Phu Thai Thai Take Away — Restaurant in Amsterdam

Just steps away from Nieuwmarkt, Phu Thai, in Koningsstraat, is a Thai eatery specialising in "street food". In Thailand, the locals tend to prefer street food over restaurant fare, because it's usually more adventurous, aromatic, authentic and spicier.

This small restaurant is spotlessly clean and has unassuming, almost spartan surroundings, accentuating the pictures on the walls and the cabinet with Buddhas and other ornaments.

On entering, there is a wonderful smell of aromas emerging from the semi open plan kitchen which has the effect of making one ravenous. There's a steady stream of customers split between those ordering take-away and those wanting a table, attesting to the place's popularity. It's a favourite haunt of the many students living and studying in the neighbourhood. Clientele is predominately young.

It's wise to err on the side of caution. Dishes here tend to be much spicier than those normally accustomed to in a Thai restaurant. To the uninitiated, some can seem like flames from hell. If unsure, just ask for a mild version of whatever you are ordering.

There's a nice selection of soups and starters, of which Tom Yam Koeng, spicy shrimp soup with lemon, fish cakes and satay are highly recommended. Main dishes are for the most part curries, rice and noodle based dishes, prepared with choice of beef, chicken, pork, prawns and squid; Or without, if you're vegetarian.

Specials from the house include a good number of fish dishes, Mooi Krop - crispy pork, plus delicious chicken, pork, prawn and seafood salads. Desserts are seasonal. The main one is sticky rice with mango.

Tea, coffee and soft drinks are served, along with Heineken and Thai beer. Prices are reasonable and the service is impeccable. Staff are super friendly and attentive.

Perfect to combine with a visit to one of the many bars and cafes dotted around the festive Nieuwmarkt square, home of the magnificent Waag, the old weighing house, the oldest non-religious building existing...

I’ve been this restaurant many times. But last time -on 29 December 2024- Their management about the queues are really bad. I talked with the waiter when I arrived here already that we come for two people. But the waitress asked another customers to come inside first. The waitress not accepted that she did something wrong. Just saying with me because you not tell me when you come here and her colleague not tell her as well. But when she go outside for asking which customers who come first. Me and another customers said ‘We come first’ so she knew already that we come first but just ignoring us.

Another things is they selling the drinks that expired around 2 months ago for customers. (We went to the restaurant on 29 Dec 2024 but it expired on October 2024) The owner said with us that this is not her fault. It’s the company’s fault that sent the drink to her. To be honest, I felt very bad with her answer. She is the owner and open this restaurant for many years. She and her employees should check the dated when it expired with the drinks and every foods in the restaurant. If the drinks that she selling is expired and she not even care. So there is a lot of high chance that the ingredients in the foods, some of them are expired as well. Cause the owner doesn’t care about this. I really want Dutch government check the quality her restaurant soon.

We are so disappointed. So I changed the review to 5 stars to 1 stars. I hope the owner will improve about this. I knew they have high ego cause they even not say sorry with us but I don’t want other customers feel really...

I wanted so badly for this to be good, but it just wasn't. The waitress was really nice and cheerful, and the coconut soup was good, but unfortunately those were the only two redeeming features of this place. Firstly, we got served the chicken spring rolls which tasted good, until my boyfriend found a hair inside one. Then the coconut soup came out and looked good until I realised that it had mushrooms and chicken in it even though i ordered the shrimp version. I asked the waitress if I could have it remade with shrimp, which in hindsight I shouldn't have done, as it still had mushrooms and I only got 3 shrimp, and then they gave me food poisoning. The third dish we ordered came, the pork belly with kale, however it came with a different vegetable instead of kale which was pretty good, just not what I was expecting, but then my boyfriend noticed that the meat was very hard and impossible to chew, so we ended up spitting most of it out. By the end of the meal I had eaten about half my soup as the rest was all mushroom, a little bit of rice and some vegetables. My boyfriend only ate a bit of vegetables and rice because he hated my soup and couldn't chew the meat. We went up to pay and the whole meal cost 33 euros, which, even if the food was good, i would consider pricey. I really did hope that this would be a good introduction to Thai food for my boyfriend, but i suspect he won't feel like eating Thai...