad Thai spicy 4 & Thai iced tea(pretty simple to get right for a "good" thai joint). Maybe I'm spoiled being from Portland but that was hands down the worst of BOTH. The noodles were a 2. No limes &if not for the tons of oil in the noodles they would have been dry. The tea was ALL creamer so sweet I the it out after one sip. Place smelled awesome tho which made my bad meal even worse.
(1)Jeff H.
If you are a fan of curries and good spice, Chiang Mai Thai is the absolute best in Boise. The service and prices are good and they provide you with enough rice to finish your meal without additional charges.
(5)Rick S.
I love Chiang Mai. First of all, forget the fact that they are friendly, have great service, and so on. I have to say that it is difficult to find any quality Asian cuisine the further you travel from the coasts. The New York City area usually has the best Thai food, or so I have experienced. However, Chiang Mai is as good as any I have every had. The curries, particularly the Red Curry will blow you mind.
(4)mundovore m.
I have tried the papaya salad and it was just so-so. It seems like almost everything else on the menu is great. The curry seems to be made from fresh coconut milk. I tried the larb most recently (with beef) and was blown away by the flavor. It's the best thing on the menu.
(3)Kim B.
I love Chiang Mai! I love it over ANY of the Thai restaurants in town and I have been to all of them except for Thai Naylan. The portions are huge for the price! And when you ask for it with 3 stars it hot just like it suppose to be! The fresh rolls and satay are delicious!! And do not get my started on the Tom Yum Soup (white coconut soup) we tried the Tom Yum soup at Pad Thai House and it wasn't very good it had something in that tasted like pine! I could just devour the soup and that its! I love in the Pad Thai that when you get beef its like grilled steak! When I got that at Pad Thai House its like mushy meat!! The restaurant may look like a little hole in the ground from the outside and sometimes you can here the drunkards next door at the Navajo Room singing but its fun to try to guess what song they are singing. And the food totally makes it totally worth it! They re-did the interior and it looks soo much better! Please go to Chiang Mai I recommend any of the curry or the Pad Thai and my husband love the Laad Nah and the Chiang Mai Fried rice!! AWESOME!!!!! You cant form your own opinion if you dont try it!!
(5)Steve M.
Great traiditonal Thai food that is extremely tasty with custom spicy options level 1-5. If you want to clear your sinus's and burn through your meal a level 5 won't dissapoint :). For quality, quantity, and price, it's the best place for Thai food in Boise.
(5)Lisa E.
Go here for lunch instead of dinner. You get the same food for half the price during lunch. I've had a lot of Thai food - a lot! This place ranks up there with some of the best. Solid pad thai and curries. Service is friendly and fast.
(4)Chelsea L.
Although I haven't tried all of the thai food places in Boise, I'd have to say Chiang Mai is awesome - worthy of 4.5 stars! I'm very picky when it comes to thai food, especially after going to Thailand myself and each dish I've had here stands on its own - yum! I've tried both the red and green curry, excellent, very flavorful, lots of traditional veggies and a thicker sauce. The pad see yew also has a great, light sauce and complementary veggies for the wide rice noodles. Their spice level is true to the "stars" you ask for, its nice to find a place that isn't afraid to give you heat when you ask for it! Their portion size is large, with 2 dishes for 2 people, we've taken leftovers home each time and at a steel ($20 for 2 people!!). I cant wait to try out more items on their menu!!
(4)BoiseFoodie A.
I had been lamenting the lack of good Asian food in Boise on one of my reviews on Yelp when I received a msg from a fellow local Yelp user about this place (Thanks!). Several of my colleagues swear by it but somehow I'd neglected to give them a try. Boy, was I missing out. They are top notch. Food is excellent - not too Americanized. When they say how hot you want your food - pay attention. 3 out of 5 is really really hot and this is coming from a person with a really healthy tolerance for eastern spices. Next time I am going to go with level 2. Staff is super friendly. We will definitely go back.
(4)Karl K.
This was pretty damn good Thai. Better than expected based on the location (Boise & in a quite a run down strip mall in an uninspired part of town). The waitress asked us how spicy we would like in on a scale of 1 to 5. We said 4. She talked us up to 5. I said an American 5 would be good, but a Thai 5 would be way too much. As it turned out, it was a bit too hot for us. Still damn tasty, but my mouth is still buzzing. I won't fault them, we asked for it... and I'm still going to gobble up the leftovers tomorrow. Next time I'll ask for a stiff 3. One thing I will fault them for is the price. Maybe being from San Francisco, I'm used to getting great Thai on the cheap. Maybe this is fancy stuff for Boise. I don't know. I just know that 10 to 15 dollars for a Thai entree seems a bit steep. Granted these are huge portions for Thai, So I guess it all evens out. Ok, another thing I would fault them for... there are more Chinese items on the menu than Thai items. I didn't try any of the Chinese dishes so I can't speak for them. What little Thai stuff we found and tried was good. I'd say check it out.
(4)Stanton C.
It's weird to give this place a 3 after giving the Thai temple near my house a 3, too. They're on different levels... but here we go: We started coming to this place to get away from downtown during lunch. One of my coworkers has to feed his Thai fix weekly and Mai Thai was getting a little boring. My coworkers came here first without me, but brought me here afterwards and we've been coming here ever since. Compared to Mai Thai, things seems a little more home-y here instead of modern decor. Also, they just remodeled so it feels a little more private (they added a couple walls whereas before it was just lots of tables). The lunch specials are okay - if you don't like peas and carrots (like me), I'd avoid getting the fried rice with your lunch entree. My favorite so far has to be the Pineapple Fried Rice - the portion is HUGE and it has shrimp, pineapple, and CASHEWS. My coworkers like the fresh rolls and the Tom Kha soup as well. I'm not a huge fan of the rolls because of their dense rice wrappers (I'm used to lighter ones), but the Tom Kha is pretty good. We've come here consistently and I think we'll keep coming back as a standby. It's not the best Thai I've had, but it isn't bad for Boise...
(3)David F.
Have to downgrade after some disgusting Tom Yum Goong recently. The shrimp was disintegrating.
(3)Chris B.
My favorite Thai restaurant in Boise. Can get pretty busy on weekend evenings (or maybe they were just short staffed that night).
(4)Minerva J.
Chiang Mai House has the best Pad Thai in Boise. The strip mall area that it is in may lack ambience, but this restaurant is sure to satisfy. The decor is expectedly quirky. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. This is delicious Thai food with a casual atmosphere.
(5)Paige F.
Best Thai food in Boise! enough said.
(5)S. S.
If you are looking for a great place for a nice Thai dinner...this may be a good option for you; however, beware of the various charges associated with select menu items that could make this more expensive than you had originally bargained for. After eating at numerous places and enjoying many meals, I alway choose the whole fish fried with a spicy sauce to test out the place and Chiang Mai didn't dissappoint. At the conclusion of my gastronomic adventure I was pleased by the tasty fried goodness that was my fish and the flavorful tidbits that I had grazed from the plates of my friends; however, this was the end of the enjoyment at Chiang Mai. At the conclusion of our lengthy meal, with the service being markedly slow, distracted, but friendly service for a Wednesday evening I was presented with the check... Not scary, but somewhat higher than expected...but not to worry, we had arrived prepared with a Restaurants.com gift certificate that could take a chunk of that away-or so we thought. First: Beware of the fried fish dish. They will add a random amount-in my case 3 dollars-to the listed price on the menu depending on the size of the fish that they provide you. Mind you, you do not get to chose the size of the fish nor are you informed that they charge more for a bigger fish...I would have been happier with a smaller fish for 3 bucks less- I was not expecting to pay eighteen bucks for my meal. Second: Gift Certificates from Restaurant.com So, the 3 dollar add-on fee for a fish that I didn't chose would have been remedied by using the 10 dollar, yes, 10 dollar-off gift certificate purchased from Restaurants.com . One would think that after the party purchased well over 75 dollars worth of food and beverages from Chiang Mai, that their profit margin would be well above the trivial 10 dollars PLUS eighteen percent auto-gratuity that was added-not so. Unless one orders the oh-so tame Pad Thai or similar dishes, which may be good, but certainly don't encompass the true Thai flavors and foods that make Thai food so amazing, the ENTIRE TABLE cannot use the gift certificate...so despite the fact that we spend over 75 dollars, we couldn't use the 10 dollars off, simple because my dish didn't qualify. So, basically it broke down to this: if anybody in your party, even if you sit at different tables or split the checks ordered a beer, glass of wine, or a dish like mine-a house specialty, not special-nobody can use the certificate...even though somebody acutally paid for the gift certificate...BUYER BEWARE!!!!! And, there was NO room for discussion-despite attempting to reason with the staff-they could have made a great tip if they would have listened...but no. In conclusion to my long, drawn out review: I will not return to the Chiang Mai, despite it's great food and incredible proximity to my house-less than 100 yards- due to the shady accounting associated with menu selections, and unethical failure to honor gift certificates that have been paid for..I am so dissapointed in you Chiang Mai, I had such high hopes.
(1)Lisa S.
This is the best curry in Boise. I've tried every Thai place in town. Everything I've had here has been good, and I've never had bad service. They really dote on you! You get twice as much food at Chiang Mai for less money than downtown, and the food is better. As the other reviewers have said, they will make your food extra spicy on request. They don't mess around, so you have been forewarned!
(5)T M.
Ok... Green papaya Salald - HORRIBLE! yuck! Couldn't even eat it. Got something I didn't order and they wouldn't take it back! Even talked to the owner of the restaurant and they wouldn't budge... pretty awful experience... go to Thai Cuisine instead, it is so good with WAY BETTER service.
