4. Restaurants

Khao San

1435 NW Flanders St,Ste A, Portland, OR, 97209
  • (503) 227-3700
  • Store is closed

Khao San Menu

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  • Divya A.

    The cocktails were superb. The chiang mai drink which I tried was really refreshing. Most of the dishes have a vegan option due to which this place is quite good for vegans to try as well.

    (5)

  • Amie B.

    Wow this place is good. I am so glad that I work in the neighborhood because I am going to be craving this place from now on! I want to try everything on their menu!

    (5)

  • Spencer W.

    The sauce that comes with the bite size spring rolls is magical. The most authentic Thai I've ever encountered and just a hair above Pok Pok in flavor by my count (and certainly in value). This place is going to blow up fast; cheap awesome drinks, big menu with lots of originals, and killer decor. AND, get this, free refills on Thai ice tea. Marvelous!

    (5)

  • Denny S.

    The first time I met Bud, the co-owner of Khao San, I knew he was opening a terrific new restaurant in Portland's Pearl District. The authentic Thai Street food is awesome. I have invited friends and family and we have tasted several different dishes and each time we go, we appreciate the food, the service, and the real great atmosphere at a very reasonable price point. Treat yourself to a great lunch or dinner. I really believe this place is going to be Portland's best bet for authentic Thai Street Food...

    (5)

  • Allie L.

    This is a one of the best Thai restaurants I've visited. I'm spoiled by the variety and delicious Thai food available in the Bay Area. This is a gem in Portland. This family owned restaurant delivers on both service and food. The owner is very friendly and helped us narrow down our selections with his recommendations. We had the Hoy Joh (#13 on the menu), the Yum Near (#25), the Mhu Ping (#40), the Kor Mhuy Yaang (#42), and the Spicy Crispy Chicken Basil (#55). Drinks include lemonade, Thai ice tea (my favorite), Rice Lager and Hot Cider alcoholic drinks. All the dishes were wonderful. Our favorite were the Kor Mhuy Yaang and the Hoy Joh. I can't eat spicy so the Yum Near was too spicy for me. Fun factor - you can even dine in an authentic Thai tuk-tuk that sits inside the restaurant. #outdoorseating #dogfriendly #Thaifood

    (4)

  • Kalong W.

    Why have I taken so long to write about this place? Because it's so good, I want to keep it to myself. But that wouldn't be fair, would it? Khao San is probably my favorite Thai restaurant in Portland. My coworkers and I stumbled upon it one day during it's grand opening last summer and I won't go anywhere else for Thai now. The ambiance is beautiful and classy but relaxing, perfect for groups, dates, happy hour, dinner, lunch, everything. They even have a tut-tut you can sit in for a meal, and outdoor seating which I loved in the summer time, and the staff treats everyone like family. Well, at least they remember me and are always happy to see me, and I am always happy to see them. (Hiii!) Oh and the food. I've been to Thailand and the pad thai here is the closest I've found to the pad thai served off the street carts on the actual Khao San Road. Fresh, aromatic, simple but authentic. Their spicy is true-to-spiciness and the chefs really know what they are doing. The curries don't disappoint either, my favorite is the chicken massaman curry. Also, don't leave without trying their Fresh Garden Rolls (?) with shitake mushrooms. They are my favorite appetizer. EVER. They come in an order of 4, wrapped delicately in soft rice paper and bursting with flavor. I can't recommend this place enough!!!

    (5)

  • Chris B.

    Great quality Thai food everything on the menu is gluten free. Chicken skewers plus. Great happy hour. The staff is also phenomenal

    (5)

  • K N.

    We always take out - that being said the food is spectacular. Exactly what we look for when eating "out." Food we can't make at home that is flavorful, interesting and reasonably priced. My only complaint is that the papaya salad has been too spicy several times. We order "mild" and we end up throwing it away since it is inedible for our palate. We know Thai food and spice and I assume the papaya salad is not scalable. Everything else has been on point and amazing. Obviously my advice is that you carefully order if you are sensitive to heat. The owner contacted me and suggests that I order papaya salad with "no pepper" since they are very spicy this time of year.

    (5)

  • Will G.

    I was hesitant to visit khao San when they first opened in my neighborhood. I figured it was just another Thai place with mediocre food. I decided to give it a shot on a whim two days ago and thank God I finally did. So far I've had dinner here the past 3 days in a row. Pros: 1) the food is LEGIT. 2) they have their own branded lager and ginger pale ale and they are both excellent. 3)BOTTOMLESS THAI ICED TEA 4) decent happy hour menu and good times too! CONS: I'm going to get fat.

    (5)

  • Jane I.

    #1 The owner is actually from Thailand #2 he has 2 other Thai joints, but decided to make this third one true and authentic to Thai food and not watered-down fusion. #3 This place actually has real spice and real flavor. It's not where you come to just be boring white-American and eat pad thai or drunken noodles and you are afraid of a little spicy anything. #4 bottomless Thai teas #5 You can sit and eat in a tuk-tuk.

    (5)

  • Hannah L.

    I could write a long review about "Khao San" and "amazing," but in keeping with the fresh and creative simplicity that's the hallmark of excellent street food, I won't. Instead, some highlights: An addictive spicy lime sauce, shot through with fish sauce and citrus. Small bags of sticky rice tucked inside baskets. A lovely ginger pale ale (Khao San's own) perfect for accompanying any and all dishes. Tempting plates ranging from summer rolls to larb to pumpkin curry to any number of grilled and skewered meats. Spices that build gently but inexorably on your palate. The Tuk Tuk taxicab, in which you can sit and think "How lucky are we to live in Portland?" And to have Khao San as such a delicious Pearl newcomer....The kitchen comparisons to Pok Pok are fully warranted, and since Khao San has the added attributes of extra-friendly service, no attitude, and space to sit I'll be heading here instead of there. The menu's designed and sized for sharing if you choose (though I was pleasantly full with just my own larb salad and rice - and, okay, pint of GPA), and some dishes are marked as serving two. If there's anything better than great street food, it's getting to taste multiple versions of great street food. Khao San has an afternoon and an evening (beginning at 9 pm) happy hour, with plenty of fun touches like a great sangria and some creative and food-compatible cocktails. The space itself is fun and inviting, with seating configurations of all sorts inside a bright and spacious dining room. From now on, "street food" or "Thai" will simply be code words for "We're heading to Khao San." With pleasure....

    (5)

  • Chelsea A.

    My god I love this place. Easily has the best fresh rolls I've ever had, there is something about the peanut sauce that's cracky. The pork belly with green beans is BEYOND. I'm eating there like once a week and can't stop. Everyone is wonderfully nice they have a couple of local beers on tap and I dig the space. Seriously though, the food is the best.

    (5)

  • In B.

    what a cute little place you are!! loving the space!! making me feel like i was in thailand!! (whatever that means because ive never been.. but who cares because i loved everything about your atmosphere!) i wish you can open later on weekends for my drunk cravings. mmmm... nom nom. all the flavors were spot on and i just wanted to drink all of their special sauces! their portions are on the smaller side but this gives you a reason to try more dishes! i went with a friend and we inhaled 7 plates of food. : D #proudmoment

    (5)

  • Lawrence C.

    What a find! We wanted Thai food on our last day in Portland and found just the place. I really wanted since pumpkin curry and this place had just the right amount and for a good price. The spring roll bites are also a great touch for an appetizer. I also highly recommend the pork buns on special. The peanut sauce that comes with it is unlike any sauce I've ever tasted. Very unique. I definitely will be stopping by her next time I'm in Portland

    (5)

  • Nath A.

    Excellent small-plates Thai place. Having just opened, Khao San was still relatively empty on a Saturday night. Like Heather said, in a few months, you'll probably have to wait in line to eat here. People will catch on. We tried a couple of Isan salads (som tam and yum nuea), a couple of grilled dishes (shrimp and pork), the Isan sausage, and two catfish dishes (one steamed in banana leaves, and the other stir-fried with Thai eggplant). Along with a couple of orders of rice, these seven dishes comfortably fed four adults. Most plates were in the $6-$8 range, and two small plates per person seemed like a reasonable rule of thumb. They also had a few rice or noodle dishes that were probably meant to be standalone meals, but a solo diner could just as well just get a couple of small plates and a bit of rice. A few of the standalone meals are lunch-only, including the khao man gai (chicken fat rice) and khao moo dang (BBQ pork rice). None of the dishes were duds; the two fish dishes seemed to elicit the most appreciative grunts. (There was very little talking after the food arrived.) Some of the dishes were offered in funky and funkless versions -- the som tam, for instance, could be ordered with or without fermented black crab, and the holy basil chicken came with either a fried egg or a century egg. Each dish came out of the kitchen when it was ready; they don't hold stuff back and bring it out in organized courses. I think that's just fine for this sort of food. A note on spiciness: this isn't the kind of place where they ask you how spicy you want each dish, on a scale from 1 to 5. Some dishes are just spicy, and some aren't. The spicy dishes are marked on the menu, though, and in some cases the spicy component is an optional dip or garnish that's served on the side; people with milder tastes will still be able to get a tasty meal here, albeit with fewer options. That said, none of the dishes we tried were scary hot, and you can always get a Sabai Sabai (Thai whisky sour) to wash off the heat. Or failing that, maybe end with one of the house-made ice creams or sorbets. Basically, you should eat here.

    (5)

  • Jill C.

    In the words of my 16 year old son, "this place is killing it!". Everything was really, really good. We had the Tom Yum, the Papaya Salad, the pad thai shrimp, the chicken skewers and the spring rolls. The flavors are amazing and much better than we've had at other Thai restaurants. The only thing I didn't like was the iced tea- it has a strong vanilla flavor... easy to overlook!

    (5)

  • Salwa M.

    Went here yesterday for dinner with a friend, and we loved it! The food was great! Well-priced for the amount you get. Also, the service was great. They checked on us often and any special requests we had, they complied to. Also, the wait was not long, even though it was pretty full. Plus, they have an awesome rickshaw/taxi/tuk-tuk which you can be seated in for your dinner! I thought that was really cool! The only thing that was bad, which is not directly related to the restaurant, is parking. On a busy night, finding parking around the area is hard, and you might end up walking 6 or more blocks!

    (4)

  • Erin K.

    Like the pork Ping the best. Spring bites are fresh and tasty! Glad we found this place set off crazy busy main downtown area. Easy to find street front parking. Cool atmosphere prompt service.

    (5)

  • Heather F.

    I have a feeling Khao San will soon involve very long waits and lines out the door. I'll walk by and wonder why Portlanders are so ridiculously patient, yet I'll be there myself often. Everything about this place makes it completely worth it. First, and most importantly, the food is absolutely incredible. We started with the spring roll bites, which I can't rave about enough. They're fresh and flavorful, and that sauce... We then moved on to Pad Kee Mao with beef and Mussamun Chicken. I can honestly say that was the best Pad Kee Mao I've ever tasted, and I've consumed quite a lot of Thai noodles in my lifetime. The chicken was also fantastic, but not quite as bold and flavorful as the noodles. The three dishes were perfect to split between two people, and the prices are completely reasonable ($21 total). There's a solid drink menu - cocktails, wine, beer, and even two special brews made just for Khao San. I can't speak for these yet, but I'll definitely be back to try out some beverages with my next meal. It's also worth noting, the service here is amazing. Everyone was so friendly, outgoing, helpful and just seemed genuinely excited to be working in this new and awesome restaurant. Three different servers were running around helping us giving recommendations, asking how everything was, etc. (but not to the point of being annoying or invasive), and we aren't even needy guests! Lastly, the atmosphere is unique (food trucks inside, one table inside a truck...), trendy, and clean. It perfectly rounds out the experience, so I have nothing to complain about. Definitely check it out. I'll be bummed once I have to start waiting in lines for this, but it really will be worth it.

    (5)

  • Joey A.

    Love the flavors of the Pad Kee Mao without being oily like a lot of Thai places tend to be.

    (5)

  • Megan C.

    Casual Thai restaurant with neat decor and servers dresses in colorful vests (during our month long trip to Thailand we never saw any vendors wearing these vests but its a cute idea). We had a group of 7 people and although I had called in a reservation earlier they said they didn't have it but were able to accommodate us anyway. I tried their alcoholic ginger beer after being told they aren't carrying Cock and Bull ginger beer anymore (even though its listed on the menu) and it wasn't for me but a nice option. Our server was quick, helpful in recommending things to try and gave us updates and wait times for various dishes. I would go back for the Massaman curry!

    (4)

  • Belinda B.

    We had an awesome evening at Khao San. We picked the restaurant because they had gluten free options. First, we were amazed to find that everything on the menu was gluten free. What a treat this was for my niece's 15th birthday. I mentioned to the waiter that it was her birthday, really just wanting to embarrass my dear teenage niece. Well, the waiter brought out ice cream with fried bananas, and a little shiny colorful Tuk Tuk in a gift box that she'll keep as a Christmas ornament...and then we got a ride in the Tuk Tuk! This was an evening that we'll all remember. And oh, did I say that each thing we ordered was absolutely delicious?

    (5)

  • Jeff M.

    What a gem! Food here is great, service is friendly. Loved the interior but also the outdoor seating. While its not gormet, the food is incredibly. Menu full of so much more than you'd find at most Thai restaurants.

    (5)

  • Bunn S.

    I'm so excited that this place is only a few blocks from my studio. I may pack on some extra calories because they're so close by-- and they serve my favorite kinds of porridge. SO GOOD!! That's all. :)

    (4)

  • Jeanie N.

    After coming back from a trip in Thailand, I've been craving good Thai food. The dishes here are authentic and the ambience and decor remind me of the streets of Bangkok. The ping is an awesome pop of flavor with both the chicken and pork skewers. All the dishes are small plates and very shareable. Three of us split five dishes from carefully curated sections. The hoy joh was a delicious won ton of seafood and pork wrapped in a light blanket of bean curd lightly fried for a light crispness. The lemongrass and lime flavors of Tom Zaab balanced well with a little spice to it. We followed this with the Khao San holy basil that was pretty simple and a bit underwhelming. I could have used a bit more spiciness to it. We sat near a table of Thai ladies who sat there for hours, so going into the restaurant I knew we made the right choice!

    (4)

  • Nicole K.

    Two things: 1. FRESH SPRING ROLL BITES! 2. UNLIMITED THAI ICE TEA. Two more things: 3. Absolutely wonderful staff! 4. Absolutely wonderful ambiance. Do not miss out on the fresh spring roll bites!! Everything is delicious!! They even gave us hugging salt and pepper shakers to us on Valentine's day. The fact that there was unlimited Thai Ice Tea really was the cherry on top! I love Thai ice tea, and it made me so happy that I didn't have to ration my drink through my meal :)

    (4)

  • Lance M.

    Awesome food! Some of the best Thai food I have had. Great owner! He even took us on his new Tuk Tuk electric card from Thailand - very cool

    (5)

  • Leslie G.

    Friendly service: the waiter gave a descriptive recommendation for food and spent a long time trying to put the Stanley Cup finals on the tv for me. The food was delicious and came out quickly.

    (5)

  • Justin R.

    I loved this place. I've been a big fan of PokPok, but the steepish prices and long wait time keep it from being anything other than a special occasion. Khao San is both affordable and unassuming, and is the type of place you would want to go any night of the week... and could actually afford to! We tried: -Pork Ping: Great meat and dipping sauce, and even better with a side of Sticky Rice -Spicy Green Beans and Crispy Pork Belly: WOW Massaman Curry: Very good, but I was looking for a little more spicy heat. The food was great and we got out for under 30$. Can't really ask for much more. We will be back soon!

    (5)

  • Andy H.

    Delicious food, pleasant atmosphere, attentive and friendly staff (the owner is really fun and engaging and obviously LOVES what he does), surprisingly low prices for the area - I eat here at least once a week and have walked out with a smile on my face every time!

    (5)

  • Jason W.

    The service is super friendly. The tuk tuk booth, I love! To the best part, the food! Every bit was so delicious and perfectly authentic! The moment the food hit my mouth I was taken back to the streets of Bangkok! This is a must try if you want true Thai food.

    (5)

  • Spamo O.

    Wide variety and very refreshing. This is our second time here and we love it even more.

    (5)

  • Eric M.

    This place is the bomb. I came here a long while back around there grand opening and boy is it better. I thought the food was outstanding and the service was pretty alright. We had four dishes and enjoyed them all! Ping is the bomb. Pad Ke Mao was superb.

    (5)

  • Jim N.

    The chicken skewer and fried rice were really good last time. You can get free Thai tea for checking in on Yelp. Very friendly service.

    (4)

  • Shanti C.

    Wonderful quick and friendly service. Very attentive. Food was excellent, pad Thai had a wonderful flavor. The salad rolls had a peanut sauce that was delicious. Will be returning to try more! Love the small dishes for sharing.

    (5)

  • Chris O.

    Tasty and fun as they serve up street style thai food and not just the usual stuff. They have dog friendly outdoor seating and it's cute inside with the street style casual atmosphere. We had the summer rolls, and a few meat dishes, one a beef skewer and one pork dish, both were tasty. Sure I missed my pad se ew but this was a fun new experience and we enjoyed it.

    (4)

  • Alexandra H.

    I brought my family to Khao San a few weeks ago while they were visiting Portland and we enjoyed to food and service at this restaurant. The menu items are all small plates, which can be shared among several people. Items that stood out among the rest were the pad thai, pad kee mao, and our favorite the kor mu yaang. Our waiter was great about proving suggestions on some of the more popular items on the menu.

    (4)

  • Tim S.

    I love this place. The interior of the restaurant is nice, the service is great, and best of all the food is fantastic! I love pad Thai so I always order it when ever I go to a Thai restaurant and this one ranks into my top 5 best pad Thai! I always love coming here and will be back!

    (5)

  • Jordan L.

    A free Thai ice tea and free refills?! Unreal. Land the food is delicious. Especially the pumpkin curry and the chicken ping. All very affordable, $8 a plate ok average

    (5)

  • Joyce C.

    Very authentic Thai food. Great service and great price. Will come back again next time in Portland.

    (5)

  • Kayla F.

    Best pad thai I've ever had. Best pad kee mao I've ever had, really, in my entire life. They have these little spring bites that are also amazing. I mean, I enjoy the two meals I get out of the usual Thai entree from any ol Thai restaurant/truck in Portland, but this is half the quantity, and more than twice the quality. Let me say, though, that I definitely feel full after clearing my plate here. I haven't tried any of the curries or other entrees because I'm just too into the pad kee mao right now. Can't stop won't stop. Also, bonus, everything on the menu is gluten free, which is helpful for folks with an aversion/allergy/celiac.

    (4)

  • Mary G.

    Pretty decent place. Best pad Thai for me. I like that they offer free refills for Thai ice tea. This is not a fancy place but definitely worth a try!

    (4)

  • Jeff L.

    Your standard Thai fare set in the streets of Thailand. The Pad Kee Mao was good. The sauce wasn't overpowering, and there wasn't an overabundance of noodle to veggie/meat ratio. Wish it did have a little more of that delicious Thai basil in it though. The Thai tea was good, so refreshing on a hot day, and not too much sugar at all. Definitely order the Chicken Ping. So yummy, and the dipping sauce wasn't too spicy. I liked the Soviet style mugs for the water and Thai tea, fits with the industrial theme.

    (4)

  • Angela O.

    Great little place, food comes out quickly and unlimited Thai iced tea.. needless to say I filled up on tea. . . but the food was great too!

    (4)

  • Caroline K.

    Cute restaurant. It's open and airy with the "street food" decor providing an ambience of eating outside in Thailand. Visiting from the Bay Area, I was hoping the reviews were accurate and they were! Food was great! The portions aren't as big as you would expect, however, the price point is commensurate with the size, so no complaints here. Had the crab fried rice - you can actually taste the crab through the entire dish...didn't have to hunt for it. Also had the jungle curry with chicken - could have been spicier, but tasted great and fresh. Accompanied by a bottomless Thai iced tea - this was a thumbs up meal. Will be back next time I'm in Portland!

    (5)

  • Boom N.

    Been here twice so far. Was not quite impressed at all the first time. The second time, I was pretty impressed with a nice, attentive and friendly service -- also free Thai iced tea with yelp check in!. The ambiance is nice and relaxing. The food tastes good/average (but nothing super special as far as I'm concerned), and quite pricey.

    (3)

  • Pepper P.

    Service, food and a pleasant atmosphere make this one of the greatest Thai places I've been to. BIG smiles all around, no trouble with anything at all.. Affordable and everything prompt. I just adore finding little places like this!! Thanks for a great evening!

    (5)

  • robert a.

    Just what we were looking for. Great street Thai with character, street scene ambience, and quick, personable service. Intense, clear flavors, plenty of spice if you want it, and thank goodness: only 3 curries on the menu. On top of all that, affordable. A perfect place to take out of towners. We will be back!

    (5)

  • Yeng T.

    Our first time we went here was this week. My husband and I wanted to try a new Thai place. We still haven't found "our" Thai restaurant. Found this place on yelp (thanks yelpers!). The location was easy to find, street parking, typical downtown parking. The interior was very Thai, I love it, it was thai street food theme. I ordered pad Thai (my usual safe go to when I try a new place) and my hub order chicken basil. Both were delish! The owner talked to us after our meal. He was personable and friendly. It made our experience there even better! We recommend the place and we are def going back.

    (5)

  • Christina M.

    My husband and I just ate here tonight and I had to write this as soon as I got home. We live in the neighborhood and often pass it while getting off I-405 on the way home, and I love street food so we took some time to check it out. The website stated that it was open until 10:00pm with a late night happy hour starting at 9:00pm. We went in at about 9:00pm and were informed that they had "just today" changed to the winter hours and were closing up shop. We said that the website said 10:00pm was close but since we live nearby, we'd come back another time. That's when Bud, the owner, came over and said "No no no, I will cook for you. I am staying to eat anyway and need to cook for my people, so please join us, here are some menus, what would you like?" We ordered off the happy hour menu and ordered the E-san sausage, Ping, and Crying Tiger along with two ginger beers. The grill area is within viewing area of the bar, so we were able to watch Bud prepare the food for us. We ate it (very happily) and after the meal, Bud introduced us to a guest chef who was from Nantucket and showing the staff how to prepare a Thai dessert. He gave them to us and said "This is on the house, please enjoy!" It was really good. I'm not going to use lots of adjectives/adverbs to describe it. I think just saying "IT WAS REALLY GOOD" should be enough. I'm giving this place five stars (which is pretty rare for me) based on the following - 1) good location 2) good food 3) incredibly gracious owner/server Let's face it, the service was enough to warrant the five stars, but when you add good food, then it definitely deserves five stars.

    (5)

  • Leilani P.

    Customer service is awesome! But the crispy pork dishes were terrible. I got the crispy pork with broccoli and the pork was so hard I think it chipped my tooth! I've had great dishes here but this experience killed it for me.

    (2)

  • Jay H.

    The theme and interior is great but the food is... Average and service is also average. There are many other good Thai places that you can go.

    (2)

  • J S.

    Really good. Several vegetarian options. Good service.

    (5)

  • Thuy N.

    What a lovely Thai restaurant in the pearl! Right on the corner of Flanders and 15 st. I would highly recommend this place for their chicken and pork skewers. The sauce that comes with the Ping is so delish. Order a side of sticky rice and your meal is well served. Service is great. The pad thai is also good.

    (4)

  • W B.

    Loved this place, but service was a little slow. I had the bento box with spicy chicken basil. Comes in the little metal carrying case with three compartments. The salad was on top with a mango dressing that was awesome. The chicken was the middle and it didn't look like there was much in there but I was extremely full by the end. This was cooked perfect and had great flavor. The chicken was spicy, although I will ask for spicier next time and the basil in with it gave it a great flavor. The rice was on the bottom and was a good sticky rice. You also get a Thai Iced tea with free refills which is awesome!

    (4)

  • Wil C.

    This place is pretty good and one of the better Thai restaurants in Portland. My favorite here is the beef salad, the meat was super soft and grilled to perfection. Also liked their pad kee mao because it wasn't super greasy and didn't get the nasty burps you sometimes get after eating thai food. As for the comparisons to Pok Pok I don't think you can compare the two because one focuses on Northern Thai cuisine and the other on Bangkok street food. It's like trying to compare Mandarin to Cantonese in Chinese food which are totally different! Even though the food was delish I have to deduct one star for the slow service. The wait staff is super nice though once they get around to you. Also I can't say this is the best thai food I've ever had because it is nothing compared to all the fantastic thai restaurants I've tried in LA. Despite the slow service I expect them to get better and I plan on coming back.

    (4)

  • Stacy L.

    I have never been treated with such hospitality at a restaurant. Amazing food and amazing people.

    (5)

  • Gabe W.

    Fun interior, chill atmosphere . . maybe a little too chill .. . walked in around 9pm, 1 hour to close on a Friday night, the place was practically empty. Service was really slow for having not too many customers. Weren't allowed to sit in the Tuk-Tuk either :( The food was pretty deece, but nothing to write home about. I had the thai pumpkin curry which tasted clean, and fresh, but a poco soso (* spanish for 'bland') needed some salt or something, same for the the pad thai. The ginger beer ale was worth trying but if you want to try the best thai food in the world (better than bankok baby!) you have to make a trip to May's Kitchen in Vashon Island, Washington.

    (3)

  • Samantha C.

    This was an amazing experience. Great food and nice portions. Not too much and not too small. Fast and friendly service. Keep up the great work and wishing you much success. The owner added a special touch coming to chat with us and other patrons. Excellent!

    (4)

  • Cristina C.

    My expectations maybe were too high because of the high evaluations in yelp, food was ok, service was not that good, they were nice but we had to call them more than twice... Not bad but not almost 5 stars...

    (3)

  • JV L.

    I don't understand all of the 5 star reviews here... this place is not good. It's not completely inedible, but it is not good Thai food. I am Thai, I just recently visited Thailand. This food did not taste like food there. I got the pumpkin curry. It was bland and not spicy at all. The prices are inexpensive, though, so I didn't feel too bad about making this mistake. The service, location and restaurant are fine. But, I should have been suspicious when I saw zero Thai people working there. My friends and I had to eat at a different Thai place a few days later just to get the thought of this food out of our heads.

    (2)

  • Marissa V.

    The food was excellent and very authentic! A special shout out and thanks to our server Ming. This human being has the most exceptional customer service ever!!! I highly recommend treating yourself to this place :)

    (5)

  • Muki H.

    Super yummy Thai spot on the edge of the pearl. Pad Thai was excellent and the Kor Mu Yaaa was as well

    (4)

  • Johanna F.

    Bomb.com ! This Thai was perfect for my take-out cravings. We ordered the pumpkin curry, pad kee mao, two orders of mango sticky rice and some summer rolls. Loved the dinner dishes and SERIOUSLY loved the mango sticky rice. The summer rolls were good but non-comparable to the rest of our meal. Also enjoyed two Thai iced teas :)!!! Definitely recommend this place! Servers are so nice and had no problem ordering over the phone :)!

    (5)

  • Tea Drinker K.

    I loved the crispy chicken with basil. The sticky rice came in a basket with liner. It was great and the basket kept the rice warm. The free refill Thai Iced Tea is not to be missed. I will visit again. Great to have them in our neighborhood!

    (5)

  • Nimisha B.

    We wanted to make it over to Pok Pok but this was much more convenient and I do not regret it a bit. The ambiance is so great and the food is fantastic! Definitely the best Thai I've ever had, and one or two of the Thai iced teas might completely fill you to exploding capacity but it's totally worth it.

    (5)

  • Lisa H.

    My daughter and I ate lunch here for the first time today and I have to say it was really wonderful. Quick, friendly service, fun space with outdoor seating (perfect on a sunny day) & great food. We had Pad Thai Shrimp and Pumpkin Curry as well as Thai Iced Tea. We will return....

    (5)

  • Don M.

    Very good!!! We had the fresh spring rolls w/a great dipping sauce. Second we had the Hooker Shrimp. Wow!!! Perfectly balanced! I had the Thai ice tea. I could have drunk a lot of it except I had also ordered the Khao San Pale Ale. Very nice. David, the waiter was friendly and helpful. Finished w/Mango ice cream. Never thought I could OD on too much Cream but we did. Definitely would come back. Not too expensive either.

    (4)

  • Keb Y.

    The most amazing AUTHENTIC Thai Cuisine I have ever had~ The food literally melts in your mouth and is light and full of flavor~ Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a filling and well prepared meal~

    (5)

  • EMAD M.

    Wonderful service delicious food uniquely different and inventive atmosphere we ate 5 different dishes and will definitely return hungry for more

    (5)

  • John L.

    Wife and I recently moved to the Pearl to give urban living a try. Consequently we have been trying many restaurants within walking distance of our condo- Khao San is the best we have experienced so far. Fresh ingredients, great pricing, awesome flavorable food, friendly service. We sampled most of the happy hour items and they were all great in surprisingly generous portions. Also had the chicken mussaman curry enteree which was flavorful and had a manageable spice level. Finished with the sweet/sticky rice and Thai custard dessert - if you are in to sweet this is amazing. The Pearl has many dining options but for us Khao San will be our regular go-to choice based on the quality of the food and the reasonable prices.

    (5)

  • peabody j.

