NapaThai Cuisine — Restaurant in Lexington

Solid place to eat at! To preface, I may be biased as I believe Napa Thai have the best food in Lexington. I would not say that the food here is a life changing experience, the food is nothing special but it is good food.

My friends and I come here often, this time we got the Lemon Grass Soup, Pad See-ew with chicken, Beef kra pow, Salmon Panang, Tom Kha Soup, Pad Thai with shrimp, Curry (I don’t remember what colour). I only tried the first four dishes, so I’ll only be reviewing those!

Lemon Grass Soup 3.8/5: Somehow this soup kind of reminds me of the broth for phos after you add lime into it. There is a strong tang to the soup which surprised me. This dish polarised the table - with half of my friends enjoying it and the other half not. They did say that it tasted like the Tom Kha Soup without the cream (I could not vouch for this as I did not try the Tom Kha Soup this time. Personally, I enjoyed it (I do have a preference for sour flavors). I think it would be nice with some vermicelli noodles and more ginger. I did not try the seafoods in it so I could not make any comments on it. I do have a quip with it, though - it would be x100 better if it was hot (right off the stove type of situation).

Pad See-ew with chicken 3.9/5: My friend’s usual order. If you are a soy sauce enjoyer, I think you’ll like this dish. The noodles are cooked nicely and it got a nice bounce. The chicken itself did not absorb all the flavoring, but the sauce coats it. The sauce itself is alright (quite sweet actually), I do think that the soy sauce over powers other flavors, making the dish taste one dimensional at times. Overall, it is a solid dish and I think it can’t go wrong

Beef kra pow 3.4/5: I feel that I am a bit harsh on the rating for the dish - because truly, there is nothing terribly wrong with it. However, compared to other Napa Thai dishes (Basil Duck, Crispy Shrimp), it does fall flat. The beef texture is a bit grainy - a sign that the beef is old and lacks moisture. Same thing we the chicken in the Pad See-ew, the flavors of the sauce coats the beef rather than absorbed. The sauce is not bad, though. There is a nice hint of pepper in it - it isn’t spicy per se, but rather it adds more depth to the dish. I am disappointed with the onions, though. As an onion fan, the onion in the kra pow is not caramelized long enough (there is still a crunch to it), meaning the sugar content of the onion did not seep out into the sauce and that the onion did not absorb the flavors of the sauce. Personally, I would not order this dish again.

Salmon Panang 4.1/5: Now, I’m not a big fan of curry, but I can appreciate it when it’s done right. The curry is thick and creamy (and a bit oily), which really goes well with the rice by itself. It isn’t spicy at all (I think I would like a more if it had a kick to it). The curry also got really overwhelming towards the middle/end of my meal, I think there was too much of it (and the curry was relatively one dimensional - meaning there are no other flavors to break up the creaminess of it). By the end of my meal, I was scooping tiny portions of the curry and eating it with my rice. In terms of the salmon, it tasted alright, I do think I would enjoy it more should the salmon be more fatty and moist - it was a tad bit dry. The salmon skin was crispy in the first bite but it softened after awhile. Yet again, I would like to reiterate that I do not eat curries often and I truly believe if you like curries, you would enjoy...

BLUF: 3.5. Excellent food in a centrally located Thai restaurant a few blocks from VMI. A few odd things, but still recommend it.

My wife and I had a delicious meal here MLK weekend. They have a really good menu and delicious hot sake. The sake was only seven dollars but it was a very small portion … maybe only 3 ounces? I found the odd elevator music not exactly what I would’ve chosen for a Thai restaurant. There was a nice fireplace in the middle of the room that we were in and there were several dining room areas scattered around the building. It is modest, relatively uninteresting decor. But it is clean and fresh and there was a sizable crowd scattered throughout the restaurant on a Sunday night. This was possibly because of an event at the school.

I had 6/10 heat level chicken Panang curry with white rice. My wife had the basil fried rice with chicken at 8/10 spice level. Hers was so hot. We were really amazed because we were told that above 10 was a Thai hot level and we have been to Thailand and enjoyed Thai food all over the world, and just didn’t expect that level of heat. In any case, it was very good for her because she likes it hot. My Panang was excellent at the 6 level.

When we ordered dessert, it was the only negative thing of significance in the meal. Our server was friendly and very helpful and when we asked to see the dessert menu, my wife and I discussed not getting the usual mango sticky rice we like. Instead, she wanted to try the coconut ice cream. She ordered it when the server returned, and I said to the server “Is that a popular dessert? “ she replied “Yes, it is coconut ice cream with little chocolate flakes. Would you like one scoop or two? “ I looked at my wife and before we could sort out what we wanted, our server said, “Well I’m really only supposed to give you one, but I’ll make it two for you. “ A few minutes later she showed up with two bowls, each with a single scoop in them. We thought that seemed very nice of her to split them up like that. But we were surprised when we got the bill and she simply charged us for two desserts. If I had misunderstood her, that was on me, but the fact that my wife heard exactly what I heard tells me that wasn’t a customer error. That was a server...

NapaThai Cuisine is a popular and authentic Thai restaurant in the heart of downtown Lexington, offering a wide range of classic dishes in a cozy and contemporary setting. Upon entering NapaThai, guests are greeted by a unique and intimate atmosphere. The decor features a beautiful collage of contemporary art and design, creating a relaxed and charming setting. The dining room, though sometimes described as lacking natural light, is often bustling with a lively yet comfortable energy. The staff is known for being friendly, attentive, and accommodating to dietary needs, including vegan options. This combination of authentic cuisine and a welcoming environment makes it a popular choice for both locals and visitors. The menu at NapaThai is extensive, featuring a variety of classic Thai dishes. Among the most highly recommended are the Panang Curry, praised for its perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors with a creamy coconut taste, and the Pad Thai, a classic stir-fried noodle dish. Other popular choices include the Drunken Noodles, Basil Fried Rice, and the unique Basil Duck. For appetizers, the Garden Rolls and Chicken Satay are favorites. To complement the meal, many diners recommend the sweet and flavorful Thai Tea. NapaThai has earned a strong reputation in Lexington for its authentic flavors and high-quality ingredients. The owner and chef, with years of experience, are dedicated to providing a genuine taste of Thailand. While some have noted that wait times can be long during busy periods, the consensus is that the delicious and authentic food is well worth the wait. Whether you're a seasoned fan of Thai cuisine or trying it for the first time, NapaThai offers a memorable...