(1)Brooke P.
Good food. Great Service. The server filled never let our water glasses get empty but wasn't intrusive. The appetizer arrived less than 5 minutes after our order was taken and the main meal within 10 of the appetizer. The appetizers are somewhat expensive at about $6-8 each but the crab ragoon was worth it.The main dishes are about $10 each but didn't have as much food as the other reviews led me to expect. Still, two dishes for my husband and I was more than enough and we had left overs. We had chicken pad thai which had smaller noodles than we're used to but great flavor and mongolian beef. I was pleasantly surprised that the beef was good quality and not stringy like most asian restaurants I've been to. The atmosphere was nice too. We will definitely be back.
(4)Michelle K.
I'm always a little nervous trying ethnic restaurants in a new city without reading reviews, but it was getting a bit late in the evening and I had to find something before I was stuck eating fast food. The waitresses inside were friendly and I could see a number of tables with patrons eating delicious looking and smelling food. I decided to try the spicy seafood soup as an appetizer and the sliced rare beef salad. The soup was full of seafood and surprisingly spicy enough to encourage me to sip carefully. The beef salad was wonderful as well. It was artfully arranged on a plate with sliced cucumbers and lettuce. I really enjoyed the tenderness of the beef and the delicious fish sauce dressing. Next time I'm in town, I am excited to try some more of their dishes.
(5)danger m.
i like the food here, especially the noodles, some of the better thai in town for sure. if you go in a big group they have some family-style specials (multiple entrees/appetizers) which gives you a good variety of food at an affordable price. be warned their spice level is a kick above the rest of places in town. the service is pretty on par with most asian restaurants if not a little bit better, the waitresses are friendly enough. if you are craving thai, i would definitely check this place out.
(4)Shayna W.
I'm new to Thai food and love the food at Chiang MAI. They are very helpful with explaining the dishes and the portions are plentiful. My husband and I love to order a ton of dishes and share and try something new every time. The prices can't be beat, the service is always great and the food is excellent.
(5)Amanda C.
I've only had great meals at Chiang Mai. This place has the best Thai food in Boise (I admit I haven't tried them ALL) and great prices too! Its a great place to take Boise visitors too because it has a nice atmosphere. Sometimes I crave the appetizer Fresh Rolls or others so much that we just go there for a meal of appetizers. This is our stand-by fast easy and great night out spot!
(5)Ariel H.
YUM. We moved here from a city that has a Thai place every three blocks. We didn't realize how spoiled we were there until we moved to Boise. Thai food had become our weeknight-and-I-don't-want-to-cook comfort food. We don't want to spend a fortune, but we want a steaming pile of noodles, too (that's not to say we don't appreciate "authentic" or "good" Thai, too, Pok Pok, anyone?--but we were looking for our "Red Robin" of Thai). Chiang MAI fits the bill perfectly for quick Thai take-out on the way home from work. Spicy, flavorful, and a large menu to choose from, we'll be going here frequently. It's not much to look at, and it's in kind of a funny location, but I liked it quite a bit better than Siam Thai. Also, what is it with Boise Thai restaurants being so Pan-Asian? Why not just Thai food??
(5)Lou M.
This was the second vissit to Chiang Mai and I have to say the food is very good as well as the service. Now for the bad. I have never in my 68 years been in a dirtier restaurant. On this trip we sat close to the kitchen doors and Oh My God. Trust me on this one, it is unsanitary and we plan on calling the Board Of Health first thing Monday. Even the walls inside the eating area are filthy
(1)Gloria C.
Reviews are all about bias, so: best Thai curry in town. Any color. Don't ask for hot, you will die (unless you don't, some people are ok with super hot). I like medium, as I can taste the many flavors and have a good amount of heat. Mango sticky rice is especially good when the mango is in season, the dish is available year-round. Pineapple fried rice..mmm. Pad Thai, crunchy and tasty. Good soups. Friendly/fast/know our names service. Take-out! In a hurry, call ahead.
(4)Gwen M.
With all the Thai restaurants now available, its nice to find one that offers dependably great food and good service. We ordered Tom Ka, red curry, yellow curry and Pad sew - all were tasty and hot. We were surprised that the Pad sew, ordered with 2 stars seemed spicier than 2 stars, but it was delicious nonetheless. Would definitely recommend this for dinner - take out or dine in.
(4)Aspen R.
One of the best Thai restaurants in Boise! The food here is excellent; especially the curry! Waitstaff is friendly and they always have smiling faces. Once your order is placed, your food is on the table before you know it. Prices are extremely reasonable and portion sizes are large. There is plenty of seating for a large group in the center of the restaurant and booths along the walls for a more intimate dining experience.
(4)Janet N.
Just had the Pad Kee Mao, aka Drunken Noodle, and had my sinuses cleaned out. The Pad Kee Mao is a flat rice noodle dish with veggies, jalapeños, basil, and Thai chilis with your choice of meat. The food was delicious and not too spicy (can be adjusted) but had enough spice to make your nose a little runny. The service, however, was subpar, I understand lunch time gets busy, but instead of dropping the check halfway in our meal and condescendingly saying "don't feel rushed to leave" and never coming back to ask we wanted more water, soda, or to-go box have the courtesy to ask if the check is together or separate. You should know that at this hour your clientele is mostly coworkers who will be paying for their own portion.
(4)April N.
Definitely not my first choice for Thai in Boise. I ordered the yellow curry and asked for a "1 spice" level with chicken. The portion was decent and fairly priced for a lunch special, and came with the soup of the day, which appeared to be a chicken noodle type deal. My curry was not spicy at all, and had hardly any chicken. Some positives: my friends ordered Thai teas which were excellent, and an order of crab rangoons which were also very good. They also seemed to enjoy their entrees, mine was just okay. The lunch rush caused a line at the front cashier who had to ring each individual up separately, and by herself. If you're in a hurry to get back to work from your lunch break, be weary. Basically, the food was okay if you're in the area and MUST have Asian, but as I said, not my first choice. Not bad, but not the best.
(3)John H.
Not yet having lived in Boise for a full year, this is the first place I patronized after moving here ... my first dinner out. By now, I've eaten here four, maybe five times. Yesterday was the first time for lunch during daylight hours (see below). Every item on the lunch menu is $7.95. So, I had the Pad Thai with chicken and fried rice on the side. I washed it all down with a Thai Ice Tea. Even the lunch-sized serving was too much for me at one sitting. So, I left with a box. The waitress even added-in additional fried rice to top-off the box. This is all to say, a very large serving and it was quite good, especially for the price. The Thai Ice Tea was $2.95 and worth every penny; very good, served in a large, tall glass. The service, although friendly, was less than perfect. Turns out, I was the last customer before they closed after the lunch hours ... so ... the waitresses may have already mentally checked-out for that shift. Again, when they were around, they were friendly. However, I was looking for them a couple of times and they were nowhere in sight. My experiences during the times I have been in here for dinner, when it was far more busy, were completely different ... the service was excellent. I am giving this place only three stars because the place needs a deep scrubbing. Eating here in the daylight for the first time yesterday, I could see the dust, everywhere. The light fixtures need a cleaning. The floor needs a deep clean and, perhaps, even a resurfacing (carpet?). As much as I enjoy the food here, I could not help but ask myself what the kitchen looks like if the restaurant seating area is so much in need of cleaning. I'll certainly go back but maybe after dark. :-)
(3)Michele R.
Highly suggestible when it comes to food, I have had a craving for summer rolls since reading Lydia L's review a few days ago for a restaurant near her home along with photo of luscious looking specimens of the same. Lunch time and my husband and I found ourselves near Chiang Mai Thai where I figured summer rolls would be in the offerings. Had I not remembered reading some decent Yelp reviews for this place I would have passed on by given the location in a seedy strip mall. Bottom line from our experience: Chiang Mai isn't a bad place to stop if you're in the area and craving food that is Southeast Asian or Chinese in concept, if not authentic in execution. It isn't a place we'll go back to again but glad we tried it. Once. So let's start with the GOOD THINGS:. 1) The spring rolls were good. Freshly filled and expertly rolled. I would have been a bigger fan if they contained some SE Asian herbs in the mix, like cilantro, Thai basil and mint instead of only lettuce as the greens element. I liked the dipping sauce served with them was a vinegar tart, sweet, salty offering instead of the more usual peanut sauce. I used red chili paste on the table to add spicy heat to the mix. 2) Very friendly service. It seemed virtually a wave of people were leaving through the narrow entry as we tried to enter just after 1:00 and we had the then advantage of few tables being occupied and attentive servers. Food was delivereed promptly with hot food served hot and cold food served cold. 3) Decent seating options including booths with elephant pattern woven tablecloths topped with glass or formica topped tables and chairs all at standard height. 4) Good music selection on the sound system of rock ancients like Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger. (Embarrasingly, I know all the words to all the songs.) Set at at a low enough level to know it was there but not to override all else. 5) Prices were low ($19 before tax for three dishes at lunch) and servings were large. But I'd rather have higher prices and smaller servings of better food. Which leads to the list of 'NOT SO MUCH THINGS': 1) Like many Thai restaurants in the area the menu seems an amalgam of Chinese - American and Thai items with the latter tamed down from the robust flavors I have enjoyed at Thai restaurants in cities like Portland, San Franciso, Las Vegas or even my former hometown of Bend. For a city of Bosie's size it is surprising to find so many Thai restaurants don't "pick a lane and drive in it" for authentic Thai food. 2) The food is just OK "minus". Pad Thai is one of those dishes I am almost ashamed to hear myself order as it is sometimes so poorly done, but when it is well made it is a treasure. It was on the lunch menu here and so I ordered it as a good litmus test for any Thai restaurant which arguably ought to get this rice noodle dish right. (Like say an Italian restaurant's ability to turn out spaghetti marinara right.) This was not the worst Pad Thai I've ever had, but it was not good Pad Thai either. My husband veered to a Chinese food item selecting Hoonan (not a typo, that is how it appeared on menu) vegetables. The mix of veggies, whicih included bok choy, napa cabbage and pea pods, was cooked to just right toothsome doneness. Oversauced, but that seems to be a trend in Chinese - American food service, with too much soy sauce in the mix of things, another trend, and just barely a hint of the Hunan heat as promised on the menu. 3) The infrastructure of the restaurant looks like it is falling apart, from the parking lot through the door and all around. Which may be nothing the restaurant owners can do anything about unless they own the building. 4) Getting in the door can be a challenge at the narrow entry as people are going out and you are coming in given they have a host station set up as "traffic stop". It is awkward and uninviting. This they could fix. THIS N THAT: 1) PARKING: The ramshakle lot shows looks rode hard and put away wet, but it is a lot with parking and that is a good thing in spite of the condition. 2) NEIGHBORS: Bar to the left, Asian Market 2 to the right. The latter is an interesting place if you're trying to find some harder to find SE Asian ingredients like shrimp paste or a choice of half a dozen plus brands of fish sauce. 3) ACCESSIBILITY: One blue wheelchair marked spot in the entire lot is outside the Asian Market. It is not van accessible. Restaurant is level in and throughout. Table seating is standard height. Adequate path of travel to several tables.
