Kanlaya Thai Restaurant
1030 S 13th St, Harrisburg, PA, 17104
Kanlaya Thai Restaurant Menu
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Address :
1030 S 13th St
Harrisburg, PA, 17104 - Phone (717) 233-0222
- Website https://www.kanlayathairestaurant.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Accepts Bitcoin : No
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Johnny A.
OK - First, don't let the almost dilapidated appearance of Asia Mall keep you form eating at this place. The food is actually very good. The service is something else, but if you're in the area, have extra time to kill and like Thai food you would be remiss to not check this place out. If you walk in the main entrance of Asia Mall you'll need to make a left at the end of the hallway and walk all the way down the next hall to enter the restaurant (it will be on your left side). Once I walked in I didn't know whether I should wait to be seated or seat myself because the hostess/waitress behind the counter was unbothered by new customers walking in despite there being 1 other table in the place (TIP - seat yourself and wait to be acknowledged). Once she came over she was quick to ask us what we wanted to drink, but after that service got progressively worse. It was like we were rushed to placed our orders only for them to take forever to be made and plated. Patience is a virtue I guess... A review of what I had is below: Fried Calamari - They look like Burger King onion rings, but they're pretty decent. Chicken Satay - Pretty good. The cucumber relish is the winner for this dish though. Crispy Ka Pow - VERY GOOD! The previous Yelpers were right about this one. I loved how they could increase the spice level too. Pad Thai - Umm, it was cool. It wasn't mixed up though, which was a first for me. Everything was on the sides of the plate for you to mix up yourself. Thai Iced Tea - #LeftSwipeDat - Definitely not worth the price with all the ice they put in the glass.
(3)Masud H.
Ka Pow Chicken is a unique dish. Excellent, fried and moist with a good spicy basil sauce. Menu looked great otherwise, had a vege pad thai and a "basil fried rice". Decent prices. Food took a little time to come out but was worth the wait. Didn't get to try the curries. But would definitely return.
(4)Rebecca H.
Kanlaya is hidden in a nondescript strip mall (aptly titled "Asia Mall"). When we walked in on a weekday night, we were the only customers in the restaurant, which made us a bit apprehensive. The ambiance was decent, though the soundtrack of the evening consisted of pan flute covers of three famous rock songs, on repeat (which provided a continuing source of entertainment for us, if nothing else). My Thai iced tea was delicious. However, the curry I ordered was extremely spicy (and I say that as someone accustomed to regularly eating spicy food), to the point that some of my dining companions with weaker digestive systems complained of stomach problems the following day. TMI? Probably. I'll just chalk it up to the interest of full disclosure. The waitress never asked us how spicy we wanted our entrees to be before bringing us our food, which seems like a pretty major oversight. However, especially given that we didn't complain to her at any point, she was also inexplicably apologetic throughout the meal; every time she came to our table, she would say "Sorry" multiple times, to the point that it made us uncomfortable. In all fairness, though, I enjoyed the food at Kanlaya. I would consider returning, as long as I remember to ask for less spicy curry and mentally prepare myself for the soothing sounds of vaguely ethnic-sounding 80s rock ballads. Or maybe I'll just get take-out next time.
(3)Ulysses R.
My wife and I tried a couple of new dishes. I ordered the Wild Curry and she asked for the Rama. The Wild Curry was very good with a more traditional attempt, excellent! The Rama was good on broccoli. Panang was on point and as expected. Portions were the right size. I wish this place was closer to home so I could eat here more often.
(4)Ryan O.
Pretty good food , I had the Penang curry and it was very tasty - not too spicy but enough. One disappointing part was the service. We waited at least 10 minutes before the waitress came to take drink orders and it wasn't even too packed. Food was good service was basic.
(3)Athena C.
This place was amazing!!! We are both vegetarians, and my mom ordered the Wild Curry, which she thought to be amazing, and even had fresh peppercorns in it (the green ones that haven't been dried yet). I ordered the Pad See Ew. It was SO flavorful. I've ordered he many places before, and I've never had it with such a great pan fried flavor. I was extremely happy with my dish. We also got Thai iced tea which could have had a little less cream in it. Such a gem! Worth the stop!
(5)James B.
All my Thai food loving friends - you will want to go to this restaurant if you're in the Harrisburg area! Don't let the outside fool you! It's clean and the food is absolutely delicious! Strongly recommend the KaPow Crispy Chicken and the Tom Kha soup! Ask for Joanna! Great server!
(4)Rene D.
Omg went here one nite to check it out. Fabulously delicious ! Appetizer had the dumplings ! Wow different and good. The Krispy Ka Pow chicken is Sooo crispy to the last bite. Not over breaded and lite n tasty. Hubby had Masaman Curry also tasty with the coconut milk and potatoes with vegis mmmm over rice. I really wanted mango sticky rice for dessert but had no room. Those crispy morsels kept me coming at the plate. He he. When we left we had to try smoothies with boba in it. Boy had mango/ pineapple with ( hope I get it right) mango popping pearls ( juice inside- fun) & girl had raspberry banana with reg tapioca pearls ( gummy like). Both were a nice finish to go after spicey food. Warning they are a bit sweet tho but good! Next day while still in town we came back. Appetizer today Tod Mun. Never had it before. It was really good. Was minced meats and shrimp in I think 3 or 4 medallions with a wonderful cold cucumber vinegret dipping sauce. Wow try that!! today was I had pad see ewe with beef ( could only eat half , rest to go). Super savory and a bit sweet. Boy had shrimp Pad Thai and the shrimp were huge! Also good! Got our two boba's to go again! Lol well I don't think they could screw anything up! Next wk back in Harrisburg ... I foresee another visit....
(5)Robin B.
One bite of my friend's Penang Chicken and I was ready to give this place 4 or 5 stars. After all, I ordered takeout and the staff was super friendly when I arrived. My Thai Iced Boba Tea was a tad bit too sweet, but it was still delicious and the Boba were perfect! I was in heaven and I was super excited to try my favorite dish, Drunken Noodles. I was so DISAPPOINTED!! I won't say this is the worst Drunken Noodles I ever had, but it was bad. My dish was not that spicy and it was overpowered by the taste of oil. I then ate a super-dry thick spring roll. They were ok, but I enjoy rolls that are flakier and more flavorful. I ended my meal on a positive note with some delicious mango and sticky rice. I think they were like a 3.5 tonight. I hope they were just having an off night with the Drunken Noodles and I'm willing to gamble on the lunch portion in the future. I really want to like this place.
(3)E S.
This is a wonderful place to go eat! My wife and I visited it on a Saturday night, and every single part of our meal was wonderful. We started with a delicious papaya salad that compares well with most anything that I've had in larger cities like Philly when I've visited there. We both had noodle dishes, Pad Thai specifically, that were very tasty and just the right size for take home. My wife was also a fan of the dessert bananas. This place is off the 13th street exit of 83, not far from the Chevy dealership, and part of the Asia Mall. When you're finished eating there, you can check out a cute little Asian grocery store as well. All in all, it's well worth the trip.
(5)Holly R.
Update- went here last night with some friends. I got the crispy ka pow chicken and holy moly. The other reviews raving about it were not exaggerating. This stuff is heaven. A bit spicy, crispy, airy, and so so so flavorful. Try this.
(5)Yvette P.
Very very nice little find! Seems like more people should have been here enjoying it! Shrimp pad Thai and pineapple fried rice were delicious. Tom yum soup with shrimp...meh. Could have done without that. Calamari was tasty as well. Waitress was very friendly and helpful.
(4)Cynthia R.
I feel like this place is super Americanized....or something. The food was all very tasty, but it wasn't great or exceptional by any means. I realize that there's not a huge Asian community (soooo unfortunate), so maybe they figure they need to tailor to the demographic they have. Coming from Chicago where I can get fantastic, authentic food from pretty much anywhere in the world, anytime I want, I'm probably judging them according to a different standard. But why should food be mediocre anywhere??? Anywho, I had Tom Kha soup, normally a favorite of mine. It was good here, but not nearly as good as any I've had before. I also had panang curry which was also good, but just ok comparatively. The folks with me had crispy kapow chicken and black bean ginger veggies. Consistently tasty. The crispy kapow had a tasty sauce, though too salty for my taste, and presentation was lovely. There seemed to be alot of food, but it turned out to be a ton of breaded puffs and not much chicken. So, I don't mean to hate, but it was just ok for me dude.
(3)Garry W.
One night visit to Hburg, checked my Garmin for a Thai restaurant and found Kanlaya. Located in an Asian Mall, it is casual sit down. Every other patron on a Friday night was Asian which I took as a good omen. They sat me way off in a corner which made me feel segregated, but I got over it. Started with the Tom Yum soup which was loaded with quartered mushrooms and 3 good size shrimp - it truly was Yum. For dinner, had the Spicy Garden with tofu. The portion size was huge and chock full of yummy veggies. Wish I got the shrimp because the tofu became too filling with the rice and veggies. No wine available so bring your own. Also, no brown rice but don't bring your own LOL. Service was very inconsistent, which I am finding to be true of many family-owned Thai restaurants - perhaps the adult children don't really want to be working, but they are not very friendly. I had to ask 3 times for ice water when I first sat down. Also, a large party of 6 adults and 5 kids came in, and the mom brought McDonalds for the 3 little ones - the server wouldnt let them eat the McDonalds, which was just silly and arbitrary. So the kids sat playing video games and starved while the adults ate and the McDonalds bags sat on the table uneaten - not a way to treat a large party. So, while the food is outstanding, I am deducting a star for 2 reasons - first, the service and poor treatment of a large party, and second, they don't have brown rice.
(4)DC M.
Great Thai place, Americanized a little bit for the Central PA palate, but solid all around. The crispy kapow chicken is excellent. The other Thai staples (pad Thai, drunken noodle) are solid.
(4)Gautam V.
Foodie heaven :) Have been coming here for 3 yrs now. Their food is good is an "understatement" as I have never once been disappointed in my 30 or so times eating here. Never miss it when I come in from NJ. To add to their masterfully made dishes they are very courteous and remember their guests by name and food choices. Try it and u will probably never wanna eat Thai any place else
(5)Punit S.
Got take out. Pretty standard, chicken pad Thai to go. Food was ok in my opinion. Nothing spectacular but it wasn't terrible either. Overall happy with the food. Reasonable portion and prices, highly recommend if you have a Thai craving in central pa!... Options are limited.
(3)Anum H.
Got the thai iced boba tea since I didn't want it as a smoothie. Every other flavor option is for a smoothie style boba drink. The thai bubble tea was pretty good and the bubbles were perfect. Best bubble tea in harrisburg... Which makes me sad. I want a legit bubble tea place to exist here. But until that becomes a reality, kanlaya will have to do. Boyfriend got the mango smoothie with mango jelly and he liked it.
(4)Alan R.
Terrible service. Penny pinchers. The pad Thai was a soggy mush. Never going there again. I do not recommend this place to anyone.
(1)Mary P.
Best thai in Harrisburg, period. Food is consistently good. I've tried all of their curries and each one is fab.
(5)Christian G.
I got the pineapple chicken and although the meal was very pleasing on the eyes the seasoning was a little weak.
(3)Elle C.
Good food but terrible location. Big restaurant but old..and in a dying, abandoned Asian plaza.
(3)Alicia S.
Great place for Thai food, I always get the Eggplant entree & Tom Yum Soup, its always excellent. Mango & sweet sticky rice is good, but last time it was colored a light green, still tasted good but not the best I've had. They have Boba Smoothies in a variety of flavors, all that I've tried were delicious. Service is always pretty good too.
(4)Katherine M.
I ordered the Pad Tofu with rice. They have a pretty large menu and I had an array of options that I was considering, but decided upon this. The service at lunch, around 1pm, was good. The place was virtually empty though. Inside, it is actually pretty cute - I think it is pretty well decorated and nice inside. The overall feel is nice. The pad tofu was good - but nothing spectacular. The tofu was okay, the main sauce of the dish wasn't all too flavorful, but good, but really annoyed me is that I got like 7 little cubes of tofu and a plate full of bean sprouts. I mean, I am not the hugest bean sprout fan, so I basically ate a bowl of rice and a small amount of tofu. That being said, I'll probably go back just because I liked the feel of it so much. I would definitely order something different though!
