Pla Daek Thai Esan Food — Restaurant in Oakland

TLDR: Large portions which makes their mid price point well worth it. Been there twice. Dine in once and the other take out. 10/10 will go back and take out of towners.

PLADAEK GAI TOD - Perfectly cooked fried chicken, AMAZING Roti and curry that go with it, large portion

KHAO SOI CHICKEN - Just perfect in every dimension. Ordered to-go, chicken cooked better than perfect. I don't know how they do it but its seriously fall off the bone well seasoned on its own. Again large portion of protein. The curry that came with it is completely satiating on every level. Rich, slightly spices, very deep flavor. Exactly what I want when I am want to eat somewhere with well rounded and big flavor in the sense that it leaves you wanting nothing more

If you are thinking about eating here and looking for a sign that is saying "Eat Here", look no further, but feel free to read on.

I live half a mile away and on one of my WFH walks around the neighborhood I started to read this new spots menu. A super friendly Thai woman walked out and mentioned she was helping open this new restaurant for one of her friends. If you've been to Thailand you'd know they refer to it as the Land of Smiles and surely she is from the Land of Smiles as she was super friendly and we chatted about the neighborhood our time in Oakland etc. Obviously you aren't coming to Pla Daek for the convo but I would implore you to empathize with the owners dream of opening a restaurant during COVID. An unimaginable feat in my opinion which takes an insane amount of courage and believing in oneself. Well needless to say I now believe in them as well and wish them and you a fabulous experience filled with rich, authentic,...

Came here on the stormiest day of the Decade on a Sunday evening and it was still half-packed with diners and takeout orders of all sorts. The Tom Kha soup was one of the most savory ones we've ever had and the menu provided many dishes not available elsewhere. We tried the Somtum Thai Fresh Chili Salad whose flavors and various textures in the mouth are pretty much off the charts! Followed by a delicate red pumpkin curry that is delightfully aromatic...not overly powerful or too thick in sauce (as can be at times) which is accompanied with a bowl of jasmine rice... the atmosphere is light yet with a touch of quaint sophistication. We also enjoy the traditional Thai songs playing in the background while dining as if we were transported to a village (without the hot- humidity) and served by a friendly staff with the know-hows. We definitely look forward to having the other beautiful and colorful dishes that passed by our table during the course...

Super mediocre at best in terms of food, which is kind of the point of going there for me anyway. The green curry with seafood was terrible ! The fish was slimy and mushy , seemed like the WORST quality frozen fish improperly cooked. The squid in there was also terrible ….had several gelatinous threads on each piece that were disgusting. The eggplant in this dish was also very bad tonight ….complete mush and the palest purple color that eggplant never should be. Our veggie dish was acceptable but not exceptional. Service was okay, not all that either. Not once did anyone ask us how the food was, or I would have (more nicely) told them . Brightly lit. The fresh flowers on each table were lovely…unfortunately nothing else was. This was my first and last time there. I’m shocked how favorable other reviews are. With all the fish painted on the wall, we mistakenly thought they would serve good...