(3)Brian M.
I'm a fan ... great lunch deals, not as good a deal at night. I'm a big fan of the Chow Mein ... others i know really like how spicy you can get your dish. That's not my style but i do like to watch 'em sweat. They could do with a little tidy / spruce up of the restaurant / bathrooms but it doesn't keep me from going. As a friend likes to say, "It is what it is". Well said.
(3)Michelle S.
My favorite Thai restaurant in Boise. Their spring rolls are simply amazing! I love going for lunch because you get a side of delicious fried (yet seemingly not too heavy) rice and a delicious cup of soup (flavor varies by day). If I am craving Thai, this is the place I go! Oh, their shrimp in lobster sauce and pineapple red curry are recent favs! Not lunch menu items though.... which is fine :)
(5)Nate P.
I really try to love this place because when they are on the food is fantastic! When they off...super disappointing. Tonight they are way off. Pad Thai is bland and spring rolls are like they were made yesterday. Come on guys stay consistent and I will visit more.
(3)Brian S.
I am no foodie, but I grew up eating food from the San Francisco Bay Area which is not short on restaurants. I moved to Boise and really miss the variety of good food I once had. I had a great culinary surprise at Chang Mai. I ordered the Pad Kee Mao spicy noodles and got exactly what I imagined back home only better. Nice wide noodles, layered with hot peppers, they meant spicy! They had a touch of fresh basil and a bit of crunchy cabbage to offset the noodle, very nice. I was surprised and so was my wife who ordered chow mein, her favorite is green beans and I wanted her to go over the top where I was, so I asked and I received. Great green beans a bit spicy with a tiny bit of spicy sausage and garlic to pop the dried green beans. It all worked, soup was ok, tea was luke warm, ambience is cheap Thai and service is cheaper Thai. The servers were super nice, spoke English (American) and supplied me with whatever I asked. If its 3pm no noodles for you! I think I will make sure I am in before cut off, regularly. I am bringing friends so I can try theirs, as I will have to order spicy noodles. I would like to save room for the mango sticky rice and coconut ice cream next time.
(4)Leland B.
Really tasty Thai. Some of the best Tom Yum soup I've had, with a good balance of hot and sour tastes. Had a noodle dish which probably went a little heavy on the jalapeños. Fast service to get the food out, but then a little lite on attention after that.
(4)Audrey B.
My boyfriend, mother and I tried going yesterday around 2:45 pm. The waitress was friendly enough. She sat us down, got us water and menus and immediately asked if we were ready to order. We all looked at her confused as she told us the kitchen leaves right at 3 and then she simply walked away with no explanation.... We all sat for minute wondering why she would even seat us if she is going to be passive aggressive about it. Then another waitress comes and tries to take our order within seconds of her leaving the table! Not coming here ever again. There are plenty of friendlier, tastier Thai food places in Boise.
(1)John S.
I have been going to Chiang Mai Thai for lunch between once a week and once every week for several months. Recently, I had a bad experience that changed my opinion of them, which had been good up to this point. The restaurant was about three-quarters full, which is pretty typical for a lunch service. I was seated promptly, had my order taken and was served my bowl of soup all within a reasonable time. Then the waiting began. And continued. And continued some more. After 22 minutes since I ordered, my waitress came with the bill. She did a double- and triple-take at the table as she sees my entree dish is not there. She gulped and asked whether I had received my meal. No. Nevermind that she passed my table at least three times since serving the soup, yet it didn't register that I hadn't gotten my food. She never even noticed, because she had her blinders on since she wasn't going to my table during those passes. She apologized and said she'd take care of it. And then I went back to waiting. Another waitress came by to refill my water glass and asked if I was finished. I told her I was still waiting for my meal. And she realized I had been sitting there much longer than folks at other tables that had been served already. Later, another server came by and asked if I had gotten my food. No. The original waitress came toward my table again with the bill, but looked ahead and saw I still was waiting and turned around and went the other way. By the time I finally got my food, 45 minutes had elapsed from the time I ordered. The waitress apologized again, but it didn't seem very sincere. And this was a woman who had served me probably seven or eight times before. At the end, they said they would take 25 percent off the bill. I thought to myself, that was a time where you should comp the meal. As it is, I won't return here despite having enjoyed their food and service every other time I had been there.
(1)Neda S.
Chiang mai used to be sooo much better. Unfortunately I've seen their quality decrease over the years. It is still my go-to thai place in town but I hope they catch up again. Get their pad prik khing.
(3)Jessica L.
By far my favorite place to eat in Boise. Everything is delicious but the potstickers will change your life they are so good! Seriously, if you go you HAVE TO try the potstickers!
(5)Guy H.
Food was so so. The restaurant itself is falling apart with cracks in the floor and chipped flooring everywhere. Staff was nice, polite and did their best while running around chaotically. The restaurant was nearly empty on a Friday night, do others must be noticing the filth too. We used to dine here often, but will likely not return anytime soon. A major remodel soon is needed to improve cleanliness. The loud racist group didn't help.
(1)Marc M.
Lunch specials are a great price. Green curry chicken is delicious. Not overpriced Thai food!!
(4)Rook T.
Always yummy! Always friendly. Always authentic. Always happy to please and customize your dish. Always burn my face off and spend three days with RING OF FIRE if I order more than "2 star spicy" on any dish. I'm a regular and will keep coming back for more masochistic green curry, pad Thai, Tom ka Kai, Tom ka ga, pad woonsen, and pad kra Prik, just to name a few dishes that are like an Asian tongue massage! Oh Gaaahd!
(4)Nicole W.
Located in sort of a creepy strip mall, between a oriental market with limited selection and a bar with dark windows... Staff was very friendly and welcoming. As other said this place is homey and decorated almost completely with elephants - my favorite animal! I asked for pad thai - figured i'd go with the staple to do a comparison. I said - i would like it hot. Our server says we have a 1-5 for hot levels. I said 4. She talked me down to a 3. Sigh. I guess I should have said i wasn't from Idaho! My other diners went with 2 different curries. We all shared and theirs were pretty good, but again, definitely not enough heat. My pad thai was meh. It was greasy, it didn't have enough heat, it was pretty sweet, no bean sprouts... Definitely not impressive. At the end of the meal we asked for 4 containers for the 2 curries, pad thai and the rice. My co-diner feared putting the curries into the regular Chinese take out boxes. That should have been something obvious. Probably wont return, i'll see what the rest of the city has to offer.
(3)Megs H.
Actually... make that 0 stars. Don't go here. Stay away. I want it all to myself. I'd prefer not to share my favorite Thai place in town. Thanks! Or... get the chicken green curry and the fresh rolls. Mongolian beef is amazing. Pad thai is outstanding. Service is peppy and sometimes slow, sometimes ridiculous fast. Sketchy location but as long as you dodge the drunks outside the Navajo, you'll be golden. This place deserves awards for how good it is! Love love love! Favorite Thai place in town.
(5)David L.
The Pad Prik Khing I ordered was quite different from what I was expecting. I am used to a mixture of green beans, coconut milk, chicken, red curry paste, sliced red pepper and lots of basil. What I got instead certainly was the Pad Prik Khing from a different regional cooking style. It could have been Northern Thai style, since Chiang Mai, the city, is in the north of Thailand. Regardless, the combination of stir fry chicken, Asian bean, bell pepper, peas, carrots, ginger, kaffir leaves and straw mushrooms was VERY different. It was good, but not as good as what I remember from other restaurants in other cities. I'm going to sample other Thai restaurants in Boise for the elusive Pad Prik Khing I covet before I return to the Chiang Mai.
(3)Jeni K.
I was hesitant to try any Thai besides Saw-Wah-Dee but this place holds it's own! Had the FRESH ROLLS for an appetizer--fantastic and the YELLOW CURRY and CHICKEN, SCALLOP & SHRIMP SKILLET were absolutely delicious! The service was fast and very friendly. They all seemed to be working together which made the meal run smoothly. Out table was always clean and our glasses always full. We left happy and will come again SOON!