(3)DesiFoodie A.
Server was a very pleasant lady and the food is definitely above average
(3)Ash M.
Two words: Bubble. Tea. This is one of only 2 places I know of in the Harrisburg area that serves BOBA (I'm from LA, and I need my boba fix damnit!!!!) I came here recently for a birthday dinner with my bf, and we ordered up a storm. Everything was fresh and delicious!! Recommendations include: 1. any of the noodle dishes (We got shrimp pad thai and chicken and egg noodle) 2. the crispy ka pow chicken 3. BUBBLE TEA!!! The only downer is that it's located at a rundown strip mall called "Asia Mall" -- where there are 2 restaurants and a strange store that seems to sell pedicure chairs?........RANDOM!!!! It's a weird place, but if you don't mind the drive, it's well worth it!!
(4)Alima H.
Officially my new favorite Thai restaurant in the mid-Atlantic region. I've been here a couple of times and at each visit I am happily surprised at the quality of the food and the phenomenal taste. After tonight's meal I am going to stop being surprised, because Kanlaya delivers the best. I ordered the Kee Mao with tofu. So smokey, with deep flavors and a complex mix of savory and spicy, rich and fresh. The noodles were chewy and pull-y. The tomatoes were perfectly blistered and sat like little balloons of flavor. The fresh lettuce and bell peppers balanced out the heaviness of the noodles and caught the run-off sauces perfectly. The noodles glistened. The tofu was salty and pleasing. I couldn't stop eating, even after I was way too full. A meal of bone-deep satisfaction. I can't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow! My dining companion got the Pineapple Chicken and only had good things to say about it. There seemed to be only one waitress serving the entire place, so we did have to wait quite a bit for service. But she was wonderfully courteous. Maybe tonight was just exceptionally busy. It's not been quite so packed when I've visited before.
(5)Narisha J.
Curry puffs? Awesome! Kapow chicken? Freaking great! My friend had pineapple chicken fried rice and enjoyed it. I didn't, I thought it tasted more like a desert, with canned pineapples. Was a bit turned off because this place was so empty but I ended up having a great experience. Service was great. Clean, quiet atmosphere. Oh I also had the pineapple smoothie and loved it. Give it a try!
(4)Best F.
Great food, especially drunken noodles! I've also tried their seafood dish in the pic and simply amazing. This is a place where you can get genuinely hot and spicy food!
(5)Laurey W.
Hands down my favorite Thai place in Harrisburg. The crispy ka pow chicken is amazing! My only complaint is when I ask for really really spicy they don't seem to take me seriously.
(4)Melissa O.
This is my new favorite restaurant! Tried the red curry and it was the perfect heat and flavor combination. I'll be going back regularly!
(5)Kevin B.
This was my first time in the Harrisburg Asian Mall and my first time at Kanlaya. I came here with a couple of friends on a Friday night and the meal was overall very good. I love Thai food and was told to try the crispy kapow chicken. Boy am I glad I did! It was amazing!!! I would definitely get that dish again; I ate every bite that I could. The only downside to our meal was that they ran out of boba, but settling for Thai tea is not bad at all since Thai tea is pretty amazing. Overall, a very nice place!
(4)Nikki K.
Went to Kanlaya for the 1st time a few days ago with a friend. We were very impressed. We got 2 appetizers, 4 entrees and 1 drink for $70 with tip, NOT BAD!! Drink: The Thai Iced Tea was great! Appetizers: Dumplings were ok. Nothing special. However, the Chicken Satay was well cooked and the dipping sauce was phenomenal. I don't like peanut sauces that are all peanut with no other flavors. The sauce had a peanut taste but also had a spicy undertone. Texturally it was great too; it was smooth sauce and wasn't like a peanut paste which I've had at other restaurants. Entrees: My friend and I got 2 entrees to eat at the restaurant and 2 for carry-out. I got the Pad See Ew with Tofu and the Panang Curry with Tofu. Both were great. The Pad See Ew noodles weren't over-cooked (which is often the case) and the tofu was soft in both entrees. The panang curry wasn't overly hot but had the appropriate amount of spice. It had a good amount of thai basil making it super fresh. My friend got the Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli which tasted great. Just the right amount of garlic with the shrimp perfectly cooked. They also gave like 10 pieces of shrimp with the broccoli. He also got the Spicy Fried Rice with Chicken. He said the rice had lots of flavor with garlic and basil. All in all this place is great. I'd give it 5 stars, but I've only had it once and I can't comment more. The wait staff was great and helped us navigate the menu well.
(4)Jojo G.
When we visit there it is empty. But their dish is good. I ordered the pad gai and it is really yummi!the lady there is also nice. Also we tired the mango sticky rice for dessert , great!
(4)Ryan O.
The food is authentic and masterfully prepared. The ambiance leaves a little to be desired, but don't let that sway you. The Crispy Chicken and Penyen Chicken were outstanding! Also the Bikini Shrimp is a great appetizer to get you started.
(4)Faustino S.
Great food. Original dishes. I loved the pineapple chicken! Served in a pineapple as the bowl.
(5)Dan R.
I've been to the Asia Mall before, but never to Kanlaya Thai. We stopped for lunch the other day after shopping nearby. They've got a wide selection of beverages to choose from, of which we picked the Durian bubble smoothie (4.00) for our main dishes we tried the fried flounder (15.00) and a spicy chicken dish (i forget the name) for 12.00. We also had a bowl of Tom Yum shrimp soup (4.00) and thai spring rolls (5.50). The service was pretty nice, our waitress was friendly and explained some of the choices available. It was a good experience, we didnt have to wait long and it wasnt too crowded inside. The restaurant looks very new and modern inside, with all sorts of thai decorations & artwork hanging on the walls. They accept VISA & MC. (3.5 stars.)
(3)Michelle S.
I love this place! They have the best vegetable and tofu green curry I have ever had!!. It's full of spices and colorful vegetables. I prefer to get take-out, but the food is always plentiful, fresh, and delicious! Staff is always super friendly and ordering is easy and precise. I always recommend this place to others!
(5)Alexis M.
I have eaten here twice now, and I like it more and more each time. The service is excellent, the atmosphere is nice, and the place generally looks pretty clean. Oh, and it's BYOB if you're into that sort of thing. The menu is very big and it can be a little hard to make a decision, but the waitstaff is very willing to give suggestions. My first visit was for lunch (which includes free egg rolls, I might add). I had the taro bubble tea, which was delicious. It was thick and frozen and tasted like cold, liquid rice pudding. I also had the tom kha gai and the green papaya salad (both staples for me). I hate to compare to other places, but I think it's makes for a helpful review. The tom kha gai was slightly salty but still good, and the papaya salad could have used just a little more lime and fish sauce, but generally they were both very good. I still prefer Bangkok 56 if I had to choose (and definitely put Kanlaya above Bangkok Wok), but the prices here are a lot better and it's definitely still worth going to. I also had the Kee Mao, which was very good. I had tons of leftovers (I like to order a lot and take little tastes of lots of things), so the bf got to taste and he also enjoyed the food. My second visit was for dinner. I went with the bf, and so we had Siam Dumplings (very good) and the Kanlaya Grilled Pork which looked nothing like the picture but was very good. For dinner, he had the Crispy Kapow Chicken (gotta love fried basil) and I had the Sizzling Siam Beef. The Kapow Chicken was breaded but was very delicate and was fried to perfection. The Siam Beef had a wonderful flavor and was tender. We were both very happy with our meals. I suggest a visit to Kanlaya. We enjoyed ourselves very much.
(4)Jedd J.
When a tour bus arrives right before you... watch out. Continued on thaifoodaficionado.com
(4)John C.
Since it was my first time here, I wanted to try their Pad Thai. Unfortunately, the taste was the same as the other Pad Thai in the area. Nothing really special, just average. I am comparing the flavor that I normally got when I was in LA where I often order Pad Thai at Thai restaurants. For drinks I ordered the taro boba smoothie. Not sure if it was a smart idea since it was 26F outside. Aside from my obvious mental issues, the smoothie was pretty good. This is the first time I have seen an establishment sell boba drinks since I've moved here about 3 years ago. I miss it and glad this establishment has it. It was very tasty and the boba were nice and warm. The only downside to the drink is that they use too much ice. Cold boba is not good to chew. The decor was nice although I would not suggest getting a booth, the table is rather small and the both are rather large. Was a bit uncomfortable sitting and trying to reach my food. Overall, this was just average. I might come back for the boba, although a bit expensive(should be $2 or less rather than $3.5 for the amount). But I guess that is how it is when there are no other competitors..T_T
(3)Erica H.
Best Thai food I've had. Spicy option is great. Love that the menu is separated for vegetarians. Excellent service and nice atmosphere.
(5)Jacqueline B.
Our last 3 visits here have not been good experiences. I don't know what has been going on but we were served the wrong orders twice... I kind of think I am done with Kanlaya. Oh well, it will force me to give other thai places a chance.
(2)Ruth B.
Don't let the shady-looking location dissuade you. This place hands down has the best Thai food in the area! I absolutely love Thai food and when I moved to the area I made it my mission to try all the Thai restaurants and seek out the best. My all time favorite dishes are the green curry, the pad see ew, and the chicken rama. The bubble tea is not as good as other places I've had it, but I don't know any other place to get it in the area and it's definitely decent. I give this place 4 stars because although the food is great, the location and atmosphere are definitely lacking which is why I tend to do takeout.
(4)Hannah N.
First of all, four stars taking locale into consideration. We're in Harrisburg. I have been here numerous times - enough times for everybody working here to recognize that if I walk in, I usually go straight to ordering take out boba. But I've also dined here quite a few times too. Two things that make this place special and worth repeat visits: 1. BOBA TEA, like, legit boba tea 2. Crispy kapow chicken First of all, where else would you go to get boba in Harrisburg?! The powdered stuff sold at the mall is just nonsense. That stuff tastes like glorified sunny D. There are two things that make up a boba: the liquid portion of the drink, and then the boba pearls. This place does both quite well. I've tried all of their bobas. Taro, green tea, avocado, and watermelon are probably my favorites. Here's where Kanlaya's boba is special: they really try to steer clear of the powdered nonsense unless it is say, honeydew melon, where grinding real honeydew really doesn't pack enough flavor due to the ultra wateriness. And even then, it is used sparingly. Their taro really has real bits of nutty taro in it. Their avocado tastes exactly just like a big cup of creamy smooth liquid avocado. Their watermelon is like you stuck a straw into the juiciest watermelon and now you're getting only the refreshing, summery sweet goodness (and you would want to order this in the summer, not right now in the middle of winter when watermelons are not even in season anyways). Their green tea is not too sweet, perfect blend of bittersweet matcha green tea and cream (compared to Starbucks green tea fraps - the Starbucks stuff is WAY TOO SWEET and not enough green tea, like a green melon vanilla frapp). Finally, Their pearls are... amazing. Not too hard, not too mushy, not too bland, just the right amount of sweet and chewy, just perfect. They cook them in batches so they don't sit forever and expand into mushy grossness like some places do. If they run out, they run out unless you're willing to field a 30 minute wait for them to re-cook. Now for the second item, the crispy kapow chicken. (and make sure it's the CRISPY kapow, because I'm pretty sure they have normal kapow chicken too). This place is otherwise a pretty standard thai place, not bad, not orgasm inducingly excellent, just unassumingly delicious. But the crispy kapow chicken is the stuff that my dreams are made of. A flavor explosion in your mouth. The crispy kapow chicken is why I keep going to Kanlaya instead of Bankok 56, even though I really like Bankok 56. This stuff is not supposed to have a lot of sauce on it, it is perfectly flavorful the way it is. A perfectly crispy crackly crunchy outside, non-greasy, non-heavy and airy light inside. It hits all the flavor notes of salty sweet sour with a hint of spicy without having one flavor overwhelm the other. The crispy fried thai basil leaves decorating the plate leaving you with a mouthful of aroma and perfect bitterness. Ah, now my mouth is watering.
(4)Art C.
Got the (green) Papaya/Shrimp salad and Kee Mao (beef) for take out. Everything was very good and portions quite reasonable. The Kee Mao was listed as medium spicy and... actually was medium spicy. As someone who eats (very) spicy food every day, it's a rare treat not to have to add hot pepper.
