Chao Thai Cuisine — Restaurant in Oakland

ATMOSPHERE: Good location right by Lake Merrit and Grand Theater, right across the street from the saturday farmers market. Great activity nearby, lively. A few outdoor tables available in the long corridor leading up to the restaurant entrance, not much sunlight but can be pleasant if warm.

SERVICE: I usually don't write about service, but it was in particular bad. There are some things that are somewhat expected with the food, like utensils, napkins, etc. We kind of had to ask for everything piecemeal, while eating our appetizers with our fingers until we had the opportunity to ask (still had no napkins).

FOOD: Standard Thai food. I saw an earlier mention that some of the meats were on the chewier side, which I agree with. The chicken in the green curry was a bit on the unexpectedly tough side. The green curry overall was decent, on par with any thai place. The Pad See Ew was actually very very good, very saucy, with chewy noodles. The shrimp deep fried spring rolls were also good, especially...

Not only is the customer service A1…. That yellow veggie curry literally has every vegetable in the garden in it! My new yellow veggie curry place! Just an update! This place is awesome! I had a problem with one of my recent orders and at first the conversation started to go left. That’s why I love communication! I’m not a complainer..and if something that I love isn’t right. I feel I owe it to not only myself, but to the establishment to let them know something wasn’t right respectfully! Low and behold, they promised to make it right! I explained I don’t want anything for free… I literally have the whole order minus a spoon of rice!..and I love love the yellow vegetable curry, it just wasn’t the A1 quality I’m used to getting from them! Anywho I said all of that to say we as humans need to be the change we want to see in others! Communication is definitely the key! Now go get some of their awesome food and A1...

I placed a to-go order at Chao Thai Cuisine and still had a great experience while waiting. The place has a vibrant, cozy vibe with colorful art pieces that really caught my eye. I ordered the yellow lamb curry with a side of white rice and some tod mun (Thai fish cakes)—both were on point. The curry was rich, flavorful, and had slices of jalapeños that gave it the perfect kick. The lamb was tender, and the fish cakes were crispy and packed with flavor. I also got to meet the owner, which made the visit feel even more personal. I’ll definitely be...