(5)Eric B.
This food is mediocre at best. We got takeout; after eating, I debated putting the leftovers in the trash instead of the fridge. I have no clue why this place is so popular. We moved here from Portland, and the only Thai food in Boise that comes close to Portland or Seattle standards is A Taste of Thai at 8053 Emerald (by TGI Fridays near the mall). That place isn't incredible, but it's much better than this.
(1)Dave B.
This is the best Thai restaurant in town. My favorites are (please forgive my poor spelling) the musuman curry with chicken, thom ka gai soup, and fresh rolls. This restaurant is about the only place that can make me eat my vegetables... It is all so good. One more tip -go easy on how many spicy stars you want for your dish; these people are not afraid to make it super HOT!
(5)Amy K.
Located in a strip mall next to a sketchy looking dive bar. Frozen vegetables in the red curry I ordered. Ugly decor. Server was the best part although it seemed like most people were doing take-out. I feel like Pad Thai is a good way to measure a Thai restaurant....I tried a bit of my friend's and they just didn't have the flavors dialed in correctly. It was much too sweet. My friends seem to love this place. I am clearly spoiled after having lived in Seattle. Still looking for a decent Thai option in Boise. It doesn't seem like I will find one.
(2)Cody E.
Excellent option for quick, reasonably priced takeout. Most recently, we ordered two noodle dishes with beef and shrimp, along with crab rangoons. Food is delicious (it's not too spicy or artificially sweetened like a lot of American Thai). Also, the portions are large, so two orders can feed maybe four people. An excellent choice for reasonable Thai food!
(5)Steve M.
Great traiditonal Thai food that is extremely tasty with custom spicy options level 1-5. If you want to clear your sinus's and burn through your meal a level 5 won't dissapoint :). For quality, quantity, and price, it's the best place for Thai food in Boise.
(5)Lisa E.
Go here for lunch instead of dinner. You get the same food for half the price during lunch. I've had a lot of Thai food - a lot! This place ranks up there with some of the best. Solid pad thai and curries. Service is friendly and fast.
(4)John V.
I am obsessed with all the complex and intoxicating ingredients that are found in Thai cooking - chilies, lemon grass, lime, GARLIC, cumin, coconut - so when I find a restaurant that can put them together properly I am ready to open my wallet again and again and again to experience this world class cuisine. Chiang Mai House prepares superb Thai food...I wonder if I can get a house account because I am going to be coming here a lot, the food is that good. Try the fresh rolls: you get three of them, each cut in 1/2 (that would be 6 pieces for you non-math majors). These are a total deal @ 6.75 and they are great for sharing! Served with peanut dipping sauce and chili sauce (found on the table). The Tom Yum Koong soup is great for what ails you. I should quote from the movie The Exorcist: "it burns, it burns"; lemon grass, kaffir lime, galangal - all the wonderful tastes of Thai brought together in a mesmerizing combination that is quintessential Thai. The bowl size can be a meal in itself. I can't imagine how generously sized the pot must be! Pad Kra Pao (Basil Stir-Fry): mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapeno, onions, carrots, and sweet basil leaf. Add chicken. Yummy. Salty. Garlic-y. Intoxicating. Red Curry: red bell pepper, basil, Thai eggplant. So spicy, so rich with the coconut milk; there is garlic of course, and chili peppers, and galangal and fish stock and kaffir lime, and cumin and lemongrass and OMFG oh so tasty. So, why 4 stars? Even though the service is friendly, it seems as if they are in a rush to get you out of here. Just keep shooing them away, they are secondary to the food. I love that the place is not fancy, not in the 'burbs, not next to a mall, and not in gentrified downtown. Added bonus is that it is next to a colorful bar which offers its own kind of spice and heat!
(4)P N.
Ordered take out - Pad See Ew . Best description is lazy. I don't think they even bothered to stir fry the noodles, very limp and watery. No sign of an egg and the chicken a little off. Won't be going there again.
(2)Bob S.
Enjoyed the soup special, green curry with shrimp, and panang curry with chicken. The food was wonderful and the service excellent. Will definitely return.
(5)Kevin Q.
I've been here MANY times and not once have I had a bad experience. Today I had the yellow curry lunch special, that came with a house soup. Egg drop. The meal was delicious... prompt seating, meal was quick and had a Thai iced tea with it. Perfect. You can't go wrong with Chang Mai.
(5)Steve T.
Cindi and I tried this place on the recommendation of someone we met at a party in McCall. Our gold standard for Thai food in Boise is Bangkok Thai by Boise Towne Square, so we were hoping Chiang Mai measured up. Alas, it was not to be. The service was terrible. Our tea (which they charge for!) took 15 minutes to get, and it was cool by the time it arrived. It took us 30 minutes to get our soup. Cindi's egg drop soup was bland with what appeared to be an oil slick on top of it. My Tom Kha Kai had good flavor, but was very watery. It took over 40 minutes for our main courses to arrive. Cindi's Mongolian beef had more onions than beef. The flavor was OK, but not as good as what you can get at Fortune Wok. My Pad Thai, which I ordered as a 4, was closer to a 2. Its flavor and texture were not even close to Bangkok Thai. One advantage of Chiang Mai is that you can order a wide selection of Thai and Chinese cuisine. But if you want good Thai, go elsewhere.
(2)Darius L.
The food was great. It took some convincing to get the owner to agree to bring me the Pad Ke Mow 5 star hot. It didn't disappoint. Fresh jalapeño chilies and red and green Thai chilies were all over the place. Ingredients were fresh and all over the place. The only knock that I have was the service. Took the owner 5 minutes to recognize that I was there and once I sat down another 10 minutes before I had a chance to order. She was nice, but they weren't the most attentive staff I've ever seen.
(3)A K.
It is in a strip mall, and that will throw you off a bit, but the food and the service are top notch. The pineapple red curry with shrimp has the kind of spicy tasty flavor so addictive you add more rice to the bowl to sop up every trace of sauce. the Tom Kai Kai is perfect. The Pad Thai is very good, but occasionally a bit bland- be sure and request they spice it up.
(4)Janice T.
I feel kinda crazy for ordering Sweet and Sour Pork at a Thai Restaurant 'coz it's something I should get at a Chinese restaurant but i'm glad they didn't disappoint. The serving was generous and it tasted really good. Our server was really nice, service time was reasonable. The mango sticky rice was delish...wished i didn't have to share it with hubby :) maybe next time i'll try their curries....
(4)James S.
Certainly the best Thai food in town. I was a regular lunchtime customer for years--all lunches served with soup for about $7. Recently I had my first dinner here and I was blown away. Every course was absolutely delicious. The service could not be friendlier either. Mak is the owner and primary waitress. She's one of the friendliest people I know. Her husband does the cooking. The two of them have been living in Idaho since they left Thailand about 20 years ago. Pan is the daytime waitress and also very cool. These are good people. Careful with your spice here. They operate on a 1-5 star system. I've spent most of my life near the Mexico border, and I can't handle anything more than 2 stars. Oh man, I love this restaurant!
(5)Jasmine P.
If no stars were an option I world have gave that. Went based on other reviews. Ordered to go: Chicken Pad Thai spicy 4 & Thai iced tea(pretty simple to get right for a "good" thai joint). Maybe I'm spoiled being from Portland but that was hands down the worst of BOTH. The noodles were a 2. No limes &if not for the tons of oil in the noodles they would have been dry. The tea was ALL creamer so sweet I the it out after one sip. Place smelled awesome tho which made my bad meal even worse.
(1)Jeff H.
If you are a fan of curries and good spice, Chiang Mai Thai is the absolute best in Boise. The service and prices are good and they provide you with enough rice to finish your meal without additional charges.
(5)Rick S.
I love Chiang Mai. First of all, forget the fact that they are friendly, have great service, and so on. I have to say that it is difficult to find any quality Asian cuisine the further you travel from the coasts. The New York City area usually has the best Thai food, or so I have experienced. However, Chiang Mai is as good as any I have every had. The curries, particularly the Red Curry will blow you mind.
(4)mundovore m.
I have tried the papaya salad and it was just so-so. It seems like almost everything else on the menu is great. The curry seems to be made from fresh coconut milk. I tried the larb most recently (with beef) and was blown away by the flavor. It's the best thing on the menu.
(3)Chelsea L.
Although I haven't tried all of the thai food places in Boise, I'd have to say Chiang Mai is awesome - worthy of 4.5 stars! I'm very picky when it comes to thai food, especially after going to Thailand myself and each dish I've had here stands on its own - yum! I've tried both the red and green curry, excellent, very flavorful, lots of traditional veggies and a thicker sauce. The pad see yew also has a great, light sauce and complementary veggies for the wide rice noodles. Their spice level is true to the "stars" you ask for, its nice to find a place that isn't afraid to give you heat when you ask for it! Their portion size is large, with 2 dishes for 2 people, we've taken leftovers home each time and at a steel ($20 for 2 people!!). I cant wait to try out more items on their menu!!
(4)Karl K.
This was pretty damn good Thai. Better than expected based on the location (Boise & in a quite a run down strip mall in an uninspired part of town). The waitress asked us how spicy we would like in on a scale of 1 to 5. We said 4. She talked us up to 5. I said an American 5 would be good, but a Thai 5 would be way too much. As it turned out, it was a bit too hot for us. Still damn tasty, but my mouth is still buzzing. I won't fault them, we asked for it... and I'm still going to gobble up the leftovers tomorrow. Next time I'll ask for a stiff 3. One thing I will fault them for is the price. Maybe being from San Francisco, I'm used to getting great Thai on the cheap. Maybe this is fancy stuff for Boise. I don't know. I just know that 10 to 15 dollars for a Thai entree seems a bit steep. Granted these are huge portions for Thai, So I guess it all evens out. Ok, another thing I would fault them for... there are more Chinese items on the menu than Thai items. I didn't try any of the Chinese dishes so I can't speak for them. What little Thai stuff we found and tried was good. I'd say check it out.