(4)Epicurean I.
Good Food, Great Taste, Value for Money, NOT expensive Lunch come with spring rolls. Spacious, friendly staff, menu has lot of selections, Easy to reach - right off the exit for 13th street.
(4)Kevin C.
We stopped in here on our way south...we were a little taken back by the strip mall location but glad that we stayed. Cashew chicken was easily the best I've ever had and curry was excellent as well. We would highly recommend this place if you like Thai!
(5)Paul C.
I had the vegetable soup and the yellow curry with tofu. Both were very good and the service was excellent. It is BYOB.
(4)Adam A.
Love this place! My favorite Thai restaurant in the area, though I'll admit I haven't tried others. Haven't felt the need to and this place is a couple blocks from work. There isn't much of a staff, but the owner is super friendly and already knows what I order. She tries to push the Crispy Ka Pow Chicken, which is good, but I recommend the regular Ka Pow Chicken. It's much juicier. When you are done, you can take a stroll to the Asian grocery store and stock up on Asian food.
(5)Susan F.
When my husband and I moved to Harrisburg from DC about two years ago, one of the (many) restaurants I hated to leave was DC's Kanlaya Thai. So it's hard to express how excited I was when Kanlaya (completely randomly) opened a second restaurant here in the 'Burg, less than 5 minutes from my new home. This is seriously delicious food. While we have ordered around quite a bit on the Kanlaya menu, and everything has been fabulous, we always seem to come back to the larb gai and crispy ka pow chicken. I have nothing to add to the chorus of hosannas for this dish that preceded my own review, except to agree that it is one of the most complex and flavorful plates of food that you will ever have placed in front of you. It takes a Herculean feat of discipline for me not to shove my poor husband's fork aside whenever we order it. It is THAT good. We usually do takeout because we're so close, but the dining room is nice, and the service is always incredibly friendly. I still miss DC, but it's nice to know I can still have a taste of DC whenever the mood strikes.
(5)Leon J.
Recently got takeout here and was very pleasantly surprised. Clean, fast, diverse menu, moderately priced, and attentive staff were a few of the highlights. Will be returning to dine in soon. If you like Thai food, this is worth a try.
(4)cathy c.
They no longer do delivery
(3)Brian R.
So I'd consider myself a regular of the Asia Mall, it's close to work and full of tasty eats, and every time I revisit Kanlaya I become more of a fan of this place. This time I tried what seems from all their literature to be the house specialty - Ka Pow chicken. Wow is that stuff good! Such golden crispy perfection doused with delicious spicy sauce and basil. I've been thinking about it since I ate it, really outstanding dish!
(4)Andrea T.
I used to frequent Asia Mall a lot on Tuesdays, and my "usual" buys were banh mi from the bakery next door. Afterward, I would stop by Kanlaya Thai for Thai tea with bubbles. Their tapioca bubbles were nice and soft, and the tea was sweet and addictive. Once, to change it up a bit, I ordered the pad see ew, and it was good. The taste was not very memorable (but I guess it's just noodles stir fried with soy sauce, eh?), but I just love the texture of the flat noodles. The server I talked to at the front was very friendly and made polite conversation. I think I'll try a curry dish next time.... or the kapow chicken (if it really does look like the picture posted). The lighting is a bit too dim. I remember the first time I walked past the restaurant, I thought it was a club.
(3)Andrew H.
Wow! The food here is amazing. Thai has been my favorite cuisine for the past several years and I never tried this place before. Had the panang curry, ka pow chicken, and drunk noodles. All were spot on. A must try!
(5)J R.
Edit July 2010 Decided to go back after reading all the rave reviews. I'll upgrade my review to 3 stars but still had better thai elsewhere. I decided to get the Crispy Ka Pow Chicken since that seems to be the dish of choice on Yelp. It was just ok. I did not wow me or my wife. It was fried perfectly but lacking some flavor in my opinion. Also very dry, was expecting more sauce but that's ok since it apparantly is not a saucy dish. It was mildly spicy, I can taste the basil but it was just lacking something. Interestlingly, I tried the soup again and broth still bland. The table next to us actually sent their soup back. They said the broth tasted like water. They did say it normally is not that bland so maybe it was an off day. Not sure what soup they got. The service is very good and staff is friendly. I'll give them 3 stars overall...
(3)Jen J.
Crispy Kapaow Chicken. Memorize the name because you don't even need to look at anything else on the menu. I dont know how they make it sweet and hot and crispy and soft all at the same time, but it's like heaven on a plate! I will say, the spring rolls are yummy (both fresh and fried), too. The locale (in the Asia mall) isn't anything great and the bathrooms are located out in the main portion of the mall, not in the restaurant, but the Crispy Kapow erases any of these imperfections.
(4)Daniel A.
I go here twice a month, if not more. The food is really quality and I have never been disappointed! I recommend the Pad Thai, kee Mao, and the Green Papaya Salad. I also enjoy the fact that whenever I add chicken to anything, they use good cuts of white breast meat - tasty but still seemingly healthy. Highly recommend.
(4)Alison S.
We moved here from Toronto and weren't sure we'd ever find good enough Thai food to make us happy. We tried a handful of the other Harrisburg Thai places and never got completely psyched. Since we tried Kanlaya we haven't felt the need to look anywhere else. The food is right on, every time. The waitstaff are friendly and knowledgeable. Portions are typical for Thai restaurants -- big enough to share, so you can try everything on the table. Excellent Panang curry, awesome pad see ew, delicious soups. Just great, all around. We don't even miss Toronto Thai that much any more.
(5)Suzy M.
We LOVE Kanlaya! --Sweet staff who remember you when you return and incredible food. Foods that we get that have not been mentioned are the Panang Curry/Chicken, which is out of this world, so flavorful and another is the Pad Gai/Beef. If you love noodles, the thick ones, this is your kinda entree. Love both the fried spring rolls as well as the chicken on a stick appetizer whose name eludes me right now....great peanut dipping sauce that I could eat by the spoonful! We could go here every Friday night for dinner, it's that good. And, I am very picky. We did have some issues about slow service around the holidays, but that seems to have worked itself out. We go for two reasons: the great food and sweet serving staff. If you don't feel great after eating a meal, as you walk out, we figure why patronize the restaurant? This is a feel good place. Also check online at the coupon clipper for coupons. They take ours with a smile.
(5)fatima m.
Absolutely loved their Crispy Kapow chicken, Sticky Rice with Mango, and the Bubble Tea. - Pineapple Chicken was pretty good not mind blowing. - pad thai was different but still good. Definitely plan to revisit. :-)
(5)Calvin D.
This place has consistently good Thai food. I do not get here as much as I would like.
(4)T W.
Recently tried Kanlaya on my first visit to the Asia Mall. I'll review the Asia Mall seperately (wonderful). The Thai food here was very good! Definitely as good as many great Thai restaurants in NYC I've eaten at living there. The Crispy Kaw Pow Chicken was delicious, perfectly fried and fresh ingredients...absolutely love the fried basil leaves on it. And the Pad See Ew was very nice as well. Prices are good, no doubt thanks to the location and proximity to Hall Manor, you can't be too hoity toity. But don't be scared off by the location, this place is a gem. My new favorite Thai in Harrisubrg, better than Bangkok 56 IMO.
(4)Erin G.
I've been to Thailand and this place totally nailed it! The green papaya salad is the best I've had. The delivery was faster than expected.
(5)Scott B.
The service was friendly (and patient--which was nice), and the delivery was prompt. I thought the food was very good...just this side of gourmet. Add to that the very affordable pricing, and you've got a winner.
(4)Caleb N.
We got some curries, a milk tea with tapioca, and the sweet rice and mango dessert. All were very authentic, especially the very tasty dessert. Decor and service were OK as well. Normally, I might give a restaurant like this three stars, but considering the quality and authenticity of the food and the boldness of opening in a city with little Thai, or Asian more broadly, cuisine, it deserves a slight ratings bump. Definitely a must-try for anyone who likes Asian food in the area.
(4)Jane R.
Very good Thai food and I don't have to cross the river. I am partial to the curry coconut sauces and my husband has found two new favorites, the kapow chicken and the "rama in jacuzzi", odd name for tasty chicken in peanut sauce. I see that they have items with durian on the menu. I don't know if I'm brave enough to try that or not :)
(4)Ulysses R.
My wife and I tried a couple of new dishes. I ordered the Wild Curry and she asked for the Rama. The Wild Curry was very good with a more traditional attempt, excellent! The Rama was good on broccoli. Panang was on point and as expected. Portions were the right size. I wish this place was closer to home so I could eat here more often.
(4)Johnny A.
OK - First, don't let the almost dilapidated appearance of Asia Mall keep you form eating at this place. The food is actually very good. The service is something else, but if you're in the area, have extra time to kill and like Thai food you would be remiss to not check this place out. If you walk in the main entrance of Asia Mall you'll need to make a left at the end of the hallway and walk all the way down the next hall to enter the restaurant (it will be on your left side). Once I walked in I didn't know whether I should wait to be seated or seat myself because the hostess/waitress behind the counter was unbothered by new customers walking in despite there being 1 other table in the place (TIP - seat yourself and wait to be acknowledged). Once she came over she was quick to ask us what we wanted to drink, but after that service got progressively worse. It was like we were rushed to placed our orders only for them to take forever to be made and plated. Patience is a virtue I guess... A review of what I had is below: Fried Calamari - They look like Burger King onion rings, but they're pretty decent. Chicken Satay - Pretty good. The cucumber relish is the winner for this dish though. Crispy Ka Pow - VERY GOOD! The previous Yelpers were right about this one. I loved how they could increase the spice level too. Pad Thai - Umm, it was cool. It wasn't mixed up though, which was a first for me. Everything was on the sides of the plate for you to mix up yourself. Thai Iced Tea - #LeftSwipeDat - Definitely not worth the price with all the ice they put in the glass.
(3)Ryan O.
Pretty good food , I had the Penang curry and it was very tasty - not too spicy but enough. One disappointing part was the service. We waited at least 10 minutes before the waitress came to take drink orders and it wasn't even too packed. Food was good service was basic.
(3)Athena C.
This place was amazing!!! We are both vegetarians, and my mom ordered the Wild Curry, which she thought to be amazing, and even had fresh peppercorns in it (the green ones that haven't been dried yet). I ordered the Pad See Ew. It was SO flavorful. I've ordered he many places before, and I've never had it with such a great pan fried flavor. I was extremely happy with my dish. We also got Thai iced tea which could have had a little less cream in it. Such a gem! Worth the stop!
(5)James B.
All my Thai food loving friends - you will want to go to this restaurant if you're in the Harrisburg area! Don't let the outside fool you! It's clean and the food is absolutely delicious! Strongly recommend the KaPow Crispy Chicken and the Tom Kha soup! Ask for Joanna! Great server!
(4)Mary P.
Best thai in Harrisburg, period. Food is consistently good. I've tried all of their curries and each one is fab.
(5)Christian G.
I got the pineapple chicken and although the meal was very pleasing on the eyes the seasoning was a little weak.
(3)Rene D.
Omg went here one nite to check it out. Fabulously delicious ! Appetizer had the dumplings ! Wow different and good. The Krispy Ka Pow chicken is Sooo crispy to the last bite. Not over breaded and lite n tasty. Hubby had Masaman Curry also tasty with the coconut milk and potatoes with vegis mmmm over rice. I really wanted mango sticky rice for dessert but had no room. Those crispy morsels kept me coming at the plate. He he. When we left we had to try smoothies with boba in it. Boy had mango/ pineapple with ( hope I get it right) mango popping pearls ( juice inside- fun) & girl had raspberry banana with reg tapioca pearls ( gummy like). Both were a nice finish to go after spicey food. Warning they are a bit sweet tho but good! Next day while still in town we came back. Appetizer today Tod Mun. Never had it before. It was really good. Was minced meats and shrimp in I think 3 or 4 medallions with a wonderful cold cucumber vinegret dipping sauce. Wow try that!! today was I had pad see ewe with beef ( could only eat half , rest to go). Super savory and a bit sweet. Boy had shrimp Pad Thai and the shrimp were huge! Also good! Got our two boba's to go again! Lol well I don't think they could screw anything up! Next wk back in Harrisburg ... I foresee another visit....
