Lom Wong — Restaurant in Phoenix

We wanted to love this place. Based on the reviews and one of us had eaten there before. We thought it would be pretty phenomenal. But I’m gonna be straight with you… From the start it was awkward. We waited about 10 minutes just outside the door at the stand that said to “Wait To be seated”. No one acknowledged us so we finally stepped inside, the already open door, to be ignored for a few more minutes…and then we were told by the host that we need to step outside because the door can’t be open with the ac is on. They had the door open, not us. It was open when we arrived and the entire time we waited.

We gave the host our reservation name. I want to note hear that we paid 70 to hold the reservation. We let the host know we had one additional person joining and we could just add another chair to our round table but they told us, no, that our table could not have another chair added and that they wanted to save it for “walk-ins”. We were told that we needed to wait for a larger table. We did. We couldn’t leave because they had our deposit.

While we were waiting another group came in and was told they could not sit without their entire group. It was two older gentleman waiting for two additional people. They said they were a party of four. I want to note here that the patio had four empty tables at this point. We could see empty tables inside too. They then proceeded to tell these gentlemen that they would not have a table that they could sit at until 830, it was 7PM, because their reservation window had passed. Which is odd because they had all those empty tables including the one they told us that we couldn’t have because they wanted to save it for walk-ins. I’m sure you are wondering why they gave us this really bizarre excuse. We were wondering the same. Since we actually had a reservation and paid for the spot but they were putting us off to save seats for walkins who had not had a reservation and we’re just walking in. So basically since we had put money down they were able to hold us hostage because they knew they had our money.

We were finally seated and we were told that because we were a party of more than four that they got to pick the menu and serve it to us. Okay that’s fine and can be fun but there were no prices discussed at all. No pricing menu or anything if that nature for what was about to be brought before us at their whim. The food came out quickly and it was very good. The server was nice and so were the people who were bringing the dishes out.

At the end of the meal they brought us our bill which was almost $400. I’m sure you will agree this is pretty steep for a party of six with only two beers and one cocktail on the tab. Only three drinks total! The server dropped off The tab without saying anything and then just went on his way cleaning a table. Btw no one was ever seated at those empty 4 tables on the patio. They remind empty and so did tables inside. It was 830. Nobody was waiting outside or showing up for those walking tables that they wouldn’t give away to actual people with reservations. After the serve left the tab on the table he just walked away. We noticed it said $71 for a large group charge. I proceeded to ask him, because he was still out on the patio, if that was the tip and he said, “oh yeah I don’t know why it says that”. I said , “shouldn’t you tell us that so we know?” It was off putting like he was trying to get more of a tip than the “Large group charge” which he would have gotten if he was up front. At that point the host had been so rude we were forced to pay over pay for food we didn’t get to pick even though we weren’t that big of a party so we just paid and left.

Sadly we won’t be back even though the food was delicious because the service was so peculiar and the pricing is off. The staffs attitudes really put a damper on the whole evening .

We say a big fat NO to this place. There are too many great restaurants in Az to be treated like this and...

— Update 2 Years Later 8/16/2025 —

Celebrated our 5 year anniversary at Lom Wong. Food is just as outstanding, perhaps even better now. Service was great. Shoutout to Carly!

Recommendations: Green mango salad, Beef Shank curry (spicy, but nothing foreign to Southeast Asians), crab curry, and the pork belly curry.

Thai tea bourbon drink was also insanely good.

— Update 1 Year Later 8/26/2024 —

This place is solid. We have come here for multiple birthdays and occasions ever since my first review. The food has always blown people away. The drinks are nice and boozy. The service is always amazing.

You know the anxiety when you hype up a place to people, but then it falls short of expectations? We never feel this at Lom Wong. Each and every experience is just as stellar as the last.

If you want to impress, bring them to Lom Wong.

— My BF and I came here for our 3 year anniversary on a complete whim, and we are so happy we did.

To start, I am not Thai, but I am Southeast Asian and was raised solely on these foods and flavors, and so my standards for SEA food is fairly high. I don’t usually have much to say about SEA restaurants in Arizona. They’re usually just kind of so-so (mid af), straight up bad, or most often they compromise flavor to cater to western palates.

