Hanuman Thai Eatery on Newport — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

Had a lot of high hopes for this one because their aesthetic is so different from your local Thai restaurants. Their food here seems much more elevated and definitely a good takeout spot if you're in the area. Overall, great food and experience from aesthetic to service. They recommend sharing the dishes as they are family-style portions!

The host is extremely friendly and easy on the eyes, too. He was welcoming!

When you provide your number, they will text you a link which actually tells you how much longer you've waited and how many parties are in front of you.

Food: 4/5 only because some of the food didn't hit as hard but they were still good.

Pork Larb - Shrimp chips were GREAT! Wish they provided more because there was more Larb than chips but I didn't mind eating the Larb by itself. This is very fragrant with potentially fish sauce so be careful if you don't like fish sauce. I loved this dish! Recommend as a starter.

Khao Soi - loved the addition of crispy noodles, and when soaked with the curry broth it comes with, it got better. I didn't like this one as much because the other dishes outshined it. The thigh was juicy and the egg noodles stayed al dente! The lime definitely rounded out the flavor.

Massaman Curry with Hangar Steak - I wish the steak was cut across the grain because eating the steak was tough. Great flavor on the curry (was on the sweeter side). I enjoyed the peanuts in it and the potatoes. The potatoes were in the raw side which can turn some people off. I didn't mind it but my bestie disliked it. Think of potato salad toughness. The roti that came with it was really good! I want more of that instead of rice ;)

Panang Curry with Fried Chicken Thigh - the best one of all the dishes! I loved the savoryness of the curry and the crispy thigh went well with it. I would say I like this better than your curry with chicken cutlet from Japanese curry houses. Definitely a must have compared to the Massaman Curry!

Pad See Ew - a staple for every Thai restaurant and this spot did it so well! It did go on a sweeter side but I didn't mind it. I thought it was perfectly seasoned and a great share among friends.

Thai Tea Creme Brulee - sooo good! Great way to end a great experience. Creamy and subtle Thai tea flavor.

Definitely the best Thai food I've had ever. Will be coming back time and time again if I'm...

This is one of my favorite spots for Thai food in OC! It’s a bit more expensive than most Thai restaurants I go to in the area but I definitely think it’s worth it.

We started with the Thai Sausages which were delicious, light, a little sweet, and great to start our meal with. My friend recommended this spot to me for their Khao Soi and it did NOT disappoint. The curry/broth is rich and flavorful, and the chicken meat falls right off the bone. The portion is pretty big too for me so I usually don’t finish the whole thing, but I’m not complaining because I get to take home the rest for lunch tomorrow. My partner had the Thai Boat Noodles too which were delicious as well, very hearty and similar to ones I had during my exchange program in Thailand. We had one of the last Mango Sticky Rice dishes to finish and it was so delicious! The mangoes were soft, sweet, and juicy, while the sticky rice was warm and sweet as well. The coconut milk and toasted coconut flakes were great to add as well.

The service here is pretty good, all the employees are friendly. It’s a small restaurant so it’s an intimate, well decorated space that is perfect for date night. The restaurant itself is small but I’ve seen them accommodate for large groups (6-8 people). Our server was especially friendly and helpful, I unfortunately didn’t get her name, but she was a short, younger Asian woman with medium, black hair who raved about the mango sticky rice.

The wait times can get pretty long, but we came after 8pm on a Saturday night and were seated within 15-20 minutes. If there’s any place you go to in OC for Thai food,...

Visited this Thai restaurant after seeing all the high reviews and hype. My friends and I went for an early dinner, and the place was starting to fill up quickly—but luckily, we didn’t have to wait for a table. The ambiance was nice with decent seating capacity, and the staff were friendly and accommodating.

With high expectations, we ordered the Lamb-a-Singh, Khao Soi, Drunken Noodles, and Spicy Basil. The Lamb-a-Singh was nicely plated and the sauce was tasty, but the lamb itself was chewy and lacked the flavor we had hoped for. The Khao Soi bowl looked good but was overly creamy, and the flavor fell flat compared to other Thai spots we’ve tried. The Drunken Noodles were probably the highlight—good portion and satisfying for the price. As for the Spicy Basil, we mistakenly thought it was a fried rice dish (our bad for not reading the menu closely), but it was actually minced chicken served with a side of rice. The chicken was way too salty and definitely not worth the price—I wouldn’t recommend it.

For dessert, we ordered the classic Mango Sticky Rice. The presentation was nice, and the mango itself was delicious—sweet and ripe, which ended the meal on a better note.

Overall, this place didn’t live up to the hype. For the high reviews and premium prices, we were left disappointed and felt it didn’t meet...