(5)Gautam V.
Foodie heaven :) Have been coming here for 3 yrs now. Their food is good is an "understatement" as I have never once been disappointed in my 30 or so times eating here. Never miss it when I come in from NJ. To add to their masterfully made dishes they are very courteous and remember their guests by name and food choices. Try it and u will probably never wanna eat Thai any place else
(5)Punit S.
Got take out. Pretty standard, chicken pad Thai to go. Food was ok in my opinion. Nothing spectacular but it wasn't terrible either. Overall happy with the food. Reasonable portion and prices, highly recommend if you have a Thai craving in central pa!... Options are limited.
(3)Elle C.
Good food but terrible location. Big restaurant but old..and in a dying, abandoned Asian plaza.
(3)Masud H.
Ka Pow Chicken is a unique dish. Excellent, fried and moist with a good spicy basil sauce. Menu looked great otherwise, had a vege pad thai and a "basil fried rice". Decent prices. Food took a little time to come out but was worth the wait. Didn't get to try the curries. But would definitely return.
(4)Anum H.
Got the thai iced boba tea since I didn't want it as a smoothie. Every other flavor option is for a smoothie style boba drink. The thai bubble tea was pretty good and the bubbles were perfect. Best bubble tea in harrisburg... Which makes me sad. I want a legit bubble tea place to exist here. But until that becomes a reality, kanlaya will have to do. Boyfriend got the mango smoothie with mango jelly and he liked it.
(4)Alan R.
Terrible service. Penny pinchers. The pad Thai was a soggy mush. Never going there again. I do not recommend this place to anyone.
(1)Garry W.
One night visit to Hburg, checked my Garmin for a Thai restaurant and found Kanlaya. Located in an Asian Mall, it is casual sit down. Every other patron on a Friday night was Asian which I took as a good omen. They sat me way off in a corner which made me feel segregated, but I got over it. Started with the Tom Yum soup which was loaded with quartered mushrooms and 3 good size shrimp - it truly was Yum. For dinner, had the Spicy Garden with tofu. The portion size was huge and chock full of yummy veggies. Wish I got the shrimp because the tofu became too filling with the rice and veggies. No wine available so bring your own. Also, no brown rice but don't bring your own LOL. Service was very inconsistent, which I am finding to be true of many family-owned Thai restaurants - perhaps the adult children don't really want to be working, but they are not very friendly. I had to ask 3 times for ice water when I first sat down. Also, a large party of 6 adults and 5 kids came in, and the mom brought McDonalds for the 3 little ones - the server wouldnt let them eat the McDonalds, which was just silly and arbitrary. So the kids sat playing video games and starved while the adults ate and the McDonalds bags sat on the table uneaten - not a way to treat a large party. So, while the food is outstanding, I am deducting a star for 2 reasons - first, the service and poor treatment of a large party, and second, they don't have brown rice.
(4)DC M.
Great Thai place, Americanized a little bit for the Central PA palate, but solid all around. The crispy kapow chicken is excellent. The other Thai staples (pad Thai, drunken noodle) are solid.
(4)Robin B.
One bite of my friend's Penang Chicken and I was ready to give this place 4 or 5 stars. After all, I ordered takeout and the staff was super friendly when I arrived. My Thai Iced Boba Tea was a tad bit too sweet, but it was still delicious and the Boba were perfect! I was in heaven and I was super excited to try my favorite dish, Drunken Noodles. I was so DISAPPOINTED!! I won't say this is the worst Drunken Noodles I ever had, but it was bad. My dish was not that spicy and it was overpowered by the taste of oil. I then ate a super-dry thick spring roll. They were ok, but I enjoy rolls that are flakier and more flavorful. I ended my meal on a positive note with some delicious mango and sticky rice. I think they were like a 3.5 tonight. I hope they were just having an off night with the Drunken Noodles and I'm willing to gamble on the lunch portion in the future. I really want to like this place.
(3)E S.
This is a wonderful place to go eat! My wife and I visited it on a Saturday night, and every single part of our meal was wonderful. We started with a delicious papaya salad that compares well with most anything that I've had in larger cities like Philly when I've visited there. We both had noodle dishes, Pad Thai specifically, that were very tasty and just the right size for take home. My wife was also a fan of the dessert bananas. This place is off the 13th street exit of 83, not far from the Chevy dealership, and part of the Asia Mall. When you're finished eating there, you can check out a cute little Asian grocery store as well. All in all, it's well worth the trip.
(5)Holly R.
Update- went here last night with some friends. I got the crispy ka pow chicken and holy moly. The other reviews raving about it were not exaggerating. This stuff is heaven. A bit spicy, crispy, airy, and so so so flavorful. Try this.
(5)Yvette P.
Very very nice little find! Seems like more people should have been here enjoying it! Shrimp pad Thai and pineapple fried rice were delicious. Tom yum soup with shrimp...meh. Could have done without that. Calamari was tasty as well. Waitress was very friendly and helpful.
(4)Cynthia R.
I feel like this place is super Americanized....or something. The food was all very tasty, but it wasn't great or exceptional by any means. I realize that there's not a huge Asian community (soooo unfortunate), so maybe they figure they need to tailor to the demographic they have. Coming from Chicago where I can get fantastic, authentic food from pretty much anywhere in the world, anytime I want, I'm probably judging them according to a different standard. But why should food be mediocre anywhere??? Anywho, I had Tom Kha soup, normally a favorite of mine. It was good here, but not nearly as good as any I've had before. I also had panang curry which was also good, but just ok comparatively. The folks with me had crispy kapow chicken and black bean ginger veggies. Consistently tasty. The crispy kapow had a tasty sauce, though too salty for my taste, and presentation was lovely. There seemed to be alot of food, but it turned out to be a ton of breaded puffs and not much chicken. So, I don't mean to hate, but it was just ok for me dude.
(3)Alima H.
Officially my new favorite Thai restaurant in the mid-Atlantic region. I've been here a couple of times and at each visit I am happily surprised at the quality of the food and the phenomenal taste. After tonight's meal I am going to stop being surprised, because Kanlaya delivers the best. I ordered the Kee Mao with tofu. So smokey, with deep flavors and a complex mix of savory and spicy, rich and fresh. The noodles were chewy and pull-y. The tomatoes were perfectly blistered and sat like little balloons of flavor. The fresh lettuce and bell peppers balanced out the heaviness of the noodles and caught the run-off sauces perfectly. The noodles glistened. The tofu was salty and pleasing. I couldn't stop eating, even after I was way too full. A meal of bone-deep satisfaction. I can't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow! My dining companion got the Pineapple Chicken and only had good things to say about it. There seemed to be only one waitress serving the entire place, so we did have to wait quite a bit for service. But she was wonderfully courteous. Maybe tonight was just exceptionally busy. It's not been quite so packed when I've visited before.
(5)Narisha J.
Curry puffs? Awesome! Kapow chicken? Freaking great! My friend had pineapple chicken fried rice and enjoyed it. I didn't, I thought it tasted more like a desert, with canned pineapples. Was a bit turned off because this place was so empty but I ended up having a great experience. Service was great. Clean, quiet atmosphere. Oh I also had the pineapple smoothie and loved it. Give it a try!
(4)Katherine M.
I ordered the Pad Tofu with rice. They have a pretty large menu and I had an array of options that I was considering, but decided upon this. The service at lunch, around 1pm, was good. The place was virtually empty though. Inside, it is actually pretty cute - I think it is pretty well decorated and nice inside. The overall feel is nice. The pad tofu was good - but nothing spectacular. The tofu was okay, the main sauce of the dish wasn't all too flavorful, but good, but really annoyed me is that I got like 7 little cubes of tofu and a plate full of bean sprouts. I mean, I am not the hugest bean sprout fan, so I basically ate a bowl of rice and a small amount of tofu. That being said, I'll probably go back just because I liked the feel of it so much. I would definitely order something different though!
(3)DesiFoodie A.
Server was a very pleasant lady and the food is definitely above average
(3)Erica H.
Best Thai food I've had. Spicy option is great. Love that the menu is separated for vegetarians. Excellent service and nice atmosphere.
(5)Jacqueline B.
Our last 3 visits here have not been good experiences. I don't know what has been going on but we were served the wrong orders twice... I kind of think I am done with Kanlaya. Oh well, it will force me to give other thai places a chance.
(2)Nikki K.
Went to Kanlaya for the 1st time a few days ago with a friend. We were very impressed. We got 2 appetizers, 4 entrees and 1 drink for $70 with tip, NOT BAD!! Drink: The Thai Iced Tea was great! Appetizers: Dumplings were ok. Nothing special. However, the Chicken Satay was well cooked and the dipping sauce was phenomenal. I don't like peanut sauces that are all peanut with no other flavors. The sauce had a peanut taste but also had a spicy undertone. Texturally it was great too; it was smooth sauce and wasn't like a peanut paste which I've had at other restaurants. Entrees: My friend and I got 2 entrees to eat at the restaurant and 2 for carry-out. I got the Pad See Ew with Tofu and the Panang Curry with Tofu. Both were great. The Pad See Ew noodles weren't over-cooked (which is often the case) and the tofu was soft in both entrees. The panang curry wasn't overly hot but had the appropriate amount of spice. It had a good amount of thai basil making it super fresh. My friend got the Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli which tasted great. Just the right amount of garlic with the shrimp perfectly cooked. They also gave like 10 pieces of shrimp with the broccoli. He also got the Spicy Fried Rice with Chicken. He said the rice had lots of flavor with garlic and basil. All in all this place is great. I'd give it 5 stars, but I've only had it once and I can't comment more. The wait staff was great and helped us navigate the menu well.
(4)Jojo G.
When we visit there it is empty. But their dish is good. I ordered the pad gai and it is really yummi!the lady there is also nice. Also we tired the mango sticky rice for dessert , great!
(4)Ryan O.
The food is authentic and masterfully prepared. The ambiance leaves a little to be desired, but don't let that sway you. The Crispy Chicken and Penyen Chicken were outstanding! Also the Bikini Shrimp is a great appetizer to get you started.
(4)Faustino S.
Great food. Original dishes. I loved the pineapple chicken! Served in a pineapple as the bowl.
(5)Dan R.
I've been to the Asia Mall before, but never to Kanlaya Thai. We stopped for lunch the other day after shopping nearby. They've got a wide selection of beverages to choose from, of which we picked the Durian bubble smoothie (4.00) for our main dishes we tried the fried flounder (15.00) and a spicy chicken dish (i forget the name) for 12.00. We also had a bowl of Tom Yum shrimp soup (4.00) and thai spring rolls (5.50). The service was pretty nice, our waitress was friendly and explained some of the choices available. It was a good experience, we didnt have to wait long and it wasnt too crowded inside. The restaurant looks very new and modern inside, with all sorts of thai decorations & artwork hanging on the walls. They accept VISA & MC. (3.5 stars.)
(3)Leon J.
Recently got takeout here and was very pleasantly surprised. Clean, fast, diverse menu, moderately priced, and attentive staff were a few of the highlights. Will be returning to dine in soon. If you like Thai food, this is worth a try.
(4)Susan F.
When my husband and I moved to Harrisburg from DC about two years ago, one of the (many) restaurants I hated to leave was DC's Kanlaya Thai. So it's hard to express how excited I was when Kanlaya (completely randomly) opened a second restaurant here in the 'Burg, less than 5 minutes from my new home. This is seriously delicious food. While we have ordered around quite a bit on the Kanlaya menu, and everything has been fabulous, we always seem to come back to the larb gai and crispy ka pow chicken. I have nothing to add to the chorus of hosannas for this dish that preceded my own review, except to agree that it is one of the most complex and flavorful plates of food that you will ever have placed in front of you. It takes a Herculean feat of discipline for me not to shove my poor husband's fork aside whenever we order it. It is THAT good. We usually do takeout because we're so close, but the dining room is nice, and the service is always incredibly friendly. I still miss DC, but it's nice to know I can still have a taste of DC whenever the mood strikes.
(5)Brian R.
