Chim! — Restaurant in Pasadena

A small hole in a wall Thai restaurant that serves big appetite. This place serves authentic Thai cuisine. Ample unlimited FREE parking available and street parking too. Can't find this much unlimited parking in Pasadena.

Orders are served on a metal ceramic plate. The sticky rice is placed on a bamboo cup with cover.

We ordered the Chim fried chicken, Roti dip, pad see ew, beef with sticky rice, beef Panang and Thai tea. We forgot to ask to make the dishes mild specially the Panang. We found out that it is made in batch so it is already spicy. The beef with sticky rice can be ordered mild. It is served on a bed of lettuce, basil leaves and red onion with fish sauce vinegarett. The fried chicken is crispy delicious with tangy spicy dipping fish sauce. The roti dip is like a thin quesadilla without the cheese. It comes with a yellow curry dipping sauce the same sauce used for the Panang.

Our next table ordered the durian sticky rice. I wanted to but the pungent smell turned off my wife and I don't want to sleep on the couch. LOL I spoke with the chef and recommended the crispy banan egg roll as dessert and I am not the only customer who wanted it so they will be offering this soon.

This place will be tagged as one of my favorite place from now on. The price is decent and the staff are very friendly. The restaurant decor is contemporary Thai design and not overly decorated. A perfect place for young couples to spend dinner that are on a budget. But don't let this small place fool you because it can accommodate a party of 20. There are tables and chairs outside the restaurant. Try this place out, you...

An update (5/25)

I appreciate your prompt reply. My husband tells me that yesterday he returned to Chim! where he was greeted by you and that you thoroughly apologized, took up the tab on both of our meals and that the staff was very courteous towards him. Hearing of how well you treated my husband and remediated things in response to my complaints has left an indelible impression. Thank you Tasanee for your outstanding leadership!

(original complaint 5/19 I left a rating here on Yelp for one star) The manager cornered my husband (night shift 5/19) and told him that he must pay the meal before they serve us. Confused, my husband asked why he was being singled out to do so. The manager said in a very rude tone that he takes food and walks off without paying for it. Confused, my husband expressed how he has been a frequent patron of this restaurant for years and that he has NEVER exited the restaurant without paying. Further, he tried to ask the manager why she would accuse him of doing so. The manager replied, "I don't want to waste my time with you," and then refused to talk any further with my husband. The visitors seated next to us were absolutely shocked by the manager's accusation and treatment towards my husband. One replied, "I won't be coming back to this place because of how they treated you guys." My opinion is that this restaurant is managed by a disrespectful and unprofessional person. The corresponding treatment by the staff was unfairly...

Great thai food so close to home.

PARKING: Shared lot, but there's some street parking available. Note - Union is a one way street!

FOOD: -Duck noodle soup: Yes, I'm the girl that ordered the least thai dish on the menu. Noodles were a thick vermicilli (think pho noodles), and the soup was served hot pot style. LOVE this touch as it kept the soup boiling hot throughout my meal. -Fried Gyoza: Nothing special, but good as an appetizer if you both are hungry and want to split something. The dipping sauce has a significant fish sauce flavor, so if you're not into fish sauce, don't dip! -Su Kho Thai: According to their menu, dish contains: rice noodle, ground chicken, shrimp, fish ball, fish cake, green bean, bean sprout, peanuts, chili and lime juice. To be honest, there wasn't a decent portion of chicken to even consider this as the second listed ingredient. Flavors were subtle, but I'd probably stick with the duck noodle soup if you're craving soup noodles.

SERVICE: Very friendly, but I saw that their water station is serve yourself. Kind of strange if they have waiter service.

TIP: Tables are very close together - get ready to eavesdrop on your neighbors'...