Tara Thai Cafe — Restaurant in Redondo Beach

Halloween Trick...It's no treat...It's a cheat! Fool me once...What is supposed to make Thai food so special (the mix of herbs and spices) never gets put on the table. What they list on the menue...asperagus gets turned to cheap long green beans, greasy and raw. Salmon was tasteless...(probably frozen). You have to start with quality product to produce quality meals. And you can't cheat and make it up. Charge high prices...deliver great murchendise...OR CHEAT! Duck salad? Fat, scraps, and the few dried out small hard chunks of duck do not justify the hiked up price you charge...It's a cheat! No mint leaves, no lemongrass, no nothing but cilantro. No chilli mark on the menue...but it came spicy. Huge mistake! The appitizer, Chicken Slate came cold to the table...so tough we couldn't chew it. Rice, salmon, beans all came cold after waiting an extraordinarily long time in a virtually empty restaurant. The service was non-existent. She took the order. Put the food down and we were left sitting while she kept walking in and out of the restaurant...(for a smoke?) P.S. I went next door to the Metro store where she has a "jewelry selection" for sale...found out the truth...no smoking theory holds here... The "kiss of death" for a restaurant for me is...louse up...admit you have when it's pointed out...and STILL FULLY CHARGE! I paid $45.00...left hungry...and went next door to Lupita's Mexican Restaurant where we had delicious fish tacos. That "next time we'll comp you" doesn't work! You should ALWAYS get what you pay for...there will be no next time. Fool me once...and once only! On my top 10 Worst...

So cheap! The lunch special is HUGE and less than $10. You choose your meat i.e. pork, beef, chicken, etc. (seafood extra) then your dish. There are so many to choose from including a delicious Pad Thai or Laksa Noodle Soup. My absolute favourite is Chilli and Basil with chicken. A combination of flavours - spicy and sweet. The chicken pieces are wok tossed with a mix of Asian vegetables, fresh basil leaves and chilli. This delicious stir-fry is served with steaming hot rice.

Tara Thai is great for work lunches because it is in an ideal location and the meals are all so affordable. In addition to the $10 lunch deal they also have a $30 set menu options which is great for larger groups as you get a bunch of different mains, entrees and sides so...

Tara Thai is literally my favorite Thai spot in LA. First of all, I have to give the biggest shoutout to Shawna, she is the BEST. Her energy is always so warm, her customer service is unmatched, and she's just so thoughtful every single time I come in.

Now let's talk about the food... her flavors are untouchable. I crave this restaurant's CRAB FRIED RICE, PANANG CURRY, and PAD SEE EW all the time. Honestly, no other place hits the same. There's something so specific and delicious about the way Shawna makes them, nothing ever compares. I always end up measuring every other Thai dish against hers, and they just don't come close.

I seriously love this place so much!! And special mention on the Mango Sticky Rice...