So I'd consider myself a regular of the Asia Mall, it's close to work and full of tasty eats, and every time I revisit Kanlaya I become more of a fan of this place. This time I tried what seems from all their literature to be the house specialty - Ka Pow chicken. Wow is that stuff good! Such golden crispy perfection doused with delicious spicy sauce and basil. I've been thinking about it since I ate it, really outstanding dish!
(4)cathy c.
They no longer do delivery
(3)Andrea T.
I used to frequent Asia Mall a lot on Tuesdays, and my "usual" buys were banh mi from the bakery next door. Afterward, I would stop by Kanlaya Thai for Thai tea with bubbles. Their tapioca bubbles were nice and soft, and the tea was sweet and addictive. Once, to change it up a bit, I ordered the pad see ew, and it was good. The taste was not very memorable (but I guess it's just noodles stir fried with soy sauce, eh?), but I just love the texture of the flat noodles. The server I talked to at the front was very friendly and made polite conversation. I think I'll try a curry dish next time.... or the kapow chicken (if it really does look like the picture posted). The lighting is a bit too dim. I remember the first time I walked past the restaurant, I thought it was a club.
(3)Andrew H.
Wow! The food here is amazing. Thai has been my favorite cuisine for the past several years and I never tried this place before. Had the panang curry, ka pow chicken, and drunk noodles. All were spot on. A must try!
(5)Michelle S.
I love this place! They have the best vegetable and tofu green curry I have ever had!!. It's full of spices and colorful vegetables. I prefer to get take-out, but the food is always plentiful, fresh, and delicious! Staff is always super friendly and ordering is easy and precise. I always recommend this place to others!
(5)Alexis M.
I have eaten here twice now, and I like it more and more each time. The service is excellent, the atmosphere is nice, and the place generally looks pretty clean. Oh, and it's BYOB if you're into that sort of thing. The menu is very big and it can be a little hard to make a decision, but the waitstaff is very willing to give suggestions. My first visit was for lunch (which includes free egg rolls, I might add). I had the taro bubble tea, which was delicious. It was thick and frozen and tasted like cold, liquid rice pudding. I also had the tom kha gai and the green papaya salad (both staples for me). I hate to compare to other places, but I think it's makes for a helpful review. The tom kha gai was slightly salty but still good, and the papaya salad could have used just a little more lime and fish sauce, but generally they were both very good. I still prefer Bangkok 56 if I had to choose (and definitely put Kanlaya above Bangkok Wok), but the prices here are a lot better and it's definitely still worth going to. I also had the Kee Mao, which was very good. I had tons of leftovers (I like to order a lot and take little tastes of lots of things), so the bf got to taste and he also enjoyed the food. My second visit was for dinner. I went with the bf, and so we had Siam Dumplings (very good) and the Kanlaya Grilled Pork which looked nothing like the picture but was very good. For dinner, he had the Crispy Kapow Chicken (gotta love fried basil) and I had the Sizzling Siam Beef. The Kapow Chicken was breaded but was very delicate and was fried to perfection. The Siam Beef had a wonderful flavor and was tender. We were both very happy with our meals. I suggest a visit to Kanlaya. We enjoyed ourselves very much.
(4)Jedd J.
When a tour bus arrives right before you... watch out. Continued on thaifoodaficionado.com
(4)Kevin C.
We stopped in here on our way south...we were a little taken back by the strip mall location but glad that we stayed. Cashew chicken was easily the best I've ever had and curry was excellent as well. We would highly recommend this place if you like Thai!
(5)Paul C.
I had the vegetable soup and the yellow curry with tofu. Both were very good and the service was excellent. It is BYOB.
(4)John C.
Since it was my first time here, I wanted to try their Pad Thai. Unfortunately, the taste was the same as the other Pad Thai in the area. Nothing really special, just average. I am comparing the flavor that I normally got when I was in LA where I often order Pad Thai at Thai restaurants. For drinks I ordered the taro boba smoothie. Not sure if it was a smart idea since it was 26F outside. Aside from my obvious mental issues, the smoothie was pretty good. This is the first time I have seen an establishment sell boba drinks since I've moved here about 3 years ago. I miss it and glad this establishment has it. It was very tasty and the boba were nice and warm. The only downside to the drink is that they use too much ice. Cold boba is not good to chew. The decor was nice although I would not suggest getting a booth, the table is rather small and the both are rather large. Was a bit uncomfortable sitting and trying to reach my food. Overall, this was just average. I might come back for the boba, although a bit expensive(should be $2 or less rather than $3.5 for the amount). But I guess that is how it is when there are no other competitors..T_T
(3)Ruth B.
Don't let the shady-looking location dissuade you. This place hands down has the best Thai food in the area! I absolutely love Thai food and when I moved to the area I made it my mission to try all the Thai restaurants and seek out the best. My all time favorite dishes are the green curry, the pad see ew, and the chicken rama. The bubble tea is not as good as other places I've had it, but I don't know any other place to get it in the area and it's definitely decent. I give this place 4 stars because although the food is great, the location and atmosphere are definitely lacking which is why I tend to do takeout.
(4)Adam A.
Love this place! My favorite Thai restaurant in the area, though I'll admit I haven't tried others. Haven't felt the need to and this place is a couple blocks from work. There isn't much of a staff, but the owner is super friendly and already knows what I order. She tries to push the Crispy Ka Pow Chicken, which is good, but I recommend the regular Ka Pow Chicken. It's much juicier. When you are done, you can take a stroll to the Asian grocery store and stock up on Asian food.
(5)J R.
Edit July 2010 Decided to go back after reading all the rave reviews. I'll upgrade my review to 3 stars but still had better thai elsewhere. I decided to get the Crispy Ka Pow Chicken since that seems to be the dish of choice on Yelp. It was just ok. I did not wow me or my wife. It was fried perfectly but lacking some flavor in my opinion. Also very dry, was expecting more sauce but that's ok since it apparantly is not a saucy dish. It was mildly spicy, I can taste the basil but it was just lacking something. Interestlingly, I tried the soup again and broth still bland. The table next to us actually sent their soup back. They said the broth tasted like water. They did say it normally is not that bland so maybe it was an off day. Not sure what soup they got. The service is very good and staff is friendly. I'll give them 3 stars overall...
(3)Jen J.
Crispy Kapaow Chicken. Memorize the name because you don't even need to look at anything else on the menu. I dont know how they make it sweet and hot and crispy and soft all at the same time, but it's like heaven on a plate! I will say, the spring rolls are yummy (both fresh and fried), too. The locale (in the Asia mall) isn't anything great and the bathrooms are located out in the main portion of the mall, not in the restaurant, but the Crispy Kapow erases any of these imperfections.
(4)Daniel A.
I go here twice a month, if not more. The food is really quality and I have never been disappointed! I recommend the Pad Thai, kee Mao, and the Green Papaya Salad. I also enjoy the fact that whenever I add chicken to anything, they use good cuts of white breast meat - tasty but still seemingly healthy. Highly recommend.
(4)Alison S.
We moved here from Toronto and weren't sure we'd ever find good enough Thai food to make us happy. We tried a handful of the other Harrisburg Thai places and never got completely psyched. Since we tried Kanlaya we haven't felt the need to look anywhere else. The food is right on, every time. The waitstaff are friendly and knowledgeable. Portions are typical for Thai restaurants -- big enough to share, so you can try everything on the table. Excellent Panang curry, awesome pad see ew, delicious soups. Just great, all around. We don't even miss Toronto Thai that much any more.
(5)Hannah N.
First of all, four stars taking locale into consideration. We're in Harrisburg. I have been here numerous times - enough times for everybody working here to recognize that if I walk in, I usually go straight to ordering take out boba. But I've also dined here quite a few times too. Two things that make this place special and worth repeat visits: 1. BOBA TEA, like, legit boba tea 2. Crispy kapow chicken First of all, where else would you go to get boba in Harrisburg?! The powdered stuff sold at the mall is just nonsense. That stuff tastes like glorified sunny D. There are two things that make up a boba: the liquid portion of the drink, and then the boba pearls. This place does both quite well. I've tried all of their bobas. Taro, green tea, avocado, and watermelon are probably my favorites. Here's where Kanlaya's boba is special: they really try to steer clear of the powdered nonsense unless it is say, honeydew melon, where grinding real honeydew really doesn't pack enough flavor due to the ultra wateriness. And even then, it is used sparingly. Their taro really has real bits of nutty taro in it. Their avocado tastes exactly just like a big cup of creamy smooth liquid avocado. Their watermelon is like you stuck a straw into the juiciest watermelon and now you're getting only the refreshing, summery sweet goodness (and you would want to order this in the summer, not right now in the middle of winter when watermelons are not even in season anyways). Their green tea is not too sweet, perfect blend of bittersweet matcha green tea and cream (compared to Starbucks green tea fraps - the Starbucks stuff is WAY TOO SWEET and not enough green tea, like a green melon vanilla frapp). Finally, Their pearls are... amazing. Not too hard, not too mushy, not too bland, just the right amount of sweet and chewy, just perfect. They cook them in batches so they don't sit forever and expand into mushy grossness like some places do. If they run out, they run out unless you're willing to field a 30 minute wait for them to re-cook. Now for the second item, the crispy kapow chicken. (and make sure it's the CRISPY kapow, because I'm pretty sure they have normal kapow chicken too). This place is otherwise a pretty standard thai place, not bad, not orgasm inducingly excellent, just unassumingly delicious. But the crispy kapow chicken is the stuff that my dreams are made of. A flavor explosion in your mouth. The crispy kapow chicken is why I keep going to Kanlaya instead of Bankok 56, even though I really like Bankok 56. This stuff is not supposed to have a lot of sauce on it, it is perfectly flavorful the way it is. A perfectly crispy crackly crunchy outside, non-greasy, non-heavy and airy light inside. It hits all the flavor notes of salty sweet sour with a hint of spicy without having one flavor overwhelm the other. The crispy fried thai basil leaves decorating the plate leaving you with a mouthful of aroma and perfect bitterness. Ah, now my mouth is watering.
(4)Art C.
Got the (green) Papaya/Shrimp salad and Kee Mao (beef) for take out. Everything was very good and portions quite reasonable. The Kee Mao was listed as medium spicy and... actually was medium spicy. As someone who eats (very) spicy food every day, it's a rare treat not to have to add hot pepper.
(4)Suzy M.
We LOVE Kanlaya! --Sweet staff who remember you when you return and incredible food. Foods that we get that have not been mentioned are the Panang Curry/Chicken, which is out of this world, so flavorful and another is the Pad Gai/Beef. If you love noodles, the thick ones, this is your kinda entree. Love both the fried spring rolls as well as the chicken on a stick appetizer whose name eludes me right now....great peanut dipping sauce that I could eat by the spoonful! We could go here every Friday night for dinner, it's that good. And, I am very picky. We did have some issues about slow service around the holidays, but that seems to have worked itself out. We go for two reasons: the great food and sweet serving staff. If you don't feel great after eating a meal, as you walk out, we figure why patronize the restaurant? This is a feel good place. Also check online at the coupon clipper for coupons. They take ours with a smile.
(5)Epicurean I.
Good Food, Great Taste, Value for Money, NOT expensive Lunch come with spring rolls. Spacious, friendly staff, menu has lot of selections, Easy to reach - right off the exit for 13th street.
(4)fatima m.
Absolutely loved their Crispy Kapow chicken, Sticky Rice with Mango, and the Bubble Tea. - Pineapple Chicken was pretty good not mind blowing. - pad thai was different but still good. Definitely plan to revisit. :-)
(5)Calvin D.
This place has consistently good Thai food. I do not get here as much as I would like.
(4)T W.
Recently tried Kanlaya on my first visit to the Asia Mall. I'll review the Asia Mall seperately (wonderful). The Thai food here was very good! Definitely as good as many great Thai restaurants in NYC I've eaten at living there. The Crispy Kaw Pow Chicken was delicious, perfectly fried and fresh ingredients...absolutely love the fried basil leaves on it. And the Pad See Ew was very nice as well. Prices are good, no doubt thanks to the location and proximity to Hall Manor, you can't be too hoity toity. But don't be scared off by the location, this place is a gem. My new favorite Thai in Harrisubrg, better than Bangkok 56 IMO.