(4)Jeni K.
I was hesitant to try any Thai besides Saw-Wah-Dee but this place holds it's own! Had the FRESH ROLLS for an appetizer--fantastic and the YELLOW CURRY and CHICKEN, SCALLOP & SHRIMP SKILLET were absolutely delicious! The service was fast and very friendly. They all seemed to be working together which made the meal run smoothly. Out table was always clean and our glasses always full. We left happy and will come again SOON!
(5)Janet N.
Just had the Pad Kee Mao, aka Drunken Noodle, and had my sinuses cleaned out. The Pad Kee Mao is a flat rice noodle dish with veggies, jalapeños, basil, and Thai chilis with your choice of meat. The food was delicious and not too spicy (can be adjusted) but had enough spice to make your nose a little runny. The service, however, was subpar, I understand lunch time gets busy, but instead of dropping the check halfway in our meal and condescendingly saying "don't feel rushed to leave" and never coming back to ask we wanted more water, soda, or to-go box have the courtesy to ask if the check is together or separate. You should know that at this hour your clientele is mostly coworkers who will be paying for their own portion.
(4)April N.
Definitely not my first choice for Thai in Boise. I ordered the yellow curry and asked for a "1 spice" level with chicken. The portion was decent and fairly priced for a lunch special, and came with the soup of the day, which appeared to be a chicken noodle type deal. My curry was not spicy at all, and had hardly any chicken. Some positives: my friends ordered Thai teas which were excellent, and an order of crab rangoons which were also very good. They also seemed to enjoy their entrees, mine was just okay. The lunch rush caused a line at the front cashier who had to ring each individual up separately, and by herself. If you're in a hurry to get back to work from your lunch break, be weary. Basically, the food was okay if you're in the area and MUST have Asian, but as I said, not my first choice. Not bad, but not the best.
(3)John H.
Not yet having lived in Boise for a full year, this is the first place I patronized after moving here ... my first dinner out. By now, I've eaten here four, maybe five times. Yesterday was the first time for lunch during daylight hours (see below). Every item on the lunch menu is $7.95. So, I had the Pad Thai with chicken and fried rice on the side. I washed it all down with a Thai Ice Tea. Even the lunch-sized serving was too much for me at one sitting. So, I left with a box. The waitress even added-in additional fried rice to top-off the box. This is all to say, a very large serving and it was quite good, especially for the price. The Thai Ice Tea was $2.95 and worth every penny; very good, served in a large, tall glass. The service, although friendly, was less than perfect. Turns out, I was the last customer before they closed after the lunch hours ... so ... the waitresses may have already mentally checked-out for that shift. Again, when they were around, they were friendly. However, I was looking for them a couple of times and they were nowhere in sight. My experiences during the times I have been in here for dinner, when it was far more busy, were completely different ... the service was excellent. I am giving this place only three stars because the place needs a deep scrubbing. Eating here in the daylight for the first time yesterday, I could see the dust, everywhere. The light fixtures need a cleaning. The floor needs a deep clean and, perhaps, even a resurfacing (carpet?). As much as I enjoy the food here, I could not help but ask myself what the kitchen looks like if the restaurant seating area is so much in need of cleaning. I'll certainly go back but maybe after dark. :-)
(3)Michele R.
Highly suggestible when it comes to food, I have had a craving for summer rolls since reading Lydia L's review a few days ago for a restaurant near her home along with photo of luscious looking specimens of the same. Lunch time and my husband and I found ourselves near Chiang Mai Thai where I figured summer rolls would be in the offerings. Had I not remembered reading some decent Yelp reviews for this place I would have passed on by given the location in a seedy strip mall. Bottom line from our experience: Chiang Mai isn't a bad place to stop if you're in the area and craving food that is Southeast Asian or Chinese in concept, if not authentic in execution. It isn't a place we'll go back to again but glad we tried it. Once. So let's start with the GOOD THINGS:. 1) The spring rolls were good. Freshly filled and expertly rolled. I would have been a bigger fan if they contained some SE Asian herbs in the mix, like cilantro, Thai basil and mint instead of only lettuce as the greens element. I liked the dipping sauce served with them was a vinegar tart, sweet, salty offering instead of the more usual peanut sauce. I used red chili paste on the table to add spicy heat to the mix. 2) Very friendly service. It seemed virtually a wave of people were leaving through the narrow entry as we tried to enter just after 1:00 and we had the then advantage of few tables being occupied and attentive servers. Food was delivereed promptly with hot food served hot and cold food served cold. 3) Decent seating options including booths with elephant pattern woven tablecloths topped with glass or formica topped tables and chairs all at standard height. 4) Good music selection on the sound system of rock ancients like Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger. (Embarrasingly, I know all the words to all the songs.) Set at at a low enough level to know it was there but not to override all else. 5) Prices were low ($19 before tax for three dishes at lunch) and servings were large. But I'd rather have higher prices and smaller servings of better food. Which leads to the list of 'NOT SO MUCH THINGS': 1) Like many Thai restaurants in the area the menu seems an amalgam of Chinese - American and Thai items with the latter tamed down from the robust flavors I have enjoyed at Thai restaurants in cities like Portland, San Franciso, Las Vegas or even my former hometown of Bend. For a city of Bosie's size it is surprising to find so many Thai restaurants don't "pick a lane and drive in it" for authentic Thai food. 2) The food is just OK "minus". Pad Thai is one of those dishes I am almost ashamed to hear myself order as it is sometimes so poorly done, but when it is well made it is a treasure. It was on the lunch menu here and so I ordered it as a good litmus test for any Thai restaurant which arguably ought to get this rice noodle dish right. (Like say an Italian restaurant's ability to turn out spaghetti marinara right.) This was not the worst Pad Thai I've ever had, but it was not good Pad Thai either. My husband veered to a Chinese food item selecting Hoonan (not a typo, that is how it appeared on menu) vegetables. The mix of veggies, whicih included bok choy, napa cabbage and pea pods, was cooked to just right toothsome doneness. Oversauced, but that seems to be a trend in Chinese - American food service, with too much soy sauce in the mix of things, another trend, and just barely a hint of the Hunan heat as promised on the menu. 3) The infrastructure of the restaurant looks like it is falling apart, from the parking lot through the door and all around. Which may be nothing the restaurant owners can do anything about unless they own the building. 4) Getting in the door can be a challenge at the narrow entry as people are going out and you are coming in given they have a host station set up as "traffic stop". It is awkward and uninviting. This they could fix. THIS N THAT: 1) PARKING: The ramshakle lot shows looks rode hard and put away wet, but it is a lot with parking and that is a good thing in spite of the condition. 2) NEIGHBORS: Bar to the left, Asian Market 2 to the right. The latter is an interesting place if you're trying to find some harder to find SE Asian ingredients like shrimp paste or a choice of half a dozen plus brands of fish sauce. 3) ACCESSIBILITY: One blue wheelchair marked spot in the entire lot is outside the Asian Market. It is not van accessible. Restaurant is level in and throughout. Table seating is standard height. Adequate path of travel to several tables.
(3)Aspen R.
One of the best Thai restaurants in Boise! The food here is excellent; especially the curry! Waitstaff is friendly and they always have smiling faces. Once your order is placed, your food is on the table before you know it. Prices are extremely reasonable and portion sizes are large. There is plenty of seating for a large group in the center of the restaurant and booths along the walls for a more intimate dining experience.
(4)Gwen M.
With all the Thai restaurants now available, its nice to find one that offers dependably great food and good service. We ordered Tom Ka, red curry, yellow curry and Pad sew - all were tasty and hot. We were surprised that the Pad sew, ordered with 2 stars seemed spicier than 2 stars, but it was delicious nonetheless. Would definitely recommend this for dinner - take out or dine in.
(4)Brian M.
I'm a fan ... great lunch deals, not as good a deal at night. I'm a big fan of the Chow Mein ... others i know really like how spicy you can get your dish. That's not my style but i do like to watch 'em sweat. They could do with a little tidy / spruce up of the restaurant / bathrooms but it doesn't keep me from going. As a friend likes to say, "It is what it is". Well said.
(3)Michelle S.
My favorite Thai restaurant in Boise. Their spring rolls are simply amazing! I love going for lunch because you get a side of delicious fried (yet seemingly not too heavy) rice and a delicious cup of soup (flavor varies by day). If I am craving Thai, this is the place I go! Oh, their shrimp in lobster sauce and pineapple red curry are recent favs! Not lunch menu items though.... which is fine :)
(5)Nate P.
I really try to love this place because when they are on the food is fantastic! When they off...super disappointing. Tonight they are way off. Pad Thai is bland and spring rolls are like they were made yesterday. Come on guys stay consistent and I will visit more.
(3)Brian S.
