TUK TUK THAI STREET FOOD — Restaurant in Athens

Another google maps gem of a find for us in Athens. I travel all over the world with my adventure partner/Thai wife and as happens, her Thai stomach yearns for home cooking flavors. We have tried Thai food in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Rome, Paris, London, Santorini, and now Athens. We loved everything about Tuk Tuk - the name, the design and look of the small restaurant, the rubber stamp graphics on brown paper bags to the small folding tables and chairs on the sidewalk but most of all was the menu and taste of the food! We started off with 2 Beer Singhas and some shrimp crisps. My wife was treated to authentic som tam with fermented fish sauce (baalaa bong) and green papaya which is very hard to find here and one the owners told us he procures it from an farmer on Crete. She also ordered yam woon sen (glass noodles with spicy fish sauce, chilis, sliced peppers, ground pork, and shrimp. Also tried a small portion of Khao neow (sticky rice) - fresh and delicious jasmine sticky rice. She absolutely loved all of it and savored every bite! I ordered chicken satay and Penang Chicken with steamed rice. Fantastic. Every bit. One owner talked to my wife about Thailand and the food. Thai cooks here too! The owners we met and our server were way cool and pleased to see how happy we were with our meal. Don’t go anywhere else in Athens for the savory spicy authentic flavors...

Thai food really hits the spot after a busy day of sightseeing. This restaurant certainly filled the bill. We loved the colorful posters and graphics that decorated the restaurant. Just the right amount of kitsch. Here’s the thing that isn’t apparent in the other reviews’ photos: it’s a tiiiiny place. Just a single row of small tables and bar seating. We were lucky cats to have snagged a table as we walked in. We had a show to attend (ahem, opera), so being there early (around 6:15) was a likely reason for our good fortune. The place was full and the seating was tight. There was only one waiter, and he was stretched thin. We had our usual Tom Ka Shrimp, Pad Thai, and Sticky Rice. It was good as any that I’ve ever had. The prices were very reasonable. While the location was a little outside of our territory, it was still walkable. The neighborhood was a little seedier than the heart of the Plaka.

Bottom Line: Wonderful Thai food in a tiny, colorful venue a little off the beaten path.

TravelCats Score Setting and Location: 7/10 paws up Ambience: 8/10 Thai Graphics/Posters: 10/10 Food: 10/10 Value: ...

In summary, our experience with the food left much to be desired. As Thai cuisine enthusiasts, we had high expectations, particularly given the restaurant’s ambiance, which exuded a Thai cultural feel. However, the dishes we sampled fell short of authenticity.

The shrimp dumplings were overcooked and lacked the fresh taste we associate with authentic Thai cuisine. The Thai chicken wings were quite ordinary, lacking any distinctive flavors. The Tom Yum soup was extremely salty, with an insufficient number of shrimp, making it unbalanced in terms of flavor and ingredients. The Pad See Ew, aside from using the wrong noodles, had a peculiar taste in the pork, possibly due to the cut used. Additionally, the inclusion of canned mini corn and regular broccoli rather than Chinese broccoli was a departure from traditional Thai ingredients.

While we understand that different tastes and preferences exist, our disappointment in the authenticity of the dishes was evident. We hope that the restaurant can consider these points and make improvements to better align with the expectations of customers who have a passion for real...