    I don't normally write reviews, but I feel the need on this one because I felt super mislead by the 4 1/2 stars this place has on here that is what prompted me to go. The second star is because service was really friendly and helpful and they're trying really hard with marketing and ambience, and our drinks were good. But as for the food it is completely marginal with a capital M. Typical Thai places in my neighborhood like Chaba Thai on Alberta are far superior, let alone somewhere like pok pok-- I can't believe a review likened the two. I feel bad for the place but the food was really not great and I would never go back given so many other options in the city. Had to throw in my 2 cents to try to make the general eating for this place more realistic. (We added crab to our salad. We were asked not to eat the black crab but to leave it on the plate. If you like eating shredded papaya with a dead spider you have to eat around this is the place for you.)

    (2)

  • michael b.

    Drove by this fairly new location and was intrigued enough to try it for dinner. Nice location and dining experience. Service was good and they had many drought beer selections which pleased my pallet. The food was good, labeled as street food. I don't think it was truly unique in any way but was tasty. In my opinion, there are at least 3 to 5 other restaurants that are equal or better. Fun to add to the mix...

    (3)

  • Robyn K.

    Excellent! I've had pumpkin curry all over this city and theirs is some of the best I've had. Not too spicy, bright, lightly sweet flavor, and get this: the pumpkin isn't over or undercooked! The owners are friendly, as is the waitstaff and the prices are reasonable for downtown. Very allergy and gluten free friendly menu. I have no complaints.

    (5)

  • Food G.

    Well, I think it's time for an update review on this place. The food and service still excellent! They added special menu, I tried Khao Soi OMG! We wanted to order another one but it was out the other table got the last order. They explained to us that they only make small batches at a time to keep it fresh (good to know that they care about quality). I saw the sign that they will be OPEN on New Year's Day! :-) now my buddies and I have a place to sober up with very spicy papaya salad and Saap pork soup! :-)

    (5)

  • Ben W.

    Went here yesterday afternoon for lunch. We ordered quite a bit of food, and a couple of drinks each, all for about $40/person. I didn't have anything that I didn't like, the food was great, as was the service. This really seems to be a hidden gem. We end up finding street parking right in front of the restaurant, which is rare for a restaurant located in the Pearl District, especially one this good. My favorite dish was the Ping (pork and chicken skewer). Can't wait to dine here again!

    (4)

  • Julie M.

    Was looking for something different and not too hungry and found this place on yelp and decided to give it a try. We ordered the spring bites (they were decent), the chicken skewers, grilled pork, and jasmine rice. The meat was so tasty and very flavorful..our favorite was the grilled pork!! Very affordable and filling! Staff was great!

    (4)

  • S L.

    Wow! This place was amazing! Service was great, everyone there was so friendly, they didn't mind us asking so many questions about menus, they had smile on their face the whole time! We ordered about seven different kind of food, they were all delicious except Mango with sticky rice ( it's famous Thai dessert?). It was a little too salty and it wasn't my taste but rest of the group really liked it, so it must be just me. If you are looking for good Thai food, this place is it!

    (5)

  • Koy S.

    Great authentic food. Spice level is true for a Thai place- so still with medium unless if you love spice! Everything is good here!

    (4)

  • Sarah A.

    I work just down the street so this will be my new go to restaurant!!!! Service: fast and friendly on a Saturday afternoon. I had a to go order and it took about 12 minutes total. I asked for the Pad Ke Mao and sub broccoli for green peppers ( annoying I know) but they were very kind about my substitution. Food: I'm still eating it as I type! Had to review because the flavor is spot on. Actually well above average, perfect spice, broccoli has texture not soggy. Beef is quality meat very tasty and tender. All together very crave able Thai food. YES! Ps they are open on the 4th of July. Cheers!

    (5)

  • J. B.

    Excellent all around. Having lived in Thailand, I was very impressed and would not hesitate to return. They have the menu and the flavors down

    (4)

  • Debra K.

    The owners of Khan San got it right with small plates and fresh ingredients. The fresh spring roll bites are awesome. Nibble a hole in one end to spoon in some of the basil chili sauce. Yummy.

    (4)

  • Philip B.

    Okay the food is really good. But the service is just horrid. Couldn't tell me anything about the brews on tap - even their names. Forgot my food while the rest of the family ate theirs. Best part was when they handed me the bill and still hadn't served me. Did I mention the food is good? Even after the service, I'd go back. Get the drunken noodles - yum.

    (3)

  • Sophie S.

    Really great non-traditional thai food. I liked that it was street food it was more fun than the traditional menu of curry and noodle dishes. We were there at the very end of happy hour and ordered a ton of appetizers off the happy hour menu. We loved the chicken wings, spring rolls, calamari and pork dish (they all had thai names I can't remember). I loved that it was tapas because we were able to try different things. We liked the pumpkin curry and the drunken noodles. The wait staff was super friendly and the owner came over to our table as soon as we came in and told us about his inspiration and about his wife who was the head cook. Their thai iced tea was heavenly as well. If you're looking for a fun dining experience with good Thai food you'll be very pleased.

    (5)

  • Trevor H.

    Price was reasonable and the atmosphere was good. I felt like the food was Delicious and authentic. I got the shrimp pad Thai and it was perfect for the moment. Everyone who was at the table ordered the food to there preferred spicy ness and we all got exactly what we wanted. Not too spicy, and not to plain. Love this place

    (5)

  • Mel C.

    Pretty good! They won me over from the start with bottomless thai iced teas, but the food isn't bad either. It's probably the fanciest Thai restaurant I've been to (with it being in the pearl district and all) and the staff is always friendly. My only complaint is that there never seems to be enough noodles in the pad see ew and pad kee mow dishes. I need my noodles! Also, whenever I order shrimp in my entrees the shell is never completely on or off which drives me crazy because I'm constantly finding little pieces in every bite I take after. Bottom line, it is perfectly good americanized thai food.

    (4)

  • TastesLike S.

    I used to live next to Thai town in LA so I'm not used to coming into a polished upscale looking place for good Thai. I was immediately suspicious of this place and I was expecting the worst. As it turns out this place is pretty good. It's not epic, but for Portland it's one of the best. I'm always getting pork larb and sticky rice, plus one of "their" Khao San craft beers. To have your own beer on offer is a nice only in Portland touch. Also, when I ask for them to make the larb spicy they always comply. There are many Thai restaurants here where you get "white" spicy which = not spicy at all when you ask for the temperature you want. Khao San get's points for serving it right when I ask for spicy. My wife generally orders different things each time we go, and she's been happy with the food as well. Add to this the clean atmosphere and convenient location, four stars!

    (4)

  • Shelby M.

    As soon as we walked in we met the owner, Bud, and he was so nice and walked us through the menu. The server was amazing as well, Bud frequently checked back with us. The food was delicious and we will go back indefinitely, try the chicken Ping and the Calamari.

    (5)

  • Briana B.

    Tasty food. Good Prices. Decent, if slow service. We will definitely be back!

    (4)

  • Jeff P.

    Been 3 times now in a week. Great service and they have an electric cart that will apparently pick you up and drop you off if you call the restaurant. Cool decor and even better food. The pad kee Mao was delicious and reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend the crab fried rice - good stuff and great to order to share with a couple other dishes. Will be going back to happy hour this week. Incredibly fast in getting the food to the table. Will definitely be a regular here!

    (5)

  • Patricia K.

    Pros: Free refills on thai iced tea which is a new concept coming from SF although a bit too creamy for me to enjoy a second Food was relatively decent- not too salty. For my pad thai ($9), I could definitely taste the fish sauce that's not as noticeable at most places but perhaps that's the more authentic way to cook it Excellent service! Cons: Portions are not big like the food carts Busy area so parking may be a bit rough on peak hours although we were able to score a spot right in front on a sunday evening Would I come here again? It probably wouldn't be the first place I'd recommend for thai but I think it's authentic enough to visit if I was in the area.

    (3)

  • D T.

    Cafeteria style -Very small feeling with lots of decorations. I ate lunch here the other day with a friend. I got some sort of white-ish gray-ish boiled chicken with nothing on it, very tasteless & plain. there were two mystery sauces on the side that did not help the flavor and some white rice..... I ate the plain white rice. Tables all around us were left dirty with half ate food. Also a presumably "street kid" looking girl brought a wet, dirty, shaggy hairy dog inside and was allowed in.. I have had better thai food from the mall....

    (1)

  • Paul G.

    Absolutely delicious! One of the best Thai places I have been to and I've been to many. Great quality authentic food, Tom Yum is to die for!

    (5)

  • Suhasini J.

    Love Thai food and this place didn't disappoint! Every dish we tried had unique flavors and the decor was fun!

    (5)

  • Sudipto G.

    Tried out this new Thai street food place in downtown the other day, was getting quite late so did take out, but the atmosphere seemed pretty good. They do Thai street food but the menu is very different form say pok pok. However the food was more than decent, I got the fresh spring roll bites which were excellent and the Pad Char Pla which was ok. For the price, i thought they should give rice with the entrees included in the price.

    (4)

  • S G.

    Grab a couple of spice tolerant friends and do it. Do it now! Have a ginger pale ale, that amazing fish dish, the pad kee maw and papaya salad. We had 5 dishes and you just can't go wrong. Great food, great place, amazing prices.

    (5)

  • Lucy G.

    Looking for the real Thai Street food flavor since my trip to Thailand in March. My favorite is the beef fried with Basil and spicy source with a fried egg on top of jasmine rice. At the local street food you can choice beef, chicken, pork or shrimp. I did not find exactly what I want, but the flavor is pretty close.

    (4)

  • Deanna T.

    Good stuff! Haven't had a thing I don't like, my favorite is the basil chicken with the thousand year old egg.

    (4)

  • Wojtek P.

    My favorite thai place was closed and I was looking for an alternative and decided to give Khao San a try. The food was rather mediocre at best. The kobe beef skewers were warm at best and were served a little too quick and my wife's Pad Thai had barely anythig except noodles (almost no vegetables and maybe two shrimps). Thai ice tea was good but that one is hard to miss.

    (2)

  • Unlisted T.

    Really good! I wish they had green curry.... but everything here is amazing and really tasty!

    (5)

  • Chel-c S.

    One of the best Thai meals I have ever had! Not only did I get free bottomless Thai iced tea, our server was also adorable and so helpful. We learned about Thai sports and are in a tuk tuk. Reasonably priced and so well seasoned. I highly recommend the Larb gai.

    (5)

  • Nancy P.

    Pretty decent Thai food for Portland. Affordable in a city that probably still categorizes Thai food as "exotic" or "different". Being from SF, Thai food is prevalent and the choices are endless. The pad thai, pad kee mao, tom yum soup and papaya salad (Lao style) were delish. Spice level could be higher although I did ask them for spicy. Loved the decor especially the tuk-tuk. Funny thing is I've been to Thailand and Khao San Road looks just like what's projected on the wall behind the tuk-tuk. Pretty authentic Thai food not to be mistaken with Lao food...the more tasty of the two :)

    (4)

  • Renee O.

    Khao San brings food from the streets of Thailand to Portland. I was unfamiliar with many of the menu items which was a good thing to me. Thai restaurants in Portland are far too similar so it's refreshing to see a Thai restaurant trying to do something different. It just opened a week ago so not many people know about it yet. A great addition to the Pearl neighborhood.

    (5)

  • Nam N.

    Brilliant. Better than Pok Pok. Will probably emerge as one of the best authentic Thai restaurants in PDX. Meats and sauces are of high quality. Family owned biz. Attention to detail from the food to the authentic thai cups plates and utensils. Decor and art pieces like the tuktuk show their thoughtfulness in trying to curate an authentic thai street experience. Must haves are spring rolls. The peanut sauce is excellent. No 40 pork plate and 42 pork and chicken skewers.

    (5)

  • phoithien d.

    Pro: Nice server Good unlimited Thai tea with yelp check in. Con: Came here on my last night in Portland. Having such amazing food experiences here in the city. We yelped everywhere, have not been disappointed until this place. This restaurant was a big let down. Started with the spring rolls. Obviously these people never had a proper spring roll before. It was one note in flavor with an extremely mushy texture that made me spit out my first bite to check if what I just experienced was right. They minced all contents of the spring roll, placed it on a basil leaf, wrapped it in a soggy sheet of rice paper. To have ingredients like mushroom, carrots, tofu and turn it into that spring roll is a big disservice to the ingredients. The dipping sauce tasted like watered down fish sauce. Next was the shrimp Tum yum soup. The broth was a cross between tamarind, coconut milk, and curry flavoring. The broth had a weird graininess that reminded me of dissolved curry paste or a miso. There was a couple pieces of mushroom, onion sprigs, and halved cherry tomatoes. The shrimp was completely overcooked with the poor head hanging off. The biggest problem was that the shrimp had a pastey powdery finish due to being cooked for too long. The last thing we ordered was the blue crab fried rice. We ordered medium spicy but the rice was devoid of much flavoring. It also lacked anything that made the dish texturally interesting. Once again it was pretty mushy. There were some stir-fried greasy strands of broccolini that was thrown in a haphazard clump like an afterthought in addition to a few weird soggy cherry tomatoes halves that seem to be disjointed and random in the dish. Overall, this place is devoid of everything I love about traditional Thai food: bold flavors, texture, comfort, and joy. I am left feeling extremely dissatisfied. :(

    (2)

  • Terra S.

    Went for dinner last night with a friend. Got the 42. I liked that it was just the meat because I like high protein meals. However, the portion was pathetic for the price and we left hungry. Half the pieces weren't even meat but just grilled hunks of fat. Ew.

    (1)

  • M B.

    I randomly searched Yelp for a place for dinner while we were wandering around Portland, and pulled up Khao San's review. The restaurant was cute with interesting decor, and the server was very friendly. I unlocked Yelp's One Tree Thai Iced Tea offer and we were brought two icy cold tin mugs of bottomless tea. Delicious! We started off with the Hoy Joh dumplings, which were crispy and tasty. Then I got the Chinese broccoli with crispy pork belly and I loved it. My husband got the pad kee mao with beef, and when he asked them to tone down the spice they happily obliged. We both loved our dishes and we wound up with a bit to take back to our hotel since the portions were so generous. The final bill was very reasonable, especially since we weren't charged for the two iced teas. If we ever go back to Portland we will be sure to eat here again!

    (5)

  • Erika Y.

    This is such a lovely new addition to the city and is, hands down, the best authentic Thai in Portland. My husband and I honestly eat Thai food 1-2 times a week at various spots around town (Thai Seasons, Thai Noon, Pok Pok, Sunisa) and since discovering this wonderful restaurant, I have been back twice in one week. Enough cannot be said about the delicious, perfectly spicy dishes such as whole boneless tilapia, spring roll bites, and beef salad. I have tried almost everything on this menu and have not been disappointed yet. The menu is fresh, gluten-free, low-carb and full of flavor. The presentations and sauces are terrific and the owners, Bud and Nong, are truly salt of the earth individuals.

    (5)

  • Gagan A.

    Try this place. I live for food and being to a new area I'm constantly trying random places. I am very particular about my food and can be picky when I'm hungry. I've never written a review before but this place made me want to. Great service and awesome food! Try the pumpkin curry dish with rice of your choice...see if that doesn't shut you up and not say a word as you eat the whole thing.

    (5)

  • Greg B.

    Fantastic food in a great atmosphere. The reasonable prices allow you to sample 4 or 5 dishes. I went with three friends & they were very impressed. I'll definitely go back. If you're lucky Harris will be your server.

    (5)

  • Kathryn D.

    All the great things we'd read about Khao San were true--and more! My husband and I went on a late Sunday afternoon after a Cinema 21 matinee and were ready to relax. First, our server was genuinely friendly and helpful. He gave us his honest opinion when asked. He came and went according to our needs but also went above and beyond to point out that some of the small plates we had chosen were on the Happy Hour menu and how to rearrange our order to get everything we wanted! How cool is that? The food was fresh, new and exciting. We look forward to heading to Khao San often!

    (5)

  • Ben R.

    Hrm!!! I better wrote a review of this place while the taste of the delicious food is still in my memory!!! I'll try to keep this short and simple. I found this place through a friend if mine who currently residing in Seattle. I originally drove up from LA and I assume that Thai food in Oregon would not taste that great. Oh boy how I was wrong!! To my surprise, The food at this place was absolutely delicious. Before I described the food, I have to mention that I almost felt like I was back home in Bangkok!! The decor has a homely feeling to it. The staffs were all nice and courteous. Now, about the food. In most place Tom yum is just out right salty or sour. At Kaosan, they have the perfect mix of sour and a hint of sweet. Next I have to say that their grilled pork was fantastic and this is as close as you can get to the authentic Thai street food in USA. I had been to countless of Thai restaurant in LA and none was as good as this!!! I can go on and on about how great this place. For Thai food lovers, you could order anything off their menu and I'm sure you would not be disappointed!!!

    (5)

  • Katie Z.

    After wandering around downtown for an hour looking for outdoor seating, cold beer, and great food, I'm SO glad my friends remembered how much they liked this place when they went during the grand opening - it went above and beyond my expectations! First off, the ginger lager was fantastic! Refreshing, delicious, and reasonably priced. The authentic stainless steel cups for water and tea were awesome! We started with some summer rolls as an appetizer, and the peanut sauce was to die for. All the ingredients in the rolls were so fresh and delicious too. The small plates are awesome too - perfect for getting to try a little bit of everything! The pumpkin curry was insanely delicious, and the Mu Ping looked and tasted amazing. Every dish was fresh, delicious, and the perfect size. Our server, Sarah, was friendly, helpful, attentive, and really sweet. She even gave us some free Thai iced tea, which was super yummy!! And best of all, Bud, the owner, came out to our table after recognizing my friends, and spent 30 minutes regaling us with tales of Thailand and the restaurant biz. He had us practically rolling on the floor with laughs, and it was really cool to get such a friendly neighborhood vibe from a downtown restaurant. I will definitely be back!!!

    (5)

  • P F.

    Delicious and very authentic food. :) I would recommend their papaya salad. They make the best papaya salad in Portland area.

    (5)

  • Brian C.

    I love this place! Great food, service, and ambiance. The food was fresh and authentic. The restaurant was clean and new. If you are in Portland it is a must visit.

    (5)

  • Jeff H.

    Food was awesome. We loved the feel of the restaurant, the servers were great, food was tasty.

    (5)

  • John W.

    I haven't written a review in years. This place is legit. Juuust got back from Thailand and this is filling the thai-sized hole in my heart.

    (5)

  • Karim I.

    The food here is amazing. We shared 8 dishes between 4 people and loved everyone one of them. We would def come back again!

    (4)

  • Ojes A.

    Me and a few friends went today to see what this place was all about. Had the chance to meet "Bud" the owner, let me just say I felt like I was welcomed into a Thai mans home. Happy your has very reasonable prices $5 played and $2.50 beer. Overall, 10/10 service and I highly recommend it.

    (5)

  • Tanya M.

    Best Thai in Portland hands down. I've been here three times and the service and food are consistent.

    (5)

  • Edward T.

    went there several times, always a great experience, good food!

    (4)

  • Kendra T.

    Went with a friend for lunch for the first time today. We had the jungle curry as well as the Larb salad. Delicious! The server was super nice and the food had so much flavor. Well done. Can't wait to try more dishes!

    (5)

  • Katharine C.

    Best crispy pork belly in Portland! :)

    (5)

  • Dave C.

    Only going with four stars right now, only because they just opened and are working out the kinks......and there are some kinks. I'm not talking shit by any means, I mean the food was fantastic. It's just they're timing was waaaay off. It's no big deal, I'm sure they'll get it worked out. But seriously.....I'm all ready craving my next visit and I haven't even paid the bill yet.

    (4)

  • Molly M.

    tbh the customer service was awful. Had to wait a year for our waiter to finally greet us and another year for him to take our order and yet another year to get our food....which was mediocre at best. Maybe it was because there were only 2 waiters on a Friday night but just to be frank about it, the experience was all around not great. Regret coming here....the only good thing about this meal was the free thai iced tea lol

    (1)

  • Terry S.

    07/19 The picture of #41 isn't anything like you 'actually' get! Friendly and super excited to be in business sure. Pork $8, Chinese broccoli $8, rice $2 and ice tea $2...$20 dollars for $12 worth of food. Won't be back unless someone wants to go.

    (2)

  • Stacy W.

    This place is great!! Try the Lamb Shank Mussaman Curry & Cat Fish Stir-fry with apple eggplants, kaffir lime & chili paste. Delicious! I loved the Thai beer on tap especially brewed for them. Nice open-air vibe, laid-back, price was so reasonable. Must try!

    (4)

  • Jason Z.

    Delicious food... Had their pad Thai, calamari, and their pumpkin curry... All of it being cooked very well. Their Thai iced tea is also awesome. They were very busy there on a Friday night, but as long as you're out for a good time amongst friends, you won't mind. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Andrew K.

    My wife and I visited this colorful Thai restaurant because they were new to our neighborhood. I ordered the Pad Thai and my wife got a spicy chicken with rice. Both were excellent. The owner was very friendly and visited with us at our table. We also ordered Thai Iced Tea. It was good; and we were surprised it had free refills. We are definitely going to make this a regular dining location.

    (5)

  • Christina N.

    i really enjoyed this place the staff was extra friendly and the interior was really cool and spacious we ordered 3 dishes it was the spicy crispy pork and green been $8 which was great ask spicy because medium is not hot whatsoever and the pad thai with shrimp $8 was good but more on the sweet side so it's okay good amount of shrimp with that and then got the hooker shrimp $10 it's okay should've went with the steak salad instead our neighbors that sat next to us got them and it looks delish! plus we got sticky rice $2 and jasmine $1 and got free thai ice tea so make sure to check in the portion are a little smaller than the pics i would say but perfect size so you don't over eat and get fat lol total came to 30 for two people and we left 5 as a tip.. anyways this place is a must try especially on a nice day :)

    (5)

  • David J.

    Ordered takeout from them today. I had the spring rolls for an appetizer as well as the chicken wings and the pork belly with green beans. All of the food was extremely delicious and spiced appropriately. All items have really good prices. The staff at the restaurant was fantastic and allowed me some samples of their House beers. I would highly recommend that anyone eat here if they have the chance.

    (5)

  • Brianne H.

    Best waiter we've ever had (michael). Incredibly friendly, went out of his way to provide excellent customer service. Awesome food. Thai tea is amazing and so is the shrimp pad thai. We got the Papaya salad at medium spice and it was incredibly spicy. Michael gave us something to take the spice off which really helped. Great experience, highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Kate M.

    I love them! Great food, bottomless thai iced tea, great servers... authentic! Go here for well priced thai food!

    (5)

  • Brad S.

    Prepare to kick your "usual" to the curb. The variety is fantastic, the owner works alongside his employees and is beyond enthusiastic to introduce you to something new and delicious that's outside your typical meal. Their spices are all ground in-house and it shows! This place takes authenticity and flavor to a whole new level. Quite worth the extra cost per food item to dine here.

    (5)

  • Mike N.

    I loved # 42 the sauce is amazing. Going back today to have it and something new. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

    (5)

  • Mark M.

    Had dinners for 10 family style on 081114. Ming served us and was helpful and pleasant. Food was very good, spicy when it should be and fresh. Very impressed. Will definitely be going here again. Another nice Portland find!!! Have the pumpkin chicken curry and papaya salad-both yummy!

    (4)

  • Erica M.

    Interesting, unique environment with very friendly staff. The menu was much smaller than we expected, though. We got the spicy crispy basil chicken. It was very good. Good meal for the price.

    (4)

  • Stephanie D.

    Yum! The food here was amazing and a nice change up from your typical thai restaurant. We had salad rolls, pad kee mao, pork buns, chicken skewers and some type of fried chicken. Everything was delicious. We came for lunch with our children on Valentines Day and it seemed pretty kid friendly. The atmosphere is fun and there was enough going on with the decor (faux street food cart and a Thai motorbike) that it kept our 2 yr. old distracted so that we could have an enjoyable experience. We will definitely be coming back.

    (5)

  • Bo Y.

    Food is great!! Really authentic taste with powerful flavors. After we had finished our server told us they had a weekday menu and a weekend menu. Weird.. But I'll be back anyway just thought why not offer everyday?

    (5)

  • Allan L.

    It's sad to say, not very good food and overpriced. Tried bbq chicken and pork skewers, chicken wings, pork belly broccoli, and pad thai. Pork belly came diced and the chicken wings were undercooked and heavily breaded, hence no real taste. Bbq pork skewers was the only item that was worth purchasing. Nevertheless, service was okay, if a bit overreaching. Did get a free ice tea as a result of the yelp coupon. Hard pass.

    (2)

  • Ernest Y.

    Went for lunch. Food was good. Good flavors with the right amount of spice. If I go back, I would want to try dinner.

    (4)

  • Tara R.

    I saw this place on yelp with a bunch of mixed reviews and that it was new, so of course I had to try it! A friend and I went on a Friday evening, about 6pm. We got sat right away and our waitress seemed super eager and friendly. She explained the happy hour and about the food. We placed our food/drink orders before she even left the table. So far, so good I though. Our thai iced teas came out and they were tasty. Plus, free refills! Some of our food came out, and it was super tasty. The waitress stopped by and asked if everything was good, we said yes and ordered a few more things. About twenty minutes in or so I realized I never got my fresh spring roll bites that I had ordered right after we had sat down. Another waiter came by, the owner actually, and we asked about them. He quickly went and grabbed some and brought them over and showed us the proper way to eat them. Overall, I will definetly come back, but the waitress we had seemed a little forgetful.

    (3)

  • David M.

    Service is great. Food is the real deal/authentic. But it's no Pok pok! Food I had was okay. But I won't be going back.

    (3)

  • William J.

    Been there twice and the food has been very underwhelming especially with all these 5 star reviews. The service is even worse. On my 2nd time there, the waiter saw me drop a spoon and ignored that it happened. We ordered the their version of pad kee mao with tofu instead bc of dietary restrictions and it came with beef. The thai iced tea was poorly made with not nearly enough tea but at least it was free. The service was friendly but slow. All in all, I'm glad there's a new thai place in the Pearl out of convenience but I'll stick with Pok Pok and other favorites

    (3)

  • Julie C.

    Best Thai food I've had in a very long time! Great flavor, perfect spice! We had the Ping (pork), larb, spring bites, and spicy green beans (totally awesome- you MUST try the green beans). Ask for Dave - he is very personable, knowledgable (and cute). Great find! We will be back!

    (5)

  • Milos J.

    Fantastic food, friendly owner and staff. We'll be back soon

    (5)

  • Su S.

    This place is the bomb!! I'm from Thailand myself and love their food. We went there during Happy Hour and the food was amazing, not typical average Thai food that you can find in every Thai restaurant. The drink was cheap, $5 for Moscow Mule and Bangkok Mojito. I wish we have this kind of Thai food in Seattle.

    (5)

  • Got K.

    The food is authentic and delicious but terrible services. I would go back if i didnt get serve by this waitress. I was served by Renee. She did not bother to even say hi or smile when we first walked in. It was awkward moment. After I looked at the menu, I ask her "Do you have any dessert?" She said she would ask to see if the kitchen can do make some. After i was served, she came back and brought me a dessert, " thai taco" and did not say anything. I just thought i didnt order any dessert so maybe it was on the house. It turns out that we got charged for that dessert and she did not ask us if we want it or what kind of dessert it was when I originally ask if she has any dessert to serve today. When we paid, she just kept walkin around to see if we will pay yet. The restaurant was empty and we were the only customers. It just felt like she wanna get us out of here ASAP. Good food but just bad service. Not coming back there again :(

    (1)

  • Rebecca B.

    As someone who doesn't eat gluten, this place is perfect! Delicious and authentic Thai street food at a great price. I always get the pumpkin chicken curry with jasmine rice, and it is amazing! The thai iced tea is also phenomenal and includes free refills! I would eat here every day if I could!

    (5)

  • P H.

    Hands down the best Pad Thai I've ever had. The service was excellent. I had a free Thai iced tea from yelp but the waiter forgot when the bill came so he took it off and gave us the second Thai iced tea free as well. Highly recommend this place. The only trouble with this is the difficult parking. But that's how downtown Portland is in general.

    (5)

  • Nate P.

    My wife and I were visiting Portland for our anniversary, and ever the adventurous eaters, I found this little gem on Yelp. We're very glad to have found this place. The atmosphere was fun and light, and the place was clean and tidy. Service was friendly and prompt, but not overly formal, which felt just about right. I ordered the Holy Basil w/ Minced Chicken, because I was curious to try Thousand year eggs. Certainly not for the squeamish, and I opted not to include a picture, lest I scare someone with a weak constitution away. -Quick review on Thousand Year eggs. They look terrible. They smell goofy. Whoever did that to an egg and then decided to eat it was crazy. I wasn't a fan of it by itself, but it actually helped the overall flavor of the dish. Both my dish and my wife's Massamun curry tasted excellent, with rich, deep flavors. I've paid much more for far less impressive Thai meals. -Also worthy of note, the "Very Spicy" rating is a legitimate Thai spicy. It's the kind that builds throughout the meal to a fiery finish. In my opinion, it's the way that all Thai food should be consumed, but not everybody will enjoy it that way. My wife ordered medium, which would be a much more palatable level for general (sane) public.

    (5)

  • Shivani P.

