Zara's Restaurant (HALAL) — Restaurant in Samphanthawong Subdistrict

This is a very honest review of this small restaurant.

First of all, if you’re planning to come from a long distance, it’s probably not worth it. We tried several dishes, and the taste was definitely not extraordinary—except for the papaya salad, which had a clear and high-quality flavor compared to many other shops we’ve tried in Bangkok. However, as mentioned in one of the previous reviews, the papaya was soft, likely because it had been cut a long time ago. Still, the flavor was good.

I’d like to address the owner or anyone who reads these comments. There’s a very old lady working at the shop, and we noticed that she treats local customers with great respect, thanking them with a polite hand gesture, even when they’re younger than her. But when it comes to foreigners, she doesn’t even look at their faces. She doesn’t say hello or welcome, and when we thanked her, she didn’t respond at all. This made us quite upset because 70–80% of the customers are foreigners. Our Thai friend, who came with us, said the taste here is very average for Thai people, but perfect for foreigners. So, I hope this old lady can show some respect to foreign customers—after all, that’s where most of the income comes from.

The prices are not cheap, they’re normal. It might feel inexpensive compared to the crazy high prices in Bangkok or Thailand in general, but in reality, the prices are standard: around $3 for fried rice, $2 for papaya salad, and $0.30 for water. The portions are quite small, so if you eat a lot, one dish won’t be enough.

If you’re nearby, you can give it a try. There are only about five tables inside. It’s not very crowded, but if too many people come at once, you might have to wait—we waited around 15 minutes outside. Overall, it’s a clean and friendly place. The owner is a young lady who prepares the coffee and other drinks, and the chef cooks neatly. But the food itself is very average—you can find the same taste anywhere in Bangkok.

Because of the old lady’s attitude, we don’t plan to return. The prices are decent compared to Bangkok, the taste is average, and the portions are small. If you’ve had really bad food before, you’ll probably find it good here. It’s located in Chinatown, so if you’re already visiting the area, you can stop by. But don’t travel a long distance just because of the overly positive reviews—it’s simply an average place. Nothing terrible, but nothing...

This restaurant was just down the road from our hotel. What a great place to have on your doorstep! We ordered Pad Thai with seafood (90 Baht) and Glass noodle salad with shrimp (100 Baht). We also had two Thai teas and two iced Americanos. The Pad Thai was exceptional, a little smoky, with great balance from the lime, not too heavy on the peanuts and lightly cooked beansprouts. The glass noodle salad was good too. It was served warm, which was unexpected but it was still delicious. The Thai teas were very good, not too sweet. The americanos were also decent. The staff are really friendly and the atmosphere is cozy and relaxed. Prices are very good. I would definitely...

When I first saw the name. I was a bit uncertain about the authenticity of this restaurant. But once I walked in, I immediately liked it because the space was open, airy and clean, unlike many other eateries in the neighborhood that were grimy, cramped and stuffy. I ordered pad Thai and it was very good, the shrimps were super fresh and the portion was generous, twice of what I had had in Phuket town for the same price! I also found out that the word Maldivian was used because of the owner’s husband’s nationality. 😀 So need to worry about its Thai food...