(4)Erin G.
I've been to Thailand and this place totally nailed it! The green papaya salad is the best I've had. The delivery was faster than expected.
(5)Scott B.
The service was friendly (and patient--which was nice), and the delivery was prompt. I thought the food was very good...just this side of gourmet. Add to that the very affordable pricing, and you've got a winner.
(4)Caleb N.
We got some curries, a milk tea with tapioca, and the sweet rice and mango dessert. All were very authentic, especially the very tasty dessert. Decor and service were OK as well. Normally, I might give a restaurant like this three stars, but considering the quality and authenticity of the food and the boldness of opening in a city with little Thai, or Asian more broadly, cuisine, it deserves a slight ratings bump. Definitely a must-try for anyone who likes Asian food in the area.
(4)Jane R.
Very good Thai food and I don't have to cross the river. I am partial to the curry coconut sauces and my husband has found two new favorites, the kapow chicken and the "rama in jacuzzi", odd name for tasty chicken in peanut sauce. I see that they have items with durian on the menu. I don't know if I'm brave enough to try that or not :)
(4)Laurey W.
Hands down my favorite Thai place in Harrisburg. The crispy ka pow chicken is amazing! My only complaint is when I ask for really really spicy they don't seem to take me seriously.
(4)Melissa O.
This is my new favorite restaurant! Tried the red curry and it was the perfect heat and flavor combination. I'll be going back regularly!
(5)Best F.
Great food, especially drunken noodles! I've also tried their seafood dish in the pic and simply amazing. This is a place where you can get genuinely hot and spicy food!
(5)Kevin B.
This was my first time in the Harrisburg Asian Mall and my first time at Kanlaya. I came here with a couple of friends on a Friday night and the meal was overall very good. I love Thai food and was told to try the crispy kapow chicken. Boy am I glad I did! It was amazing!!! I would definitely get that dish again; I ate every bite that I could. The only downside to our meal was that they ran out of boba, but settling for Thai tea is not bad at all since Thai tea is pretty amazing. Overall, a very nice place!
(4)Rebecca H.
Kanlaya is hidden in a nondescript strip mall (aptly titled "Asia Mall"). When we walked in on a weekday night, we were the only customers in the restaurant, which made us a bit apprehensive. The ambiance was decent, though the soundtrack of the evening consisted of pan flute covers of three famous rock songs, on repeat (which provided a continuing source of entertainment for us, if nothing else). My Thai iced tea was delicious. However, the curry I ordered was extremely spicy (and I say that as someone accustomed to regularly eating spicy food), to the point that some of my dining companions with weaker digestive systems complained of stomach problems the following day. TMI? Probably. I'll just chalk it up to the interest of full disclosure. The waitress never asked us how spicy we wanted our entrees to be before bringing us our food, which seems like a pretty major oversight. However, especially given that we didn't complain to her at any point, she was also inexplicably apologetic throughout the meal; every time she came to our table, she would say "Sorry" multiple times, to the point that it made us uncomfortable. In all fairness, though, I enjoyed the food at Kanlaya. I would consider returning, as long as I remember to ask for less spicy curry and mentally prepare myself for the soothing sounds of vaguely ethnic-sounding 80s rock ballads. Or maybe I'll just get take-out next time.
(3)Alicia S.
Great place for Thai food, I always get the Eggplant entree & Tom Yum Soup, its always excellent. Mango & sweet sticky rice is good, but last time it was colored a light green, still tasted good but not the best I've had. They have Boba Smoothies in a variety of flavors, all that I've tried were delicious. Service is always pretty good too.
(4)Ash M.
Two words: Bubble. Tea. This is one of only 2 places I know of in the Harrisburg area that serves BOBA (I'm from LA, and I need my boba fix damnit!!!!) I came here recently for a birthday dinner with my bf, and we ordered up a storm. Everything was fresh and delicious!! Recommendations include: 1. any of the noodle dishes (We got shrimp pad thai and chicken and egg noodle) 2. the crispy ka pow chicken 3. BUBBLE TEA!!! The only downer is that it's located at a rundown strip mall called "Asia Mall" -- where there are 2 restaurants and a strange store that seems to sell pedicure chairs?........RANDOM!!!! It's a weird place, but if you don't mind the drive, it's well worth it!!
(4)Ulysses R.
My wife and I tried a couple of new dishes. I ordered the Wild Curry and she asked for the Rama. The Wild Curry was very good with a more traditional attempt, excellent! The Rama was good on broccoli. Panang was on point and as expected. Portions were the right size. I wish this place was closer to home so I could eat here more often.
(4)Mary P.
Best thai in Harrisburg, period. Food is consistently good. I've tried all of their curries and each one is fab.
(5)Athena C.
This place was amazing!!! We are both vegetarians, and my mom ordered the Wild Curry, which she thought to be amazing, and even had fresh peppercorns in it (the green ones that haven't been dried yet). I ordered the Pad See Ew. It was SO flavorful. I've ordered he many places before, and I've never had it with such a great pan fried flavor. I was extremely happy with my dish. We also got Thai iced tea which could have had a little less cream in it. Such a gem! Worth the stop!
(5)Christian G.
I got the pineapple chicken and although the meal was very pleasing on the eyes the seasoning was a little weak.
(3)James B.
All my Thai food loving friends - you will want to go to this restaurant if you're in the Harrisburg area! Don't let the outside fool you! It's clean and the food is absolutely delicious! Strongly recommend the KaPow Crispy Chicken and the Tom Kha soup! Ask for Joanna! Great server!
(4)Holly R.
Update- went here last night with some friends. I got the crispy ka pow chicken and holy moly. The other reviews raving about it were not exaggerating. This stuff is heaven. A bit spicy, crispy, airy, and so so so flavorful. Try this.
(5)Yvette P.
Very very nice little find! Seems like more people should have been here enjoying it! Shrimp pad Thai and pineapple fried rice were delicious. Tom yum soup with shrimp...meh. Could have done without that. Calamari was tasty as well. Waitress was very friendly and helpful.
(4)Rene D.
Omg went here one nite to check it out. Fabulously delicious ! Appetizer had the dumplings ! Wow different and good. The Krispy Ka Pow chicken is Sooo crispy to the last bite. Not over breaded and lite n tasty. Hubby had Masaman Curry also tasty with the coconut milk and potatoes with vegis mmmm over rice. I really wanted mango sticky rice for dessert but had no room. Those crispy morsels kept me coming at the plate. He he. When we left we had to try smoothies with boba in it. Boy had mango/ pineapple with ( hope I get it right) mango popping pearls ( juice inside- fun) & girl had raspberry banana with reg tapioca pearls ( gummy like). Both were a nice finish to go after spicey food. Warning they are a bit sweet tho but good! Next day while still in town we came back. Appetizer today Tod Mun. Never had it before. It was really good. Was minced meats and shrimp in I think 3 or 4 medallions with a wonderful cold cucumber vinegret dipping sauce. Wow try that!! today was I had pad see ewe with beef ( could only eat half , rest to go). Super savory and a bit sweet. Boy had shrimp Pad Thai and the shrimp were huge! Also good! Got our two boba's to go again! Lol well I don't think they could screw anything up! Next wk back in Harrisburg ... I foresee another visit....
(5)Gautam V.
Foodie heaven :) Have been coming here for 3 yrs now. Their food is good is an "understatement" as I have never once been disappointed in my 30 or so times eating here. Never miss it when I come in from NJ. To add to their masterfully made dishes they are very courteous and remember their guests by name and food choices. Try it and u will probably never wanna eat Thai any place else
(5)Punit S.
Got take out. Pretty standard, chicken pad Thai to go. Food was ok in my opinion. Nothing spectacular but it wasn't terrible either. Overall happy with the food. Reasonable portion and prices, highly recommend if you have a Thai craving in central pa!... Options are limited.
(3)Masud H.
Ka Pow Chicken is a unique dish. Excellent, fried and moist with a good spicy basil sauce. Menu looked great otherwise, had a vege pad thai and a "basil fried rice". Decent prices. Food took a little time to come out but was worth the wait. Didn't get to try the curries. But would definitely return.
(4)Elle C.
Good food but terrible location. Big restaurant but old..and in a dying, abandoned Asian plaza.
(3)Anum H.
Got the thai iced boba tea since I didn't want it as a smoothie. Every other flavor option is for a smoothie style boba drink. The thai bubble tea was pretty good and the bubbles were perfect. Best bubble tea in harrisburg... Which makes me sad. I want a legit bubble tea place to exist here. But until that becomes a reality, kanlaya will have to do. Boyfriend got the mango smoothie with mango jelly and he liked it.
(4)Alan R.
Terrible service. Penny pinchers. The pad Thai was a soggy mush. Never going there again. I do not recommend this place to anyone.
(1)DC M.
Great Thai place, Americanized a little bit for the Central PA palate, but solid all around. The crispy kapow chicken is excellent. The other Thai staples (pad Thai, drunken noodle) are solid.
(4)Alicia S.
Great place for Thai food, I always get the Eggplant entree & Tom Yum Soup, its always excellent. Mango & sweet sticky rice is good, but last time it was colored a light green, still tasted good but not the best I've had. They have Boba Smoothies in a variety of flavors, all that I've tried were delicious. Service is always pretty good too.
(4)Garry W.
One night visit to Hburg, checked my Garmin for a Thai restaurant and found Kanlaya. Located in an Asian Mall, it is casual sit down. Every other patron on a Friday night was Asian which I took as a good omen. They sat me way off in a corner which made me feel segregated, but I got over it. Started with the Tom Yum soup which was loaded with quartered mushrooms and 3 good size shrimp - it truly was Yum. For dinner, had the Spicy Garden with tofu. The portion size was huge and chock full of yummy veggies. Wish I got the shrimp because the tofu became too filling with the rice and veggies. No wine available so bring your own. Also, no brown rice but don't bring your own LOL. Service was very inconsistent, which I am finding to be true of many family-owned Thai restaurants - perhaps the adult children don't really want to be working, but they are not very friendly. I had to ask 3 times for ice water when I first sat down. Also, a large party of 6 adults and 5 kids came in, and the mom brought McDonalds for the 3 little ones - the server wouldnt let them eat the McDonalds, which was just silly and arbitrary. So the kids sat playing video games and starved while the adults ate and the McDonalds bags sat on the table uneaten - not a way to treat a large party. So, while the food is outstanding, I am deducting a star for 2 reasons - first, the service and poor treatment of a large party, and second, they don't have brown rice.
(4)Robin B.
One bite of my friend's Penang Chicken and I was ready to give this place 4 or 5 stars. After all, I ordered takeout and the staff was super friendly when I arrived. My Thai Iced Boba Tea was a tad bit too sweet, but it was still delicious and the Boba were perfect! I was in heaven and I was super excited to try my favorite dish, Drunken Noodles. I was so DISAPPOINTED!! I won't say this is the worst Drunken Noodles I ever had, but it was bad. My dish was not that spicy and it was overpowered by the taste of oil. I then ate a super-dry thick spring roll. They were ok, but I enjoy rolls that are flakier and more flavorful. I ended my meal on a positive note with some delicious mango and sticky rice. I think they were like a 3.5 tonight. I hope they were just having an off night with the Drunken Noodles and I'm willing to gamble on the lunch portion in the future. I really want to like this place.
(3)E S.
This is a wonderful place to go eat! My wife and I visited it on a Saturday night, and every single part of our meal was wonderful. We started with a delicious papaya salad that compares well with most anything that I've had in larger cities like Philly when I've visited there. We both had noodle dishes, Pad Thai specifically, that were very tasty and just the right size for take home. My wife was also a fan of the dessert bananas. This place is off the 13th street exit of 83, not far from the Chevy dealership, and part of the Asia Mall. When you're finished eating there, you can check out a cute little Asian grocery store as well. All in all, it's well worth the trip.
(5)Cynthia R.
