Sabai — Restaurant in Richmond

In short: Don’t second guess it. Just go. You won’t regret it!

I visited Sabai last night around 7:30 PM to treat my middle schooler to an end-of-year dinner at a new spot. Of course, I discovered it on TikTok. The food looked incredible, the drinks vibrant, and the atmosphere inviting.

I made a reservation for two because let’s be honest, Friday night on Broad Street can get packed. I’m glad I did. They do have a $10 per person cancellation fee, which is totally fair and understandable.

Parking and Hostess

There is limited parking on the side of the building, but major credit to the hostess who went above and beyond. She confirmed with her manager that my spot was fine and even stepped outside to check it herself. That level of attentiveness really stood out and was so appreciated.

If you don’t mind a short walk or crossing the street, there are other convenient parking options nearby.

Seating

For anyone curious, one section of the restaurant is by windows that open, while the other dining area is more central and features those charming swing-style tables you might have seen online. I didn’t fully know what to expect when I booked, but I left a note asking for a nice view and a good vibe, and they definitely came through.

Service

Our server Mars was phenomenal. Attentive, informed, and kind, especially when it came to our spice tolerance and allergies. Mars made our experience feel personalized and comfortable.

I also asked if the windows open where we were sitting. Mars explained that they do, but due to the rain that night, they were kept closed. I can’t wait to return on a clear evening to enjoy that feature.

Drinks and Bartender

I believe the bartender that night was Elizabeth. I ordered a Manhattan, and it was absolutely top-tier. The balance of sweetness and bitterness was just right, and even the cherry had an unexpected burst of flavor. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered a second one.

The gentleman who brought our drinks was also very kind, and I made sure to pass along compliments to the bartender. For a busy Friday night in the city, the entire staff was warm, attentive, and welcoming.

The Food

Everything we ordered was outstanding. It didn’t just taste good; it felt like each dish was made by someone who truly understands and appreciates the cultural roots of the cuisine.

Here’s what we had: Spring rolls: crispy, fresh, light, and full of flavor. A perfect way to start the meal.

Dumplings: steamed to perfection.

Pad Thai: I fell in love with this dish all over again. I haven’t had Pad Thai this good in years. They even made it peanut-free upon request.

Chicken fried rice: packed with flavor. The peppers and onions added the perfect touch.

Sweet chili chicken thighs with sticky rice and veggies: a bit too spicy for my daughter, but I was happy to pack it up and take it home. Still so tasty.

All in all

Sabai exceeded every expectation. From the food to the service to the overall ambiance, everything came together in the best way. Whether you’re planning a casual night out or celebrating something special, this place is more than worth it.

The prices were also very reasonable, especially considering the quality and amount of food we enjoyed. I’m already looking forward...

Excellent tasty food, vegetarian options, IG decor, but noisy. We loved the whole industrial/garage look with the painted mural. It was all accented by lots of plants, chandeliers, soft lighting and swinging tables. It was definitely visually pleasing, like a beautiful garden. A gorgeous place to bring anyone.

Come early! It does get busy, we came at 5:00 pm so we were lucky and got seated right away.

Drinks: Thai 75- loved it. Bubbly prosecco with gin, lime and lemongrass flavors. This was light and refreshing and both of us liked it. Mai Tai - This drink was a little strange as it came out with a lit cinnamon stick, It was so smoky bothering us all! None of us liked the taste either we asked to switch it out for another Thai 75

Food: They have a great menu, with vegan & vegetarian options! My sister's Nam Tok (warm beef salad) was extremely good, definitely spicy, but a variety of good flavors too. My vegetable spring rolls were excellent, we should have ordered more! The calamari was our least favorite, good, but it was very heavy on the batter (which others may really like).

Main course- Pad Kee Mao, mine with tofu and my sister added Duck. Both got two thumbs up! We didn't specify a spice level but whatever their default level was it was just enough for us! My niece ordered the Pad See Ew which was also good, especially if you don't like a lot of spice as it's not spicy but still has lots of flavor.

Deserts: 1st- (Forgot the name) some sort of flaky pastry with condensed milk, sesame seeds, honey and chocolate. Those who tried it said it was amazing! Definitely recommend.

2nd The fried banana- this was little disappointing, only because we imagined it to be a sweeter but banana fried in a light rice paper (like the Spring rolls) instead it was dipped in a heavy batter (sort of like the calamari) and the banana was unripe and starchy and didn't go well with the melted chocolate. (sweetened condensed milk might have been a better choice)

Overall I would definitely recommend this place and would visit again.

The things we weren't crazy about...

Doesn't take reservations

The noise level. As mentioned earlier, the restaurant is VERY LOUD for some reason. Maybe because the front is a metal garage door? We could hear every conversation going on around us, it was distracting and not very relaxing.

I will make one suggestion, the worst of all the noise were the stools at the bar. People waiting for tables often sat at the bar to wait so there was a lot of movement going on, and all night the metal stools kept screeching as people moved them back and forth on the floor, like nails on a chalkboard. An easy suggestion would be to get some of those round felt pads to stick on the bottom of the stools. It would make things a little easier on the ears.

Personal note: while I really liked this restaurant I wouldn't recommend it if you are taking someone with sensory issues. The noise and smells might...

We have traveled around America and the world and have eaten at the best reviewed Thai restaurants. Tonight, on a short visit to Richmond from California, came to this restaurant on a friends recommendation. What happened tonight was the most despicable thing we've encountered. We arrived at 945 pm. Family of 5. We got my youngest son McDonald's across the street because he has nut allergies and even nut-free dishes have created reactions. We let our waiter know that our sons were joining us as one would have McDonald's with him. He was very nice and had no issue and took our order. Our sons joined us and our youngest was eating his McDonald's while we were waiting for food. They served us our Thai iced tea, even brought my youngest son a straw. Thirty minutes later, our food still hadn't arrived, and a woman who we assume is a manager angrily came to our table and told us our son couldn't eat outside food in the restaurant. This after our waiter has been coming to our table and watching our son and being friendly. She asked us to leave. When we explained that the waiter had no issue and we have been sitting patiently she started get angrier and said you don't know health code rules. My wife wears the Hijab. She had anger and hatred in her eyes. She told us to leave and pay for our drinks. I insisted she call the waiter who had no issue with it, and when he came, she wouldn't let him speak without screaming at us. My wife explained the situation with our son and she started explaining how allergies shouldn't have been an issue, he could've ordered a special item from menu. (we had to explain to her that he still can't tolerate such foods). She started getting more heated and her eyes told us she wanted us gone. I told her I felt she was being racist and she got angrier. These are not exaggerations. There are witnesses. This manager has ruined our experience not just of this restaurant but of Richmond. Such a sad display of hate and anger. To be kicked out of a restaurant because a child is eating McDonald's, even after we got permission. I would never want anyone to have this experience. Stay away from this place. Whoever you are, manager lady, just know that my wife was really looking forward to eating at this restaurant. She was so excited. We were admiring the restaurant, the decor, even the friendliness of the waiter. You have made her feel so hated and have created a bad memory for my children which they will never forget. Whenever we think of hatred, we will...