NUA Thai — Restaurant in Houston

I went for lunch at 11 and we were the first customers in the building. There is a small parking lot in front.

Tulip dumplings - they said it was homemade and it tasted okay, but I have frozen shimai that taste similar so it wasn't memorable.

Thai chicken wings - this was the most delicious and note worthy dish. You get five chicken wings with the drum and wings separated so it's not a lot but the wings are jumbo size. They are deep fried with a tamarind dipping sauce on the side. The wings themselves were marinaded very well and good to eat alone, but when you dip them in the sauce it makes this dish really special. I will get this every time I visit.

Sriracha chicken wings - these wings are tossed in a thick sweet and spicy sauce. It was good but just not as great as a thai chicken wings.

Lunch specials come with a side of tom yum soup and a small vegetable egg roll.

There were about 12 options for the lunch specials. I got the beef drunken noodle, hot spice level. This was honestly one of the best drunken noodles I've had, not super excessive amount of oil like I've had at other thai places. Lots of aromatics with the thai basil, bell peppers, onions, fresh jalapenos and tender beef. I really enjoyed this dish.

My uncle got the chicken Pad Thai. He got it mild, I think it was too sweet and too much tomato flavor. I like a more nutty and savory pad Thai so this was not my favorite. Maybe if we added some spice it may have been better...

My cousin got the teriyaki chicken. The chicken looked like it was pan fried first, with some crispy edges juxtaposed to the moist meat in the middle. Sauce was actually very good with a sweet and ginger teriyaki base. he also got it mild so I think it would have been even better if we added a little bit of spice. It is mixed with broccoli and carrots and served with a...

I ordered food from here on 04/29 at 8:55pm. I called the restaurant and placed an order for fried rice, chicken pad thai, and chicken wings. The person I talked to asked me for spice levels, gave me a price at about $42, and told me to come in 20-30 mins “but preferably 30 mins” later. I thought it was odd that she wanted me to come 30 minutes later given that it was already 8:55pm and their website said they closed at 9:30pm. Never knew this place to be that busy. I live about 2 mins away so I arrived to NUA at 9:20pm. When I got there, I was told by the cashier that there was no order under my name. There was a guy standing next to me who laughed because they told him the same thing. I showed the employees the number I dialed which is the number listed on Google. The cashier began to say there’s another Thai place in the area so I probably called them. There were 3 employees taking calls and all of them strongly denied talking to anyone on the phone. I read the address listed under NUA on Louisiana St. and the cashier confirmed. She asked me to call the number to see if it was correct and guess what!! Their phone rang for all of us to hear. At this point I was just hungry and irritated so I asked if they could make my food quickly. They said no because the kitchen staff left. They still denied taking any calls and tried to show me their computer screen to prove there was no order under my name. Everyone there acted very nasty towards me and acted like I was a liar.

I happened to grab a picture of the employees arguing about what happened I guess. I should’ve known it was fishy that the person that answered the phone insisted that I come in 5 mins before their closing time. Not sure what’s going on here but it’s giving mess. Definitely don’t order from here any where...

Not recommendable. I’m only writing this so people ACTUALLY KNOW what they are getting into when choosing to work or eat at this place. There is a foul smell around the restaurant and flies and roaches in the bathroom so you can only imagine what the kitchen looks like where the food is made at… Oh and homeless people are frequent visitors :) As for working conditions, it’s an average set up, but the manager “Mai” is a foreigner who doesn’t know how to properly communicate the IMPORTANT rules that apply to new employees. You’ll have to memorize the entire menu and will get tested after barley one week of working (as if this is an upscale restaurant). That this “menu test” which asks what sauces go with whatever dish (ridiculous), will determine whether you’ll keep employment, was never ever communicated, nor by coworkers. Instead, you’ll be left by yourself and told by coworkers to help them take orders clean etc. By the end of that laughable “training period” you’ll be handed your check and be told “Thank you for your time”. Yes I was late, but in the meantime customers were greeted and taken care of tables emptied and cleaned and all other duties were full filled, so the hard work spent there was NEVER acknowledged and you’ll be terminated for not passing an incompetent useless test, formulated in the grammar of a third...