    I've been to Khao San about 4 times now and have had a great experience every time. I love the free refills on the Thai iced tea and although the portion sizes are smaller than most Thai places, I don't mind. The décor is well done and the place looks well run and clean. Khao San is my new go to Thai place.

    (4)

  • Ryan H.

    Talk about amazing service and delicious authentic Tai food. The whole atmosphere in itself is an experience, and the prices cannot be beat! The happy hour menu is a must, the $5 mojito will have me coming back for more and the Tai sausage is to die for. I highly recommend the #42 as well because it will blow your mind! P.S. Bud, the owner is the most fun loving, genuine, and passionate restaurant owner I have ever encountered. I Truly will make this a weekly stop.

    (5)

  • Karen M.

    Authentic, interesting, varied and excellent! This was a real find...we owe Yelp reviewers for the discovery. The service was great; our waiter had numerous suggestions and had no trouble offering advice about what to order for a group. Every dish was outstanding. We will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Don W.

    Great food. Roll up door provides the fresh air feel of street food but in comfort. Especially like the chicken skewers and Thai "taco" desert. And don't miss the house made mango ice cream.

    (5)

  • P V.

    Stopped in for a quick lunch. Very convenient if you're in or near the Pearl. The Drunken Noodles with Beef was great and filling. I would have say that this is the best Thai food I've had downtown. Looking forward to coming back.

    (5)

  • Anders Y.

    Great place to try different types of Thai dishes because it is kind of tapas style with smaller portions. Highly recommend!

    (5)

  • Todd P.

    The most delicious Thai food I have eaten yet. Very friendly staff, and great signature drinks. If you like Thai food, or have never tried it before this restaurant is a must!

    (5)

  • Bradford M.

    We had a great experience here. The food was awesome and the wait staff was super nice and helpful. We've traveled to Thailand a bunch and this place felt like we were back there. It is nice to see a place that isn't the same as the other 100 million Thai places out there. At the end the chef came out and the owner to sit and talk with us, which was great. Would recommend Khao San for sure!

    (5)

  • Michael B.

    Very friendly service coupled with delicious, authentic, flavorful Thai food. I liked the water and Thai iced tea served in tin cups. I'd go back again.

    (5)

  • Jeff W.

    First, let me say the food was fantastic. I ordered a Bangkok mojito, summer rolls, and Pad Kee Mao. All were delicious! Unfortunately, the service was really bad. My waiter delivered the entree first, the appetizer second, and the cocktail last. I could not help but notice he screwed up the orders of the two tables next to me as well. The food here is great, I just hope they invest time in training their staff.

    (3)

  • Suzan K.

    Perfect choice for my son's 10th birthday! Clean plates from both kids. The chicken skewers are the best we have had. Dinner in the Tuk Tuk made it extra fun. We will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Cheryl R.

    I have been to Khao San four times. Each time the service was a little odd, but I/we came back because we liked the food. The first time I was there it took 10 minutes for a menu to arrive, and the food arrived at its own sloooow pace as well. The second time the waiter got angry with me because I asked a question about the food in the middle of his speech. He told me to just wait to ask questions until he was finished talking. Again...the food was good and we just thought it might have been a bad day for the waiter. The last time I went there was today. And I do mean "the last time". I arrived at around 1:30. I waited several minutes to be seated, by someone who seemed annoyed that there was only me in the party. He seated me in a back corner and then begrudgingly got me a menu. I waited a few minutes and no one took my order or even recognized I was there. I decided I would just stay to see how long it would take to have someone take my order. At 22 minutes I decided to leave the restaurant. I tried to get someones attention during that 22 minutes but was completely ignored. It doesn't matter how good the food is if no one will serve you. I won't be back. There are too many great restaurants in Portland to tolerate being treated like this.

    (2)

  • Greg W.

    The food was good but not great. Service was good and the staff friendly. I knocked it down an extra star for trying too hard and being a bit gimmicky, e.g. fake food carts built into the interior, staff wearing orange vests as if they were actually working in the street. I don't find those sorts of things necessary if you are confident in your product.

    (3)

  • Paramjit S.

    Amazing experience Spicy fried chicken was great. The atmosphere and colorful decor. The staff was extremely friendly, pleasant and efficient. Will go back for sure

    (5)

  • Chandler H.

    Khao san is some great moderately priced Thai food located in downtown Portland. The ingredients in all the dishes I ordered tasted fresh, flavorful and had a little kick to them. I ordered a Pad Kee Mao or something like that, I apologize for my spelling as I am not an avid thai eater. However, for a guy who doesnt normally eat thai I could tell that this place prideded itself in the freshness and quality of their dishes. This review might be an eyesore to read for some of the more knowledgeable thai eaters but for a first time trying thai I can say I was very pleased with what I ordered and the flavors that were present.

    (4)

  • Dave D.

    We stop by here for lunch occasionally. It is good thai food, but not quite like your neighborhood thai cafe. Their menu is a bit odd. Also, prices are a bit high (but, then again, this is the edge of the pearl district). Go ahead and stop on in here for lunch if you'd like a nice no-hassle thai place. But if you're not in a rush and don't mind the hike, I'd suggest hoofing it to 19th & Quimby for the cart pod, where there is an inexpensive thai takeout option that would not disappoint.

    (3)

  • Roger M.

    Thai one on! Nice selection for happy hour menu and craft brews $4. We ordered the Pad Kee Mao with painted hills beef and stir-fry rice noodles, Chinese brocolli with pork belly and chicken ping on a skewer--tasty and generous portions all! After a satisfying meal, we went for a ride in the authenticate Tuk Tuk taxi around the Pearl. What fun! The driver had the music turned up loud. People on the street will notice you so do not be shy. It is ok to dance and scream a little--"ready to Thai one on" Try Khao San!"

    (4)

  • Shikha C.

    Good ambience! With the wall pictures and Thailand imported Tuk Tuk rickshaw, steel mugs, they have created Thailand streets feel successfully. Friendly staff and quick service. I Liked the taste of entrées we ordered. They use fresh herbs and the aroma of food takes you to next level. Their stir frys are very fresh! Order multiple dishes as portions are small. For ambience 5/5 For service 4.5/5 Food taste 4.5/5 It is one of the best Thai restaurant in town!

    (4)

  • Katie R.

    The experience of buying dinner from a street vendor in Thailand is a fun one. The Bangkok night markets are loud, crowded, and full of street food vendors, which may seem off-putting but is in reality an exciting and adventurous way to get some grub. When I walked into Khao San, I was instantly taken back to Bangkok. The atmosphere is authentically Thai, complete with a Tuk-Tuk sitting in the middle of the dining room. The wait staff even don the numbered vests worn by motorcycle taxi drivers. It's pretty damn impressive, that ability to transport an entire dining room in Portland to Thailand. And the authentic feel isn't limited to the atmosphere and decorations. The food they are serving up is genuine Thai goodness. It's delicious. We ordered Fresh Summer Rolls, Chicken Larb (not on the menu, but they happily made it) and Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork Belly. All were delicious and served up family style. Get a side of rice and order 3 or 4 dishes. At the end of the meal, we were wishing we'd indulged a bit more. ProTip: Don't skip on a specialty cocktail here. The Chiang Mai, actually a mountain city in Thailand, is a great accompaniment to dinner.

    (4)

  • Roy K.

    I love this place! Good food, good location and friendly staffs! Go check this place out. You won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Andrew A.

    A semi-secret: most places in the Pearl are packed on 1st Thursday, but since Khao is on 15th, there's empty seats. One of the better venues in PDX, the menu is a slight variation of those at almost every Thai restaurant in town. Enjoyed the green beans and pork belly was good. Delightful surprise of the night was the Thai-ger Woods non-alcoholic drink. I mainly come here for the ambiance.

    (4)

  • Mark M.

    What a find! Khao San came to the apartment building I stayed in to promote the restaurant with some free food. What a great idea. I had walked within a block of Khao San without ever actually seeing it (on corner of 15th and Glisan, and not the most pedestrian friendly part of the Pearl). Had they not done this giveaway at the apartment I would never have known what I was missing, so me & the wife & two dogs headed over the restaurant to give it a try. Started with the Fresh Summer Rolls and the Fresh Spring Roll Bites (both very good, but I had to choose one, I'd go for the Bites). The Rolls came with a peanut sauce that was, to me, a bit bland and not a great match (by contrast, at the apartment they had multiple sauces on offer and the Rolls paired perfectly with the sweet & sour sauce). For dinner, we had the Holy Basil w/ Minced Chicken (outstanding!) which came with steamed rice and a fried egg, the Krung Yaan (three skewers of char-grilled sprimp with a side of Thai chili, garlic and lime juice sauce--very good but the sauce is a must), and the Pad Thai Street w/Shrimp (cooked with a palm sugar sauce that made this version of Pad Thai better than almost any other I'd ever had, as I'm usually not a huge fan of this dish). The owner, Bud, a Laotian refugee married to a Thai, is a charmer who is happy to explain any dish and, best of all, shuttle you home in the restaurant's very own electric tuk tuk (he makes a point that he doesn't deliver food, but does deliver people). Walking through the Pearl District is a pleasure, but on a 102 degree day in July, the ride home was actually quite appreciated--especially for the dogs. My stomach couldn't accommodate all the food, which disappointed me because everything was so good that I wanted to try even more. There's always next time....

    (4)

  • Maureen B.

    What a fun evening - plan ahead and request the Tuk Tuk chauffeur service! Bud will treat you like royalty. Be sure to wave at all the hipsters as you drive down 23rd. The Green Beans with Pork Belly are spicy-licious. Crying Tiger grilled Painter Hills ribeye with tamarind is fantastic.

    (5)

  • Liss B.

    Amazing! Fresh, friendly staff, comfortable atmosphere! Thai iced tea with coconut milk and the pumpkin curry is so good!!! The prices are super low for what you get too! The staff is awesome!

    (5)

  • Jason T.

    Cool open style kitchen. Decent street style Thai food. The Ping sampler was good, so was the Chinese broccoli with pork belly.

    (4)

  • Gem S.

    Dinner at Khao San was an awesome experience. The tuk tuk in the middle of the restaurant and the picture of a busy Thai street made us feel like we were in Thailand. Loved the food! We ordered some meat on skewers, along with some soup. The price could've been slightly lower but this joint is in Pearl District and you're paying for the ambiance so that's that. Overall, glad we popped in for dinner that night. Oh and checking in on Yelp gave us free Thai iced tea!

    (4)

  • Katherine C.

    What a cool restaurant! Serves thai street food so this is not the place to go get regular pad thai. Instead, you're going to order soft shell crab noodles (with the crab on top), the number 42 marinated pork, the green beans or chinese broccoli with pork belly, and the sweet sticky rice with coconut milk and custard. SOOOOO good. There was nothing left on the plate for just 2 of us. I can't wait to go back to try everything else on the menu. There's a table in a tuk tuk for those lucky enough to snag it in the middle of the small restaurant and a man playing soft live background music, even on a monday night. I've been wanting to try this place for a long time and it did not disappoint! Right up there in terms of deliciousness with actual street food I've had in Bangkok!

    (5)

  • Kim J.

    I really love this place! Great food, great service and the decor is fabulous, capturing Thailand and its hustle and bustle of "Tuk-Tuk" life on the streets. Life sized Thailand cityscapes plastering the walls, tin drinking cups and the Tuk-Tuk its self is all part of the atmosphere. Great open feeling, outdoor seating and cooperative wait staff service who all sport traditional Tuk-Tuk motorbike vests complete the experience. Ok now you want to hear about the food, well we ordered a feast. The husband and I had a few things as he was eating his way out of a hangover. We always start off with the summer rolls. Nice flavor with a great peanut sauce. Then we dove into a plate of chicken wings. I felt that they were over breaded but still tasted light and not overly oily, served with a tamarind dipping sauce that had a nice bite to it. For the main shared dishes we went with the pad Thai with shrimp, pork larb and the green beans w pork belly. All provided great flavor, the beans were crisp, the larb garlicky and lime flavored, and the pad Thai was sticky with a hint of sweet peanut. While I like my foods on the milder side my husband likes to kick it up a notch and always appreciates a Thai restaurant with a legit spice rack and this place has it. I see him sweating as he eats, not sure why but that's the way he liked his Thai food. Overall a great experience as it always is when we visit.

    (4)

  • Steve Z.

    Wow! After walking by this place many times, we finally decided to try it based on the Yelp reviews and wonderful smells coming from the restaurant. Well....when we were sat at a table we waited 15 or 20 minutes with no waiter or waitress even approaching our table! We finally got up and left. I even complained to the manager and he seemed surprised nobody waited on us after we sat there that long. Sorry guys, this is restaurant 101 here.......make sure your guests get waited on. So sad.

    (1)

  • Christina R.

    It's definitely kitschy , the street cart and tuk tuk car in the restaurant and all the staff wearing obnoxious bright vests (that apparently they wear in Thailand), but I secretly love kitsch, so it works for me and the food did not disappoint. We ordered the Pade Kee Mao, Crab Fried Rice and the Pork Belly. All three were fantastic and were cooked very well. I think this restaurant is a little more fun if you're willing to eat family style. Was a little disappointed that they didn't have more variety in the "street food" section, so it's not good if you're a small group or have picky eaters because you'll end up not being able to try any of them. p.s. strawberry lemonade is worth the $4 on a hot day

    (5)

  • Felix L.

    Pok Pok or Khao San? It was a question lingering in my mind during a flight to Portland. Since Khao San is labeled as an "up and coming" type of Thai restaurant, I selected it over Andy Ricker's hyped Pok Pok chain during my recent trip. The two serve dishes from different regions of Thailand. Khao San specializes in food from the streets of Bangkok while Pok Pok presents recipes recreated by Ricker during visits to Chiang Mai and the Isaan region. Both restaurants serve authentic Thai food and do not edit their food offerings to appeal to a typical American palate. The reasons why I did not choose Pok Pok was to avoid the infamous one to two hour long queue, and also after some consideration, the high price tag for small portions did not sound so appealing ($12 papaya salad, $15 khao soi, and $14 sai oua was not worth taking the risk). On the other hand, despite not having Pok Pok's seasonal menu, Khao San's offerings were much more affordable in the $5 to $9 range and the food is prepared by Thai natives. Khao San also houses a refurbished tuk tuk (Thai taxi cart) outfitted with a table for diners to sit in for a memorable experience. The menu at Khao San is set up for diners to share small plates. If each person orders 1 to 2 small plates, there should be enough for each plate to go around the table at least twice. I ordered the following for two people: 1. Som Tom Pu Pla Ra A Lao-variation of papaya salad with fermented fish sauce and briny crab shells. In LA, this dish is usually doused with liberal amounts of fish sauce, but Khao San only adds a splash of this sweet and souring agent. The Lao papaya salad typically contains a delicate interplay of deep fiery, sweet, and pungent flavors, but the heat from Thai chilis was significantly toned down here. Khao Sans' product was more on the sweet side and was not as spicy as advertised, but still tastes good and whets the appetite. 2. Tom Saab Kradook On I've had this signature sour soup with spare ribs numerous times at Isaan restaurants in LA, and they were always intensely sour and unbearably hot. The sourness could make your mouth tingle and the extreme heat can set all sides of your tongue on fire. Khao San's version is again tempered in chili and sourness compared to the traditional Isaan recipe. It's simply a sweet and mildly sour soup but contains the most tender braised pork ribs I've ever had in a soup. The pot yielded about 5 bowls of soup. 3. Mu Ping This is one of Bangkok's most commonly found street food, freshly marinated and grilled on the roadside. It's a must order at Khao San that can transport you to the streets of Bangkok. The pork is meaty, succulent, and supremely tender. The chefs had brushed evaporated milk over the pork skewers to blend in sweet and caramelized flavors. Additional sweet chili dipping sauce is provided if the meat is not sweet enough. 4. Pla Pad Cha A seafood dish that encapsulates Bangkok cooking, with stir-fried catfish filets made crispy on the outside and naturally delicate on the inside, cooked at high temperatures with seasonal crunchy Thai vegetables such as apple eggplants and holy basil in a sour and savory sauce. The curry paste includes ingredients that make the fish unexpectedly and subtly spicy. Out of the plates we ordered, this one was the best to eat with sticky rice. This dish was my favorite because it was texturally satisfying and the spiciness and sweetness were equally balanced. While the food at Khao San is no doubt remarkable for Portland standards, in my opinion, it falls a bit short of excellence that can be found in LA's Thai Town. The heat level can be bumped up several notches, specifically for the Isaan and northern Thai dishes. The variety can be also expanded in the future, how about adding pad sataw (stink beans) stir fry, duck curry, jim jum (Thai hot pot), or gaeng som to the menu as a start?

    (4)

  • Eva L.

    Everyday Happy Hour!!! Bottomless Thai iced tea?! Once you walk inside you feel like you are outside! The decor and tuk-tuks definitely give a street vibe. I had the "Jungle Curry" ($8) and it had lots of veggies and a nice kick of spiciness to it. A side of rice is $1. Even though it said small plates, I think the portion size was reasonable for the price. I had leftovers because we ordered a few appetizers from the Happy Hour menu: salad rolls, fried chicken, and sweet potato fries. Why 3 stars? Servers were a bit slow and seemed apathetic. Food was decent, but the flavors didn't blow me away.

    (3)

  • Colin B.

    Nice spin on what they call Thai "street food" (in addition to solid renditions of most of the mainstay stuff you'll find at the million other Thai restaurants in PDX). In the first few weeks I wasn't totally sold on all of the dishes, but they've tweaked their menu a number of times now and everything seems to be dialed in (including very high spice levels, if you want them). I like everything I've tried so far quite a bit. It's now my favorite Thai food in the Pearl. Major bonus points for 1) the fun ambiance (which has also improved since opening); 2) the electric neon-lit tuk tuk outside with blaring pop music that the owner just might offer to give you a ride somewhere in; 3) the strange sepak takraw matches playing on the TV (it's kind of like volleyball with your feet?!)

    (5)

  • John F.

    Hands down my favourite Thai restaurant in Portland. Get yourself picked up in their 6-person Tuk-Tuk and ask the owner to bring you out dishes of his choice once you arrive. Every one is original and crazy tasty, none of the predictable glop you get everywhere else. You'll be transported. A true hospitality business you won't experience anywhere else in this country.

    (5)

  • Nara V.

    This place serves the best Thai food ever, especially the street food dishes. The fried banana coconut ice cream was surprisingly good. And the best part was the limo-tuktuk ride :) if you have ever been to Thailand, you know what Im talking about. The owner gave us a tour around downtown Portland and we had so much fun with the loud music! I hope they still have the tuk tuk next time Im in town. Totally recommended!

    (5)

  • Sugey L.

    Good menu, good prices, great location! We had their papaya salad, pad thai and something else. Everything was very good! Well seasoned! Their decorations are on point and again, love the location. Worth the try!

    (4)

  • Ben M.

    Other than mediocre service where I had to ask for Thai tea refill 3 times and was asked if we wanted rice like 5 times, the food was really good! Had the chicken and pork skewers, spicy string beans with pork belly (pork belly was off the hook), crispy salmon special, hooker shrimp and spring bites. All had very unique flavors that you rarely get at most Thai places. Best were the sauce that came with the skewers and the salmon. Go here instead of Pok Pok...much better and you can make a reservation!

    (5)

  • Laura R.

    Fresh off the plane from Georgia, my friend and I were starving. We checked Yelp for a local eat near our hostel, and this place sounded appealing. Not very busy when we got here, around maybe two or three, so we were seated right away. The service here was very good, with a congenial waiter who kept coming back to fill up our drinks. I've had Thai food before, but not this style (Thai Tapas style). We got an appetizer, which was called Hoy Joh and consisted of four fried balls, with sauce. A little on the greasy side, but wonderfully flavored. As for our food, I decided on the Kor Muy Yaang (slices of pork, with a chili/tamarind relish), and my companion got the Pad Kee Mao w/ Beef (rice noodles, sprouts, egg, bell peppers, chili, Thai basil). Ordering rice with the food was an additional cost at $1-2 (totally worth it). While I enjoyed my meal, I thought the relish REALLY made it. Without that relish, the pork would have been a bit dry. My companion raved about his meal, and when I tried it, I agreed that it had a better taste. While the food was a solid 4 star experience, the ambiance and courteous service amp this place up to 5 stars for me. It's not every restaurant you go to where the waitstaff is already re-filling your drinks before you're even halfway through. Granted, it was a slow time, but I was still very pleased with the service. PROS: Awesome dipping sauces. Perfect portions for my tiny tummy. Free refills on Thai tea when you check in on the Yelp app. Service was wonderful. While rice doesn't come with everything, it's only $1-2 more for a decent enough portion. Seated quickly. The ingredients were just so... Fresh. The sauces, seasoning, vegetables. All soooo fresh and delicious. CONS: Meat was a little dry, but still pretty good. THE VERDICT: But what I can say is that it was all a very good to excellent experience. The glassware is cute (cups are small pewter cups, and plates are small and round), and the food we got all came with dipping sauces which were awesome. The style of the restaurant is casual and while some people may find the portions small, they are the PERFECT size for me. I don't think I'd ever order two entrees at a time, as that would be around $20 and way too much food for me to eat. I'll simply rely on the kindness of friends to let me share, if I come back here in the future. And I'd definitely like to. I was thoroughly impressed by the service and quality of ingredients: fresh, delicious, and filling. We even had some food leftover that we were able to take back to the hostel.

    (5)

  • BB T.

    Get the number #42!!!!!! The ginger pale ale was light and refreshing. Worth the walk from old town and prices were great. Don't get caught up in Pok Pok. This is legit Thai food without the food TV hype.

    (5)

  • Jon K.

    Excellent! Great service, tuk tuk cab if you request, just tip driver! Food is fantastic. Beer on tap is a great selection, their cocktails are tasty too!

    (5)

  • Roberto G.

    Great ambiance and service. I left my credit card and they kept it for me and was waiting till I got back. The skewers taste exactly what I use to get back home :)

    (4)

  • Josh B.

    There are so many places to eat in Portland and as "tourists" we didn't want to spend a huge amount of time going back and forth in a discussion with all the options available. We had just got done with Powell's book mansion and got back in the car to go but not before we checked Yelp. Khao San is about one or two blocks up and over from Powell's so we walked over to Khao San. You just walk right in and the host can seat you outside or inside. The restaurant is sparsely decorated with little knick knacks and signage and a tuk tuk that give the hint that this is a Thai restaurant without being too kitschy or bawdy. The menu isn't super big but there are a lot of options. There are options for vegetarians and gluten free as well. The portions are slightly smaller as it's more geared toward tapas style. I ordered the pad thai with tofu. The also have a spice tray on the tables so you can spice it up to your own tasting instead of telling your server that you want 1-5 stars. My friend wanted a ginger ale and the server said they had ginger beer. I told my friend ginger beer sometimes has a small bite to it and may seem "spicy" so she opted for a sprite/sierra mist or some light fizzy drink. The server returned later after presenting our drinks with a small glass with a sample of ginger beer to taste. I thought that was rather nice so that at least my friend could make a judgement for herself especially since he didn't have to do that. I opted for a thai tea as I had a Yelp deal for a free tea. I thought it was cool too that the beverages are served in tin cups. Then the food came. I really thought the pad thai was near perfect. As I mentioned it was just the right size and not visually overwhelming by the sheer capacity it filled on the plate. Often times pad thai is served on a huge plate with huge portions and the appearance sometimes makes me feel overwhelmed. This pad thai had just the right mix of sweetness and salty and a hint of savory. The spice tray helped to bring it up a few notches. It was really good. One of my friend's got the pad thai with chicken and the other got the head-on shrimp skewers with a side of white rice. We all enjoyed our respective items thoroughly and didn't leave overstuffed. It also was very reasonable price-wise at only $33 for three people with soft drinks. There is also a bar at a TV if you want to come in an watch the game or whatever. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in Portland.

    (5)

  • Doron A.

    I've spent months on Thailand, and always crave the authentic flavours of the street food. Where I live in Sonoma county that is impossible to come by, so unsatisfied cravings have lingered for years. But on a recent visit to Portland I was transported to Bangkok for a short but happy time. Plate after plate delivered that palate tingling sensation of real Thai food. Fantastic dumplings, succulent satays, pad kha pow with basil and pork, crispy blue crab noodles. All arroy mak mak! (Means delicious). And their house lager beer blows doors off singha. Glad that Portland is closer to Sebastopol than chiang Mai, and can't wait to come back!

    (5)

  • Nancy C.

    My plan to eat through Portland was derailed by the fact that I got a sinus infection. Right before my trip - I could taste NOTHING. By the tail end of my trip my dreadful ailment began to subside and I decided on Thai food because spices can work miracles. We had the chinese broccoli with crispy pork belly, tom sum, fried catfish and the pad keep mao w/ beef. All super yummy with very fresh ingredients. Looking forward to paying another visit!

    (4)

  • Shannon H.

    This place isn't fancy, but it's definitely worthy of 5-stars. I've been here a few times, usually to dine in and once to go. Jenny P. and I had lunch there today so I figured it was time for me to toss my opinion into the ring. I love that they offer some of the classics as well as street food. Everything I've had there, classic or not, has been absolutely incredible. Always fresh, never too sweet, saucy, overcooked, undercooked, anything. It's always spot on. Noodle dishes are delicious, soups are delicious, stir fried meat and veggies are delicious, and their crispy pork belly...I could eat it all day long! The staff is always friendly, attentive but not overbearing. The portion sizes are just right. The Thai iced coffee isn't my favorite, it's not as strong as what I'm used to and the metal cups seem to cause the ice to melt faster, ending up in a watery coffee drink. Not the end of the world but still kinda annoying. If you're into Thai iced tea they give free refills, so that's a bonus. If you like Thai food (or good food in general) you really must try Khao San. They can get a little busy at peak hours but they still keep it running smooth. You will not regret eating their delicious offerings.

    (5)

  • Tina N.

    Food wise, I was not impressed. My friend and I ordered the Pad Thai Street, Lao Style papaya salad, Crispy pork belly with green beans, and a sticky rice. The noodles for the pad thai was undercooked, the crispy pork belly was not crispy instead was a gooey glob that stuck to my teeth, the papaya salad was decent, but definitely should of been spicier and the sticky rice was an overcooked slab of goo. I love s spicey food a was surprised when the waitress didnt even bother to ask us how spicy we wanted our food. That definitely could of made at least one of the dishes a success. Despite the disappointment by the food, the place is very lovely and the staff are nice. Sadly, I will not be coming back, nor would I recommend this place to any of my friends.

    (2)

  • ed d.

    Food was A-MAAAZING and price was extremely reasonable! Loved the decor of the restaurant and felt like I had been teleported to Thailand! And the owner, Bud, was kind enough to give my wife and our 2 year old a ride around the Pearl on his Tuk Tuk. Such a wonderful experience! We will be back!

    (5)

  • Jordan K.

    This place is bomb! The ambiance and decor was cute and trendy. Was well priced for portion sizes. You won't leave here feeling underfed and overcharged. Their beef salad (#24) has such a delicious tang to it with cilantro, onions, and shallots inside, yum. Not sure if they offer coconut milk as a dairy alternative for thai iced tea but it was still delicious. Definitely a good thai spot in the pearl.

    (5)

  • Anna Marie C.

    Fast service. Decent thai food. Tends to veer on the spicy side. In addition to the classics there's some meat skewers--and who doesn't like meat on a stick?!? I'm glad there's another fast dining option in the pearl!

    (4)

  • Jon L.

    Khao San is an interesting new Thai restaurant in the Pearl District that specializes in Thai street food. The restaurant is on the western edge of the Pearl District. It is across the street from Rogue Ales Public House. The interior is unlike other Thai restaurants as it incorporates the vibe found in the streets of Thailand into the decor. An example of this is that there is a food station that resembles a street food hawker stall. There is an even a tuk tuk inside the restaurant that you can sit and eat in. Even the bathrooms keep the theme of the restaurant. The ambiance here reminds me of a Thai version of Indian street food specialist, Bollywood Theater in the Alberta Arts District. I took a seat at the bar and began looking through the menu. I was pleasantly surprised that the pricing here is quite reasonable. Not as inexpensive as eating at a Thai food cart, but not overpriced either given the unique interior design. The menu here differs from other Thai restaurants as it seems to encourage more of a tapas/small plates style ordering of items rather than family style. If you like Khao San on your first visit, it is the type of place that makes you want to try other items on future visits. As it was my first time here, I decided to go simple. Ordered the pad kee mao w/ Painted Hills beef ($8) and an order of hoy joh ($8). I washed it down with some refreshing ginger pale ale ($4). The pale ale along with a couple of other beers here are made specially for Khao San by Caldera Brewing in Ashland. The pad kee mao was served fresh out of the kitchen with steam coming from it. I enjoyed it as it had some spice, but not overly so. Portion size was just right leaving enough room to try other things. Hoy joh are fried bean curd rolls filled with pork, shrimp, crabmeat and water chestnuts served with a sweet and sour sauce. This is a nice alternative to ordering the ubiquitous spring rolls. It is similar to the bean curd rolls dish you find at Chinese dim sum restaurants, though without all the sauce. I enjoyed my dining experience at Khao San. Interesting food to match the ambiance. This is a spot that you will want to explore the menu, rather than stick with the tried and true.