I feel like this place is super Americanized....or something. The food was all very tasty, but it wasn't great or exceptional by any means. I realize that there's not a huge Asian community (soooo unfortunate), so maybe they figure they need to tailor to the demographic they have. Coming from Chicago where I can get fantastic, authentic food from pretty much anywhere in the world, anytime I want, I'm probably judging them according to a different standard. But why should food be mediocre anywhere??? Anywho, I had Tom Kha soup, normally a favorite of mine. It was good here, but not nearly as good as any I've had before. I also had panang curry which was also good, but just ok comparatively. The folks with me had crispy kapow chicken and black bean ginger veggies. Consistently tasty. The crispy kapow had a tasty sauce, though too salty for my taste, and presentation was lovely. There seemed to be alot of food, but it turned out to be a ton of breaded puffs and not much chicken. So, I don't mean to hate, but it was just ok for me dude.
(3)Ash M.
Two words: Bubble. Tea. This is one of only 2 places I know of in the Harrisburg area that serves BOBA (I'm from LA, and I need my boba fix damnit!!!!) I came here recently for a birthday dinner with my bf, and we ordered up a storm. Everything was fresh and delicious!! Recommendations include: 1. any of the noodle dishes (We got shrimp pad thai and chicken and egg noodle) 2. the crispy ka pow chicken 3. BUBBLE TEA!!! The only downer is that it's located at a rundown strip mall called "Asia Mall" -- where there are 2 restaurants and a strange store that seems to sell pedicure chairs?........RANDOM!!!! It's a weird place, but if you don't mind the drive, it's well worth it!!
(4)Alima H.
Officially my new favorite Thai restaurant in the mid-Atlantic region. I've been here a couple of times and at each visit I am happily surprised at the quality of the food and the phenomenal taste. After tonight's meal I am going to stop being surprised, because Kanlaya delivers the best. I ordered the Kee Mao with tofu. So smokey, with deep flavors and a complex mix of savory and spicy, rich and fresh. The noodles were chewy and pull-y. The tomatoes were perfectly blistered and sat like little balloons of flavor. The fresh lettuce and bell peppers balanced out the heaviness of the noodles and caught the run-off sauces perfectly. The noodles glistened. The tofu was salty and pleasing. I couldn't stop eating, even after I was way too full. A meal of bone-deep satisfaction. I can't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow! My dining companion got the Pineapple Chicken and only had good things to say about it. There seemed to be only one waitress serving the entire place, so we did have to wait quite a bit for service. But she was wonderfully courteous. Maybe tonight was just exceptionally busy. It's not been quite so packed when I've visited before.
(5)Narisha J.
Curry puffs? Awesome! Kapow chicken? Freaking great! My friend had pineapple chicken fried rice and enjoyed it. I didn't, I thought it tasted more like a desert, with canned pineapples. Was a bit turned off because this place was so empty but I ended up having a great experience. Service was great. Clean, quiet atmosphere. Oh I also had the pineapple smoothie and loved it. Give it a try!
(4)Kevin B.
This was my first time in the Harrisburg Asian Mall and my first time at Kanlaya. I came here with a couple of friends on a Friday night and the meal was overall very good. I love Thai food and was told to try the crispy kapow chicken. Boy am I glad I did! It was amazing!!! I would definitely get that dish again; I ate every bite that I could. The only downside to our meal was that they ran out of boba, but settling for Thai tea is not bad at all since Thai tea is pretty amazing. Overall, a very nice place!
(4)Rebecca H.
Kanlaya is hidden in a nondescript strip mall (aptly titled "Asia Mall"). When we walked in on a weekday night, we were the only customers in the restaurant, which made us a bit apprehensive. The ambiance was decent, though the soundtrack of the evening consisted of pan flute covers of three famous rock songs, on repeat (which provided a continuing source of entertainment for us, if nothing else). My Thai iced tea was delicious. However, the curry I ordered was extremely spicy (and I say that as someone accustomed to regularly eating spicy food), to the point that some of my dining companions with weaker digestive systems complained of stomach problems the following day. TMI? Probably. I'll just chalk it up to the interest of full disclosure. The waitress never asked us how spicy we wanted our entrees to be before bringing us our food, which seems like a pretty major oversight. However, especially given that we didn't complain to her at any point, she was also inexplicably apologetic throughout the meal; every time she came to our table, she would say "Sorry" multiple times, to the point that it made us uncomfortable. In all fairness, though, I enjoyed the food at Kanlaya. I would consider returning, as long as I remember to ask for less spicy curry and mentally prepare myself for the soothing sounds of vaguely ethnic-sounding 80s rock ballads. Or maybe I'll just get take-out next time.
(3)Katherine M.
I ordered the Pad Tofu with rice. They have a pretty large menu and I had an array of options that I was considering, but decided upon this. The service at lunch, around 1pm, was good. The place was virtually empty though. Inside, it is actually pretty cute - I think it is pretty well decorated and nice inside. The overall feel is nice. The pad tofu was good - but nothing spectacular. The tofu was okay, the main sauce of the dish wasn't all too flavorful, but good, but really annoyed me is that I got like 7 little cubes of tofu and a plate full of bean sprouts. I mean, I am not the hugest bean sprout fan, so I basically ate a bowl of rice and a small amount of tofu. That being said, I'll probably go back just because I liked the feel of it so much. I would definitely order something different though!
(3)DesiFoodie A.
Server was a very pleasant lady and the food is definitely above average
(3)Alexis M.
I have eaten here twice now, and I like it more and more each time. The service is excellent, the atmosphere is nice, and the place generally looks pretty clean. Oh, and it's BYOB if you're into that sort of thing. The menu is very big and it can be a little hard to make a decision, but the waitstaff is very willing to give suggestions. My first visit was for lunch (which includes free egg rolls, I might add). I had the taro bubble tea, which was delicious. It was thick and frozen and tasted like cold, liquid rice pudding. I also had the tom kha gai and the green papaya salad (both staples for me). I hate to compare to other places, but I think it's makes for a helpful review. The tom kha gai was slightly salty but still good, and the papaya salad could have used just a little more lime and fish sauce, but generally they were both very good. I still prefer Bangkok 56 if I had to choose (and definitely put Kanlaya above Bangkok Wok), but the prices here are a lot better and it's definitely still worth going to. I also had the Kee Mao, which was very good. I had tons of leftovers (I like to order a lot and take little tastes of lots of things), so the bf got to taste and he also enjoyed the food. My second visit was for dinner. I went with the bf, and so we had Siam Dumplings (very good) and the Kanlaya Grilled Pork which looked nothing like the picture but was very good. For dinner, he had the Crispy Kapow Chicken (gotta love fried basil) and I had the Sizzling Siam Beef. The Kapow Chicken was breaded but was very delicate and was fried to perfection. The Siam Beef had a wonderful flavor and was tender. We were both very happy with our meals. I suggest a visit to Kanlaya. We enjoyed ourselves very much.
(4)Jedd J.
When a tour bus arrives right before you... watch out. Continued on thaifoodaficionado.com
(4)Nikki K.
Went to Kanlaya for the 1st time a few days ago with a friend. We were very impressed. We got 2 appetizers, 4 entrees and 1 drink for $70 with tip, NOT BAD!! Drink: The Thai Iced Tea was great! Appetizers: Dumplings were ok. Nothing special. However, the Chicken Satay was well cooked and the dipping sauce was phenomenal. I don't like peanut sauces that are all peanut with no other flavors. The sauce had a peanut taste but also had a spicy undertone. Texturally it was great too; it was smooth sauce and wasn't like a peanut paste which I've had at other restaurants. Entrees: My friend and I got 2 entrees to eat at the restaurant and 2 for carry-out. I got the Pad See Ew with Tofu and the Panang Curry with Tofu. Both were great. The Pad See Ew noodles weren't over-cooked (which is often the case) and the tofu was soft in both entrees. The panang curry wasn't overly hot but had the appropriate amount of spice. It had a good amount of thai basil making it super fresh. My friend got the Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli which tasted great. Just the right amount of garlic with the shrimp perfectly cooked. They also gave like 10 pieces of shrimp with the broccoli. He also got the Spicy Fried Rice with Chicken. He said the rice had lots of flavor with garlic and basil. All in all this place is great. I'd give it 5 stars, but I've only had it once and I can't comment more. The wait staff was great and helped us navigate the menu well.
(4)Jojo G.
When we visit there it is empty. But their dish is good. I ordered the pad gai and it is really yummi!the lady there is also nice. Also we tired the mango sticky rice for dessert , great!
(4)Ryan O.
The food is authentic and masterfully prepared. The ambiance leaves a little to be desired, but don't let that sway you. The Crispy Chicken and Penyen Chicken were outstanding! Also the Bikini Shrimp is a great appetizer to get you started.
(4)Faustino S.
Great food. Original dishes. I loved the pineapple chicken! Served in a pineapple as the bowl.
(5)Dan R.
I've been to the Asia Mall before, but never to Kanlaya Thai. We stopped for lunch the other day after shopping nearby. They've got a wide selection of beverages to choose from, of which we picked the Durian bubble smoothie (4.00) for our main dishes we tried the fried flounder (15.00) and a spicy chicken dish (i forget the name) for 12.00. We also had a bowl of Tom Yum shrimp soup (4.00) and thai spring rolls (5.50). The service was pretty nice, our waitress was friendly and explained some of the choices available. It was a good experience, we didnt have to wait long and it wasnt too crowded inside. The restaurant looks very new and modern inside, with all sorts of thai decorations & artwork hanging on the walls. They accept VISA & MC. (3.5 stars.)
(3)Michelle S.
I love this place! They have the best vegetable and tofu green curry I have ever had!!. It's full of spices and colorful vegetables. I prefer to get take-out, but the food is always plentiful, fresh, and delicious! Staff is always super friendly and ordering is easy and precise. I always recommend this place to others!
(5)Ruth B.
Don't let the shady-looking location dissuade you. This place hands down has the best Thai food in the area! I absolutely love Thai food and when I moved to the area I made it my mission to try all the Thai restaurants and seek out the best. My all time favorite dishes are the green curry, the pad see ew, and the chicken rama. The bubble tea is not as good as other places I've had it, but I don't know any other place to get it in the area and it's definitely decent. I give this place 4 stars because although the food is great, the location and atmosphere are definitely lacking which is why I tend to do takeout.
(4)Adam A.
Love this place! My favorite Thai restaurant in the area, though I'll admit I haven't tried others. Haven't felt the need to and this place is a couple blocks from work. There isn't much of a staff, but the owner is super friendly and already knows what I order. She tries to push the Crispy Ka Pow Chicken, which is good, but I recommend the regular Ka Pow Chicken. It's much juicier. When you are done, you can take a stroll to the Asian grocery store and stock up on Asian food.
(5)John C.
Since it was my first time here, I wanted to try their Pad Thai. Unfortunately, the taste was the same as the other Pad Thai in the area. Nothing really special, just average. I am comparing the flavor that I normally got when I was in LA where I often order Pad Thai at Thai restaurants. For drinks I ordered the taro boba smoothie. Not sure if it was a smart idea since it was 26F outside. Aside from my obvious mental issues, the smoothie was pretty good. This is the first time I have seen an establishment sell boba drinks since I've moved here about 3 years ago. I miss it and glad this establishment has it. It was very tasty and the boba were nice and warm. The only downside to the drink is that they use too much ice. Cold boba is not good to chew. The decor was nice although I would not suggest getting a booth, the table is rather small and the both are rather large. Was a bit uncomfortable sitting and trying to reach my food. Overall, this was just average. I might come back for the boba, although a bit expensive(should be $2 or less rather than $3.5 for the amount). But I guess that is how it is when there are no other competitors..T_T
(3)Erica H.
Best Thai food I've had. Spicy option is great. Love that the menu is separated for vegetarians. Excellent service and nice atmosphere.
(5)Jacqueline B.
Our last 3 visits here have not been good experiences. I don't know what has been going on but we were served the wrong orders twice... I kind of think I am done with Kanlaya. Oh well, it will force me to give other thai places a chance.
(2)J R.
Edit July 2010 Decided to go back after reading all the rave reviews. I'll upgrade my review to 3 stars but still had better thai elsewhere. I decided to get the Crispy Ka Pow Chicken since that seems to be the dish of choice on Yelp. It was just ok. I did not wow me or my wife. It was fried perfectly but lacking some flavor in my opinion. Also very dry, was expecting more sauce but that's ok since it apparantly is not a saucy dish. It was mildly spicy, I can taste the basil but it was just lacking something. Interestlingly, I tried the soup again and broth still bland. The table next to us actually sent their soup back. They said the broth tasted like water. They did say it normally is not that bland so maybe it was an off day. Not sure what soup they got. The service is very good and staff is friendly. I'll give them 3 stars overall...