I am no foodie, but I grew up eating food from the San Francisco Bay Area which is not short on restaurants. I moved to Boise and really miss the variety of good food I once had. I had a great culinary surprise at Chang Mai. I ordered the Pad Kee Mao spicy noodles and got exactly what I imagined back home only better. Nice wide noodles, layered with hot peppers, they meant spicy! They had a touch of fresh basil and a bit of crunchy cabbage to offset the noodle, very nice. I was surprised and so was my wife who ordered chow mein, her favorite is green beans and I wanted her to go over the top where I was, so I asked and I received. Great green beans a bit spicy with a tiny bit of spicy sausage and garlic to pop the dried green beans. It all worked, soup was ok, tea was luke warm, ambience is cheap Thai and service is cheaper Thai. The servers were super nice, spoke English (American) and supplied me with whatever I asked. If its 3pm no noodles for you! I think I will make sure I am in before cut off, regularly. I am bringing friends so I can try theirs, as I will have to order spicy noodles. I would like to save room for the mango sticky rice and coconut ice cream next time.
(4)Leland B.
Really tasty Thai. Some of the best Tom Yum soup I've had, with a good balance of hot and sour tastes. Had a noodle dish which probably went a little heavy on the jalapeños. Fast service to get the food out, but then a little lite on attention after that.
(4)John S.
I have been going to Chiang Mai Thai for lunch between once a week and once every week for several months. Recently, I had a bad experience that changed my opinion of them, which had been good up to this point. The restaurant was about three-quarters full, which is pretty typical for a lunch service. I was seated promptly, had my order taken and was served my bowl of soup all within a reasonable time. Then the waiting began. And continued. And continued some more. After 22 minutes since I ordered, my waitress came with the bill. She did a double- and triple-take at the table as she sees my entree dish is not there. She gulped and asked whether I had received my meal. No. Nevermind that she passed my table at least three times since serving the soup, yet it didn't register that I hadn't gotten my food. She never even noticed, because she had her blinders on since she wasn't going to my table during those passes. She apologized and said she'd take care of it. And then I went back to waiting. Another waitress came by to refill my water glass and asked if I was finished. I told her I was still waiting for my meal. And she realized I had been sitting there much longer than folks at other tables that had been served already. Later, another server came by and asked if I had gotten my food. No. The original waitress came toward my table again with the bill, but looked ahead and saw I still was waiting and turned around and went the other way. By the time I finally got my food, 45 minutes had elapsed from the time I ordered. The waitress apologized again, but it didn't seem very sincere. And this was a woman who had served me probably seven or eight times before. At the end, they said they would take 25 percent off the bill. I thought to myself, that was a time where you should comp the meal. As it is, I won't return here despite having enjoyed their food and service every other time I had been there.
(1)Neda S.
Chiang mai used to be sooo much better. Unfortunately I've seen their quality decrease over the years. It is still my go-to thai place in town but I hope they catch up again. Get their pad prik khing.
(3)Jessica L.
By far my favorite place to eat in Boise. Everything is delicious but the potstickers will change your life they are so good! Seriously, if you go you HAVE TO try the potstickers!
(5)Guy H.
Food was so so. The restaurant itself is falling apart with cracks in the floor and chipped flooring everywhere. Staff was nice, polite and did their best while running around chaotically. The restaurant was nearly empty on a Friday night, do others must be noticing the filth too. We used to dine here often, but will likely not return anytime soon. A major remodel soon is needed to improve cleanliness. The loud racist group didn't help.
(1)Marc M.
Lunch specials are a great price. Green curry chicken is delicious. Not overpriced Thai food!!
(4)Rook T.
Always yummy! Always friendly. Always authentic. Always happy to please and customize your dish. Always burn my face off and spend three days with RING OF FIRE if I order more than "2 star spicy" on any dish. I'm a regular and will keep coming back for more masochistic green curry, pad Thai, Tom ka Kai, Tom ka ga, pad woonsen, and pad kra Prik, just to name a few dishes that are like an Asian tongue massage! Oh Gaaahd!
(4)Audrey B.
My boyfriend, mother and I tried going yesterday around 2:45 pm. The waitress was friendly enough. She sat us down, got us water and menus and immediately asked if we were ready to order. We all looked at her confused as she told us the kitchen leaves right at 3 and then she simply walked away with no explanation.... We all sat for minute wondering why she would even seat us if she is going to be passive aggressive about it. Then another waitress comes and tries to take our order within seconds of her leaving the table! Not coming here ever again. There are plenty of friendlier, tastier Thai food places in Boise.
(1)Nicole W.
Located in sort of a creepy strip mall, between a oriental market with limited selection and a bar with dark windows... Staff was very friendly and welcoming. As other said this place is homey and decorated almost completely with elephants - my favorite animal! I asked for pad thai - figured i'd go with the staple to do a comparison. I said - i would like it hot. Our server says we have a 1-5 for hot levels. I said 4. She talked me down to a 3. Sigh. I guess I should have said i wasn't from Idaho! My other diners went with 2 different curries. We all shared and theirs were pretty good, but again, definitely not enough heat. My pad thai was meh. It was greasy, it didn't have enough heat, it was pretty sweet, no bean sprouts... Definitely not impressive. At the end of the meal we asked for 4 containers for the 2 curries, pad thai and the rice. My co-diner feared putting the curries into the regular Chinese take out boxes. That should have been something obvious. Probably wont return, i'll see what the rest of the city has to offer.
(3)Megs H.
Actually... make that 0 stars. Don't go here. Stay away. I want it all to myself. I'd prefer not to share my favorite Thai place in town. Thanks! Or... get the chicken green curry and the fresh rolls. Mongolian beef is amazing. Pad thai is outstanding. Service is peppy and sometimes slow, sometimes ridiculous fast. Sketchy location but as long as you dodge the drunks outside the Navajo, you'll be golden. This place deserves awards for how good it is! Love love love! Favorite Thai place in town.
(5)David L.
The Pad Prik Khing I ordered was quite different from what I was expecting. I am used to a mixture of green beans, coconut milk, chicken, red curry paste, sliced red pepper and lots of basil. What I got instead certainly was the Pad Prik Khing from a different regional cooking style. It could have been Northern Thai style, since Chiang Mai, the city, is in the north of Thailand. Regardless, the combination of stir fry chicken, Asian bean, bell pepper, peas, carrots, ginger, kaffir leaves and straw mushrooms was VERY different. It was good, but not as good as what I remember from other restaurants in other cities. I'm going to sample other Thai restaurants in Boise for the elusive Pad Prik Khing I covet before I return to the Chiang Mai.
(3)John V.
I am obsessed with all the complex and intoxicating ingredients that are found in Thai cooking - chilies, lemon grass, lime, GARLIC, cumin, coconut - so when I find a restaurant that can put them together properly I am ready to open my wallet again and again and again to experience this world class cuisine. Chiang Mai House prepares superb Thai food...I wonder if I can get a house account because I am going to be coming here a lot, the food is that good. Try the fresh rolls: you get three of them, each cut in 1/2 (that would be 6 pieces for you non-math majors). These are a total deal @ 6.75 and they are great for sharing! Served with peanut dipping sauce and chili sauce (found on the table). The Tom Yum Koong soup is great for what ails you. I should quote from the movie The Exorcist: "it burns, it burns"; lemon grass, kaffir lime, galangal - all the wonderful tastes of Thai brought together in a mesmerizing combination that is quintessential Thai. The bowl size can be a meal in itself. I can't imagine how generously sized the pot must be! Pad Kra Pao (Basil Stir-Fry): mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapeno, onions, carrots, and sweet basil leaf. Add chicken. Yummy. Salty. Garlic-y. Intoxicating. Red Curry: red bell pepper, basil, Thai eggplant. So spicy, so rich with the coconut milk; there is garlic of course, and chili peppers, and galangal and fish stock and kaffir lime, and cumin and lemongrass and OMFG oh so tasty. So, why 4 stars? Even though the service is friendly, it seems as if they are in a rush to get you out of here. Just keep shooing them away, they are secondary to the food. I love that the place is not fancy, not in the 'burbs, not next to a mall, and not in gentrified downtown. Added bonus is that it is next to a colorful bar which offers its own kind of spice and heat!
(4)P N.
Ordered take out - Pad See Ew . Best description is lazy. I don't think they even bothered to stir fry the noodles, very limp and watery. No sign of an egg and the chicken a little off. Won't be going there again.
(2)Bob S.
Enjoyed the soup special, green curry with shrimp, and panang curry with chicken. The food was wonderful and the service excellent. Will definitely return.
(5)Kevin Q.
I've been here MANY times and not once have I had a bad experience. Today I had the yellow curry lunch special, that came with a house soup. Egg drop. The meal was delicious... prompt seating, meal was quick and had a Thai iced tea with it. Perfect. You can't go wrong with Chang Mai.
(5)Matt T.
I'm not sure why some reviews have it as the best Thai in town. Its just OK. I've been a few times. Service has always been good but the food is nothing spectacular.
(3)Amy K.
Located in a strip mall next to a sketchy looking dive bar. Frozen vegetables in the red curry I ordered. Ugly decor. Server was the best part although it seemed like most people were doing take-out. I feel like Pad Thai is a good way to measure a Thai restaurant....I tried a bit of my friend's and they just didn't have the flavors dialed in correctly. It was much too sweet. My friends seem to love this place. I am clearly spoiled after having lived in Seattle. Still looking for a decent Thai option in Boise. It doesn't seem like I will find one.
(2)Eric B.
This food is mediocre at best. We got takeout; after eating, I debated putting the leftovers in the trash instead of the fridge. I have no clue why this place is so popular. We moved here from Portland, and the only Thai food in Boise that comes close to Portland or Seattle standards is A Taste of Thai at 8053 Emerald (by TGI Fridays near the mall). That place isn't incredible, but it's much better than this.
(1)Dave B.
This is the best Thai restaurant in town. My favorites are (please forgive my poor spelling) the musuman curry with chicken, thom ka gai soup, and fresh rolls. This restaurant is about the only place that can make me eat my vegetables... It is all so good. One more tip -go easy on how many spicy stars you want for your dish; these people are not afraid to make it super HOT!