    (4)

  • Mariya M.

    Some really great Thai street food. They were very accommodating about our various dietary restrictions ( 30 somethings have it hard these days). Food was spicy but it was a good spicy. Highly recommend it if you're a Thai food person.

    (4)

  • Anujit C.

    We were super tired after a long day in Portland, and we got lucky when we came across this place. This place serves street food from Thailand, and by God, they do a good job of it! They even have a tuktuk (Thai Auto) parked right in the middle of their joint! I tried Pad kee mao ( Stir fried thin rice noodles, eggs sprouts, bell peppers, chilli, basil) and Ping ( Char grilled marinated pork tenderloin and chicken skewers with evaporated milk). Have a look at these two dishes ( yelp.ca/biz_photos/khao-… and yelp.ca/biz_photos/khao-… ), and you can tell me if there is any way in heaven and hell in which they do not look mouth watering! The char grilled meat was soft and juicy, and the rice noodles blended perfectly with it. Also as an added bonus, by checking in at the place with Yelp I got a complimentary Thai tea!

    (5)

  • Ruchi B.

    We were two couples eating there, friendly service. We loved the ambiance, reminded me of the hawker stalls i enjoyed in Malaysia and Thailand. Most of the employees are from Thailand and Laos. Small plate format is good, can try a lot. loved the italian prosecco in small bottles. Lychee martini was nice. The only thing i would say as a vegetarian, all their dishes tasted almost the same. But they were indeed tasty and spicy :) The tuk tuk inside the restaurant would be a nice center choice seating. They also have a real tuk tuk ride which the restaurant offers to its customers. Definitely will come back to try other dishes, hoping they will be different.

    (4)

  • Jessica N.

    Came by again and it's still on a 4 waiting to edge-up to a 5. This time we tried the pork bun appetizer which I highly recommend. Pork was delicious plus the homemade pickles and peanut sauce were divine. It was a table favorite. Pad Khee Mao was also delicious What wasn't was the Lamb Shank Curry. The cury flavor was nice but still not the best i've had. What really was disappointing was the shank was clearly undercooked. The meat was very hard to remove from the bone and with a large shank in your bowl of curry it makes the dish very hard to eat! Our waitress this time left something to be desired compared to our last one. Not really friendly or engaging. Will continue to come back and try more though! The ambience and the dishes they DO do well are worth it!

    (4)

  • Emily P.

    Excellent foods love the pings and everything else was fans tactic better than pokpok by far

    (5)

  • Sandhya R.

    Loved the spice level this place had to offer. The ambience was nice with the Tuk-Tuk part of the restaurant sitting area. This mom and pop restaurant is a must try for any one who loves Thai or Vietnamese or a combination of the two. We were a party of 6, and they were very accommodating of our dietary constrains. Seating was almost immediate although it was a Friday night.

    (5)

  • Laura P.

    This is a MUST go to Thai place! Its nothing like I've ever had before. Super fresh with fantastic Thai flavors, its like no other Thai food you've ever had. We arrived and were quickly greeted and seated. Our server was quick to get us started. We met the owner Bud and he turned us in to two different beers that Caldera brewery makes for them. Our favorite is the ale with ginger in it. Very nice especially with the spicy dishes. We shared the Fresh Summer Rolls, the Fresh Spring Rolls, the Kor Mu Yaang and the Chinese Broccoli with spicy Pork Belly. Ask were phenomenal! We can't wait to go back

    (5)

  • Daniel M.

    Free Thai Iced Tea refills. Five stars right there. I love thai iced tea, so I had three of them. I know the calorie content is high, but let me have fun okay? Khao San is a beautifully decorated restaurant with the best Thai food I have ever had. I love the small menu and authentic taste. This is my new favorite place to show out-of-towners. Can't wait to go back next week.

    (5)

  • Cynthia H.

    Got Pings, papaya salad, pad thai, Massaman curry, and thai tea. All super balanced, flavorful, well priced, and just yummy. Really good server and cute atmosphere.

    (5)

  • Kristi S.

    Was really excited to try this place out, and finally found myself there at lunch with a coworker. The service was really great and the food was amazing--so fresh and so fast! Plus I got a free bottomless Thai ice tea by checking in.. Sold. I'm looking forward to coming back to try the dinner menu soon.

    (5)

  • Maxene A.

    I finally got to try Khao San and now I can foresee myself ordering take away from Khao San on the regular... I think overall everything was pretty darn good! Set up:] The location is near 405, just moments away from LA Fitness Pearl, and parking tends to be okay in this area. The atmosphere is fun & casual, i was reminded of a shopping mall food court with how many different types of diners were enjoying themselves. plus there is a refurbished Tuk Tuk off to the right of the dinning area that has been converted into a table.. interesting, cute too! Happy Hour:] runs everyday 3pm to 6pm, and 9pm to close, however with that also means no to-go on Happy Hour, and a $3 drink minimum order. the HH menu has eight food options ranging from $5 to $7 and a choice of assorted rice side from one to two bucks. What I ordered:] I had couldn't decide and wanted to try as much as possible so I just ordered numbers 1 through 5 on the HH menu: Chicken Ping, Summer Roll, Kor Mu Yaang, Fried Calamari, and Lao Sausage, then I threw on Yum Near from the regular menu The Chicken Ping- char-grilled chicken skewers, served hanging on your table. I found these to be absolutely delicious and savory. not what I was expecting for it having been marinated in evaporated milk, however that is possibly how the chicken stayed moist and had a great char to it-the milk! Fried Calamari- was not so great, in fact, it is what it is, flash friend and flavorless.. skipping this next time. Lao Sausage- perfect if you want some spicy snacking meat, the sausage is also served with fresh ginger and peanuts, a great snack to accompany those beer beverages! the Yum Near - what a great balance of savory meats, and refreshing salad, perhaps one of the better ones I have tried in my life of eating Thai food. the dish was no overpowered with mint or fish sauce like a few others I have tried, instead it was a great balance and I might have had the whole plate to myself. Drinks- they had a good little selection of beer and a full round of alcohol, nice place to have some thai food and drinks! Honorable Mention:] Yelp check-in gets you a free Thai Iced Tea! they accept cards, the service was a little spotty at the 5:30 to 7 time but that could be because they were crowded and fully seated. all in all I hope to be back again soon and then again after that, and again after that! Khao San is a new place to stuff my face in 2015!

    (4)

  • Lady V.

    Overpriced and underwhelming. I got the goy joh for a starter and it was all right. The quality of the food was good, but it didn't have any spectacular flavors to get me excited. The real disappointment, though, was the shrimp skewers. The shrimp was horribly overcooked and a few of them were soft - obviously not fresh. Also the sauce was basically just fish sauce with vinegar? It said garlic and chili in the description but really it's just fish sauce. So many better options in Portland.

    (2)

  • Jenny H.

    Came to check out the new place that opened up a few months ago. The reviews and pictures on yelp have been great and they had good service, but the food was unsatisfying. Tip : Check in on yelp and you get free bottomless chai tea. Everyone at our table got one for free from check-ins and I'm glad it was for free because it would not be worth paying for since it was quite diluted. Here's what we tried : PING ($9) : Four pieces of Grilled marinated pork and chicken skewers marinated in evaporated milk. If it wasn't listed on the menu, I never would have guessed this was marinated in evaporated milk because it just tasted like grilled meat marinated in some type of soy sauce. We ordered two pork + two chicken an the chicken was definitely the better option. KRUNG YAANG ($9) : Three pieces of grilled shrimp skewers served with a spicy sauce. Nice presentation of the hanging skewers but tasted like the shrimp wasn't fresh since the shrimp was mushy and soft. Also, they weren't very detailed because some shrimp were served with the head on and some weren't. Really just looked like sloppy prep up close. SPICY GREEN BEAN WITH CRISPY PORK BELLY ($8) : I enjoyed this dish because it was spicy and came with a lot of veggies. PAD THAI STREET WITH SHRIMP ($9) : Pretty bad pad thai because the noodles were mushy and broke off when you try to pick it up. Flavoring was also on the sweet side which I don't like. WHOLE FRIED FISH : This was listed on the specials menu and it was tasty. The presentation was nice to see the entire fish but flavoring was also on the sweet side.

    (3)

  • Jess P.

    This is the closest good quality Thai food I can find in Portland for a decent price ( comparing to pok pok of course ;) Awesome traditional dishes, nail the classics .. I've only done take out , but wanna come with a group to sit in the Tuks Tuks - see pic ! Everyone who works here smiles and is winning . Free Thai ice tea apon check in - yes yes yes . No fails .. Yet :P

    (5)

  • David K.

    This place is fun and worth checking out for it's food, ambiance and fun factor. The wife and I went for a last-minute new year's eve dinner and sat INSIDE the tuk-tuk they have inside the restaurant. On the speakers: Thai music. On the TV: Thai volleyball matches, a game played ONLY with an athlete's feet. That's right: volleyball with only your feet, you read that correctly. The owner, whose Thai name is very long but goes by "Bud", had a Thai volleyball resting on the bar, something he's quick to point out to patrons. The food is authentic street style food: soups, satays, curries, etc. All delish and all had a bit of spice kick to them, You'll like this if you're a spice freak. The satays are served hanging from skewers on a trellis, super neat. Bud came over after our meal was winding down and spoke to us: for about 20min. The guy is about the friendliest person you'll ever meet. Maybe too friendly? Seriously, my wife was begging him to get us some of his metal water mugs. (I know, but when you see them, you'll understand...) Oddly, the least desirable part of this place was the bar. I ordered a hot toddy but I think the waitress (the ever bubbly and super cool Desiree) might have thought I said, "just bring me a glass of liquor". If you like your drinks stiff, congrats. If you like a more thoughtful cocktail: meh. But fun, fun, fun and we'll go back for sure. Bud recommend bringing a group and then just letting him order for us. And you know what, bitches: I think we'll do just that. Love & Kisses, Your Tom Ka Kai about town, David

    (4)

  • James G.

    I went with my friend from Thailand and we both loved it. He tends to be a little more critical on Thai places - we both enjoyed this one. The decor was good, the restaurant felt extremely clean, the service was very friendly. We got skewered pork and chicken, laab, crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli. If you like Thai food, this is a great place to go to.

    (5)

  • Gabbi R.

    Absolutely terrific. I couldn't stop eating! We ordered the pad thai, basil chicken and tofu pupmkin curry yum yum yum. Service was a teeny bit slow and we got a tuk tuk ride afterward! This place is a MUST if you are a thai fan.

    (5)

  • I N.

    This is our new favorite Thai restaurant in Portland. Fun tuk-tuk themed place serving WONDERFUL food. The chicken skewers are FANTASTIC. And the Crab Fried Rice is AMAZING. Parking is a bear but they will come pick you up at the parking structure in their very own tuk-tuk. Way too fun!

    (5)

  • Ev R.

    Great food! This was a pleasant surprise... a new place to check out. Food is awesome! A new taste... nice ambiance. .. we really enjoyed the food, the place... the service. .. We had a great time! And satisfied!

    (5)

  • Cyndy L.

    Excellent Thai food. We ordered the summer rolls, grilled beef, grilled pork, chicken skewers, pad thai with tofu, and green beans with pork belly. Everything tasted great. Prompt, friendly service. We got to sit inside a tuk tuk to eat, which was fun.

    (5)

  • Vicky H.

    A friend took me there today for the first time. Delicious! Had salad rolls, mussaman curry, salad, rice. Restaurant was bright, cheery and inviting. Mussaman curry was very good. Nice place, will be back.

    (4)

  • Juliana S.

    Good Thai food with atmosphere bummer the location makes it a little pricey. Overall though for a dinner in NW with great service and yummy food this place has made my short lists of places to eat on the west side. They have cider on tap which is awesome. The electric tuc tuc is used to taxi customers is sweet! Dance music and friendly driver make it look like tons of fun. We will be back.

    (4)

  • Christian E.

    Love this place. High quality food for a great price. Great and varied flavors, and the owner is incredibly friendly! Definitely recommend this place.

    (5)

  • Damian S.

    Really great affordable Thai food in the Pearl. We had the chef's special red duck curry, brown rice and pad Thai with chicken. The curry was perfectly balanced, hints of Thai basil and spicy but not overpowering, the brown rice was amazing and the Pad Thai was lovely, sweet and tangy. Decor and service is relaxed, welcoming casual and very pleasant. There are also nice Thai street decor touches, as well as a full bar. Definitely somewhere we will come to again, and again, and again.

    (5)

  • Mike S.

    Very happy with our choice. Weeknight and the place was half full with good activity. The team serving approach was used here which we liked. Staff was efficient and friendly. Food was terrific. Spicy beans, Summer Rolls, Pork Skewers, and Pad Thai were all on the mark. The spice use throughout was very well done. You get what you ask for. The Bangkok Mojito was top notch too. Don't second guess this place. Very good.

    (4)

  • Sushma M.

    Awesome food, great ambiance. Their peanut sauce was out of the world. The papaya salad was amazing as well. Highly recommend this place

    (5)

  • Susan B.

    Beautiful and clean restaurant. Friendly, fast service and most importantly delicious food made to order! The menu has many mouth watering pictures and seems to include an option for just about any type of diet (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free as well as extensive info regarding potential allergens). I loved the idea of having a machine to sanitize your hands before being seated. I've also never seen a place that gave free refills on Thai ice tea! My family and I will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Jodi W.

    Having visited Thailand last December the street food was fresh in my mind. When I walked in the smell instantly reminded me of the street food on Khao San Rd in Bangkok! I ordered the Ping combo and it was amazing! The house made Tamarind sauce was a perfect accompaniment to the Pings (Aka Skewers) that came out sizzling and hanging on their own rack. I will be back! Happy hour looks awesome and they have Moscow Mules!

    (5)

  • Zoey P.

    Came here with my family. The owner was super nice. He told me he travel to Thailand a lot. The food was good, although i didnt see much of that Thai authenticity. It was very very good. I had crispy whole fish with house sauce, frog legs and thai tea. They were all very good Very nice decoration and atmosphere

    (4)

  • Andy T.

    I went with my friend to try some new Thai food. We ended up choosing this restaurant. At first, the portion is quite small (typical Asian portion), but don't be wrong. The food is bomb. We ordered a pork satay, pad thai, chicken wings and 2 other foods. The pork satay is juicy, pad thai is well seasoned, and chicken wings is better than pok pok. Especially, for the price, this place wins me over pok pok. And the ambience, reminds me of South East asian country. Will recommend this place to anyone.

    (5)

  • David R.

    After seeing all the great reviews we hope this place would be as good as it sound. The server was very friendly and helpful but that's about the only good thing about this place. We ordered fresh spring roll bite, Tom yum shrimp and jungle curry. Fresh spring roll bite was alright but the price for it is way too high for an alright starter. The Tom yum taste like water with lime or tamarind juice with a lot of shrimp shells. Try to at less strain out the shells please! Jungle curry suppose to be very flavorful but it taste like a spicy water. We don't really care about the food cost as long as the taste is good but this place have average quality products with way over price dish. If you are going to overcharge your dish at less make it taste better tha water!

    (1)

  • Rachel V.

    Luckily, the bf's cousin lives in Portland so he was willing to take us anywhere we wanted to go during our recent trip out there. One of the places on my Northwest bucket list was Pok Pok. When we realized the wait on a Saturday night was 3 hours long the bf's cousin made an executive decision and took us to his go-to Thai/Lao spot. My bf and his cousin are Lao so he raved about how authentic and close to home this restaurant was to him. I, myself, am a Filipina but since dating a Lao guy for 6 years I've been exposed to their culture and I absolutely love their food. With that being mentioned, I could not wait to try what this place had to offer =) Pork skewers: plenty of flavor and the sauce is so addicting. Papaya salad: too spicy for my liking. E-San sausage: deliciously juicy and flavorful. Shrimp pad thai: sweet and always yummy but the noodles were a tad over-cooked Chicken wings: you can't go wrong with these wings. The skin is crisp, the meat is juicy and you can clearly taste the coconut milk marinate. Super tasty! Tom yum chicken soup: sour, lemon-y and so good! It's like a Thai version of the Filipino sinigang soup. I can't recall the name of this entree but it was the most appetizing, boneless tilapia dish I've ever had. The skin was extra crispy, the meat was so moist and the sauce was sweet and savory. Thai iced tea: you can never go wrong with this drink but I just want to mention it because it's bottomless refills! =) Overall, I had an incredibly satisfying dinner at Khao San. The customer service was on-point. Our server was so sweet and helpful and even the owner came out and cracked some jokes with us. From the dishes being very appetizing and inexpensive to the welcoming rapport of the staff, I'll definitely be coming back.

    (5)

  • Jeff B.

    Dropped in here on a Sunday night after finding our other options either closed or booked full. Very glad we did - some of the best Thai food I've ever had. Our waiter recommended to me the Pad Kee Mao with Beef as his "last meal on a desert island" choice - and I wasn't disappointed. It was fantastic.

    (5)

  • Sian K.

    My husband loved everything but I think they use way too much fish sauce in general. I liked the very fresh spring rolls and the pork extravaganza (3 types of pork served with rice and a side of chicken broth.) I didn't like the papaya salad with crab because the crab bits were so tiny it wasn't worth cracking them open for the meat, and again too much fishy taste all over. The pad Thai was also too fishy. Disappointed.

    (2)

  • Juliet V.

    I loved my experience here. Mom and I had the spicy crispy basil chicken, BBQ pork and larb. The Thai iced tea was delicious. Not too sweet, which is a plus for me. The crispy basil chicken was thickly breaded, not really a fan of that, but the sauce was delicious. My fave was the pork! Similar to Filipino BBQ pork skewers. I will be coming back!

    (4)

  • Sophie L.

    Tried this place last night after we had some beer tasting at 10 barrel brewery. I have to say the price is very reasonable. Much better deal than pok pok and the food is delicious! I love street food especially, and Khao San provided a great experience for our first time. The mango rose sticky rice is to die for. We're definitely coming back to try their other dishes.

    (5)

  • Jennifer G.

    I came here based on the great reviews. After eating, I had to go back and re-check the reviews because I cannot believe this is the same place we ate at. I will start with the good: -The interior is adorable, I love the use of the tuk tuk and street cart incorporated into the theme. -The Thai Iced Tea and coffee were great and were bottomless refills in metal mugs which were a nice touch and kept the drinks super cool. -The summer rolls were decent as was the peanut sauce -The server was very attentive and the speed of the food coming out of the kitchen was quick The bad: - We arrived at 5:55 and were not offered a Happy Hour menu. No big deal, just thought it was odd. We did not come here for Happy Hour in particular, but it would have been nice. -Fried Chicken wings were rubbery inside. The breading and dipping sauce were good. -The Chicken Massaman Curry, Chicken Pumpkin Curry and Skewered Chicken- The chicken for all three of these dishes was questionable. The chicken was made of tendons, fat and connective tissue. It was absolutely the most revolting thing we've ever been served at a restaurant. I am still questioning if it was even chicken. I ate one piece and spit it out. I ate the vegetables only as did the other dining guests. (I will add a picture to this page of the chicken) - The rice was "hard" and not fresh. How can you screw up rice? Was also not included with the meal and had to order as a side. Thought this was peculiar since most Asian restaurants include this for free.

    (1)

  • Erin C.

    I was really looking forward to the place. Def need more street food like POK POK in this town. We went on a Sunday so the place wasn't crowded. We saw a couple of empty tables and still waited until the staff had time to clean the table and seat us. Although he quickly apologized saying that they had quite a day... I love the Thai street decor that they were going for. The place looked clean and large garage opening with fresh air. 4 of us ordered some drinks and at least 5 dishes including some appetizers. Maybe it's the 'tapas' style... so everything was served ALL at once. shrimp on a stick: the way the shrimp was hung like air drying on a skewer, allowed the shrimp to get cold pretty fast. I probably only at the first one that was luke warm. and by the 2nd piece of shrimp, it was cold already. i like the concept but not practical. Chicken wings: very tender and deliciously fried. not a fan of the suace. and the flavor didn't blow me away. pad kee mao: your usual pad kee mao... nothing special. but wasn't bad either. the other dishes weren't memorable to even mention... sigh. really was hoping a near by place that can be competition for POKPOK but this place is not it for me.

    (2)

  • tatiana p.

    My boyfriend and I tried Khao San a couple weeks ago. I order the rice paper summer rolls and the pad Thai. Based on those two dishes I would not return. My boyfriend ordered the pork belly which he thought was really good. We arrived during their happy hour, but weren't given happy hour menus. I had to request one (after we already ordered) when I saw another table receive one upon sitting.

    (3)

  • Dorothy C.

    Order the fresh rolls and dip it in peanut sauce. When you're done the fresh rolls drink the peanut sauce because it's that good.

    (5)

  • Derek R.

    Unique place. Staff was friendly and helpful. They have an open bar! Great place for socializing. Atmosphere was amazing. This would be five stars but the portion/quality for the price wasn't for me. I've seen better for the price but I can understand because it is an establishment in downtown pearl district. If you're in the area and craving for Thai food def stop by. Just remember the price and portion definitely better elsewhere. They have good brown rice... Not many Asian places do...

    (4)

  • Caroline N.

    A "Meh" Thai spot for me. The service was lacking. We got there around 5pm so it wasn't terribly busy, yet there were two tables left unbussed near us. We had to spend most of our meal staring at the mess of plates on the tables next to us. Our server was a little awkward and couldn't articulate much about the dishes. However, he did keep up with our unquenchable thirst for the bottomless thai iced teas, so I'll give him props for that. If I'm allowed to be nit-picky it was a little watery, but it was free with the Yelp check-in so honestly not complaining. The dishes were overpriced for what we got. The chicken ping was probably the one good part of the meal. The accompanying sauce was very flavorful and the chicken was tender. The pad kee mao was a smaller portion than I expected, and a bit bland and dry. The holy basil plate that I got was even more underwhelming. I know they market this place as Thai street food, but the stir fry and fried egg was something I could've made at home, and that's saying a lot because I am definitely not the best cook. The egg was overdone and not runny at all. I took most of it home to have as leftovers. The location was a bit out of the way too, so it was definitely not worth the trek. There are plenty of better Thai places in town!

    (2)

  • John W.

    Absolutely amazing Thai food! I had the Jungle Curry, extra spicy. Wow, while it had an abundance of spice, it was still very flavorful. Next time I will order it regular spice. Tried Thai iced tea for the first time and i must say it was refreshing. The waiter was very helpful when ordering, he actually suggested ordering a combination from the lunch menu that would be more economical given what I was ordering. I will back for sure!

    (4)

  • Alfredo R.

    Best Thai food I've had in Portland! This is about my 6th time here and it hasn't failed me yet! The staff is friendly and efficient; the atmosphere is cool too. The interior is modeled with images of Bangkok and you can catch a game of Sepak Takraw (kick volleyball) if you sit by the bar. As for food- definitely get the stake (Crying Tiger) oh, and ask for the spice rack!

    (5)

  • Astha M.

    Khao San is a Thai street food restaurant. Nice decor and average food. We got grilled chicken on skewers and though it was good, it had too much sauce and was a little chewy. Shrimp pad thai was good, again nothing that stood out. Ground chicken with holy basil on jasmine rice was pretty good! Good to try once but not somewhere you would want to go back again and again. If you go, sit on the tuktuk (auto rickshaw) for some additional fun!

    (3)

  • Priya A.

    Was a tough decision to decide between Pok Pok and Khao San as we just had one night in Portland and we can only go to one place! We were not disappointed and loved this place. I am a vegetarian so the options were fewer but everything we ordered was great! We started with spring roll bites with a extra side of peanut sauce and it was great! Their tofu pad thai was amazing!! So fresh and light. Not greasy and the portions were perfect. They looked small but we were full. We also ordered massaman curry with tofu and that was good too. Not as spicy as ordered but nothing that hot sauce cannot fix. The owner (?) also came to our table to chat with us and invited us for a tuk tuk ride. Decor is eclectic thai street chaos and it works with a tuk tuk in middle of restaurant.

    (5)

  • Patrick W.

    Great friendly service with a really clever decor that makes you feel like you've been transported to a Thai mall/food court. Food to me was a bit of miss, good, not memorable. We only tried the "street food", Tom yum wonton noodle soup, khao mun Kai, and frog legs. It wasn't bad, but I can't say the flavors were deep, rich and hearty, something I would expect especially if good Tom yum. Theirs wasn't even close, just bland and dare I say Americanized. The curry in the frog legs dish was well done and the deep fried legs were tasty. Khao mun kai was fine, I prefer Nong's joint version though. Unlimited thai ice tea a big plus. I'm willing to try it again, we only had 3 dishes, but their claim of street food flavors to me didn't add up.

    (3)

  • Joni W.

    Some of the best customer service I've ever had in Portland. Such a sweet crew!

    (5)

  • Geri W.

    Very freshly presented vegetables, cooked only long enough for succulence to make the flavors sing. The fresh / spring roll pillows were piquant and the strawberry lemonade had beautiful texture. The tofu was delicately cooked and spiced with the Chinese broccoli. (I do wish I had realized that "Chinese broccoli" is a different vegetable altogether, not "broccoli prepared in Chinese style..." Blush ;)

    (4)

  • Sushi J.

    Great stop for a quick Thai bite and happy hour beer. Ginger pale ale was refreshing and the street style pad thai hit the spot. Summer spring rolls were fresh and delish. Dog friendly, too! Having been to Thailand several times, I appreciated the ambience and tuk tuk parked outside.

    (4)

  • D Y.

    I consider myself a bit of a food snob. Having said that, I've eaten here 4 times and was very impressed with the quantity quality and fresh ingredients. No undercooked or over cooked just perfect. No gloppy Pad Thai like some restaurants. The soup comes with a warmer to keep things hot while you take your time and enjoy.

    (4)

  • Stacy P.

    Khan San = Cheap and safe gluten-free dining option Location On the corner of 15th and Flanders. A slight bit of a walk, but worth it Menu Tons of GF options! Currently, only one item on the menu, #62 although they are in the process of making this gluten free by changing the noodles, is gluten free. For this fact, it is important to note that there is a slight chance of cross contamination, but I found it a safe place to eat at. Service Friendly and fast. You didn't 't have to wait long for your food to arrive after ordering Price The food is cheap and doesn't break the bank or expense account Drinks Loved the tin glasses. They really kept the drinks cold. Plus they offered free refills on the Thai Ice tea. Need I say more? Decor I loved how they tied the decor matched the theme of the restaurant. If you happened to be lucky and time it right, you could dine in the blue tuk tuk. I loved the front of the grill area. How they tied it into the theme by making it resemble a street vendors cart and included fake plastic hanging meat. Food small plates which provides a filling dinner option for one or you could mix it up and get multiple plates to try new dishes and share

    (4)

  • Lisa S.

    I've been here 3 times now & each time my husband & I say to each other, "I really like this place!" The food is really tasty, they have 2 beers (rice lager & ginger pale ale) made especially for them by Caldera which happens to be my favorite brewery, & the service is always genuinely friendly. Our favs are the calamari, Chinese broccoli & crispy pork belly, & the Crying Tiger which is a grilled & sliced Painted Hills ribeye served with a spicy tamarind dipping sauce that is so.f-ing.melt-in-your-mouth.delicious (insert Homer drooling noises). I dream about that steak. Khao San really stands out amongst the half-dozen or so Thai restaurants that populate every Portland neighborhood. Go there. And for God's sake, get the damn Crying Tiger.

    (5)

  • Pius W.

    What a treat! Went here for lunch with the parents (dad lived in Thailand for a while). The free thai iced tea for checking in was great! And free refills! We got the hoy joh (pork, shrimp etc wrapped in bean curd then fried) for starter and it was really close to the real thing in Thailand. We also got the pork belly over rice as well as the blue crab meat fried rice which were really good. I'd come here again, even if it's just for the thai iced tea refills.

    (4)

  • Nok L.

    Simply delicious!!! We visit Portland for the weekend and have to say that I'm very impressed with the quality of food - yummy & authentic. Also, Nice decor and great service. Love their Tuk Tuk table & waiter's outfit (wearing bKk motorcycle taxi vest). Definitely a place to check out when you are in Portland! Food: -Ping (mixed grilled pork and chicken), -papaya salad ( very good!), -fried chicken (must order!, so good that we finished even before taking photo) - Tom zaap pork - love it - sour with a touch of spicy - Larb - minced pork salad - kor moo yang - grilled neck pork. Ps. Their sauce for all those grilled or fried dishes is amazing too!

    (5)

  • Mia P.

    This is looked so cool from all of the yelp reviews and photos but I was super disappointed. The food just really didn't hit the spot. The portions were also small and over priced. There's so many more better Thai choices in portland that I would just not return to this one. I really wanted to like it cause it looked so cool.

    (2)

  • Scott H.

    A great place in The Pearl/NW Portland to pickup delicious Thai food for takeout. Service is friendly and the food is really good.

    (4)

  • Ryan C.

    I like Pad See Ew with your choice of meat as much as the next guy but sometimes you want that kind of Thai food that you see Anthony Bourdain eating on TV. Khao San delivers this to astronomical heights. If you want a Pok Pok level experience west of the river, you should come here. Best of all the two of us ordered 4 things and left full for less than $30 so I'd come here over Andy Ricker's joints any day of the week. Thanks Khao San for coming to the Pearl. I wish you the very best.