Lom Wong, however, was an entirely different experience. It wasn’t just good, in fact it was probably one of the best Thai restaurants I’ve ever been to here.

We had three dishes and each were explosive with flavor. I highly recommend asking for the Arai Kodai experience. We requested 3 entrees and then dessert.

Full-stop. Everything we got was delicious, but the 2 stand out dishes were the: Green Mango Salad and the Stir-fried crab. Like, every single bite of these dishes made me SMILE.

The Thai Tea is delicious, but I couldn’t really tell what made it expensive. You should just get one of their craft cocktails instead. I had the Pina Colada and it was great. - Was worried about drinking fish sauce, but it works, trust the process, lol.

For dessert, we got the crème brûlée duo. One side was hibiscus and the other side was lemongrass. Honestly.. not my cup of tea, but my boyfriend cleared the plate, lol. Just depends on the person.

The service was friendly and attentive. They do a great job of explaining the history of the restaurant and the relationship of the dishes.

The vibe is top notch. Very nice ambiance and cute place to have a date or intimate gathering. I love the warm lighting and the seating arrangements. Feels like an upscale version of a SEA home’s dinner table.

— The only flaw of the experience was that the music was a twinge too loud. I believe we were sat near the speakers though… I kept asking my BF to repeat himself and I sometimes couldn't hear our server.

Note: Google has the price point as “$$” and while you can certainly get away with ordering only a dish or two. The food is so delicious you should order multiple entrees. Expect to pay about $55-60 per person. For three entrees, two drinks, and dessert it costed about $120, which for what you get, is more than fair. We had leftovers to take home.

TL;DR: Didn’t have much expectations, but this place shot up to one of my favorite restaurants in all of AZ. It’s...

Disaster: Thai Restaurant Lom Wong!!! $75 for Stinky Seafood Instant Noodles

Let me first say that this restaurant was one my friend and I used to really enjoy. We visited it several years ago and liked it a lot. The restaurant positions itself as a fusion Thai eatery, with small portions and prices higher than typical Thai restaurants. Because of its unique fusion dishes, drinks, and ambiance, my friend and I decided to revisit.

First Offense

I know this place used to be very popular and sometimes had long wait times. My friend and I decided to call ahead to check how long the wait would be if we came right away. However, the person who answered the phone repeatedly emphasized that they could not tell us the wait time. We had to physically show up and check in at the restaurant. I asked if they could at least give us an estimate, but they refused and insisted we come in person to wait. I don’t understand why this was necessary.

Second Offense

When ordering, we noticed a dish called Tom Yum Mama priced as “market price” (mkt). When we asked, they said it was $75 and emphasized that the portion was large enough for two people, and that we’d only need to add a salad. However, when it arrived, it turned out to be just two packs of instant noodles, three shrimp, three mussels, and some canned crab meat. I fail to understand how they define “large portion.”

Third Offense

When the noodles arrived, we first tried the noodles and soup, which tasted decent. But then disaster struck when we bit into a mussel—a horrible stench exploded in our mouths, making it impossible to swallow. Shocked, we called the manager to address the situation. The manager quickly informed us that he had already tasted the dish in the kitchen and found no issues. He offered us a very small discount and suggested we just avoid eating the mussels. We felt this was an inadequate response but didn’t press further. Then, we tried the shrimp, the texture was extremely mushy, like that of a shrimp that had been frozen and left out for two days. The edges even had that powdery texture. Once again shocked, we called the server back to inform them the shrimp was also not fresh.

Fourth Offense

The manager came out again and insisted that all their seafood is freshly imported daily. He reiterated that he had tasted everything in the kitchen and found no issues, even offering to show us receipts (which he never actually did). From beginning to end, there was no apology. Instead, he kept insisting that their quality standards are the highest and that we were the only ones who had complained about the freshness of the food. I was absolutely floored. If this is their definition of fresh, u can actually close the restaurant

To top it off, he brought out the head chef, who awkwardly mumbled that everything was fine and that he didn’t understand why we thought the food wasn’t fresh. The manager then sent the chef back to the kitchen. I said, “Okay, so your solution is for me to set aside the mussels and not eat them. Now the shrimp is also inedible. Am I paying over $70 just to eat two packs of instant...