(5)Cody E.
Excellent option for quick, reasonably priced takeout. Most recently, we ordered two noodle dishes with beef and shrimp, along with crab rangoons. Food is delicious (it's not too spicy or artificially sweetened like a lot of American Thai). Also, the portions are large, so two orders can feed maybe four people. An excellent choice for reasonable Thai food!
(5)Steve M.
Great traiditonal Thai food that is extremely tasty with custom spicy options level 1-5. If you want to clear your sinus's and burn through your meal a level 5 won't dissapoint :). For quality, quantity, and price, it's the best place for Thai food in Boise.
(5)Lisa E.
Go here for lunch instead of dinner. You get the same food for half the price during lunch. I've had a lot of Thai food - a lot! This place ranks up there with some of the best. Solid pad thai and curries. Service is friendly and fast.
(4)BoiseFoodie A.
I had been lamenting the lack of good Asian food in Boise on one of my reviews on Yelp when I received a msg from a fellow local Yelp user about this place (Thanks!). Several of my colleagues swear by it but somehow I'd neglected to give them a try. Boy, was I missing out. They are top notch. Food is excellent - not too Americanized. When they say how hot you want your food - pay attention. 3 out of 5 is really really hot and this is coming from a person with a really healthy tolerance for eastern spices. Next time I am going to go with level 2. Staff is super friendly. We will definitely go back.
(4)Julie E.
This is the first Thai food I've had in Boise and I really enjoyed it. I agree the location is kind of odd, but the decor is lovely and the servers are all very nice. They were busy during a weekday lunch, so perhaps they need to hire a few more, but the food was well worth the wait. After we ordered they brought a soup with ground chicken, cabbage, tofu and noodles. We had an appetizer of pork and seeds that was well presented, and then the main course.. Pineapple Fried Rice! This version had a bit more soy sauce in the preparation than I am accustomed to, but it was wonderfully tasty and the presentation, again, just lovely. Someone in their kitchen does a great job with garnishes. I also had a Thai Iced tea.. it was a bit sweet for me, but that can vary depending on who is mixing them . I will definitely go back. the one down point is that I had ordered an item to go for when we were ready to leave, but they didn't start cooking in until I'd paid.. the poor server was so sweet though and she obviously appreciated the fact that I didn't go nuclear on her.
(4)Steve T.
Cindi and I tried this place on the recommendation of someone we met at a party in McCall. Our gold standard for Thai food in Boise is Bangkok Thai by Boise Towne Square, so we were hoping Chiang Mai measured up. Alas, it was not to be. The service was terrible. Our tea (which they charge for!) took 15 minutes to get, and it was cool by the time it arrived. It took us 30 minutes to get our soup. Cindi's egg drop soup was bland with what appeared to be an oil slick on top of it. My Tom Kha Kai had good flavor, but was very watery. It took over 40 minutes for our main courses to arrive. Cindi's Mongolian beef had more onions than beef. The flavor was OK, but not as good as what you can get at Fortune Wok. My Pad Thai, which I ordered as a 4, was closer to a 2. Its flavor and texture were not even close to Bangkok Thai. One advantage of Chiang Mai is that you can order a wide selection of Thai and Chinese cuisine. But if you want good Thai, go elsewhere.
(2)Darius L.
The food was great. It took some convincing to get the owner to agree to bring me the Pad Ke Mow 5 star hot. It didn't disappoint. Fresh jalapeño chilies and red and green Thai chilies were all over the place. Ingredients were fresh and all over the place. The only knock that I have was the service. Took the owner 5 minutes to recognize that I was there and once I sat down another 10 minutes before I had a chance to order. She was nice, but they weren't the most attentive staff I've ever seen.
(3)A K.
It is in a strip mall, and that will throw you off a bit, but the food and the service are top notch. The pineapple red curry with shrimp has the kind of spicy tasty flavor so addictive you add more rice to the bowl to sop up every trace of sauce. the Tom Kai Kai is perfect. The Pad Thai is very good, but occasionally a bit bland- be sure and request they spice it up.
(4)Janice T.
I feel kinda crazy for ordering Sweet and Sour Pork at a Thai Restaurant 'coz it's something I should get at a Chinese restaurant but i'm glad they didn't disappoint. The serving was generous and it tasted really good. Our server was really nice, service time was reasonable. The mango sticky rice was delish...wished i didn't have to share it with hubby :) maybe next time i'll try their curries....
(4)James S.
Certainly the best Thai food in town. I was a regular lunchtime customer for years--all lunches served with soup for about $7. Recently I had my first dinner here and I was blown away. Every course was absolutely delicious. The service could not be friendlier either. Mak is the owner and primary waitress. She's one of the friendliest people I know. Her husband does the cooking. The two of them have been living in Idaho since they left Thailand about 20 years ago. Pan is the daytime waitress and also very cool. These are good people. Careful with your spice here. They operate on a 1-5 star system. I've spent most of my life near the Mexico border, and I can't handle anything more than 2 stars. Oh man, I love this restaurant!
(5)Jasmine P.
If no stars were an option I world have gave that. Went based on other reviews. Ordered to go: Chicken Pad Thai spicy 4 & Thai iced tea(pretty simple to get right for a "good" thai joint). Maybe I'm spoiled being from Portland but that was hands down the worst of BOTH. The noodles were a 2. No limes &if not for the tons of oil in the noodles they would have been dry. The tea was ALL creamer so sweet I the it out after one sip. Place smelled awesome tho which made my bad meal even worse.
(1)Jeff H.
If you are a fan of curries and good spice, Chiang Mai Thai is the absolute best in Boise. The service and prices are good and they provide you with enough rice to finish your meal without additional charges.
(5)Rick S.
I love Chiang Mai. First of all, forget the fact that they are friendly, have great service, and so on. I have to say that it is difficult to find any quality Asian cuisine the further you travel from the coasts. The New York City area usually has the best Thai food, or so I have experienced. However, Chiang Mai is as good as any I have every had. The curries, particularly the Red Curry will blow you mind.
(4)mundovore m.
I have tried the papaya salad and it was just so-so. It seems like almost everything else on the menu is great. The curry seems to be made from fresh coconut milk. I tried the larb most recently (with beef) and was blown away by the flavor. It's the best thing on the menu.
(3)Kim B.
I love Chiang Mai! I love it over ANY of the Thai restaurants in town and I have been to all of them except for Thai Naylan. The portions are huge for the price! And when you ask for it with 3 stars it hot just like it suppose to be! The fresh rolls and satay are delicious!! And do not get my started on the Tom Yum Soup (white coconut soup) we tried the Tom Yum soup at Pad Thai House and it wasn't very good it had something in that tasted like pine! I could just devour the soup and that its! I love in the Pad Thai that when you get beef its like grilled steak! When I got that at Pad Thai House its like mushy meat!! The restaurant may look like a little hole in the ground from the outside and sometimes you can here the drunkards next door at the Navajo Room singing but its fun to try to guess what song they are singing. And the food totally makes it totally worth it! They re-did the interior and it looks soo much better! Please go to Chiang Mai I recommend any of the curry or the Pad Thai and my husband love the Laad Nah and the Chiang Mai Fried rice!! AWESOME!!!!! You cant form your own opinion if you dont try it!!
(5)Chelsea L.
Although I haven't tried all of the thai food places in Boise, I'd have to say Chiang Mai is awesome - worthy of 4.5 stars! I'm very picky when it comes to thai food, especially after going to Thailand myself and each dish I've had here stands on its own - yum! I've tried both the red and green curry, excellent, very flavorful, lots of traditional veggies and a thicker sauce. The pad see yew also has a great, light sauce and complementary veggies for the wide rice noodles. Their spice level is true to the "stars" you ask for, its nice to find a place that isn't afraid to give you heat when you ask for it! Their portion size is large, with 2 dishes for 2 people, we've taken leftovers home each time and at a steel ($20 for 2 people!!). I cant wait to try out more items on their menu!!
(4)Karl K.
This was pretty damn good Thai. Better than expected based on the location (Boise & in a quite a run down strip mall in an uninspired part of town). The waitress asked us how spicy we would like in on a scale of 1 to 5. We said 4. She talked us up to 5. I said an American 5 would be good, but a Thai 5 would be way too much. As it turned out, it was a bit too hot for us. Still damn tasty, but my mouth is still buzzing. I won't fault them, we asked for it... and I'm still going to gobble up the leftovers tomorrow. Next time I'll ask for a stiff 3. One thing I will fault them for is the price. Maybe being from San Francisco, I'm used to getting great Thai on the cheap. Maybe this is fancy stuff for Boise. I don't know. I just know that 10 to 15 dollars for a Thai entree seems a bit steep. Granted these are huge portions for Thai, So I guess it all evens out. Ok, another thing I would fault them for... there are more Chinese items on the menu than Thai items. I didn't try any of the Chinese dishes so I can't speak for them. What little Thai stuff we found and tried was good. I'd say check it out.
(4)T M.
Ok... Green papaya Salald - HORRIBLE! yuck! Couldn't even eat it. Got something I didn't order and they wouldn't take it back! Even talked to the owner of the restaurant and they wouldn't budge... pretty awful experience... go to Thai Cuisine instead, it is so good with WAY BETTER service.
(1)Brooke P.