    (5)

  • Paramjit S.

    Amazing experience Spicy fried chicken was great. The atmosphere and colorful decor. The staff was extremely friendly, pleasant and efficient. Will go back for sure

    (5)

  • Chandler H.

    Khao san is some great moderately priced Thai food located in downtown Portland. The ingredients in all the dishes I ordered tasted fresh, flavorful and had a little kick to them. I ordered a Pad Kee Mao or something like that, I apologize for my spelling as I am not an avid thai eater. However, for a guy who doesnt normally eat thai I could tell that this place prideded itself in the freshness and quality of their dishes. This review might be an eyesore to read for some of the more knowledgeable thai eaters but for a first time trying thai I can say I was very pleased with what I ordered and the flavors that were present.

    (4)

  • Dave D.

    We stop by here for lunch occasionally. It is good thai food, but not quite like your neighborhood thai cafe. Their menu is a bit odd. Also, prices are a bit high (but, then again, this is the edge of the pearl district). Go ahead and stop on in here for lunch if you'd like a nice no-hassle thai place. But if you're not in a rush and don't mind the hike, I'd suggest hoofing it to 19th & Quimby for the cart pod, where there is an inexpensive thai takeout option that would not disappoint.

    (3)

  • Roger M.

    Thai one on! Nice selection for happy hour menu and craft brews $4. We ordered the Pad Kee Mao with painted hills beef and stir-fry rice noodles, Chinese brocolli with pork belly and chicken ping on a skewer--tasty and generous portions all! After a satisfying meal, we went for a ride in the authenticate Tuk Tuk taxi around the Pearl. What fun! The driver had the music turned up loud. People on the street will notice you so do not be shy. It is ok to dance and scream a little--"ready to Thai one on" Try Khao San!"

    (4)

  • Shikha C.

    Good ambience! With the wall pictures and Thailand imported Tuk Tuk rickshaw, steel mugs, they have created Thailand streets feel successfully. Friendly staff and quick service. I Liked the taste of entrées we ordered. They use fresh herbs and the aroma of food takes you to next level. Their stir frys are very fresh! Order multiple dishes as portions are small. For ambience 5/5 For service 4.5/5 Food taste 4.5/5 It is one of the best Thai restaurant in town!

    (4)

  • Katie R.

    The experience of buying dinner from a street vendor in Thailand is a fun one. The Bangkok night markets are loud, crowded, and full of street food vendors, which may seem off-putting but is in reality an exciting and adventurous way to get some grub. When I walked into Khao San, I was instantly taken back to Bangkok. The atmosphere is authentically Thai, complete with a Tuk-Tuk sitting in the middle of the dining room. The wait staff even don the numbered vests worn by motorcycle taxi drivers. It's pretty damn impressive, that ability to transport an entire dining room in Portland to Thailand. And the authentic feel isn't limited to the atmosphere and decorations. The food they are serving up is genuine Thai goodness. It's delicious. We ordered Fresh Summer Rolls, Chicken Larb (not on the menu, but they happily made it) and Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork Belly. All were delicious and served up family style. Get a side of rice and order 3 or 4 dishes. At the end of the meal, we were wishing we'd indulged a bit more. ProTip: Don't skip on a specialty cocktail here. The Chiang Mai, actually a mountain city in Thailand, is a great accompaniment to dinner.

    (4)

  • Roy K.

    I love this place! Good food, good location and friendly staffs! Go check this place out. You won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Andrew A.

    A semi-secret: most places in the Pearl are packed on 1st Thursday, but since Khao is on 15th, there's empty seats. One of the better venues in PDX, the menu is a slight variation of those at almost every Thai restaurant in town. Enjoyed the green beans and pork belly was good. Delightful surprise of the night was the Thai-ger Woods non-alcoholic drink. I mainly come here for the ambiance.

    (4)

  • Eva L.

    Everyday Happy Hour!!! Bottomless Thai iced tea?! Once you walk inside you feel like you are outside! The decor and tuk-tuks definitely give a street vibe. I had the "Jungle Curry" ($8) and it had lots of veggies and a nice kick of spiciness to it. A side of rice is $1. Even though it said small plates, I think the portion size was reasonable for the price. I had leftovers because we ordered a few appetizers from the Happy Hour menu: salad rolls, fried chicken, and sweet potato fries. Why 3 stars? Servers were a bit slow and seemed apathetic. Food was decent, but the flavors didn't blow me away.

    (3)

  • Mark M.

    What a find! Khao San came to the apartment building I stayed in to promote the restaurant with some free food. What a great idea. I had walked within a block of Khao San without ever actually seeing it (on corner of 15th and Glisan, and not the most pedestrian friendly part of the Pearl). Had they not done this giveaway at the apartment I would never have known what I was missing, so me & the wife & two dogs headed over the restaurant to give it a try. Started with the Fresh Summer Rolls and the Fresh Spring Roll Bites (both very good, but I had to choose one, I'd go for the Bites). The Rolls came with a peanut sauce that was, to me, a bit bland and not a great match (by contrast, at the apartment they had multiple sauces on offer and the Rolls paired perfectly with the sweet & sour sauce). For dinner, we had the Holy Basil w/ Minced Chicken (outstanding!) which came with steamed rice and a fried egg, the Krung Yaan (three skewers of char-grilled sprimp with a side of Thai chili, garlic and lime juice sauce--very good but the sauce is a must), and the Pad Thai Street w/Shrimp (cooked with a palm sugar sauce that made this version of Pad Thai better than almost any other I'd ever had, as I'm usually not a huge fan of this dish). The owner, Bud, a Laotian refugee married to a Thai, is a charmer who is happy to explain any dish and, best of all, shuttle you home in the restaurant's very own electric tuk tuk (he makes a point that he doesn't deliver food, but does deliver people). Walking through the Pearl District is a pleasure, but on a 102 degree day in July, the ride home was actually quite appreciated--especially for the dogs. My stomach couldn't accommodate all the food, which disappointed me because everything was so good that I wanted to try even more. There's always next time....

    (4)

  • Maureen B.

    What a fun evening - plan ahead and request the Tuk Tuk chauffeur service! Bud will treat you like royalty. Be sure to wave at all the hipsters as you drive down 23rd. The Green Beans with Pork Belly are spicy-licious. Crying Tiger grilled Painter Hills ribeye with tamarind is fantastic.

    (5)

  • Liss B.

    Amazing! Fresh, friendly staff, comfortable atmosphere! Thai iced tea with coconut milk and the pumpkin curry is so good!!! The prices are super low for what you get too! The staff is awesome!

    (5)

  • Jason T.

    Cool open style kitchen. Decent street style Thai food. The Ping sampler was good, so was the Chinese broccoli with pork belly.

    (4)

  • Gem S.

    Dinner at Khao San was an awesome experience. The tuk tuk in the middle of the restaurant and the picture of a busy Thai street made us feel like we were in Thailand. Loved the food! We ordered some meat on skewers, along with some soup. The price could've been slightly lower but this joint is in Pearl District and you're paying for the ambiance so that's that. Overall, glad we popped in for dinner that night. Oh and checking in on Yelp gave us free Thai iced tea!

    (4)

  • Katherine C.

    What a cool restaurant! Serves thai street food so this is not the place to go get regular pad thai. Instead, you're going to order soft shell crab noodles (with the crab on top), the number 42 marinated pork, the green beans or chinese broccoli with pork belly, and the sweet sticky rice with coconut milk and custard. SOOOOO good. There was nothing left on the plate for just 2 of us. I can't wait to go back to try everything else on the menu. There's a table in a tuk tuk for those lucky enough to snag it in the middle of the small restaurant and a man playing soft live background music, even on a monday night. I've been wanting to try this place for a long time and it did not disappoint! Right up there in terms of deliciousness with actual street food I've had in Bangkok!

    (5)

  • Kim J.

    I really love this place! Great food, great service and the decor is fabulous, capturing Thailand and its hustle and bustle of "Tuk-Tuk" life on the streets. Life sized Thailand cityscapes plastering the walls, tin drinking cups and the Tuk-Tuk its self is all part of the atmosphere. Great open feeling, outdoor seating and cooperative wait staff service who all sport traditional Tuk-Tuk motorbike vests complete the experience. Ok now you want to hear about the food, well we ordered a feast. The husband and I had a few things as he was eating his way out of a hangover. We always start off with the summer rolls. Nice flavor with a great peanut sauce. Then we dove into a plate of chicken wings. I felt that they were over breaded but still tasted light and not overly oily, served with a tamarind dipping sauce that had a nice bite to it. For the main shared dishes we went with the pad Thai with shrimp, pork larb and the green beans w pork belly. All provided great flavor, the beans were crisp, the larb garlicky and lime flavored, and the pad Thai was sticky with a hint of sweet peanut. While I like my foods on the milder side my husband likes to kick it up a notch and always appreciates a Thai restaurant with a legit spice rack and this place has it. I see him sweating as he eats, not sure why but that's the way he liked his Thai food. Overall a great experience as it always is when we visit.

    (4)

  • Steve Z.

    Wow! After walking by this place many times, we finally decided to try it based on the Yelp reviews and wonderful smells coming from the restaurant. Well....when we were sat at a table we waited 15 or 20 minutes with no waiter or waitress even approaching our table! We finally got up and left. I even complained to the manager and he seemed surprised nobody waited on us after we sat there that long. Sorry guys, this is restaurant 101 here.......make sure your guests get waited on. So sad.

    (1)

  • Christina R.

    It's definitely kitschy , the street cart and tuk tuk car in the restaurant and all the staff wearing obnoxious bright vests (that apparently they wear in Thailand), but I secretly love kitsch, so it works for me and the food did not disappoint. We ordered the Pade Kee Mao, Crab Fried Rice and the Pork Belly. All three were fantastic and were cooked very well. I think this restaurant is a little more fun if you're willing to eat family style. Was a little disappointed that they didn't have more variety in the "street food" section, so it's not good if you're a small group or have picky eaters because you'll end up not being able to try any of them. p.s. strawberry lemonade is worth the $4 on a hot day

    (5)

  • Felix L.

    Pok Pok or Khao San? It was a question lingering in my mind during a flight to Portland. Since Khao San is labeled as an "up and coming" type of Thai restaurant, I selected it over Andy Ricker's hyped Pok Pok chain during my recent trip. The two serve dishes from different regions of Thailand. Khao San specializes in food from the streets of Bangkok while Pok Pok presents recipes recreated by Ricker during visits to Chiang Mai and the Isaan region. Both restaurants serve authentic Thai food and do not edit their food offerings to appeal to a typical American palate. The reasons why I did not choose Pok Pok was to avoid the infamous one to two hour long queue, and also after some consideration, the high price tag for small portions did not sound so appealing ($12 papaya salad, $15 khao soi, and $14 sai oua was not worth taking the risk). On the other hand, despite not having Pok Pok's seasonal menu, Khao San's offerings were much more affordable in the $5 to $9 range and the food is prepared by Thai natives. Khao San also houses a refurbished tuk tuk (Thai taxi cart) outfitted with a table for diners to sit in for a memorable experience. The menu at Khao San is set up for diners to share small plates. If each person orders 1 to 2 small plates, there should be enough for each plate to go around the table at least twice. I ordered the following for two people: 1. Som Tom Pu Pla Ra A Lao-variation of papaya salad with fermented fish sauce and briny crab shells. In LA, this dish is usually doused with liberal amounts of fish sauce, but Khao San only adds a splash of this sweet and souring agent. The Lao papaya salad typically contains a delicate interplay of deep fiery, sweet, and pungent flavors, but the heat from Thai chilis was significantly toned down here. Khao Sans' product was more on the sweet side and was not as spicy as advertised, but still tastes good and whets the appetite. 2. Tom Saab Kradook On I've had this signature sour soup with spare ribs numerous times at Isaan restaurants in LA, and they were always intensely sour and unbearably hot. The sourness could make your mouth tingle and the extreme heat can set all sides of your tongue on fire. Khao San's version is again tempered in chili and sourness compared to the traditional Isaan recipe. It's simply a sweet and mildly sour soup but contains the most tender braised pork ribs I've ever had in a soup. The pot yielded about 5 bowls of soup. 3. Mu Ping This is one of Bangkok's most commonly found street food, freshly marinated and grilled on the roadside. It's a must order at Khao San that can transport you to the streets of Bangkok. The pork is meaty, succulent, and supremely tender. The chefs had brushed evaporated milk over the pork skewers to blend in sweet and caramelized flavors. Additional sweet chili dipping sauce is provided if the meat is not sweet enough. 4. Pla Pad Cha A seafood dish that encapsulates Bangkok cooking, with stir-fried catfish filets made crispy on the outside and naturally delicate on the inside, cooked at high temperatures with seasonal crunchy Thai vegetables such as apple eggplants and holy basil in a sour and savory sauce. The curry paste includes ingredients that make the fish unexpectedly and subtly spicy. Out of the plates we ordered, this one was the best to eat with sticky rice. This dish was my favorite because it was texturally satisfying and the spiciness and sweetness were equally balanced. While the food at Khao San is no doubt remarkable for Portland standards, in my opinion, it falls a bit short of excellence that can be found in LA's Thai Town. The heat level can be bumped up several notches, specifically for the Isaan and northern Thai dishes. The variety can be also expanded in the future, how about adding pad sataw (stink beans) stir fry, duck curry, jim jum (Thai hot pot), or gaeng som to the menu as a start?

    (4)

  • Colin B.

    Nice spin on what they call Thai "street food" (in addition to solid renditions of most of the mainstay stuff you'll find at the million other Thai restaurants in PDX). In the first few weeks I wasn't totally sold on all of the dishes, but they've tweaked their menu a number of times now and everything seems to be dialed in (including very high spice levels, if you want them). I like everything I've tried so far quite a bit. It's now my favorite Thai food in the Pearl. Major bonus points for 1) the fun ambiance (which has also improved since opening); 2) the electric neon-lit tuk tuk outside with blaring pop music that the owner just might offer to give you a ride somewhere in; 3) the strange sepak takraw matches playing on the TV (it's kind of like volleyball with your feet?!)

    (5)

  • John F.

    Hands down my favourite Thai restaurant in Portland. Get yourself picked up in their 6-person Tuk-Tuk and ask the owner to bring you out dishes of his choice once you arrive. Every one is original and crazy tasty, none of the predictable glop you get everywhere else. You'll be transported. A true hospitality business you won't experience anywhere else in this country.

    (5)

  • Nara V.

    This place serves the best Thai food ever, especially the street food dishes. The fried banana coconut ice cream was surprisingly good. And the best part was the limo-tuktuk ride :) if you have ever been to Thailand, you know what Im talking about. The owner gave us a tour around downtown Portland and we had so much fun with the loud music! I hope they still have the tuk tuk next time Im in town. Totally recommended!

    (5)

  • Sugey L.

    Good menu, good prices, great location! We had their papaya salad, pad thai and something else. Everything was very good! Well seasoned! Their decorations are on point and again, love the location. Worth the try!

    (4)

  • Shannon H.

    This place isn't fancy, but it's definitely worthy of 5-stars. I've been here a few times, usually to dine in and once to go. Jenny P. and I had lunch there today so I figured it was time for me to toss my opinion into the ring. I love that they offer some of the classics as well as street food. Everything I've had there, classic or not, has been absolutely incredible. Always fresh, never too sweet, saucy, overcooked, undercooked, anything. It's always spot on. Noodle dishes are delicious, soups are delicious, stir fried meat and veggies are delicious, and their crispy pork belly...I could eat it all day long! The staff is always friendly, attentive but not overbearing. The portion sizes are just right. The Thai iced coffee isn't my favorite, it's not as strong as what I'm used to and the metal cups seem to cause the ice to melt faster, ending up in a watery coffee drink. Not the end of the world but still kinda annoying. If you're into Thai iced tea they give free refills, so that's a bonus. If you like Thai food (or good food in general) you really must try Khao San. They can get a little busy at peak hours but they still keep it running smooth. You will not regret eating their delicious offerings.

    (5)

  • Laura R.

    Fresh off the plane from Georgia, my friend and I were starving. We checked Yelp for a local eat near our hostel, and this place sounded appealing. Not very busy when we got here, around maybe two or three, so we were seated right away. The service here was very good, with a congenial waiter who kept coming back to fill up our drinks. I've had Thai food before, but not this style (Thai Tapas style). We got an appetizer, which was called Hoy Joh and consisted of four fried balls, with sauce. A little on the greasy side, but wonderfully flavored. As for our food, I decided on the Kor Muy Yaang (slices of pork, with a chili/tamarind relish), and my companion got the Pad Kee Mao w/ Beef (rice noodles, sprouts, egg, bell peppers, chili, Thai basil). Ordering rice with the food was an additional cost at $1-2 (totally worth it). While I enjoyed my meal, I thought the relish REALLY made it. Without that relish, the pork would have been a bit dry. My companion raved about his meal, and when I tried it, I agreed that it had a better taste. While the food was a solid 4 star experience, the ambiance and courteous service amp this place up to 5 stars for me. It's not every restaurant you go to where the waitstaff is already re-filling your drinks before you're even halfway through. Granted, it was a slow time, but I was still very pleased with the service. PROS: Awesome dipping sauces. Perfect portions for my tiny tummy. Free refills on Thai tea when you check in on the Yelp app. Service was wonderful. While rice doesn't come with everything, it's only $1-2 more for a decent enough portion. Seated quickly. The ingredients were just so... Fresh. The sauces, seasoning, vegetables. All soooo fresh and delicious. CONS: Meat was a little dry, but still pretty good. THE VERDICT: But what I can say is that it was all a very good to excellent experience. The glassware is cute (cups are small pewter cups, and plates are small and round), and the food we got all came with dipping sauces which were awesome. The style of the restaurant is casual and while some people may find the portions small, they are the PERFECT size for me. I don't think I'd ever order two entrees at a time, as that would be around $20 and way too much food for me to eat. I'll simply rely on the kindness of friends to let me share, if I come back here in the future. And I'd definitely like to. I was thoroughly impressed by the service and quality of ingredients: fresh, delicious, and filling. We even had some food leftover that we were able to take back to the hostel.

    (5)

  • BB T.

    Get the number #42!!!!!! The ginger pale ale was light and refreshing. Worth the walk from old town and prices were great. Don't get caught up in Pok Pok. This is legit Thai food without the food TV hype.

    (5)

  • Jon K.

    Excellent! Great service, tuk tuk cab if you request, just tip driver! Food is fantastic. Beer on tap is a great selection, their cocktails are tasty too!

    (5)

  • Roberto G.

    Great ambiance and service. I left my credit card and they kept it for me and was waiting till I got back. The skewers taste exactly what I use to get back home :)

    (4)

  • Josh B.

    There are so many places to eat in Portland and as "tourists" we didn't want to spend a huge amount of time going back and forth in a discussion with all the options available. We had just got done with Powell's book mansion and got back in the car to go but not before we checked Yelp. Khao San is about one or two blocks up and over from Powell's so we walked over to Khao San. You just walk right in and the host can seat you outside or inside. The restaurant is sparsely decorated with little knick knacks and signage and a tuk tuk that give the hint that this is a Thai restaurant without being too kitschy or bawdy. The menu isn't super big but there are a lot of options. There are options for vegetarians and gluten free as well. The portions are slightly smaller as it's more geared toward tapas style. I ordered the pad thai with tofu. The also have a spice tray on the tables so you can spice it up to your own tasting instead of telling your server that you want 1-5 stars. My friend wanted a ginger ale and the server said they had ginger beer. I told my friend ginger beer sometimes has a small bite to it and may seem "spicy" so she opted for a sprite/sierra mist or some light fizzy drink. The server returned later after presenting our drinks with a small glass with a sample of ginger beer to taste. I thought that was rather nice so that at least my friend could make a judgement for herself especially since he didn't have to do that. I opted for a thai tea as I had a Yelp deal for a free tea. I thought it was cool too that the beverages are served in tin cups. Then the food came. I really thought the pad thai was near perfect. As I mentioned it was just the right size and not visually overwhelming by the sheer capacity it filled on the plate. Often times pad thai is served on a huge plate with huge portions and the appearance sometimes makes me feel overwhelmed. This pad thai had just the right mix of sweetness and salty and a hint of savory. The spice tray helped to bring it up a few notches. It was really good. One of my friend's got the pad thai with chicken and the other got the head-on shrimp skewers with a side of white rice. We all enjoyed our respective items thoroughly and didn't leave overstuffed. It also was very reasonable price-wise at only $33 for three people with soft drinks. There is also a bar at a TV if you want to come in an watch the game or whatever. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in Portland.

    (5)

  • Doron A.

    I've spent months on Thailand, and always crave the authentic flavours of the street food. Where I live in Sonoma county that is impossible to come by, so unsatisfied cravings have lingered for years. But on a recent visit to Portland I was transported to Bangkok for a short but happy time. Plate after plate delivered that palate tingling sensation of real Thai food. Fantastic dumplings, succulent satays, pad kha pow with basil and pork, crispy blue crab noodles. All arroy mak mak! (Means delicious). And their house lager beer blows doors off singha. Glad that Portland is closer to Sebastopol than chiang Mai, and can't wait to come back!

    (5)

  • Nancy C.

    My plan to eat through Portland was derailed by the fact that I got a sinus infection. Right before my trip - I could taste NOTHING. By the tail end of my trip my dreadful ailment began to subside and I decided on Thai food because spices can work miracles. We had the chinese broccoli with crispy pork belly, tom sum, fried catfish and the pad keep mao w/ beef. All super yummy with very fresh ingredients. Looking forward to paying another visit!

    (4)

  • Tina N.

    Food wise, I was not impressed. My friend and I ordered the Pad Thai Street, Lao Style papaya salad, Crispy pork belly with green beans, and a sticky rice. The noodles for the pad thai was undercooked, the crispy pork belly was not crispy instead was a gooey glob that stuck to my teeth, the papaya salad was decent, but definitely should of been spicier and the sticky rice was an overcooked slab of goo. I love s spicey food a was surprised when the waitress didnt even bother to ask us how spicy we wanted our food. That definitely could of made at least one of the dishes a success. Despite the disappointment by the food, the place is very lovely and the staff are nice. Sadly, I will not be coming back, nor would I recommend this place to any of my friends.

    (2)

  • ed d.

    Food was A-MAAAZING and price was extremely reasonable! Loved the decor of the restaurant and felt like I had been teleported to Thailand! And the owner, Bud, was kind enough to give my wife and our 2 year old a ride around the Pearl on his Tuk Tuk. Such a wonderful experience! We will be back!

    (5)

  • Jordan K.

    This place is bomb! The ambiance and decor was cute and trendy. Was well priced for portion sizes. You won't leave here feeling underfed and overcharged. Their beef salad (#24) has such a delicious tang to it with cilantro, onions, and shallots inside, yum. Not sure if they offer coconut milk as a dairy alternative for thai iced tea but it was still delicious. Definitely a good thai spot in the pearl.

    (5)

  • Anna Marie C.

    Fast service. Decent thai food. Tends to veer on the spicy side. In addition to the classics there's some meat skewers--and who doesn't like meat on a stick?!? I'm glad there's another fast dining option in the pearl!

    (4)

  • Ben M.

    Other than mediocre service where I had to ask for Thai tea refill 3 times and was asked if we wanted rice like 5 times, the food was really good! Had the chicken and pork skewers, spicy string beans with pork belly (pork belly was off the hook), crispy salmon special, hooker shrimp and spring bites. All had very unique flavors that you rarely get at most Thai places. Best were the sauce that came with the skewers and the salmon. Go here instead of Pok Pok...much better and you can make a reservation!

    (5)

  • Ruchi B.

    We were two couples eating there, friendly service. We loved the ambiance, reminded me of the hawker stalls i enjoyed in Malaysia and Thailand. Most of the employees are from Thailand and Laos. Small plate format is good, can try a lot. loved the italian prosecco in small bottles. Lychee martini was nice. The only thing i would say as a vegetarian, all their dishes tasted almost the same. But they were indeed tasty and spicy :) The tuk tuk inside the restaurant would be a nice center choice seating. They also have a real tuk tuk ride which the restaurant offers to its customers. Definitely will come back to try other dishes, hoping they will be different.

    (4)

  • Jon L.

    Khao San is an interesting new Thai restaurant in the Pearl District that specializes in Thai street food. The restaurant is on the western edge of the Pearl District. It is across the street from Rogue Ales Public House. The interior is unlike other Thai restaurants as it incorporates the vibe found in the streets of Thailand into the decor. An example of this is that there is a food station that resembles a street food hawker stall. There is an even a tuk tuk inside the restaurant that you can sit and eat in. Even the bathrooms keep the theme of the restaurant. The ambiance here reminds me of a Thai version of Indian street food specialist, Bollywood Theater in the Alberta Arts District. I took a seat at the bar and began looking through the menu. I was pleasantly surprised that the pricing here is quite reasonable. Not as inexpensive as eating at a Thai food cart, but not overpriced either given the unique interior design. The menu here differs from other Thai restaurants as it seems to encourage more of a tapas/small plates style ordering of items rather than family style. If you like Khao San on your first visit, it is the type of place that makes you want to try other items on future visits. As it was my first time here, I decided to go simple. Ordered the pad kee mao w/ Painted Hills beef ($8) and an order of hoy joh ($8). I washed it down with some refreshing ginger pale ale ($4). The pale ale along with a couple of other beers here are made specially for Khao San by Caldera Brewing in Ashland. The pad kee mao was served fresh out of the kitchen with steam coming from it. I enjoyed it as it had some spice, but not overly so. Portion size was just right leaving enough room to try other things. Hoy joh are fried bean curd rolls filled with pork, shrimp, crabmeat and water chestnuts served with a sweet and sour sauce. This is a nice alternative to ordering the ubiquitous spring rolls. It is similar to the bean curd rolls dish you find at Chinese dim sum restaurants, though without all the sauce. I enjoyed my dining experience at Khao San. Interesting food to match the ambiance. This is a spot that you will want to explore the menu, rather than stick with the tried and true.

    (4)

  • Mariya M.

    Some really great Thai street food. They were very accommodating about our various dietary restrictions ( 30 somethings have it hard these days). Food was spicy but it was a good spicy. Highly recommend it if you're a Thai food person.

    (4)

  • Anujit C.

    We were super tired after a long day in Portland, and we got lucky when we came across this place. This place serves street food from Thailand, and by God, they do a good job of it! They even have a tuktuk (Thai Auto) parked right in the middle of their joint! I tried Pad kee mao ( Stir fried thin rice noodles, eggs sprouts, bell peppers, chilli, basil) and Ping ( Char grilled marinated pork tenderloin and chicken skewers with evaporated milk). Have a look at these two dishes ( yelp.ca/biz_photos/khao-… and yelp.ca/biz_photos/khao-… ), and you can tell me if there is any way in heaven and hell in which they do not look mouth watering! The char grilled meat was soft and juicy, and the rice noodles blended perfectly with it. Also as an added bonus, by checking in at the place with Yelp I got a complimentary Thai tea!

    (5)

  • Jessica N.

    Came by again and it's still on a 4 waiting to edge-up to a 5. This time we tried the pork bun appetizer which I highly recommend. Pork was delicious plus the homemade pickles and peanut sauce were divine. It was a table favorite. Pad Khee Mao was also delicious What wasn't was the Lamb Shank Curry. The cury flavor was nice but still not the best i've had. What really was disappointing was the shank was clearly undercooked. The meat was very hard to remove from the bone and with a large shank in your bowl of curry it makes the dish very hard to eat! Our waitress this time left something to be desired compared to our last one. Not really friendly or engaging. Will continue to come back and try more though! The ambience and the dishes they DO do well are worth it!

    (4)

  • Emily P.

    Excellent foods love the pings and everything else was fans tactic better than pokpok by far

    (5)

  • Sandhya R.

    Loved the spice level this place had to offer. The ambience was nice with the Tuk-Tuk part of the restaurant sitting area. This mom and pop restaurant is a must try for any one who loves Thai or Vietnamese or a combination of the two. We were a party of 6, and they were very accommodating of our dietary constrains. Seating was almost immediate although it was a Friday night.

    (5)

  • Laura P.

    This is a MUST go to Thai place! Its nothing like I've ever had before. Super fresh with fantastic Thai flavors, its like no other Thai food you've ever had. We arrived and were quickly greeted and seated. Our server was quick to get us started. We met the owner Bud and he turned us in to two different beers that Caldera brewery makes for them. Our favorite is the ale with ginger in it. Very nice especially with the spicy dishes. We shared the Fresh Summer Rolls, the Fresh Spring Rolls, the Kor Mu Yaang and the Chinese Broccoli with spicy Pork Belly. Ask were phenomenal! We can't wait to go back

    (5)

  • Daniel M.

    Free Thai Iced Tea refills. Five stars right there. I love thai iced tea, so I had three of them. I know the calorie content is high, but let me have fun okay? Khao San is a beautifully decorated restaurant with the best Thai food I have ever had. I love the small menu and authentic taste. This is my new favorite place to show out-of-towners. Can't wait to go back next week.

    (5)

  • Cynthia H.

    Got Pings, papaya salad, pad thai, Massaman curry, and thai tea. All super balanced, flavorful, well priced, and just yummy. Really good server and cute atmosphere.

