Bua Thai Fusion — Restaurant in Lake Stevens

One notable positive aspect was that the restaurant included rice with their curry, which is not always the case in many Thai restaurants that tend to excessively and unscrupulously upsell this fundamental accompaniment. It's essential for diners to carefully vet restaurants for the inclusion of rice to avoid falling victim to unnecessary upselling practices.

I recently ordered delivery from this restaurant and chose the Massaman curry. Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. The potatoes in the curry were noticeably undercooked and not softened before being added to the dish. Similarly, the peanuts lacked the desired softness, affecting the overall texture and taste of the curry.

However, I encountered an unexpected issue - a distinct aftertaste of soap in the curry. This was surprising to me, as I do not have the genetic predisposition that makes coriander taste like soap, and I generally enjoy a variety of spices from around the world. This aftertaste raised concerns about the restaurant's preparation methods.

It's possible that the undercooked potatoes and peanuts are indicative of shortcuts in the restaurant's meal preparation process. Additionally, the soap-like aftertaste could suggest that proper rinsing of their prep machinery may be overlooked, with the expectation that the curry's flavors will mask any residual suds.

Unfortunately, this is the second time I've experienced such issues at this restaurant, which leads me to believe that these problems may not be isolated incidents. Have you had a similar experience at this restaurant? It's important to share our experiences to ensure the quality of dining establishments...

Būa Thai is decent Thai food, but definitely not great. The kitchen makes critical mistakes that drag down the overall rating. While Būa is overall good and seems to know what they're doing, those mistakes make for an unpleasant dining experience.

First up, the interior is clean and the decor and music are on point. The service is a little shakey - either too pushy or all together absent - but definitely friendly and manageable.

The food is where Būa loses points right and left. It should be said that they're leaps and bounds above nearly every other Thai place in the area. That doesn't excuse consistently over-sweetened food. Thai tea, pad Thai, tom kha kai, red curry; it doesn't matter, they're all ridiculously sweet. I have a sweet tooth, and I'm buzzed off the loads and loads of sugar in the dishes.

Furthermore, dishes like red curry have nearly raw vegetables ruining the flavor and texture. Biting into raw white onion is not my idea of a good time (which is why some Thai places pickle their onions before cooking). Similarly, the carrot and bell pepper were crunchy-raw, and the bamboo shoots were cut too thick to chew through.

Būa Thai isn't /bad/. They clearly have the restaurant business down. Now they need to put the kitchen in order and fix the problems in their dishes and they'll be a...

I’m a regular customer here and like this better than the other restaurant I previously recommended: “Rice Up Thai.” All of the curries at BUA are vegan which is fantastic because I don’t need to specify not to include fish paste or anything like that like I usually do with thai places. My favorite is the panang curry with extra mixed vegetable and jasmine rice.

The amount and variety of their vegan options is great and I’m never bored with what I order. The flavor and spice levels are great and the staff is always very friendly. The location is small but with a good atmosphere.

The reason I give this 4 stars instead of 5 is because I feel the portion sizes are sometimes way too small for the price. It’s inconsistent in that way but besides that, this is the best and most vegan friendly Thai place in this area. While Bai Tong was my favorite thai place, it is all the way in Issaquah, which is not local enough for me to be a regular anymore so this place is my new go-to. Thank you BUA for having gf vegan options!

PROS: Local, Great Flavor, Variety, Vegan Options, GF options, good atmosphere, nice staff, best Thai place in the area in my opinion

CONS: portion sizes too small for price sometimes, can be pricy at $16+ a person depending on...