Good food. Great Service. The server filled never let our water glasses get empty but wasn't intrusive. The appetizer arrived less than 5 minutes after our order was taken and the main meal within 10 of the appetizer. The appetizers are somewhat expensive at about $6-8 each but the crab ragoon was worth it.The main dishes are about $10 each but didn't have as much food as the other reviews led me to expect. Still, two dishes for my husband and I was more than enough and we had left overs. We had chicken pad thai which had smaller noodles than we're used to but great flavor and mongolian beef. I was pleasantly surprised that the beef was good quality and not stringy like most asian restaurants I've been to. The atmosphere was nice too. We will definitely be back.
(4)Stanton C.
It's weird to give this place a 3 after giving the Thai temple near my house a 3, too. They're on different levels... but here we go: We started coming to this place to get away from downtown during lunch. One of my coworkers has to feed his Thai fix weekly and Mai Thai was getting a little boring. My coworkers came here first without me, but brought me here afterwards and we've been coming here ever since. Compared to Mai Thai, things seems a little more home-y here instead of modern decor. Also, they just remodeled so it feels a little more private (they added a couple walls whereas before it was just lots of tables). The lunch specials are okay - if you don't like peas and carrots (like me), I'd avoid getting the fried rice with your lunch entree. My favorite so far has to be the Pineapple Fried Rice - the portion is HUGE and it has shrimp, pineapple, and CASHEWS. My coworkers like the fresh rolls and the Tom Kha soup as well. I'm not a huge fan of the rolls because of their dense rice wrappers (I'm used to lighter ones), but the Tom Kha is pretty good. We've come here consistently and I think we'll keep coming back as a standby. It's not the best Thai I've had, but it isn't bad for Boise...
(3)David F.
Have to downgrade after some disgusting Tom Yum Goong recently. The shrimp was disintegrating.
(3)Chris B.
My favorite Thai restaurant in Boise. Can get pretty busy on weekend evenings (or maybe they were just short staffed that night).
(4)Minerva J.
Chiang Mai House has the best Pad Thai in Boise. The strip mall area that it is in may lack ambience, but this restaurant is sure to satisfy. The decor is expectedly quirky. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. This is delicious Thai food with a casual atmosphere.
(5)Paige F.
Best Thai food in Boise! enough said.
(5)Lisa S.
This is the best curry in Boise. I've tried every Thai place in town. Everything I've had here has been good, and I've never had bad service. They really dote on you! You get twice as much food at Chiang Mai for less money than downtown, and the food is better. As the other reviewers have said, they will make your food extra spicy on request. They don't mess around, so you have been forewarned!
(5)S. S.
If you are looking for a great place for a nice Thai dinner...this may be a good option for you; however, beware of the various charges associated with select menu items that could make this more expensive than you had originally bargained for. After eating at numerous places and enjoying many meals, I alway choose the whole fish fried with a spicy sauce to test out the place and Chiang Mai didn't dissappoint. At the conclusion of my gastronomic adventure I was pleased by the tasty fried goodness that was my fish and the flavorful tidbits that I had grazed from the plates of my friends; however, this was the end of the enjoyment at Chiang Mai. At the conclusion of our lengthy meal, with the service being markedly slow, distracted, but friendly service for a Wednesday evening I was presented with the check... Not scary, but somewhat higher than expected...but not to worry, we had arrived prepared with a Restaurants.com gift certificate that could take a chunk of that away-or so we thought. First: Beware of the fried fish dish. They will add a random amount-in my case 3 dollars-to the listed price on the menu depending on the size of the fish that they provide you. Mind you, you do not get to chose the size of the fish nor are you informed that they charge more for a bigger fish...I would have been happier with a smaller fish for 3 bucks less- I was not expecting to pay eighteen bucks for my meal. Second: Gift Certificates from Restaurant.com So, the 3 dollar add-on fee for a fish that I didn't chose would have been remedied by using the 10 dollar, yes, 10 dollar-off gift certificate purchased from Restaurants.com . One would think that after the party purchased well over 75 dollars worth of food and beverages from Chiang Mai, that their profit margin would be well above the trivial 10 dollars PLUS eighteen percent auto-gratuity that was added-not so. Unless one orders the oh-so tame Pad Thai or similar dishes, which may be good, but certainly don't encompass the true Thai flavors and foods that make Thai food so amazing, the ENTIRE TABLE cannot use the gift certificate...so despite the fact that we spend over 75 dollars, we couldn't use the 10 dollars off, simple because my dish didn't qualify. So, basically it broke down to this: if anybody in your party, even if you sit at different tables or split the checks ordered a beer, glass of wine, or a dish like mine-a house specialty, not special-nobody can use the certificate...even though somebody acutally paid for the gift certificate...BUYER BEWARE!!!!! And, there was NO room for discussion-despite attempting to reason with the staff-they could have made a great tip if they would have listened...but no. In conclusion to my long, drawn out review: I will not return to the Chiang Mai, despite it's great food and incredible proximity to my house-less than 100 yards- due to the shady accounting associated with menu selections, and unethical failure to honor gift certificates that have been paid for..I am so dissapointed in you Chiang Mai, I had such high hopes.
(1)Gloria C.
Reviews are all about bias, so: best Thai curry in town. Any color. Don't ask for hot, you will die (unless you don't, some people are ok with super hot). I like medium, as I can taste the many flavors and have a good amount of heat. Mango sticky rice is especially good when the mango is in season, the dish is available year-round. Pineapple fried rice..mmm. Pad Thai, crunchy and tasty. Good soups. Friendly/fast/know our names service. Take-out! In a hurry, call ahead.
(4)Michelle K.
I'm always a little nervous trying ethnic restaurants in a new city without reading reviews, but it was getting a bit late in the evening and I had to find something before I was stuck eating fast food. The waitresses inside were friendly and I could see a number of tables with patrons eating delicious looking and smelling food. I decided to try the spicy seafood soup as an appetizer and the sliced rare beef salad. The soup was full of seafood and surprisingly spicy enough to encourage me to sip carefully. The beef salad was wonderful as well. It was artfully arranged on a plate with sliced cucumbers and lettuce. I really enjoyed the tenderness of the beef and the delicious fish sauce dressing. Next time I'm in town, I am excited to try some more of their dishes.
(5)danger m.
i like the food here, especially the noodles, some of the better thai in town for sure. if you go in a big group they have some family-style specials (multiple entrees/appetizers) which gives you a good variety of food at an affordable price. be warned their spice level is a kick above the rest of places in town. the service is pretty on par with most asian restaurants if not a little bit better, the waitresses are friendly enough. if you are craving thai, i would definitely check this place out.
(4)Shayna W.
I'm new to Thai food and love the food at Chiang MAI. They are very helpful with explaining the dishes and the portions are plentiful. My husband and I love to order a ton of dishes and share and try something new every time. The prices can't be beat, the service is always great and the food is excellent.
(5)Amanda C.
I've only had great meals at Chiang Mai. This place has the best Thai food in Boise (I admit I haven't tried them ALL) and great prices too! Its a great place to take Boise visitors too because it has a nice atmosphere. Sometimes I crave the appetizer Fresh Rolls or others so much that we just go there for a meal of appetizers. This is our stand-by fast easy and great night out spot!
(5)Ariel H.
YUM. We moved here from a city that has a Thai place every three blocks. We didn't realize how spoiled we were there until we moved to Boise. Thai food had become our weeknight-and-I-don't-want-to-cook comfort food. We don't want to spend a fortune, but we want a steaming pile of noodles, too (that's not to say we don't appreciate "authentic" or "good" Thai, too, Pok Pok, anyone?--but we were looking for our "Red Robin" of Thai). Chiang MAI fits the bill perfectly for quick Thai take-out on the way home from work. Spicy, flavorful, and a large menu to choose from, we'll be going here frequently. It's not much to look at, and it's in kind of a funny location, but I liked it quite a bit better than Siam Thai. Also, what is it with Boise Thai restaurants being so Pan-Asian? Why not just Thai food??
(5)Lou M.
This was the second vissit to Chiang Mai and I have to say the food is very good as well as the service. Now for the bad. I have never in my 68 years been in a dirtier restaurant. On this trip we sat close to the kitchen doors and Oh My God. Trust me on this one, it is unsanitary and we plan on calling the Board Of Health first thing Monday. Even the walls inside the eating area are filthy
(1)Waynele Y.
The food here was pretty good though I thought it was weird that they had Chinese food items on their menu (sesame chicken, beef broccoli, mongolian beef etc). We had some spicy noodle dish (forgot what it was called #72? - above Pad See Ew) and Spicy Shrimp (in house specialties section). Both were very good. The spicy noodles were REALLY spicy. It was like a spicy version of Pad See Ew minus the egg. The shrimp was equally good, not as spicy, with a little bit of sweetness. I would recommend both dishes. The restaurant fell short of four stars because of the ambiance (kind of tacky/overdone--very decorative "thai" pieces everywhere) and because it felt a little bit on the dirty side though I've been to worse.
(3)Kevin G.
Wow. Just had a terrible experience here! So this place was a top favorite here in town and we always get the green curry with tofu. As a gift from my mother we went in tonight to get our usual, and granted it was really busy, they made a mistake and gave us red curry. We wanted to let them know(and were planning on eating it anyway) but they tried to brush it off as green. We ate some and it was OBVIOUSLY a red curry! (we are curry conisours) So we mention it again with the same response. Then a woman sitting next to us got her GREEN curry, which was obviously a green curry, I lost my appitite. We told the waitress, who got the owner... She would not back down or offer us to fix it! She said next time we should order it less spicy, and I replied next time we'll go somewhere else. Then our waitress had enough integrity to admit the mistake, but was powerless to do anything. And that is how it went down. And that is how you lose customers and get bad reviews on yelp.
(1)