    (5)

  • Kristi S.

    Was really excited to try this place out, and finally found myself there at lunch with a coworker. The service was really great and the food was amazing--so fresh and so fast! Plus I got a free bottomless Thai ice tea by checking in.. Sold. I'm looking forward to coming back to try the dinner menu soon.

    (5)

  • Maxene A.

    I finally got to try Khao San and now I can foresee myself ordering take away from Khao San on the regular... I think overall everything was pretty darn good! Set up:] The location is near 405, just moments away from LA Fitness Pearl, and parking tends to be okay in this area. The atmosphere is fun & casual, i was reminded of a shopping mall food court with how many different types of diners were enjoying themselves. plus there is a refurbished Tuk Tuk off to the right of the dinning area that has been converted into a table.. interesting, cute too! Happy Hour:] runs everyday 3pm to 6pm, and 9pm to close, however with that also means no to-go on Happy Hour, and a $3 drink minimum order. the HH menu has eight food options ranging from $5 to $7 and a choice of assorted rice side from one to two bucks. What I ordered:] I had couldn't decide and wanted to try as much as possible so I just ordered numbers 1 through 5 on the HH menu: Chicken Ping, Summer Roll, Kor Mu Yaang, Fried Calamari, and Lao Sausage, then I threw on Yum Near from the regular menu The Chicken Ping- char-grilled chicken skewers, served hanging on your table. I found these to be absolutely delicious and savory. not what I was expecting for it having been marinated in evaporated milk, however that is possibly how the chicken stayed moist and had a great char to it-the milk! Fried Calamari- was not so great, in fact, it is what it is, flash friend and flavorless.. skipping this next time. Lao Sausage- perfect if you want some spicy snacking meat, the sausage is also served with fresh ginger and peanuts, a great snack to accompany those beer beverages! the Yum Near - what a great balance of savory meats, and refreshing salad, perhaps one of the better ones I have tried in my life of eating Thai food. the dish was no overpowered with mint or fish sauce like a few others I have tried, instead it was a great balance and I might have had the whole plate to myself. Drinks- they had a good little selection of beer and a full round of alcohol, nice place to have some thai food and drinks! Honorable Mention:] Yelp check-in gets you a free Thai Iced Tea! they accept cards, the service was a little spotty at the 5:30 to 7 time but that could be because they were crowded and fully seated. all in all I hope to be back again soon and then again after that, and again after that! Khao San is a new place to stuff my face in 2015!

    (4)

  • Lady V.

    Overpriced and underwhelming. I got the goy joh for a starter and it was all right. The quality of the food was good, but it didn't have any spectacular flavors to get me excited. The real disappointment, though, was the shrimp skewers. The shrimp was horribly overcooked and a few of them were soft - obviously not fresh. Also the sauce was basically just fish sauce with vinegar? It said garlic and chili in the description but really it's just fish sauce. So many better options in Portland.

    (2)

  • James G.

    I went with my friend from Thailand and we both loved it. He tends to be a little more critical on Thai places - we both enjoyed this one. The decor was good, the restaurant felt extremely clean, the service was very friendly. We got skewered pork and chicken, laab, crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli. If you like Thai food, this is a great place to go to.

    (5)

  • Gabbi R.

    Absolutely terrific. I couldn't stop eating! We ordered the pad thai, basil chicken and tofu pupmkin curry yum yum yum. Service was a teeny bit slow and we got a tuk tuk ride afterward! This place is a MUST if you are a thai fan.

    (5)

  • Jenny H.

    Came to check out the new place that opened up a few months ago. The reviews and pictures on yelp have been great and they had good service, but the food was unsatisfying. Tip : Check in on yelp and you get free bottomless chai tea. Everyone at our table got one for free from check-ins and I'm glad it was for free because it would not be worth paying for since it was quite diluted. Here's what we tried : PING ($9) : Four pieces of Grilled marinated pork and chicken skewers marinated in evaporated milk. If it wasn't listed on the menu, I never would have guessed this was marinated in evaporated milk because it just tasted like grilled meat marinated in some type of soy sauce. We ordered two pork + two chicken an the chicken was definitely the better option. KRUNG YAANG ($9) : Three pieces of grilled shrimp skewers served with a spicy sauce. Nice presentation of the hanging skewers but tasted like the shrimp wasn't fresh since the shrimp was mushy and soft. Also, they weren't very detailed because some shrimp were served with the head on and some weren't. Really just looked like sloppy prep up close. SPICY GREEN BEAN WITH CRISPY PORK BELLY ($8) : I enjoyed this dish because it was spicy and came with a lot of veggies. PAD THAI STREET WITH SHRIMP ($9) : Pretty bad pad thai because the noodles were mushy and broke off when you try to pick it up. Flavoring was also on the sweet side which I don't like. WHOLE FRIED FISH : This was listed on the specials menu and it was tasty. The presentation was nice to see the entire fish but flavoring was also on the sweet side.

    (3)

  • Jess P.

    This is the closest good quality Thai food I can find in Portland for a decent price ( comparing to pok pok of course ;) Awesome traditional dishes, nail the classics .. I've only done take out , but wanna come with a group to sit in the Tuks Tuks - see pic ! Everyone who works here smiles and is winning . Free Thai ice tea apon check in - yes yes yes . No fails .. Yet :P

    (5)

  • David K.

    This place is fun and worth checking out for it's food, ambiance and fun factor. The wife and I went for a last-minute new year's eve dinner and sat INSIDE the tuk-tuk they have inside the restaurant. On the speakers: Thai music. On the TV: Thai volleyball matches, a game played ONLY with an athlete's feet. That's right: volleyball with only your feet, you read that correctly. The owner, whose Thai name is very long but goes by "Bud", had a Thai volleyball resting on the bar, something he's quick to point out to patrons. The food is authentic street style food: soups, satays, curries, etc. All delish and all had a bit of spice kick to them, You'll like this if you're a spice freak. The satays are served hanging from skewers on a trellis, super neat. Bud came over after our meal was winding down and spoke to us: for about 20min. The guy is about the friendliest person you'll ever meet. Maybe too friendly? Seriously, my wife was begging him to get us some of his metal water mugs. (I know, but when you see them, you'll understand...) Oddly, the least desirable part of this place was the bar. I ordered a hot toddy but I think the waitress (the ever bubbly and super cool Desiree) might have thought I said, "just bring me a glass of liquor". If you like your drinks stiff, congrats. If you like a more thoughtful cocktail: meh. But fun, fun, fun and we'll go back for sure. Bud recommend bringing a group and then just letting him order for us. And you know what, bitches: I think we'll do just that. Love & Kisses, Your Tom Ka Kai about town, David

    (4)

  • I N.

    This is our new favorite Thai restaurant in Portland. Fun tuk-tuk themed place serving WONDERFUL food. The chicken skewers are FANTASTIC. And the Crab Fried Rice is AMAZING. Parking is a bear but they will come pick you up at the parking structure in their very own tuk-tuk. Way too fun!

    (5)

  • Ev R.

    Great food! This was a pleasant surprise... a new place to check out. Food is awesome! A new taste... nice ambiance. .. we really enjoyed the food, the place... the service. .. We had a great time! And satisfied!

    (5)

  • Cyndy L.

    Excellent Thai food. We ordered the summer rolls, grilled beef, grilled pork, chicken skewers, pad thai with tofu, and green beans with pork belly. Everything tasted great. Prompt, friendly service. We got to sit inside a tuk tuk to eat, which was fun.

    (5)

  • Vicky H.

    A friend took me there today for the first time. Delicious! Had salad rolls, mussaman curry, salad, rice. Restaurant was bright, cheery and inviting. Mussaman curry was very good. Nice place, will be back.

    (4)

  • Juliana S.

    Good Thai food with atmosphere bummer the location makes it a little pricey. Overall though for a dinner in NW with great service and yummy food this place has made my short lists of places to eat on the west side. They have cider on tap which is awesome. The electric tuc tuc is used to taxi customers is sweet! Dance music and friendly driver make it look like tons of fun. We will be back.

    (4)

  • Christian E.

    Love this place. High quality food for a great price. Great and varied flavors, and the owner is incredibly friendly! Definitely recommend this place.

    (5)

  • Damian S.

    Really great affordable Thai food in the Pearl. We had the chef's special red duck curry, brown rice and pad Thai with chicken. The curry was perfectly balanced, hints of Thai basil and spicy but not overpowering, the brown rice was amazing and the Pad Thai was lovely, sweet and tangy. Decor and service is relaxed, welcoming casual and very pleasant. There are also nice Thai street decor touches, as well as a full bar. Definitely somewhere we will come to again, and again, and again.

    (5)

  • Mike S.

    Very happy with our choice. Weeknight and the place was half full with good activity. The team serving approach was used here which we liked. Staff was efficient and friendly. Food was terrific. Spicy beans, Summer Rolls, Pork Skewers, and Pad Thai were all on the mark. The spice use throughout was very well done. You get what you ask for. The Bangkok Mojito was top notch too. Don't second guess this place. Very good.

    (4)

  • Sushma M.

    Awesome food, great ambiance. Their peanut sauce was out of the world. The papaya salad was amazing as well. Highly recommend this place

    (5)

  • Susan B.

    Beautiful and clean restaurant. Friendly, fast service and most importantly delicious food made to order! The menu has many mouth watering pictures and seems to include an option for just about any type of diet (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free as well as extensive info regarding potential allergens). I loved the idea of having a machine to sanitize your hands before being seated. I've also never seen a place that gave free refills on Thai ice tea! My family and I will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Jodi W.

    Having visited Thailand last December the street food was fresh in my mind. When I walked in the smell instantly reminded me of the street food on Khao San Rd in Bangkok! I ordered the Ping combo and it was amazing! The house made Tamarind sauce was a perfect accompaniment to the Pings (Aka Skewers) that came out sizzling and hanging on their own rack. I will be back! Happy hour looks awesome and they have Moscow Mules!

    (5)

  • Zoey P.

    Came here with my family. The owner was super nice. He told me he travel to Thailand a lot. The food was good, although i didnt see much of that Thai authenticity. It was very very good. I had crispy whole fish with house sauce, frog legs and thai tea. They were all very good Very nice decoration and atmosphere

    (4)

  • Andy T.

    I went with my friend to try some new Thai food. We ended up choosing this restaurant. At first, the portion is quite small (typical Asian portion), but don't be wrong. The food is bomb. We ordered a pork satay, pad thai, chicken wings and 2 other foods. The pork satay is juicy, pad thai is well seasoned, and chicken wings is better than pok pok. Especially, for the price, this place wins me over pok pok. And the ambience, reminds me of South East asian country. Will recommend this place to anyone.

    (5)

  • David R.

    After seeing all the great reviews we hope this place would be as good as it sound. The server was very friendly and helpful but that's about the only good thing about this place. We ordered fresh spring roll bite, Tom yum shrimp and jungle curry. Fresh spring roll bite was alright but the price for it is way too high for an alright starter. The Tom yum taste like water with lime or tamarind juice with a lot of shrimp shells. Try to at less strain out the shells please! Jungle curry suppose to be very flavorful but it taste like a spicy water. We don't really care about the food cost as long as the taste is good but this place have average quality products with way over price dish. If you are going to overcharge your dish at less make it taste better tha water!

    (1)

  • Derek R.

    Unique place. Staff was friendly and helpful. They have an open bar! Great place for socializing. Atmosphere was amazing. This would be five stars but the portion/quality for the price wasn't for me. I've seen better for the price but I can understand because it is an establishment in downtown pearl district. If you're in the area and craving for Thai food def stop by. Just remember the price and portion definitely better elsewhere. They have good brown rice... Not many Asian places do...

    (4)

  • Rachel V.

    Luckily, the bf's cousin lives in Portland so he was willing to take us anywhere we wanted to go during our recent trip out there. One of the places on my Northwest bucket list was Pok Pok. When we realized the wait on a Saturday night was 3 hours long the bf's cousin made an executive decision and took us to his go-to Thai/Lao spot. My bf and his cousin are Lao so he raved about how authentic and close to home this restaurant was to him. I, myself, am a Filipina but since dating a Lao guy for 6 years I've been exposed to their culture and I absolutely love their food. With that being mentioned, I could not wait to try what this place had to offer =) Pork skewers: plenty of flavor and the sauce is so addicting. Papaya salad: too spicy for my liking. E-San sausage: deliciously juicy and flavorful. Shrimp pad thai: sweet and always yummy but the noodles were a tad over-cooked Chicken wings: you can't go wrong with these wings. The skin is crisp, the meat is juicy and you can clearly taste the coconut milk marinate. Super tasty! Tom yum chicken soup: sour, lemon-y and so good! It's like a Thai version of the Filipino sinigang soup. I can't recall the name of this entree but it was the most appetizing, boneless tilapia dish I've ever had. The skin was extra crispy, the meat was so moist and the sauce was sweet and savory. Thai iced tea: you can never go wrong with this drink but I just want to mention it because it's bottomless refills! =) Overall, I had an incredibly satisfying dinner at Khao San. The customer service was on-point. Our server was so sweet and helpful and even the owner came out and cracked some jokes with us. From the dishes being very appetizing and inexpensive to the welcoming rapport of the staff, I'll definitely be coming back.

    (5)

  • Jeff B.

    Dropped in here on a Sunday night after finding our other options either closed or booked full. Very glad we did - some of the best Thai food I've ever had. Our waiter recommended to me the Pad Kee Mao with Beef as his "last meal on a desert island" choice - and I wasn't disappointed. It was fantastic.

    (5)

  • Sian K.

    My husband loved everything but I think they use way too much fish sauce in general. I liked the very fresh spring rolls and the pork extravaganza (3 types of pork served with rice and a side of chicken broth.) I didn't like the papaya salad with crab because the crab bits were so tiny it wasn't worth cracking them open for the meat, and again too much fishy taste all over. The pad Thai was also too fishy. Disappointed.

    (2)

  • Juliet V.

    I loved my experience here. Mom and I had the spicy crispy basil chicken, BBQ pork and larb. The Thai iced tea was delicious. Not too sweet, which is a plus for me. The crispy basil chicken was thickly breaded, not really a fan of that, but the sauce was delicious. My fave was the pork! Similar to Filipino BBQ pork skewers. I will be coming back!

    (4)

  • Sophie L.

    Tried this place last night after we had some beer tasting at 10 barrel brewery. I have to say the price is very reasonable. Much better deal than pok pok and the food is delicious! I love street food especially, and Khao San provided a great experience for our first time. The mango rose sticky rice is to die for. We're definitely coming back to try their other dishes.

    (5)

  • Jennifer G.

    I came here based on the great reviews. After eating, I had to go back and re-check the reviews because I cannot believe this is the same place we ate at. I will start with the good: -The interior is adorable, I love the use of the tuk tuk and street cart incorporated into the theme. -The Thai Iced Tea and coffee were great and were bottomless refills in metal mugs which were a nice touch and kept the drinks super cool. -The summer rolls were decent as was the peanut sauce -The server was very attentive and the speed of the food coming out of the kitchen was quick The bad: - We arrived at 5:55 and were not offered a Happy Hour menu. No big deal, just thought it was odd. We did not come here for Happy Hour in particular, but it would have been nice. -Fried Chicken wings were rubbery inside. The breading and dipping sauce were good. -The Chicken Massaman Curry, Chicken Pumpkin Curry and Skewered Chicken- The chicken for all three of these dishes was questionable. The chicken was made of tendons, fat and connective tissue. It was absolutely the most revolting thing we've ever been served at a restaurant. I am still questioning if it was even chicken. I ate one piece and spit it out. I ate the vegetables only as did the other dining guests. (I will add a picture to this page of the chicken) - The rice was "hard" and not fresh. How can you screw up rice? Was also not included with the meal and had to order as a side. Thought this was peculiar since most Asian restaurants include this for free.

    (1)

  • Erin C.

    I was really looking forward to the place. Def need more street food like POK POK in this town. We went on a Sunday so the place wasn't crowded. We saw a couple of empty tables and still waited until the staff had time to clean the table and seat us. Although he quickly apologized saying that they had quite a day... I love the Thai street decor that they were going for. The place looked clean and large garage opening with fresh air. 4 of us ordered some drinks and at least 5 dishes including some appetizers. Maybe it's the 'tapas' style... so everything was served ALL at once. shrimp on a stick: the way the shrimp was hung like air drying on a skewer, allowed the shrimp to get cold pretty fast. I probably only at the first one that was luke warm. and by the 2nd piece of shrimp, it was cold already. i like the concept but not practical. Chicken wings: very tender and deliciously fried. not a fan of the suace. and the flavor didn't blow me away. pad kee mao: your usual pad kee mao... nothing special. but wasn't bad either. the other dishes weren't memorable to even mention... sigh. really was hoping a near by place that can be competition for POKPOK but this place is not it for me.

    (2)

  • tatiana p.

    My boyfriend and I tried Khao San a couple weeks ago. I order the rice paper summer rolls and the pad Thai. Based on those two dishes I would not return. My boyfriend ordered the pork belly which he thought was really good. We arrived during their happy hour, but weren't given happy hour menus. I had to request one (after we already ordered) when I saw another table receive one upon sitting.

    (3)

  • Dorothy C.

    Order the fresh rolls and dip it in peanut sauce. When you're done the fresh rolls drink the peanut sauce because it's that good.

    (5)

  • Caroline N.

    A "Meh" Thai spot for me. The service was lacking. We got there around 5pm so it wasn't terribly busy, yet there were two tables left unbussed near us. We had to spend most of our meal staring at the mess of plates on the tables next to us. Our server was a little awkward and couldn't articulate much about the dishes. However, he did keep up with our unquenchable thirst for the bottomless thai iced teas, so I'll give him props for that. If I'm allowed to be nit-picky it was a little watery, but it was free with the Yelp check-in so honestly not complaining. The dishes were overpriced for what we got. The chicken ping was probably the one good part of the meal. The accompanying sauce was very flavorful and the chicken was tender. The pad kee mao was a smaller portion than I expected, and a bit bland and dry. The holy basil plate that I got was even more underwhelming. I know they market this place as Thai street food, but the stir fry and fried egg was something I could've made at home, and that's saying a lot because I am definitely not the best cook. The egg was overdone and not runny at all. I took most of it home to have as leftovers. The location was a bit out of the way too, so it was definitely not worth the trek. There are plenty of better Thai places in town!

    (2)

  • John W.

    Absolutely amazing Thai food! I had the Jungle Curry, extra spicy. Wow, while it had an abundance of spice, it was still very flavorful. Next time I will order it regular spice. Tried Thai iced tea for the first time and i must say it was refreshing. The waiter was very helpful when ordering, he actually suggested ordering a combination from the lunch menu that would be more economical given what I was ordering. I will back for sure!

    (4)

  • Alfredo R.

    Best Thai food I've had in Portland! This is about my 6th time here and it hasn't failed me yet! The staff is friendly and efficient; the atmosphere is cool too. The interior is modeled with images of Bangkok and you can catch a game of Sepak Takraw (kick volleyball) if you sit by the bar. As for food- definitely get the stake (Crying Tiger) oh, and ask for the spice rack!

    (5)

  • Astha M.

    Khao San is a Thai street food restaurant. Nice decor and average food. We got grilled chicken on skewers and though it was good, it had too much sauce and was a little chewy. Shrimp pad thai was good, again nothing that stood out. Ground chicken with holy basil on jasmine rice was pretty good! Good to try once but not somewhere you would want to go back again and again. If you go, sit on the tuktuk (auto rickshaw) for some additional fun!

    (3)

  • Priya A.

    Was a tough decision to decide between Pok Pok and Khao San as we just had one night in Portland and we can only go to one place! We were not disappointed and loved this place. I am a vegetarian so the options were fewer but everything we ordered was great! We started with spring roll bites with a extra side of peanut sauce and it was great! Their tofu pad thai was amazing!! So fresh and light. Not greasy and the portions were perfect. They looked small but we were full. We also ordered massaman curry with tofu and that was good too. Not as spicy as ordered but nothing that hot sauce cannot fix. The owner (?) also came to our table to chat with us and invited us for a tuk tuk ride. Decor is eclectic thai street chaos and it works with a tuk tuk in middle of restaurant.

    (5)

  • Patrick W.

    Great friendly service with a really clever decor that makes you feel like you've been transported to a Thai mall/food court. Food to me was a bit of miss, good, not memorable. We only tried the "street food", Tom yum wonton noodle soup, khao mun Kai, and frog legs. It wasn't bad, but I can't say the flavors were deep, rich and hearty, something I would expect especially if good Tom yum. Theirs wasn't even close, just bland and dare I say Americanized. The curry in the frog legs dish was well done and the deep fried legs were tasty. Khao mun kai was fine, I prefer Nong's joint version though. Unlimited thai ice tea a big plus. I'm willing to try it again, we only had 3 dishes, but their claim of street food flavors to me didn't add up.

    (3)

  • Joni W.

    Some of the best customer service I've ever had in Portland. Such a sweet crew!

    (5)

  • Geri W.

    Very freshly presented vegetables, cooked only long enough for succulence to make the flavors sing. The fresh / spring roll pillows were piquant and the strawberry lemonade had beautiful texture. The tofu was delicately cooked and spiced with the Chinese broccoli. (I do wish I had realized that "Chinese broccoli" is a different vegetable altogether, not "broccoli prepared in Chinese style..." Blush ;)

    (4)

  • Sushi J.

    Great stop for a quick Thai bite and happy hour beer. Ginger pale ale was refreshing and the street style pad thai hit the spot. Summer spring rolls were fresh and delish. Dog friendly, too! Having been to Thailand several times, I appreciated the ambience and tuk tuk parked outside.

    (4)

  • Stacy P.

    Khan San = Cheap and safe gluten-free dining option Location On the corner of 15th and Flanders. A slight bit of a walk, but worth it Menu Tons of GF options! Currently, only one item on the menu, #62 although they are in the process of making this gluten free by changing the noodles, is gluten free. For this fact, it is important to note that there is a slight chance of cross contamination, but I found it a safe place to eat at. Service Friendly and fast. You didn't 't have to wait long for your food to arrive after ordering Price The food is cheap and doesn't break the bank or expense account Drinks Loved the tin glasses. They really kept the drinks cold. Plus they offered free refills on the Thai Ice tea. Need I say more? Decor I loved how they tied the decor matched the theme of the restaurant. If you happened to be lucky and time it right, you could dine in the blue tuk tuk. I loved the front of the grill area. How they tied it into the theme by making it resemble a street vendors cart and included fake plastic hanging meat. Food small plates which provides a filling dinner option for one or you could mix it up and get multiple plates to try new dishes and share

    (4)

  • Lisa S.

    I've been here 3 times now & each time my husband & I say to each other, "I really like this place!" The food is really tasty, they have 2 beers (rice lager & ginger pale ale) made especially for them by Caldera which happens to be my favorite brewery, & the service is always genuinely friendly. Our favs are the calamari, Chinese broccoli & crispy pork belly, & the Crying Tiger which is a grilled & sliced Painted Hills ribeye served with a spicy tamarind dipping sauce that is so.f-ing.melt-in-your-mouth.delicious (insert Homer drooling noises). I dream about that steak. Khao San really stands out amongst the half-dozen or so Thai restaurants that populate every Portland neighborhood. Go there. And for God's sake, get the damn Crying Tiger.

    (5)

  • Pius W.

    What a treat! Went here for lunch with the parents (dad lived in Thailand for a while). The free thai iced tea for checking in was great! And free refills! We got the hoy joh (pork, shrimp etc wrapped in bean curd then fried) for starter and it was really close to the real thing in Thailand. We also got the pork belly over rice as well as the blue crab meat fried rice which were really good. I'd come here again, even if it's just for the thai iced tea refills.

    (4)

  • Nok L.

    Simply delicious!!! We visit Portland for the weekend and have to say that I'm very impressed with the quality of food - yummy & authentic. Also, Nice decor and great service. Love their Tuk Tuk table & waiter's outfit (wearing bKk motorcycle taxi vest). Definitely a place to check out when you are in Portland! Food: -Ping (mixed grilled pork and chicken), -papaya salad ( very good!), -fried chicken (must order!, so good that we finished even before taking photo) - Tom zaap pork - love it - sour with a touch of spicy - Larb - minced pork salad - kor moo yang - grilled neck pork. Ps. Their sauce for all those grilled or fried dishes is amazing too!

    (5)

  • Mia P.

    This is looked so cool from all of the yelp reviews and photos but I was super disappointed. The food just really didn't hit the spot. The portions were also small and over priced. There's so many more better Thai choices in portland that I would just not return to this one. I really wanted to like it cause it looked so cool.

    (2)

  • D Y.

    I consider myself a bit of a food snob. Having said that, I've eaten here 4 times and was very impressed with the quantity quality and fresh ingredients. No undercooked or over cooked just perfect. No gloppy Pad Thai like some restaurants. The soup comes with a warmer to keep things hot while you take your time and enjoy.

    (4)

  • Bunn S.

    I'm so excited that this place is only a few blocks from my studio. I may pack on some extra calories because they're so close by-- and they serve my favorite kinds of porridge. SO GOOD!! That's all. :)

    (4)

  • Kalong W.

    Why have I taken so long to write about this place? Because it's so good, I want to keep it to myself. But that wouldn't be fair, would it? Khao San is probably my favorite Thai restaurant in Portland. My coworkers and I stumbled upon it one day during it's grand opening last summer and I won't go anywhere else for Thai now. The ambiance is beautiful and classy but relaxing, perfect for groups, dates, happy hour, dinner, lunch, everything. They even have a tut-tut you can sit in for a meal, and outdoor seating which I loved in the summer time, and the staff treats everyone like family. Well, at least they remember me and are always happy to see me, and I am always happy to see them. (Hiii!) Oh and the food. I've been to Thailand and the pad thai here is the closest I've found to the pad thai served off the street carts on the actual Khao San Road. Fresh, aromatic, simple but authentic. Their spicy is true-to-spiciness and the chefs really know what they are doing. The curries don't disappoint either, my favorite is the chicken massaman curry. Also, don't leave without trying their Fresh Garden Rolls (?) with shitake mushrooms. They are my favorite appetizer. EVER. They come in an order of 4, wrapped delicately in soft rice paper and bursting with flavor. I can't recommend this place enough!!!

    (5)

  • Chris B.

    Great quality Thai food everything on the menu is gluten free. Chicken skewers plus. Great happy hour. The staff is also phenomenal

    (5)

  • K N.

    We always take out - that being said the food is spectacular. Exactly what we look for when eating "out." Food we can't make at home that is flavorful, interesting and reasonably priced. My only complaint is that the papaya salad has been too spicy several times. We order "mild" and we end up throwing it away since it is inedible for our palate. We know Thai food and spice and I assume the papaya salad is not scalable. Everything else has been on point and amazing. Obviously my advice is that you carefully order if you are sensitive to heat. The owner contacted me and suggests that I order papaya salad with "no pepper" since they are very spicy this time of year.

    (5)

  • Will G.

    I was hesitant to visit khao San when they first opened in my neighborhood. I figured it was just another Thai place with mediocre food. I decided to give it a shot on a whim two days ago and thank God I finally did. So far I've had dinner here the past 3 days in a row. Pros: 1) the food is LEGIT. 2) they have their own branded lager and ginger pale ale and they are both excellent. 3)BOTTOMLESS THAI ICED TEA 4) decent happy hour menu and good times too! CONS: I'm going to get fat.

    (5)

  • Jane I.

    #1 The owner is actually from Thailand #2 he has 2 other Thai joints, but decided to make this third one true and authentic to Thai food and not watered-down fusion. #3 This place actually has real spice and real flavor. It's not where you come to just be boring white-American and eat pad thai or drunken noodles and you are afraid of a little spicy anything. #4 bottomless Thai teas #5 You can sit and eat in a tuk-tuk.

    (5)

  • Hannah L.

    I could write a long review about "Khao San" and "amazing," but in keeping with the fresh and creative simplicity that's the hallmark of excellent street food, I won't. Instead, some highlights: An addictive spicy lime sauce, shot through with fish sauce and citrus. Small bags of sticky rice tucked inside baskets. A lovely ginger pale ale (Khao San's own) perfect for accompanying any and all dishes. Tempting plates ranging from summer rolls to larb to pumpkin curry to any number of grilled and skewered meats. Spices that build gently but inexorably on your palate. The Tuk Tuk taxicab, in which you can sit and think "How lucky are we to live in Portland?" And to have Khao San as such a delicious Pearl newcomer....The kitchen comparisons to Pok Pok are fully warranted, and since Khao San has the added attributes of extra-friendly service, no attitude, and space to sit I'll be heading here instead of there. The menu's designed and sized for sharing if you choose (though I was pleasantly full with just my own larb salad and rice - and, okay, pint of GPA), and some dishes are marked as serving two. If there's anything better than great street food, it's getting to taste multiple versions of great street food. Khao San has an afternoon and an evening (beginning at 9 pm) happy hour, with plenty of fun touches like a great sangria and some creative and food-compatible cocktails. The space itself is fun and inviting, with seating configurations of all sorts inside a bright and spacious dining room. From now on, "street food" or "Thai" will simply be code words for "We're heading to Khao San." With pleasure....

    (5)

  • Chelsea A.

