Kanok Thai Bistro — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

My bf was craving Thai food. We were Yelping and found this spot had good reviews.

Parking: They're located in a busy plaza, so finding a spot can be difficult.

Ambiance/Environment: They have a medium sized space with a good amount of indoor seating. No outdoor seating. They still had their Xmas tree up when we visited lol. There's booths and tables with TVs showcasing a game.

Service: We didn't catch everyone's names, but everyone was absolutely attentive, courteous, and efficient! There were multiple servers that assisted us. Our main server was Henry. They made sure our waters were filled, empty plates removed, and other requests were met. Safe to say, customer satisfaction is definitely one of their priorities.

What we ordered:

1. Crab Rangoon - I always order crab rangoon anywhere that offers it. These were crispy and generously filled with cheese! The sweet n sour sauce made it even more flavorful!

2. Crispy Salmon served with jasmine rice & salad - The salmon was cooked well. The sauce was sooo delicious! I'm not sure what exactly was in the sauce. There was a generous amount, so I made sure to mix it with the rice. The salad was fresh and tasted as expected.

3. Nam Kao - My bf ordered this, and I took a bite. The flavor from all the spices were definitely present. He ordered this spicy, and oof .. it was spicyyy. It sat on a large salad. Usually you'd rip off pieces of salad, place the nam kao on top, fold it and enjoy. My bf just devoured the whole plate as is lol.

Pricing: It's what you'd consider average prices nowadays $$. We thought it was worth it, and it satisfied my...

I absolutely love their sticky rice with coconut sauce and mangoes. There aren't many restaurants around here that they offer this dish and even fewer restaurants that make it delicious, so I love coming to Kanok because theirs is always yummy. Although I have noticed when ordering take out, I have to remind them to put the coconut sauce in it because on a few occasions they've forgotten it. That’s what makes the dish so good. Also, on a couple rare occasions their mangoes have not been fresh, but that’s rare, and it’s a seasonal dish. Luckily I always keep a couple of fresh mangoes at home so whenever that happens I just cut my own. I know you are paying $12-$14 for a small serving, and they should make sure it's all fresh and everything is there, but we're all human and therefore imperfect by default! Also their crunchy fried garden spring rolls are supper yummy, as are the Crab Rangoon’s. I don't usually like garden spring rolls but their garden rolls are...

By using the Eye of the Thai-ger, I was able to spot this place in a remote shopping Plaza, and all I can say is: This place is en-Thai-rely awesome. The Pad Thai was the perfect mix of sweet and savory. The Thai Tea with boba matched that of any high-tier boba shop. The Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce is unmissable and the Mango Salad is refreshing, filling and delicious. Truly an authentic Thai experience. The service is also top notch. The server was kind, nice and attentive at all times and we got our food faster than it would normally take in other restaurants. Whether you're trying to propose to your girlfriend and Thai the knot, or you're trying to go to a fancy dinner with you boss while wearing suit and Thai, this place is 100% recommended for your appe-Thai-zing cravings of delicious Thai food. Allow its allure and en-Thai-zing dishes to...