Secret Thai Restaurant — Restaurant in Chalmette

I gave Secret Thai got no stars but (Google requires at least 1 star). No star because my family and I never got a chance to sit down. I've eaten at Secret Thai many times and have enjoyed the service and food is really, really great. I've enjoyed seeing Secret Thai getting recognition beyond the Parrish and New Orleans. But, last night was anything but a great experience. My party of three walked in, there was a gentleman ahead of us picking up his takeout. He left, we stood there waiting for the cashier/ waitress to look up. I waited but finally asked could we be seated. The restaurant was empty, there were about three tables that still hadn't been bused. She said we could sit. We sat at a 4 top, and she came abruptly to pull the table apart. So the setup became a 2 top for the 3 of us. The table wobbled ( and you've all experienced that) not comfortable at all. She pointed to another table and I said my back is right at the door entrance. On a busy night, no problem but remember I said earlier, the restaurant was empty 6pm. She left the cutlery on the table and walked back into the kitchen. I placed a chair on the outside of the more stable 2 top and she came back and said you either sit over there or there ( the wobbly table). That was it. My family looked confused by her behavior and the aggresiveness. I asked the person who seemed like the manager, was everything all right tonight because there was a tense and unwelcoming vibe, an empty restaurant, no effort to seat us, unbussed tables, aggresive cashier/ waitress. Not acceptable. This is a restaurant that has gotten so many positive reviews in local and national magazines and newspapers. I did not recognize this Secret Thai. But, if this is what it has become, Secret Thai needs to step up its people to people training. No restaurant's food is that good to have such a confrontational experience even before being sat. We made the most of it and dined at El Paso (434 E Judge Perez Dr.) the staff was great and the food...

Surprisingly (from a Thai Restaurant)The orange chicken was fantastic. Crispy, flavorful, and not overly sweet like some places make it. The pad isn't the 'typical' pad Thai we're used to but it was packed with flavor. The fried rice was a solid side, nothing fancy, just good, classic fried rice.

We also got the massaman curry, which was so fragrant and rich. The egg rolls are huge and clearly handmade. Definitely a step above your standard takeout egg roll. Tom Kha (not pictured) was so creamy and authentic tasting.

Now, a word of warning: the spice levels here are NO joke. I usually go for a medium spice at other Thai places, so I ordered a '1' here. My husband, who loves heat, thinks '3' is spicy, '4' is very spicy and '5' is sweating spicy (TUMS required). So, definitely err on the side of caution when ordering spice here. I'd say a '0.5' is more like a standard medium.

The atmosphere is really cute and eclectic. It's not a fancy place, but it's cozy and colorful. The staff was friendly and attentive. And the Thai tea? Delicious! So creamy and flavorful.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend Secret Thai as an all around good Thai restaurant. The food is great, the atmosphere is charming, and the prices are reasonable. Be prepared for 3 days of leftovers!

EDITED TO ADD: Basil fried rice is incredibly flavorful and delicious. Has a sweetness. Personally I would chose over the tbaj fried rice. Ghost gate pad Thai (omelet on top) is superb, it's somehow the same but different. I find the egg soaks up the sauce and becomes even more flavorful. Green curry was tasty. Huge chunks of eggplant. Spicy at baseline so be careful adding more. Egg rolls are definitely homemade, comes with a unique sweet chili sauce. Orange chicken again 10/10, enough food for a village. Probably a...

Wow, what an experience that was tonight! I kept forgetting to go out there to try it, to my regret. I’ve missed two years of insanely good food.

Like other people said, their number system is a little different and we were informed that most people don’t handle going past 2. We went with that recommendation, 2 is certainly spicy and I can imagine it being too much for some. Perfect for us. Some places, you can’t take spice level seriously, with the food either being waaaaay too hot or searching for a Thai chili garnish on someone’s plate to munch on and grab some heat. Secret Thai means what heat they say. Flavor was incredible in everything: Angel Wings, Satay, Drunken Noodle, Massaman Curry, Ginger Stirfry and the South Sea Fried Rice.

If you’ve been there, you know we overordered. 😂 No regrets, lunch and dinner tomorrow will be crazy good.

By far the best Thai food I have had here. All I could think is that I was transported to the west coast, we simply don’t get that level of food in our area (until Secret Thai.)

Very friendly, very busy and they held it all together well. There’s love in those dishes and it shows.

I don’t have to spend hours in my kitchen with Mae Ploy or grinding lime leaves and lemongrass anymore. I’m a fairly decent cook but nothing I bang out of the kitchen can hold a candle to...