    My god I love this place. Easily has the best fresh rolls I've ever had, there is something about the peanut sauce that's cracky. The pork belly with green beans is BEYOND. I'm eating there like once a week and can't stop. Everyone is wonderfully nice they have a couple of local beers on tap and I dig the space. Seriously though, the food is the best.

    (5)

  • In B.

    what a cute little place you are!! loving the space!! making me feel like i was in thailand!! (whatever that means because ive never been.. but who cares because i loved everything about your atmosphere!) i wish you can open later on weekends for my drunk cravings. mmmm... nom nom. all the flavors were spot on and i just wanted to drink all of their special sauces! their portions are on the smaller side but this gives you a reason to try more dishes! i went with a friend and we inhaled 7 plates of food. : D #proudmoment

    (5)

  • Lawrence C.

    What a find! We wanted Thai food on our last day in Portland and found just the place. I really wanted since pumpkin curry and this place had just the right amount and for a good price. The spring roll bites are also a great touch for an appetizer. I also highly recommend the pork buns on special. The peanut sauce that comes with it is unlike any sauce I've ever tasted. Very unique. I definitely will be stopping by her next time I'm in Portland

    (5)

  • Nath A.

    Excellent small-plates Thai place. Having just opened, Khao San was still relatively empty on a Saturday night. Like Heather said, in a few months, you'll probably have to wait in line to eat here. People will catch on. We tried a couple of Isan salads (som tam and yum nuea), a couple of grilled dishes (shrimp and pork), the Isan sausage, and two catfish dishes (one steamed in banana leaves, and the other stir-fried with Thai eggplant). Along with a couple of orders of rice, these seven dishes comfortably fed four adults. Most plates were in the $6-$8 range, and two small plates per person seemed like a reasonable rule of thumb. They also had a few rice or noodle dishes that were probably meant to be standalone meals, but a solo diner could just as well just get a couple of small plates and a bit of rice. A few of the standalone meals are lunch-only, including the khao man gai (chicken fat rice) and khao moo dang (BBQ pork rice). None of the dishes were duds; the two fish dishes seemed to elicit the most appreciative grunts. (There was very little talking after the food arrived.) Some of the dishes were offered in funky and funkless versions -- the som tam, for instance, could be ordered with or without fermented black crab, and the holy basil chicken came with either a fried egg or a century egg. Each dish came out of the kitchen when it was ready; they don't hold stuff back and bring it out in organized courses. I think that's just fine for this sort of food. A note on spiciness: this isn't the kind of place where they ask you how spicy you want each dish, on a scale from 1 to 5. Some dishes are just spicy, and some aren't. The spicy dishes are marked on the menu, though, and in some cases the spicy component is an optional dip or garnish that's served on the side; people with milder tastes will still be able to get a tasty meal here, albeit with fewer options. That said, none of the dishes we tried were scary hot, and you can always get a Sabai Sabai (Thai whisky sour) to wash off the heat. Or failing that, maybe end with one of the house-made ice creams or sorbets. Basically, you should eat here.

    (5)

  • Jill C.

    In the words of my 16 year old son, "this place is killing it!". Everything was really, really good. We had the Tom Yum, the Papaya Salad, the pad thai shrimp, the chicken skewers and the spring rolls. The flavors are amazing and much better than we've had at other Thai restaurants. The only thing I didn't like was the iced tea- it has a strong vanilla flavor... easy to overlook!

    (5)

  • Salwa M.

    Went here yesterday for dinner with a friend, and we loved it! The food was great! Well-priced for the amount you get. Also, the service was great. They checked on us often and any special requests we had, they complied to. Also, the wait was not long, even though it was pretty full. Plus, they have an awesome rickshaw/taxi/tuk-tuk which you can be seated in for your dinner! I thought that was really cool! The only thing that was bad, which is not directly related to the restaurant, is parking. On a busy night, finding parking around the area is hard, and you might end up walking 6 or more blocks!

    (4)

  • Erin K.

    Like the pork Ping the best. Spring bites are fresh and tasty! Glad we found this place set off crazy busy main downtown area. Easy to find street front parking. Cool atmosphere prompt service.

    (5)

  • Heather F.

    I have a feeling Khao San will soon involve very long waits and lines out the door. I'll walk by and wonder why Portlanders are so ridiculously patient, yet I'll be there myself often. Everything about this place makes it completely worth it. First, and most importantly, the food is absolutely incredible. We started with the spring roll bites, which I can't rave about enough. They're fresh and flavorful, and that sauce... We then moved on to Pad Kee Mao with beef and Mussamun Chicken. I can honestly say that was the best Pad Kee Mao I've ever tasted, and I've consumed quite a lot of Thai noodles in my lifetime. The chicken was also fantastic, but not quite as bold and flavorful as the noodles. The three dishes were perfect to split between two people, and the prices are completely reasonable ($21 total). There's a solid drink menu - cocktails, wine, beer, and even two special brews made just for Khao San. I can't speak for these yet, but I'll definitely be back to try out some beverages with my next meal. It's also worth noting, the service here is amazing. Everyone was so friendly, outgoing, helpful and just seemed genuinely excited to be working in this new and awesome restaurant. Three different servers were running around helping us giving recommendations, asking how everything was, etc. (but not to the point of being annoying or invasive), and we aren't even needy guests! Lastly, the atmosphere is unique (food trucks inside, one table inside a truck...), trendy, and clean. It perfectly rounds out the experience, so I have nothing to complain about. Definitely check it out. I'll be bummed once I have to start waiting in lines for this, but it really will be worth it.

    (5)

  • Joey A.

    Love the flavors of the Pad Kee Mao without being oily like a lot of Thai places tend to be.

    (5)

  • Megan C.

    Casual Thai restaurant with neat decor and servers dresses in colorful vests (during our month long trip to Thailand we never saw any vendors wearing these vests but its a cute idea). We had a group of 7 people and although I had called in a reservation earlier they said they didn't have it but were able to accommodate us anyway. I tried their alcoholic ginger beer after being told they aren't carrying Cock and Bull ginger beer anymore (even though its listed on the menu) and it wasn't for me but a nice option. Our server was quick, helpful in recommending things to try and gave us updates and wait times for various dishes. I would go back for the Massaman curry!

    (4)

  • Belinda B.

    We had an awesome evening at Khao San. We picked the restaurant because they had gluten free options. First, we were amazed to find that everything on the menu was gluten free. What a treat this was for my niece's 15th birthday. I mentioned to the waiter that it was her birthday, really just wanting to embarrass my dear teenage niece. Well, the waiter brought out ice cream with fried bananas, and a little shiny colorful Tuk Tuk in a gift box that she'll keep as a Christmas ornament...and then we got a ride in the Tuk Tuk! This was an evening that we'll all remember. And oh, did I say that each thing we ordered was absolutely delicious?

    (5)

  • Jeff M.

    What a gem! Food here is great, service is friendly. Loved the interior but also the outdoor seating. While its not gormet, the food is incredibly. Menu full of so much more than you'd find at most Thai restaurants.

    (5)

  • Jeanie N.

    After coming back from a trip in Thailand, I've been craving good Thai food. The dishes here are authentic and the ambience and decor remind me of the streets of Bangkok. The ping is an awesome pop of flavor with both the chicken and pork skewers. All the dishes are small plates and very shareable. Three of us split five dishes from carefully curated sections. The hoy joh was a delicious won ton of seafood and pork wrapped in a light blanket of bean curd lightly fried for a light crispness. The lemongrass and lime flavors of Tom Zaab balanced well with a little spice to it. We followed this with the Khao San holy basil that was pretty simple and a bit underwhelming. I could have used a bit more spiciness to it. We sat near a table of Thai ladies who sat there for hours, so going into the restaurant I knew we made the right choice!

    (4)

  • Nicole K.

    Two things: 1. FRESH SPRING ROLL BITES! 2. UNLIMITED THAI ICE TEA. Two more things: 3. Absolutely wonderful staff! 4. Absolutely wonderful ambiance. Do not miss out on the fresh spring roll bites!! Everything is delicious!! They even gave us hugging salt and pepper shakers to us on Valentine's day. The fact that there was unlimited Thai Ice Tea really was the cherry on top! I love Thai ice tea, and it made me so happy that I didn't have to ration my drink through my meal :)

    (4)

  • Lance M.

    Awesome food! Some of the best Thai food I have had. Great owner! He even took us on his new Tuk Tuk electric card from Thailand - very cool

    (5)

  • Leslie G.

    Friendly service: the waiter gave a descriptive recommendation for food and spent a long time trying to put the Stanley Cup finals on the tv for me. The food was delicious and came out quickly.

    (5)

  • Justin R.

    I loved this place. I've been a big fan of PokPok, but the steepish prices and long wait time keep it from being anything other than a special occasion. Khao San is both affordable and unassuming, and is the type of place you would want to go any night of the week... and could actually afford to! We tried: -Pork Ping: Great meat and dipping sauce, and even better with a side of Sticky Rice -Spicy Green Beans and Crispy Pork Belly: WOW Massaman Curry: Very good, but I was looking for a little more spicy heat. The food was great and we got out for under 30$. Can't really ask for much more. We will be back soon!

    (5)

  • Andy H.

    Delicious food, pleasant atmosphere, attentive and friendly staff (the owner is really fun and engaging and obviously LOVES what he does), surprisingly low prices for the area - I eat here at least once a week and have walked out with a smile on my face every time!

    (5)

  • Jason W.

    The service is super friendly. The tuk tuk booth, I love! To the best part, the food! Every bit was so delicious and perfectly authentic! The moment the food hit my mouth I was taken back to the streets of Bangkok! This is a must try if you want true Thai food.

    (5)

  • Spamo O.

    Wide variety and very refreshing. This is our second time here and we love it even more.

    (5)

  • Eric M.

    This place is the bomb. I came here a long while back around there grand opening and boy is it better. I thought the food was outstanding and the service was pretty alright. We had four dishes and enjoyed them all! Ping is the bomb. Pad Ke Mao was superb.

    (5)

  • Jim N.

    The chicken skewer and fried rice were really good last time. You can get free Thai tea for checking in on Yelp. Very friendly service.

    (4)

  • Shanti C.

    Wonderful quick and friendly service. Very attentive. Food was excellent, pad Thai had a wonderful flavor. The salad rolls had a peanut sauce that was delicious. Will be returning to try more! Love the small dishes for sharing.

    (5)

  • Chris O.

    Tasty and fun as they serve up street style thai food and not just the usual stuff. They have dog friendly outdoor seating and it's cute inside with the street style casual atmosphere. We had the summer rolls, and a few meat dishes, one a beef skewer and one pork dish, both were tasty. Sure I missed my pad se ew but this was a fun new experience and we enjoyed it.

    (4)

  • Alexandra H.

    I brought my family to Khao San a few weeks ago while they were visiting Portland and we enjoyed to food and service at this restaurant. The menu items are all small plates, which can be shared among several people. Items that stood out among the rest were the pad thai, pad kee mao, and our favorite the kor mu yaang. Our waiter was great about proving suggestions on some of the more popular items on the menu.

    (4)

  • Tim S.

    I love this place. The interior of the restaurant is nice, the service is great, and best of all the food is fantastic! I love pad Thai so I always order it when ever I go to a Thai restaurant and this one ranks into my top 5 best pad Thai! I always love coming here and will be back!

    (5)

  • Jordan L.

    A free Thai ice tea and free refills?! Unreal. Land the food is delicious. Especially the pumpkin curry and the chicken ping. All very affordable, $8 a plate ok average

    (5)

  • Joyce C.

    Very authentic Thai food. Great service and great price. Will come back again next time in Portland.

    (5)

  • Kayla F.

    Best pad thai I've ever had. Best pad kee mao I've ever had, really, in my entire life. They have these little spring bites that are also amazing. I mean, I enjoy the two meals I get out of the usual Thai entree from any ol Thai restaurant/truck in Portland, but this is half the quantity, and more than twice the quality. Let me say, though, that I definitely feel full after clearing my plate here. I haven't tried any of the curries or other entrees because I'm just too into the pad kee mao right now. Can't stop won't stop. Also, bonus, everything on the menu is gluten free, which is helpful for folks with an aversion/allergy/celiac.

    (4)

  • Mary G.

    Pretty decent place. Best pad Thai for me. I like that they offer free refills for Thai ice tea. This is not a fancy place but definitely worth a try!

    (4)

  • Jeff L.

    Your standard Thai fare set in the streets of Thailand. The Pad Kee Mao was good. The sauce wasn't overpowering, and there wasn't an overabundance of noodle to veggie/meat ratio. Wish it did have a little more of that delicious Thai basil in it though. The Thai tea was good, so refreshing on a hot day, and not too much sugar at all. Definitely order the Chicken Ping. So yummy, and the dipping sauce wasn't too spicy. I liked the Soviet style mugs for the water and Thai tea, fits with the industrial theme.

    (4)

  • Angela O.

    Great little place, food comes out quickly and unlimited Thai iced tea.. needless to say I filled up on tea. . . but the food was great too!

    (4)

  • Caroline K.

    Cute restaurant. It's open and airy with the "street food" decor providing an ambience of eating outside in Thailand. Visiting from the Bay Area, I was hoping the reviews were accurate and they were! Food was great! The portions aren't as big as you would expect, however, the price point is commensurate with the size, so no complaints here. Had the crab fried rice - you can actually taste the crab through the entire dish...didn't have to hunt for it. Also had the jungle curry with chicken - could have been spicier, but tasted great and fresh. Accompanied by a bottomless Thai iced tea - this was a thumbs up meal. Will be back next time I'm in Portland!

    (5)

  • Boom N.

    Been here twice so far. Was not quite impressed at all the first time. The second time, I was pretty impressed with a nice, attentive and friendly service -- also free Thai iced tea with yelp check in!. The ambiance is nice and relaxing. The food tastes good/average (but nothing super special as far as I'm concerned), and quite pricey.

    (3)

  • Pepper P.

    Service, food and a pleasant atmosphere make this one of the greatest Thai places I've been to. BIG smiles all around, no trouble with anything at all.. Affordable and everything prompt. I just adore finding little places like this!! Thanks for a great evening!

    (5)

  • robert a.

    Just what we were looking for. Great street Thai with character, street scene ambience, and quick, personable service. Intense, clear flavors, plenty of spice if you want it, and thank goodness: only 3 curries on the menu. On top of all that, affordable. A perfect place to take out of towners. We will be back!

    (5)

  • Yeng T.

    Our first time we went here was this week. My husband and I wanted to try a new Thai place. We still haven't found "our" Thai restaurant. Found this place on yelp (thanks yelpers!). The location was easy to find, street parking, typical downtown parking. The interior was very Thai, I love it, it was thai street food theme. I ordered pad Thai (my usual safe go to when I try a new place) and my hub order chicken basil. Both were delish! The owner talked to us after our meal. He was personable and friendly. It made our experience there even better! We recommend the place and we are def going back.

    (5)

  • Marissa V.

    The food was excellent and very authentic! A special shout out and thanks to our server Ming. This human being has the most exceptional customer service ever!!! I highly recommend treating yourself to this place :)

    (5)

  • Christina M.

    My husband and I just ate here tonight and I had to write this as soon as I got home. We live in the neighborhood and often pass it while getting off I-405 on the way home, and I love street food so we took some time to check it out. The website stated that it was open until 10:00pm with a late night happy hour starting at 9:00pm. We went in at about 9:00pm and were informed that they had "just today" changed to the winter hours and were closing up shop. We said that the website said 10:00pm was close but since we live nearby, we'd come back another time. That's when Bud, the owner, came over and said "No no no, I will cook for you. I am staying to eat anyway and need to cook for my people, so please join us, here are some menus, what would you like?" We ordered off the happy hour menu and ordered the E-san sausage, Ping, and Crying Tiger along with two ginger beers. The grill area is within viewing area of the bar, so we were able to watch Bud prepare the food for us. We ate it (very happily) and after the meal, Bud introduced us to a guest chef who was from Nantucket and showing the staff how to prepare a Thai dessert. He gave them to us and said "This is on the house, please enjoy!" It was really good. I'm not going to use lots of adjectives/adverbs to describe it. I think just saying "IT WAS REALLY GOOD" should be enough. I'm giving this place five stars (which is pretty rare for me) based on the following - 1) good location 2) good food 3) incredibly gracious owner/server Let's face it, the service was enough to warrant the five stars, but when you add good food, then it definitely deserves five stars.

    (5)

  • Leilani P.

    Customer service is awesome! But the crispy pork dishes were terrible. I got the crispy pork with broccoli and the pork was so hard I think it chipped my tooth! I've had great dishes here but this experience killed it for me.

    (2)

  • Jay H.

    The theme and interior is great but the food is... Average and service is also average. There are many other good Thai places that you can go.

    (2)

  • J S.

    Really good. Several vegetarian options. Good service.

    (5)

  • Thuy N.

    What a lovely Thai restaurant in the pearl! Right on the corner of Flanders and 15 st. I would highly recommend this place for their chicken and pork skewers. The sauce that comes with the Ping is so delish. Order a side of sticky rice and your meal is well served. Service is great. The pad thai is also good.

    (4)

  • W B.

    Loved this place, but service was a little slow. I had the bento box with spicy chicken basil. Comes in the little metal carrying case with three compartments. The salad was on top with a mango dressing that was awesome. The chicken was the middle and it didn't look like there was much in there but I was extremely full by the end. This was cooked perfect and had great flavor. The chicken was spicy, although I will ask for spicier next time and the basil in with it gave it a great flavor. The rice was on the bottom and was a good sticky rice. You also get a Thai Iced tea with free refills which is awesome!

    (4)

  • Wil C.

    This place is pretty good and one of the better Thai restaurants in Portland. My favorite here is the beef salad, the meat was super soft and grilled to perfection. Also liked their pad kee mao because it wasn't super greasy and didn't get the nasty burps you sometimes get after eating thai food. As for the comparisons to Pok Pok I don't think you can compare the two because one focuses on Northern Thai cuisine and the other on Bangkok street food. It's like trying to compare Mandarin to Cantonese in Chinese food which are totally different! Even though the food was delish I have to deduct one star for the slow service. The wait staff is super nice though once they get around to you. Also I can't say this is the best thai food I've ever had because it is nothing compared to all the fantastic thai restaurants I've tried in LA. Despite the slow service I expect them to get better and I plan on coming back.

    (4)

  • Stacy L.

    I have never been treated with such hospitality at a restaurant. Amazing food and amazing people.

    (5)

  • Gabe W.

    Fun interior, chill atmosphere . . maybe a little too chill .. . walked in around 9pm, 1 hour to close on a Friday night, the place was practically empty. Service was really slow for having not too many customers. Weren't allowed to sit in the Tuk-Tuk either :( The food was pretty deece, but nothing to write home about. I had the thai pumpkin curry which tasted clean, and fresh, but a poco soso (* spanish for 'bland') needed some salt or something, same for the the pad thai. The ginger beer ale was worth trying but if you want to try the best thai food in the world (better than bankok baby!) you have to make a trip to May's Kitchen in Vashon Island, Washington.

    (3)

  • Samantha C.

    This was an amazing experience. Great food and nice portions. Not too much and not too small. Fast and friendly service. Keep up the great work and wishing you much success. The owner added a special touch coming to chat with us and other patrons. Excellent!

    (4)

  • Cristina C.

    My expectations maybe were too high because of the high evaluations in yelp, food was ok, service was not that good, they were nice but we had to call them more than twice... Not bad but not almost 5 stars...

    (3)

  • JV L.

    I don't understand all of the 5 star reviews here... this place is not good. It's not completely inedible, but it is not good Thai food. I am Thai, I just recently visited Thailand. This food did not taste like food there. I got the pumpkin curry. It was bland and not spicy at all. The prices are inexpensive, though, so I didn't feel too bad about making this mistake. The service, location and restaurant are fine. But, I should have been suspicious when I saw zero Thai people working there. My friends and I had to eat at a different Thai place a few days later just to get the thought of this food out of our heads.

    (2)

  • Muki H.

    Super yummy Thai spot on the edge of the pearl. Pad Thai was excellent and the Kor Mu Yaaa was as well

    (4)

  • Johanna F.

    Bomb.com ! This Thai was perfect for my take-out cravings. We ordered the pumpkin curry, pad kee mao, two orders of mango sticky rice and some summer rolls. Loved the dinner dishes and SERIOUSLY loved the mango sticky rice. The summer rolls were good but non-comparable to the rest of our meal. Also enjoyed two Thai iced teas :)!!! Definitely recommend this place! Servers are so nice and had no problem ordering over the phone :)!

    (5)

  • Tea Drinker K.

    I loved the crispy chicken with basil. The sticky rice came in a basket with liner. It was great and the basket kept the rice warm. The free refill Thai Iced Tea is not to be missed. I will visit again. Great to have them in our neighborhood!

    (5)

  • Nimisha B.

    We wanted to make it over to Pok Pok but this was much more convenient and I do not regret it a bit. The ambiance is so great and the food is fantastic! Definitely the best Thai I've ever had, and one or two of the Thai iced teas might completely fill you to exploding capacity but it's totally worth it.

    (5)

  • Lisa H.

    My daughter and I ate lunch here for the first time today and I have to say it was really wonderful. Quick, friendly service, fun space with outdoor seating (perfect on a sunny day) & great food. We had Pad Thai Shrimp and Pumpkin Curry as well as Thai Iced Tea. We will return....

    (5)

  • Scott H.

    A great place in The Pearl/NW Portland to pickup delicious Thai food for takeout. Service is friendly and the food is really good.

    (4)

  • Ryan C.

    I like Pad See Ew with your choice of meat as much as the next guy but sometimes you want that kind of Thai food that you see Anthony Bourdain eating on TV. Khao San delivers this to astronomical heights. If you want a Pok Pok level experience west of the river, you should come here. Best of all the two of us ordered 4 things and left full for less than $30 so I'd come here over Andy Ricker's joints any day of the week. Thanks Khao San for coming to the Pearl. I wish you the very best.

    (5)

  • Spencer W.

    The sauce that comes with the bite size spring rolls is magical. The most authentic Thai I've ever encountered and just a hair above Pok Pok in flavor by my count (and certainly in value). This place is going to blow up fast; cheap awesome drinks, big menu with lots of originals, and killer decor. AND, get this, free refills on Thai ice tea. Marvelous!

    (5)

  • Denny S.

    The first time I met Bud, the co-owner of Khao San, I knew he was opening a terrific new restaurant in Portland's Pearl District. The authentic Thai Street food is awesome. I have invited friends and family and we have tasted several different dishes and each time we go, we appreciate the food, the service, and the real great atmosphere at a very reasonable price point. Treat yourself to a great lunch or dinner. I really believe this place is going to be Portland's best bet for authentic Thai Street Food...

    (5)

  • Allie L.

    This is a one of the best Thai restaurants I've visited. I'm spoiled by the variety and delicious Thai food available in the Bay Area. This is a gem in Portland. This family owned restaurant delivers on both service and food. The owner is very friendly and helped us narrow down our selections with his recommendations. We had the Hoy Joh (#13 on the menu), the Yum Near (#25), the Mhu Ping (#40), the Kor Mhuy Yaang (#42), and the Spicy Crispy Chicken Basil (#55). Drinks include lemonade, Thai ice tea (my favorite), Rice Lager and Hot Cider alcoholic drinks. All the dishes were wonderful. Our favorite were the Kor Mhuy Yaang and the Hoy Joh. I can't eat spicy so the Yum Near was too spicy for me. Fun factor - you can even dine in an authentic Thai tuk-tuk that sits inside the restaurant. #outdoorseating #dogfriendly #Thaifood

    (4)

  • Divya A.

    The cocktails were superb. The chiang mai drink which I tried was really refreshing. Most of the dishes have a vegan option due to which this place is quite good for vegans to try as well.

    (5)

  • Amie B.

    Wow this place is good. I am so glad that I work in the neighborhood because I am going to be craving this place from now on! I want to try everything on their menu!

    (5)

  • Don M.

    Very good!!! We had the fresh spring rolls w/a great dipping sauce. Second we had the Hooker Shrimp. Wow!!! Perfectly balanced! I had the Thai ice tea. I could have drunk a lot of it except I had also ordered the Khao San Pale Ale. Very nice. David, the waiter was friendly and helpful. Finished w/Mango ice cream. Never thought I could OD on too much Cream but we did. Definitely would come back. Not too expensive either.

    (4)

  • Keb Y.

    The most amazing AUTHENTIC Thai Cuisine I have ever had~ The food literally melts in your mouth and is light and full of flavor~ Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a filling and well prepared meal~

    (5)

  • EMAD M.

    Wonderful service delicious food uniquely different and inventive atmosphere we ate 5 different dishes and will definitely return hungry for more

    (5)

  • John L.

    Wife and I recently moved to the Pearl to give urban living a try. Consequently we have been trying many restaurants within walking distance of our condo- Khao San is the best we have experienced so far. Fresh ingredients, great pricing, awesome flavorable food, friendly service. We sampled most of the happy hour items and they were all great in surprisingly generous portions. Also had the chicken mussaman curry enteree which was flavorful and had a manageable spice level. Finished with the sweet/sticky rice and Thai custard dessert - if you are in to sweet this is amazing. The Pearl has many dining options but for us Khao San will be our regular go-to choice based on the quality of the food and the reasonable prices.

    (5)

  • peabody j.

    I don't normally write reviews, but I feel the need on this one because I felt super mislead by the 4 1/2 stars this place has on here that is what prompted me to go. The second star is because service was really friendly and helpful and they're trying really hard with marketing and ambience, and our drinks were good. But as for the food it is completely marginal with a capital M. Typical Thai places in my neighborhood like Chaba Thai on Alberta are far superior, let alone somewhere like pok pok-- I can't believe a review likened the two. I feel bad for the place but the food was really not great and I would never go back given so many other options in the city. Had to throw in my 2 cents to try to make the general eating for this place more realistic. (We added crab to our salad. We were asked not to eat the black crab but to leave it on the plate. If you like eating shredded papaya with a dead spider you have to eat around this is the place for you.)

    (2)

  • michael b.

    Drove by this fairly new location and was intrigued enough to try it for dinner. Nice location and dining experience. Service was good and they had many drought beer selections which pleased my pallet. The food was good, labeled as street food. I don't think it was truly unique in any way but was tasty. In my opinion, there are at least 3 to 5 other restaurants that are equal or better. Fun to add to the mix...

    (3)

  • Robyn K.

    Excellent! I've had pumpkin curry all over this city and theirs is some of the best I've had. Not too spicy, bright, lightly sweet flavor, and get this: the pumpkin isn't over or undercooked! The owners are friendly, as is the waitstaff and the prices are reasonable for downtown. Very allergy and gluten free friendly menu. I have no complaints.

    (5)

  • Food G.

    Well, I think it's time for an update review on this place. The food and service still excellent! They added special menu, I tried Khao Soi OMG! We wanted to order another one but it was out the other table got the last order. They explained to us that they only make small batches at a time to keep it fresh (good to know that they care about quality). I saw the sign that they will be OPEN on New Year's Day! :-) now my buddies and I have a place to sober up with very spicy papaya salad and Saap pork soup! :-)

    (5)

  • Ben W.

    Went here yesterday afternoon for lunch. We ordered quite a bit of food, and a couple of drinks each, all for about $40/person. I didn't have anything that I didn't like, the food was great, as was the service. This really seems to be a hidden gem. We end up finding street parking right in front of the restaurant, which is rare for a restaurant located in the Pearl District, especially one this good. My favorite dish was the Ping (pork and chicken skewer). Can't wait to dine here again!

    (4)

  • Julie M.

    Was looking for something different and not too hungry and found this place on yelp and decided to give it a try. We ordered the spring bites (they were decent), the chicken skewers, grilled pork, and jasmine rice. The meat was so tasty and very flavorful..our favorite was the grilled pork!! Very affordable and filling! Staff was great!

    (4)

  • S L.

    Wow! This place was amazing! Service was great, everyone there was so friendly, they didn't mind us asking so many questions about menus, they had smile on their face the whole time! We ordered about seven different kind of food, they were all delicious except Mango with sticky rice ( it's famous Thai dessert?). It was a little too salty and it wasn't my taste but rest of the group really liked it, so it must be just me. If you are looking for good Thai food, this place is it!

    (5)

  • Koy S.

    Great authentic food. Spice level is true for a Thai place- so still with medium unless if you love spice! Everything is good here!

    (4)

  • Sarah A.

    I work just down the street so this will be my new go to restaurant!!!! Service: fast and friendly on a Saturday afternoon. I had a to go order and it took about 12 minutes total. I asked for the Pad Ke Mao and sub broccoli for green peppers ( annoying I know) but they were very kind about my substitution. Food: I'm still eating it as I type! Had to review because the flavor is spot on. Actually well above average, perfect spice, broccoli has texture not soggy. Beef is quality meat very tasty and tender. All together very crave able Thai food. YES! Ps they are open on the 4th of July. Cheers!

    (5)

  • J. B.

    Excellent all around. Having lived in Thailand, I was very impressed and would not hesitate to return. They have the menu and the flavors down

    (4)

  • Debra K.

    The owners of Khan San got it right with small plates and fresh ingredients. The fresh spring roll bites are awesome. Nibble a hole in one end to spoon in some of the basil chili sauce. Yummy.

    (4)

  • Philip B.