(3)Jen J.
Crispy Kapaow Chicken. Memorize the name because you don't even need to look at anything else on the menu. I dont know how they make it sweet and hot and crispy and soft all at the same time, but it's like heaven on a plate! I will say, the spring rolls are yummy (both fresh and fried), too. The locale (in the Asia mall) isn't anything great and the bathrooms are located out in the main portion of the mall, not in the restaurant, but the Crispy Kapow erases any of these imperfections.
(4)T W.
Recently tried Kanlaya on my first visit to the Asia Mall. I'll review the Asia Mall seperately (wonderful). The Thai food here was very good! Definitely as good as many great Thai restaurants in NYC I've eaten at living there. The Crispy Kaw Pow Chicken was delicious, perfectly fried and fresh ingredients...absolutely love the fried basil leaves on it. And the Pad See Ew was very nice as well. Prices are good, no doubt thanks to the location and proximity to Hall Manor, you can't be too hoity toity. But don't be scared off by the location, this place is a gem. My new favorite Thai in Harrisubrg, better than Bangkok 56 IMO.
(4)Erin G.
I've been to Thailand and this place totally nailed it! The green papaya salad is the best I've had. The delivery was faster than expected.
(5)Scott B.
The service was friendly (and patient--which was nice), and the delivery was prompt. I thought the food was very good...just this side of gourmet. Add to that the very affordable pricing, and you've got a winner.
(4)Caleb N.
We got some curries, a milk tea with tapioca, and the sweet rice and mango dessert. All were very authentic, especially the very tasty dessert. Decor and service were OK as well. Normally, I might give a restaurant like this three stars, but considering the quality and authenticity of the food and the boldness of opening in a city with little Thai, or Asian more broadly, cuisine, it deserves a slight ratings bump. Definitely a must-try for anyone who likes Asian food in the area.
(4)Susan F.
When my husband and I moved to Harrisburg from DC about two years ago, one of the (many) restaurants I hated to leave was DC's Kanlaya Thai. So it's hard to express how excited I was when Kanlaya (completely randomly) opened a second restaurant here in the 'Burg, less than 5 minutes from my new home. This is seriously delicious food. While we have ordered around quite a bit on the Kanlaya menu, and everything has been fabulous, we always seem to come back to the larb gai and crispy ka pow chicken. I have nothing to add to the chorus of hosannas for this dish that preceded my own review, except to agree that it is one of the most complex and flavorful plates of food that you will ever have placed in front of you. It takes a Herculean feat of discipline for me not to shove my poor husband's fork aside whenever we order it. It is THAT good. We usually do takeout because we're so close, but the dining room is nice, and the service is always incredibly friendly. I still miss DC, but it's nice to know I can still have a taste of DC whenever the mood strikes.
(5)Leon J.
Recently got takeout here and was very pleasantly surprised. Clean, fast, diverse menu, moderately priced, and attentive staff were a few of the highlights. Will be returning to dine in soon. If you like Thai food, this is worth a try.
(4)cathy c.
They no longer do delivery
(3)Brian R.
So I'd consider myself a regular of the Asia Mall, it's close to work and full of tasty eats, and every time I revisit Kanlaya I become more of a fan of this place. This time I tried what seems from all their literature to be the house specialty - Ka Pow chicken. Wow is that stuff good! Such golden crispy perfection doused with delicious spicy sauce and basil. I've been thinking about it since I ate it, really outstanding dish!
(4)Andrea T.
I used to frequent Asia Mall a lot on Tuesdays, and my "usual" buys were banh mi from the bakery next door. Afterward, I would stop by Kanlaya Thai for Thai tea with bubbles. Their tapioca bubbles were nice and soft, and the tea was sweet and addictive. Once, to change it up a bit, I ordered the pad see ew, and it was good. The taste was not very memorable (but I guess it's just noodles stir fried with soy sauce, eh?), but I just love the texture of the flat noodles. The server I talked to at the front was very friendly and made polite conversation. I think I'll try a curry dish next time.... or the kapow chicken (if it really does look like the picture posted). The lighting is a bit too dim. I remember the first time I walked past the restaurant, I thought it was a club.
(3)Andrew H.
Wow! The food here is amazing. Thai has been my favorite cuisine for the past several years and I never tried this place before. Had the panang curry, ka pow chicken, and drunk noodles. All were spot on. A must try!
(5)Best F.
Great food, especially drunken noodles! I've also tried their seafood dish in the pic and simply amazing. This is a place where you can get genuinely hot and spicy food!
(5)Laurey W.
Hands down my favorite Thai place in Harrisburg. The crispy ka pow chicken is amazing! My only complaint is when I ask for really really spicy they don't seem to take me seriously.
(4)Melissa O.
This is my new favorite restaurant! Tried the red curry and it was the perfect heat and flavor combination. I'll be going back regularly!
(5)Johnny A.
OK - First, don't let the almost dilapidated appearance of Asia Mall keep you form eating at this place. The food is actually very good. The service is something else, but if you're in the area, have extra time to kill and like Thai food you would be remiss to not check this place out. If you walk in the main entrance of Asia Mall you'll need to make a left at the end of the hallway and walk all the way down the next hall to enter the restaurant (it will be on your left side). Once I walked in I didn't know whether I should wait to be seated or seat myself because the hostess/waitress behind the counter was unbothered by new customers walking in despite there being 1 other table in the place (TIP - seat yourself and wait to be acknowledged). Once she came over she was quick to ask us what we wanted to drink, but after that service got progressively worse. It was like we were rushed to placed our orders only for them to take forever to be made and plated. Patience is a virtue I guess... A review of what I had is below: Fried Calamari - They look like Burger King onion rings, but they're pretty decent. Chicken Satay - Pretty good. The cucumber relish is the winner for this dish though. Crispy Ka Pow - VERY GOOD! The previous Yelpers were right about this one. I loved how they could increase the spice level too. Pad Thai - Umm, it was cool. It wasn't mixed up though, which was a first for me. Everything was on the sides of the plate for you to mix up yourself. Thai Iced Tea - #LeftSwipeDat - Definitely not worth the price with all the ice they put in the glass.
(3)Ryan O.
Pretty good food , I had the Penang curry and it was very tasty - not too spicy but enough. One disappointing part was the service. We waited at least 10 minutes before the waitress came to take drink orders and it wasn't even too packed. Food was good service was basic.
(3)Hannah N.
First of all, four stars taking locale into consideration. We're in Harrisburg. I have been here numerous times - enough times for everybody working here to recognize that if I walk in, I usually go straight to ordering take out boba. But I've also dined here quite a few times too. Two things that make this place special and worth repeat visits: 1. BOBA TEA, like, legit boba tea 2. Crispy kapow chicken First of all, where else would you go to get boba in Harrisburg?! The powdered stuff sold at the mall is just nonsense. That stuff tastes like glorified sunny D. There are two things that make up a boba: the liquid portion of the drink, and then the boba pearls. This place does both quite well. I've tried all of their bobas. Taro, green tea, avocado, and watermelon are probably my favorites. Here's where Kanlaya's boba is special: they really try to steer clear of the powdered nonsense unless it is say, honeydew melon, where grinding real honeydew really doesn't pack enough flavor due to the ultra wateriness. And even then, it is used sparingly. Their taro really has real bits of nutty taro in it. Their avocado tastes exactly just like a big cup of creamy smooth liquid avocado. Their watermelon is like you stuck a straw into the juiciest watermelon and now you're getting only the refreshing, summery sweet goodness (and you would want to order this in the summer, not right now in the middle of winter when watermelons are not even in season anyways). Their green tea is not too sweet, perfect blend of bittersweet matcha green tea and cream (compared to Starbucks green tea fraps - the Starbucks stuff is WAY TOO SWEET and not enough green tea, like a green melon vanilla frapp). Finally, Their pearls are... amazing. Not too hard, not too mushy, not too bland, just the right amount of sweet and chewy, just perfect. They cook them in batches so they don't sit forever and expand into mushy grossness like some places do. If they run out, they run out unless you're willing to field a 30 minute wait for them to re-cook. Now for the second item, the crispy kapow chicken. (and make sure it's the CRISPY kapow, because I'm pretty sure they have normal kapow chicken too). This place is otherwise a pretty standard thai place, not bad, not orgasm inducingly excellent, just unassumingly delicious. But the crispy kapow chicken is the stuff that my dreams are made of. A flavor explosion in your mouth. The crispy kapow chicken is why I keep going to Kanlaya instead of Bankok 56, even though I really like Bankok 56. This stuff is not supposed to have a lot of sauce on it, it is perfectly flavorful the way it is. A perfectly crispy crackly crunchy outside, non-greasy, non-heavy and airy light inside. It hits all the flavor notes of salty sweet sour with a hint of spicy without having one flavor overwhelm the other. The crispy fried thai basil leaves decorating the plate leaving you with a mouthful of aroma and perfect bitterness. Ah, now my mouth is watering.
(4)Daniel A.
I go here twice a month, if not more. The food is really quality and I have never been disappointed! I recommend the Pad Thai, kee Mao, and the Green Papaya Salad. I also enjoy the fact that whenever I add chicken to anything, they use good cuts of white breast meat - tasty but still seemingly healthy. Highly recommend.
(4)Alison S.
We moved here from Toronto and weren't sure we'd ever find good enough Thai food to make us happy. We tried a handful of the other Harrisburg Thai places and never got completely psyched. Since we tried Kanlaya we haven't felt the need to look anywhere else. The food is right on, every time. The waitstaff are friendly and knowledgeable. Portions are typical for Thai restaurants -- big enough to share, so you can try everything on the table. Excellent Panang curry, awesome pad see ew, delicious soups. Just great, all around. We don't even miss Toronto Thai that much any more.
(5)Jane R.
Very good Thai food and I don't have to cross the river. I am partial to the curry coconut sauces and my husband has found two new favorites, the kapow chicken and the "rama in jacuzzi", odd name for tasty chicken in peanut sauce. I see that they have items with durian on the menu. I don't know if I'm brave enough to try that or not :)
(4)Art C.
Got the (green) Papaya/Shrimp salad and Kee Mao (beef) for take out. Everything was very good and portions quite reasonable. The Kee Mao was listed as medium spicy and... actually was medium spicy. As someone who eats (very) spicy food every day, it's a rare treat not to have to add hot pepper.
(4)Epicurean I.
Good Food, Great Taste, Value for Money, NOT expensive Lunch come with spring rolls. Spacious, friendly staff, menu has lot of selections, Easy to reach - right off the exit for 13th street.
(4)Suzy M.
We LOVE Kanlaya! --Sweet staff who remember you when you return and incredible food. Foods that we get that have not been mentioned are the Panang Curry/Chicken, which is out of this world, so flavorful and another is the Pad Gai/Beef. If you love noodles, the thick ones, this is your kinda entree. Love both the fried spring rolls as well as the chicken on a stick appetizer whose name eludes me right now....great peanut dipping sauce that I could eat by the spoonful! We could go here every Friday night for dinner, it's that good. And, I am very picky. We did have some issues about slow service around the holidays, but that seems to have worked itself out. We go for two reasons: the great food and sweet serving staff. If you don't feel great after eating a meal, as you walk out, we figure why patronize the restaurant? This is a feel good place. Also check online at the coupon clipper for coupons. They take ours with a smile.
(5)fatima m.
Absolutely loved their Crispy Kapow chicken, Sticky Rice with Mango, and the Bubble Tea. - Pineapple Chicken was pretty good not mind blowing. - pad thai was different but still good. Definitely plan to revisit. :-)
(5)Calvin D.
This place has consistently good Thai food. I do not get here as much as I would like.
(4)Kevin C.
We stopped in here on our way south...we were a little taken back by the strip mall location but glad that we stayed. Cashew chicken was easily the best I've ever had and curry was excellent as well. We would highly recommend this place if you like Thai!
(5)Paul C.
I had the vegetable soup and the yellow curry with tofu. Both were very good and the service was excellent. It is BYOB.
(4)