    Okay the food is really good. But the service is just horrid. Couldn't tell me anything about the brews on tap - even their names. Forgot my food while the rest of the family ate theirs. Best part was when they handed me the bill and still hadn't served me. Did I mention the food is good? Even after the service, I'd go back. Get the drunken noodles - yum.

    (3)

  • Sophie S.

    Really great non-traditional thai food. I liked that it was street food it was more fun than the traditional menu of curry and noodle dishes. We were there at the very end of happy hour and ordered a ton of appetizers off the happy hour menu. We loved the chicken wings, spring rolls, calamari and pork dish (they all had thai names I can't remember). I loved that it was tapas because we were able to try different things. We liked the pumpkin curry and the drunken noodles. The wait staff was super friendly and the owner came over to our table as soon as we came in and told us about his inspiration and about his wife who was the head cook. Their thai iced tea was heavenly as well. If you're looking for a fun dining experience with good Thai food you'll be very pleased.

    (5)

  • Trevor H.

    Price was reasonable and the atmosphere was good. I felt like the food was Delicious and authentic. I got the shrimp pad Thai and it was perfect for the moment. Everyone who was at the table ordered the food to there preferred spicy ness and we all got exactly what we wanted. Not too spicy, and not to plain. Love this place

    (5)

  • Mel C.

    Pretty good! They won me over from the start with bottomless thai iced teas, but the food isn't bad either. It's probably the fanciest Thai restaurant I've been to (with it being in the pearl district and all) and the staff is always friendly. My only complaint is that there never seems to be enough noodles in the pad see ew and pad kee mow dishes. I need my noodles! Also, whenever I order shrimp in my entrees the shell is never completely on or off which drives me crazy because I'm constantly finding little pieces in every bite I take after. Bottom line, it is perfectly good americanized thai food.

    (4)

  • TastesLike S.

    I used to live next to Thai town in LA so I'm not used to coming into a polished upscale looking place for good Thai. I was immediately suspicious of this place and I was expecting the worst. As it turns out this place is pretty good. It's not epic, but for Portland it's one of the best. I'm always getting pork larb and sticky rice, plus one of "their" Khao San craft beers. To have your own beer on offer is a nice only in Portland touch. Also, when I ask for them to make the larb spicy they always comply. There are many Thai restaurants here where you get "white" spicy which = not spicy at all when you ask for the temperature you want. Khao San get's points for serving it right when I ask for spicy. My wife generally orders different things each time we go, and she's been happy with the food as well. Add to this the clean atmosphere and convenient location, four stars!

    (4)

  • Shelby M.

    As soon as we walked in we met the owner, Bud, and he was so nice and walked us through the menu. The server was amazing as well, Bud frequently checked back with us. The food was delicious and we will go back indefinitely, try the chicken Ping and the Calamari.

    (5)

  • Briana B.

    Tasty food. Good Prices. Decent, if slow service. We will definitely be back!

    (4)

  • Jeff P.

    Been 3 times now in a week. Great service and they have an electric cart that will apparently pick you up and drop you off if you call the restaurant. Cool decor and even better food. The pad kee Mao was delicious and reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend the crab fried rice - good stuff and great to order to share with a couple other dishes. Will be going back to happy hour this week. Incredibly fast in getting the food to the table. Will definitely be a regular here!

    (5)

  • Patricia K.

    Pros: Free refills on thai iced tea which is a new concept coming from SF although a bit too creamy for me to enjoy a second Food was relatively decent- not too salty. For my pad thai ($9), I could definitely taste the fish sauce that's not as noticeable at most places but perhaps that's the more authentic way to cook it Excellent service! Cons: Portions are not big like the food carts Busy area so parking may be a bit rough on peak hours although we were able to score a spot right in front on a sunday evening Would I come here again? It probably wouldn't be the first place I'd recommend for thai but I think it's authentic enough to visit if I was in the area.

    (3)

  • D T.

    Cafeteria style -Very small feeling with lots of decorations. I ate lunch here the other day with a friend. I got some sort of white-ish gray-ish boiled chicken with nothing on it, very tasteless & plain. there were two mystery sauces on the side that did not help the flavor and some white rice..... I ate the plain white rice. Tables all around us were left dirty with half ate food. Also a presumably "street kid" looking girl brought a wet, dirty, shaggy hairy dog inside and was allowed in.. I have had better thai food from the mall....

    (1)

  • Paul G.

    Absolutely delicious! One of the best Thai places I have been to and I've been to many. Great quality authentic food, Tom Yum is to die for!

    (5)

  • Suhasini J.

    Love Thai food and this place didn't disappoint! Every dish we tried had unique flavors and the decor was fun!

    (5)

  • Sudipto G.

    Tried out this new Thai street food place in downtown the other day, was getting quite late so did take out, but the atmosphere seemed pretty good. They do Thai street food but the menu is very different form say pok pok. However the food was more than decent, I got the fresh spring roll bites which were excellent and the Pad Char Pla which was ok. For the price, i thought they should give rice with the entrees included in the price.

    (4)

  • S G.

    Grab a couple of spice tolerant friends and do it. Do it now! Have a ginger pale ale, that amazing fish dish, the pad kee maw and papaya salad. We had 5 dishes and you just can't go wrong. Great food, great place, amazing prices.

    (5)

  • Lucy G.

    Looking for the real Thai Street food flavor since my trip to Thailand in March. My favorite is the beef fried with Basil and spicy source with a fried egg on top of jasmine rice. At the local street food you can choice beef, chicken, pork or shrimp. I did not find exactly what I want, but the flavor is pretty close.

    (4)

  • Deanna T.

    Good stuff! Haven't had a thing I don't like, my favorite is the basil chicken with the thousand year old egg.

    (4)

  • Wojtek P.

    My favorite thai place was closed and I was looking for an alternative and decided to give Khao San a try. The food was rather mediocre at best. The kobe beef skewers were warm at best and were served a little too quick and my wife's Pad Thai had barely anythig except noodles (almost no vegetables and maybe two shrimps). Thai ice tea was good but that one is hard to miss.

    (2)

  • Unlisted T.

    Really good! I wish they had green curry.... but everything here is amazing and really tasty!

    (5)

  • Chel-c S.

    One of the best Thai meals I have ever had! Not only did I get free bottomless Thai iced tea, our server was also adorable and so helpful. We learned about Thai sports and are in a tuk tuk. Reasonably priced and so well seasoned. I highly recommend the Larb gai.

    (5)

  • Nancy P.

    Pretty decent Thai food for Portland. Affordable in a city that probably still categorizes Thai food as "exotic" or "different". Being from SF, Thai food is prevalent and the choices are endless. The pad thai, pad kee mao, tom yum soup and papaya salad (Lao style) were delish. Spice level could be higher although I did ask them for spicy. Loved the decor especially the tuk-tuk. Funny thing is I've been to Thailand and Khao San Road looks just like what's projected on the wall behind the tuk-tuk. Pretty authentic Thai food not to be mistaken with Lao food...the more tasty of the two :)

    (4)

  • phoithien d.

    Pro: Nice server Good unlimited Thai tea with yelp check in. Con: Came here on my last night in Portland. Having such amazing food experiences here in the city. We yelped everywhere, have not been disappointed until this place. This restaurant was a big let down. Started with the spring rolls. Obviously these people never had a proper spring roll before. It was one note in flavor with an extremely mushy texture that made me spit out my first bite to check if what I just experienced was right. They minced all contents of the spring roll, placed it on a basil leaf, wrapped it in a soggy sheet of rice paper. To have ingredients like mushroom, carrots, tofu and turn it into that spring roll is a big disservice to the ingredients. The dipping sauce tasted like watered down fish sauce. Next was the shrimp Tum yum soup. The broth was a cross between tamarind, coconut milk, and curry flavoring. The broth had a weird graininess that reminded me of dissolved curry paste or a miso. There was a couple pieces of mushroom, onion sprigs, and halved cherry tomatoes. The shrimp was completely overcooked with the poor head hanging off. The biggest problem was that the shrimp had a pastey powdery finish due to being cooked for too long. The last thing we ordered was the blue crab fried rice. We ordered medium spicy but the rice was devoid of much flavoring. It also lacked anything that made the dish texturally interesting. Once again it was pretty mushy. There were some stir-fried greasy strands of broccolini that was thrown in a haphazard clump like an afterthought in addition to a few weird soggy cherry tomatoes halves that seem to be disjointed and random in the dish. Overall, this place is devoid of everything I love about traditional Thai food: bold flavors, texture, comfort, and joy. I am left feeling extremely dissatisfied. :(

    (2)

  • Terra S.

    Went for dinner last night with a friend. Got the 42. I liked that it was just the meat because I like high protein meals. However, the portion was pathetic for the price and we left hungry. Half the pieces weren't even meat but just grilled hunks of fat. Ew.

    (1)

  • M B.

    I randomly searched Yelp for a place for dinner while we were wandering around Portland, and pulled up Khao San's review. The restaurant was cute with interesting decor, and the server was very friendly. I unlocked Yelp's One Tree Thai Iced Tea offer and we were brought two icy cold tin mugs of bottomless tea. Delicious! We started off with the Hoy Joh dumplings, which were crispy and tasty. Then I got the Chinese broccoli with crispy pork belly and I loved it. My husband got the pad kee mao with beef, and when he asked them to tone down the spice they happily obliged. We both loved our dishes and we wound up with a bit to take back to our hotel since the portions were so generous. The final bill was very reasonable, especially since we weren't charged for the two iced teas. If we ever go back to Portland we will be sure to eat here again!

    (5)

  • Erika Y.

    This is such a lovely new addition to the city and is, hands down, the best authentic Thai in Portland. My husband and I honestly eat Thai food 1-2 times a week at various spots around town (Thai Seasons, Thai Noon, Pok Pok, Sunisa) and since discovering this wonderful restaurant, I have been back twice in one week. Enough cannot be said about the delicious, perfectly spicy dishes such as whole boneless tilapia, spring roll bites, and beef salad. I have tried almost everything on this menu and have not been disappointed yet. The menu is fresh, gluten-free, low-carb and full of flavor. The presentations and sauces are terrific and the owners, Bud and Nong, are truly salt of the earth individuals.

    (5)

  • Gagan A.

    Try this place. I live for food and being to a new area I'm constantly trying random places. I am very particular about my food and can be picky when I'm hungry. I've never written a review before but this place made me want to. Great service and awesome food! Try the pumpkin curry dish with rice of your choice...see if that doesn't shut you up and not say a word as you eat the whole thing.

    (5)

  • Greg B.

    Fantastic food in a great atmosphere. The reasonable prices allow you to sample 4 or 5 dishes. I went with three friends & they were very impressed. I'll definitely go back. If you're lucky Harris will be your server.

    (5)

  • Kathryn D.

    All the great things we'd read about Khao San were true--and more! My husband and I went on a late Sunday afternoon after a Cinema 21 matinee and were ready to relax. First, our server was genuinely friendly and helpful. He gave us his honest opinion when asked. He came and went according to our needs but also went above and beyond to point out that some of the small plates we had chosen were on the Happy Hour menu and how to rearrange our order to get everything we wanted! How cool is that? The food was fresh, new and exciting. We look forward to heading to Khao San often!

    (5)

  • Stephanie D.

    Yum! The food here was amazing and a nice change up from your typical thai restaurant. We had salad rolls, pad kee mao, pork buns, chicken skewers and some type of fried chicken. Everything was delicious. We came for lunch with our children on Valentines Day and it seemed pretty kid friendly. The atmosphere is fun and there was enough going on with the decor (faux street food cart and a Thai motorbike) that it kept our 2 yr. old distracted so that we could have an enjoyable experience. We will definitely be coming back.

    (5)

  • Ben R.

    Hrm!!! I better wrote a review of this place while the taste of the delicious food is still in my memory!!! I'll try to keep this short and simple. I found this place through a friend if mine who currently residing in Seattle. I originally drove up from LA and I assume that Thai food in Oregon would not taste that great. Oh boy how I was wrong!! To my surprise, The food at this place was absolutely delicious. Before I described the food, I have to mention that I almost felt like I was back home in Bangkok!! The decor has a homely feeling to it. The staffs were all nice and courteous. Now, about the food. In most place Tom yum is just out right salty or sour. At Kaosan, they have the perfect mix of sour and a hint of sweet. Next I have to say that their grilled pork was fantastic and this is as close as you can get to the authentic Thai street food in USA. I had been to countless of Thai restaurant in LA and none was as good as this!!! I can go on and on about how great this place. For Thai food lovers, you could order anything off their menu and I'm sure you would not be disappointed!!!

    (5)

  • Katie Z.

    After wandering around downtown for an hour looking for outdoor seating, cold beer, and great food, I'm SO glad my friends remembered how much they liked this place when they went during the grand opening - it went above and beyond my expectations! First off, the ginger lager was fantastic! Refreshing, delicious, and reasonably priced. The authentic stainless steel cups for water and tea were awesome! We started with some summer rolls as an appetizer, and the peanut sauce was to die for. All the ingredients in the rolls were so fresh and delicious too. The small plates are awesome too - perfect for getting to try a little bit of everything! The pumpkin curry was insanely delicious, and the Mu Ping looked and tasted amazing. Every dish was fresh, delicious, and the perfect size. Our server, Sarah, was friendly, helpful, attentive, and really sweet. She even gave us some free Thai iced tea, which was super yummy!! And best of all, Bud, the owner, came out to our table after recognizing my friends, and spent 30 minutes regaling us with tales of Thailand and the restaurant biz. He had us practically rolling on the floor with laughs, and it was really cool to get such a friendly neighborhood vibe from a downtown restaurant. I will definitely be back!!!

    (5)

  • P F.

    Delicious and very authentic food. :) I would recommend their papaya salad. They make the best papaya salad in Portland area.

    (5)

  • Brian C.

    I love this place! Great food, service, and ambiance. The food was fresh and authentic. The restaurant was clean and new. If you are in Portland it is a must visit.

    (5)

  • Jeff H.

    Food was awesome. We loved the feel of the restaurant, the servers were great, food was tasty.

    (5)

  • John W.

    I haven't written a review in years. This place is legit. Juuust got back from Thailand and this is filling the thai-sized hole in my heart.

    (5)

  • Karim I.

    The food here is amazing. We shared 8 dishes between 4 people and loved everyone one of them. We would def come back again!

    (4)

  • Ojes A.

    Me and a few friends went today to see what this place was all about. Had the chance to meet "Bud" the owner, let me just say I felt like I was welcomed into a Thai mans home. Happy your has very reasonable prices $5 played and $2.50 beer. Overall, 10/10 service and I highly recommend it.

    (5)

  • Tanya M.

    Best Thai in Portland hands down. I've been here three times and the service and food are consistent.

    (5)

  • Edward T.

    went there several times, always a great experience, good food!

    (4)

  • Kendra T.

    Went with a friend for lunch for the first time today. We had the jungle curry as well as the Larb salad. Delicious! The server was super nice and the food had so much flavor. Well done. Can't wait to try more dishes!

    (5)

  • Renee O.

    Khao San brings food from the streets of Thailand to Portland. I was unfamiliar with many of the menu items which was a good thing to me. Thai restaurants in Portland are far too similar so it's refreshing to see a Thai restaurant trying to do something different. It just opened a week ago so not many people know about it yet. A great addition to the Pearl neighborhood.

    (5)

  • Bo Y.

    Food is great!! Really authentic taste with powerful flavors. After we had finished our server told us they had a weekday menu and a weekend menu. Weird.. But I'll be back anyway just thought why not offer everyday?

    (5)

  • Nam N.

    Brilliant. Better than Pok Pok. Will probably emerge as one of the best authentic Thai restaurants in PDX. Meats and sauces are of high quality. Family owned biz. Attention to detail from the food to the authentic thai cups plates and utensils. Decor and art pieces like the tuktuk show their thoughtfulness in trying to curate an authentic thai street experience. Must haves are spring rolls. The peanut sauce is excellent. No 40 pork plate and 42 pork and chicken skewers.

    (5)

  • Katharine C.

    Best crispy pork belly in Portland! :)

    (5)

  • Dave C.

    Only going with four stars right now, only because they just opened and are working out the kinks......and there are some kinks. I'm not talking shit by any means, I mean the food was fantastic. It's just they're timing was waaaay off. It's no big deal, I'm sure they'll get it worked out. But seriously.....I'm all ready craving my next visit and I haven't even paid the bill yet.

    (4)

  • Allan L.

    It's sad to say, not very good food and overpriced. Tried bbq chicken and pork skewers, chicken wings, pork belly broccoli, and pad thai. Pork belly came diced and the chicken wings were undercooked and heavily breaded, hence no real taste. Bbq pork skewers was the only item that was worth purchasing. Nevertheless, service was okay, if a bit overreaching. Did get a free ice tea as a result of the yelp coupon. Hard pass.

    (2)

  • Molly M.

    tbh the customer service was awful. Had to wait a year for our waiter to finally greet us and another year for him to take our order and yet another year to get our food....which was mediocre at best. Maybe it was because there were only 2 waiters on a Friday night but just to be frank about it, the experience was all around not great. Regret coming here....the only good thing about this meal was the free thai iced tea lol

    (1)

  • Ernest Y.

    Went for lunch. Food was good. Good flavors with the right amount of spice. If I go back, I would want to try dinner.

    (4)

  • Terry S.

    07/19 The picture of #41 isn't anything like you 'actually' get! Friendly and super excited to be in business sure. Pork $8, Chinese broccoli $8, rice $2 and ice tea $2...$20 dollars for $12 worth of food. Won't be back unless someone wants to go.

    (2)

  • Stacy W.

    This place is great!! Try the Lamb Shank Mussaman Curry & Cat Fish Stir-fry with apple eggplants, kaffir lime & chili paste. Delicious! I loved the Thai beer on tap especially brewed for them. Nice open-air vibe, laid-back, price was so reasonable. Must try!

    (4)

  • Tara R.

    I saw this place on yelp with a bunch of mixed reviews and that it was new, so of course I had to try it! A friend and I went on a Friday evening, about 6pm. We got sat right away and our waitress seemed super eager and friendly. She explained the happy hour and about the food. We placed our food/drink orders before she even left the table. So far, so good I though. Our thai iced teas came out and they were tasty. Plus, free refills! Some of our food came out, and it was super tasty. The waitress stopped by and asked if everything was good, we said yes and ordered a few more things. About twenty minutes in or so I realized I never got my fresh spring roll bites that I had ordered right after we had sat down. Another waiter came by, the owner actually, and we asked about them. He quickly went and grabbed some and brought them over and showed us the proper way to eat them. Overall, I will definetly come back, but the waitress we had seemed a little forgetful.

    (3)

  • Jason Z.

    Delicious food... Had their pad Thai, calamari, and their pumpkin curry... All of it being cooked very well. Their Thai iced tea is also awesome. They were very busy there on a Friday night, but as long as you're out for a good time amongst friends, you won't mind. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Andrew K.

    My wife and I visited this colorful Thai restaurant because they were new to our neighborhood. I ordered the Pad Thai and my wife got a spicy chicken with rice. Both were excellent. The owner was very friendly and visited with us at our table. We also ordered Thai Iced Tea. It was good; and we were surprised it had free refills. We are definitely going to make this a regular dining location.

    (5)

  • David M.

    Service is great. Food is the real deal/authentic. But it's no Pok pok! Food I had was okay. But I won't be going back.

    (3)

  • Christina N.

    i really enjoyed this place the staff was extra friendly and the interior was really cool and spacious we ordered 3 dishes it was the spicy crispy pork and green been $8 which was great ask spicy because medium is not hot whatsoever and the pad thai with shrimp $8 was good but more on the sweet side so it's okay good amount of shrimp with that and then got the hooker shrimp $10 it's okay should've went with the steak salad instead our neighbors that sat next to us got them and it looks delish! plus we got sticky rice $2 and jasmine $1 and got free thai ice tea so make sure to check in the portion are a little smaller than the pics i would say but perfect size so you don't over eat and get fat lol total came to 30 for two people and we left 5 as a tip.. anyways this place is a must try especially on a nice day :)

    (5)

  • William J.

    Been there twice and the food has been very underwhelming especially with all these 5 star reviews. The service is even worse. On my 2nd time there, the waiter saw me drop a spoon and ignored that it happened. We ordered the their version of pad kee mao with tofu instead bc of dietary restrictions and it came with beef. The thai iced tea was poorly made with not nearly enough tea but at least it was free. The service was friendly but slow. All in all, I'm glad there's a new thai place in the Pearl out of convenience but I'll stick with Pok Pok and other favorites

    (3)

  • David J.

    Ordered takeout from them today. I had the spring rolls for an appetizer as well as the chicken wings and the pork belly with green beans. All of the food was extremely delicious and spiced appropriately. All items have really good prices. The staff at the restaurant was fantastic and allowed me some samples of their House beers. I would highly recommend that anyone eat here if they have the chance.

    (5)

  • Brianne H.

    Best waiter we've ever had (michael). Incredibly friendly, went out of his way to provide excellent customer service. Awesome food. Thai tea is amazing and so is the shrimp pad thai. We got the Papaya salad at medium spice and it was incredibly spicy. Michael gave us something to take the spice off which really helped. Great experience, highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Kate M.

    I love them! Great food, bottomless thai iced tea, great servers... authentic! Go here for well priced thai food!

    (5)

  • Julie C.

    Best Thai food I've had in a very long time! Great flavor, perfect spice! We had the Ping (pork), larb, spring bites, and spicy green beans (totally awesome- you MUST try the green beans). Ask for Dave - he is very personable, knowledgable (and cute). Great find! We will be back!

    (5)

  • Brad S.

    Prepare to kick your "usual" to the curb. The variety is fantastic, the owner works alongside his employees and is beyond enthusiastic to introduce you to something new and delicious that's outside your typical meal. Their spices are all ground in-house and it shows! This place takes authenticity and flavor to a whole new level. Quite worth the extra cost per food item to dine here.

    (5)

  • Mike N.

    I loved # 42 the sauce is amazing. Going back today to have it and something new. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

    (5)

  • Milos J.

    Fantastic food, friendly owner and staff. We'll be back soon

    (5)

  • Mark M.

    Had dinners for 10 family style on 081114. Ming served us and was helpful and pleasant. Food was very good, spicy when it should be and fresh. Very impressed. Will definitely be going here again. Another nice Portland find!!! Have the pumpkin chicken curry and papaya salad-both yummy!

    (4)

  • Su S.

    This place is the bomb!! I'm from Thailand myself and love their food. We went there during Happy Hour and the food was amazing, not typical average Thai food that you can find in every Thai restaurant. The drink was cheap, $5 for Moscow Mule and Bangkok Mojito. I wish we have this kind of Thai food in Seattle.

    (5)

  • Erica M.

    Interesting, unique environment with very friendly staff. The menu was much smaller than we expected, though. We got the spicy crispy basil chicken. It was very good. Good meal for the price.

    (4)

  • Got K.

    The food is authentic and delicious but terrible services. I would go back if i didnt get serve by this waitress. I was served by Renee. She did not bother to even say hi or smile when we first walked in. It was awkward moment. After I looked at the menu, I ask her "Do you have any dessert?" She said she would ask to see if the kitchen can do make some. After i was served, she came back and brought me a dessert, " thai taco" and did not say anything. I just thought i didnt order any dessert so maybe it was on the house. It turns out that we got charged for that dessert and she did not ask us if we want it or what kind of dessert it was when I originally ask if she has any dessert to serve today. When we paid, she just kept walkin around to see if we will pay yet. The restaurant was empty and we were the only customers. It just felt like she wanna get us out of here ASAP. Good food but just bad service. Not coming back there again :(

    (1)

  • Rebecca B.

    As someone who doesn't eat gluten, this place is perfect! Delicious and authentic Thai street food at a great price. I always get the pumpkin chicken curry with jasmine rice, and it is amazing! The thai iced tea is also phenomenal and includes free refills! I would eat here every day if I could!

    (5)

  • P H.

    Hands down the best Pad Thai I've ever had. The service was excellent. I had a free Thai iced tea from yelp but the waiter forgot when the bill came so he took it off and gave us the second Thai iced tea free as well. Highly recommend this place. The only trouble with this is the difficult parking. But that's how downtown Portland is in general.

    (5)

  • Bradford M.

    We had a great experience here. The food was awesome and the wait staff was super nice and helpful. We've traveled to Thailand a bunch and this place felt like we were back there. It is nice to see a place that isn't the same as the other 100 million Thai places out there. At the end the chef came out and the owner to sit and talk with us, which was great. Would recommend Khao San for sure!

    (5)

  • Michael B.

    Very friendly service coupled with delicious, authentic, flavorful Thai food. I liked the water and Thai iced tea served in tin cups. I'd go back again.

    (5)

  • Nate P.

    My wife and I were visiting Portland for our anniversary, and ever the adventurous eaters, I found this little gem on Yelp. We're very glad to have found this place. The atmosphere was fun and light, and the place was clean and tidy. Service was friendly and prompt, but not overly formal, which felt just about right. I ordered the Holy Basil w/ Minced Chicken, because I was curious to try Thousand year eggs. Certainly not for the squeamish, and I opted not to include a picture, lest I scare someone with a weak constitution away. -Quick review on Thousand Year eggs. They look terrible. They smell goofy. Whoever did that to an egg and then decided to eat it was crazy. I wasn't a fan of it by itself, but it actually helped the overall flavor of the dish. Both my dish and my wife's Massamun curry tasted excellent, with rich, deep flavors. I've paid much more for far less impressive Thai meals. -Also worthy of note, the "Very Spicy" rating is a legitimate Thai spicy. It's the kind that builds throughout the meal to a fiery finish. In my opinion, it's the way that all Thai food should be consumed, but not everybody will enjoy it that way. My wife ordered medium, which would be a much more palatable level for general (sane) public.

    (5)

  • Shivani P.

    I've been to Khao San about 4 times now and have had a great experience every time. I love the free refills on the Thai iced tea and although the portion sizes are smaller than most Thai places, I don't mind. The décor is well done and the place looks well run and clean. Khao San is my new go to Thai place.

    (4)

  • Ryan H.

    Talk about amazing service and delicious authentic Tai food. The whole atmosphere in itself is an experience, and the prices cannot be beat! The happy hour menu is a must, the $5 mojito will have me coming back for more and the Tai sausage is to die for. I highly recommend the #42 as well because it will blow your mind! P.S. Bud, the owner is the most fun loving, genuine, and passionate restaurant owner I have ever encountered. I Truly will make this a weekly stop.

    (5)

  • Karen M.

    Authentic, interesting, varied and excellent! This was a real find...we owe Yelp reviewers for the discovery. The service was great; our waiter had numerous suggestions and had no trouble offering advice about what to order for a group. Every dish was outstanding. We will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Don W.

    Great food. Roll up door provides the fresh air feel of street food but in comfort. Especially like the chicken skewers and Thai "taco" desert. And don't miss the house made mango ice cream.

    (5)

  • P V.

    Stopped in for a quick lunch. Very convenient if you're in or near the Pearl. The Drunken Noodles with Beef was great and filling. I would have say that this is the best Thai food I've had downtown. Looking forward to coming back.

    (5)

  • Anders Y.

    Great place to try different types of Thai dishes because it is kind of tapas style with smaller portions. Highly recommend!

    (5)

  • Todd P.

    The most delicious Thai food I have eaten yet. Very friendly staff, and great signature drinks. If you like Thai food, or have never tried it before this restaurant is a must!

    (5)

  • Jeff W.

    First, let me say the food was fantastic. I ordered a Bangkok mojito, summer rolls, and Pad Kee Mao. All were delicious! Unfortunately, the service was really bad. My waiter delivered the entree first, the appetizer second, and the cocktail last. I could not help but notice he screwed up the orders of the two tables next to me as well. The food here is great, I just hope they invest time in training their staff.

    (3)

  • Suzan K.

    Perfect choice for my son's 10th birthday! Clean plates from both kids. The chicken skewers are the best we have had. Dinner in the Tuk Tuk made it extra fun. We will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Cheryl R.

    I have been to Khao San four times. Each time the service was a little odd, but I/we came back because we liked the food. The first time I was there it took 10 minutes for a menu to arrive, and the food arrived at its own sloooow pace as well. The second time the waiter got angry with me because I asked a question about the food in the middle of his speech. He told me to just wait to ask questions until he was finished talking. Again...the food was good and we just thought it might have been a bad day for the waiter. The last time I went there was today. And I do mean "the last time". I arrived at around 1:30. I waited several minutes to be seated, by someone who seemed annoyed that there was only me in the party. He seated me in a back corner and then begrudgingly got me a menu. I waited a few minutes and no one took my order or even recognized I was there. I decided I would just stay to see how long it would take to have someone take my order. At 22 minutes I decided to leave the restaurant. I tried to get someones attention during that 22 minutes but was completely ignored. It doesn't matter how good the food is if no one will serve you. I won't be back. There are too many great restaurants in Portland to tolerate being treated like this.

    (2)

  • Greg W.

    The food was good but not great. Service was good and the staff friendly. I knocked it down an extra star for trying too hard and being a bit gimmicky, e.g. fake food carts built into the interior, staff wearing orange vests as if they were actually working in the street. I don't find those sorts of things necessary if you are confident in your product.

    (3)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 10

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Accepts Bitcoin : No
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Divey
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Khao San

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