Aaharn56 Thai cuisine — Restaurant in San Diego

Food: 4/5 Service and Setting: 4/5 Value: 3/5

I am always looking for new restaurants to eat at and unfortunately not too many have been popping up. I was excited to see that Aaharn 56 had opened up and had a great coupon that came from the mail. The restaurant is located at the end/corner of the Rancho Peñasquitos plaza, perpendicular to the 24 Fitness there. While the exterior looks dated like the rest of the plaza, the interior is quite nice and has a high-end atmosphere. The servers were all very attentive while not bothering you too much. I ordered quite a lot to share my experience and have a healthy idea of the food here.

Thai Iced Tea with Coconut Milk: 4/5 Thai iced tea is hard to mess up and Aaharn does 56 does a great job at it. The drink was smooth, not too sweet, and the use of coconut milk made it lighter than those made with half and half. The light coconut flavor helped accentuate the gentle smokiness and richness of the tea while also imparting an almost tropical flavor. I enjoyed this a lot and it really helped control the heat of the food.

Cream Cheese Puff: 4/5 Again, Aaharn 56 did not reinvent the wheel, but these are super tasty. While I did find the wrapper to be slightly hard and brittle versus some other more crispy versions, it was very fresh and did not absorb tons of oil. The cream cheese has a wonderful dairy flavor that helps cut the strong spice of their entrees if you can hold yourself back from eating them all right away. The sauce that they give is sort of a cross between plum and sweet chili sauce and did not have that weird chemical taste that it sometimes has.

Massaman Curry with Mock Duck: 4/5 At Aaharn 56, they offer spice levels from 1-10 and I got a 7. I just want to warn you that Thai spice is no joke and can be brutally spicy. I am pretty good with heat but the 7 got me sweating. The curry itself was very rich and sweet while being very spicy. The base has a strong flavor of coconut and peanuts and other aromatics. While tasty, I wish that there was more depth of flavor, but I do acknowledge that picking the mock duck as my protein may have not been a contributing factor. The mock duck really absorbs the flavor better than any other protein and was delicious. They give you a lot of protein. The vegetables are very lightly cooked, the potato especially. I found it to be delicious, but if eating raw-ish potatoes is not your thing, definitely ask them to cook them longer. Random note, I found the rice to be very delicious and super fluffy while being aromatic.

Sweet Soy Se-Ew with Crispy Pork: 4/5 I think that these are the same as more commonly named Pad See Ew, but don’t quote me. They tasted pretty similar. First of all, this portion is huge and can easily be a meal for 2 people or a solid shared entree with 3. The noodles were very chewy and satisfying and the total opposite of mushy. The vegetables are all wonderfully fresh and crispy without being raw. The crispy pork also retained its crunchy skin while being moist. The portion of protein was also very good. The flavor is sweet and savory from the soy sauces they use. Again, nothing that explodes my mind, but very well made and worth the money. When adding spice to this dish, keep in mind that the heat may be more intense and the flavors of the chili will be more pronounced, especially the bitter notes.

Bua Loy: 5/5 I have never tried this dish before but I am so glad I did. On the day that I visited, San Diego was blessed with its annual winter rain. Bua Loy is almost like a warm coconut soup with rice cakes floating in it. The coconut is reminiscent of the cream that they use to top mango sticky rice and the rice cooks look like the taro balls used at Meet Fresh. The dish is so comforting and extinguishes and lingering heat from your meal. While being delicately sweet, there is a healthy amount of salt that highlights the savory duality that coconut milk brings. The dumplings in the soup are unbelievably soft and pillowy without having any disintegration or sliminess that can occur when...

We've been coming here for years until recently, We brought my toddler here for the second time today. As we came in, we did not get greeted. Were told, over there with a bothered attitude. We sat for quiet sometime to get our order taken, when we asked for help the guy that works there came to take our order and gave us an attitude as he was seated eating and taking orders. They obviously are to cheap to hire employees and only the same Asian guy and girl are always there. (Perhaps the owner)

As we sat down, we asked for waters. They brought us waters and my toddler spilled her water as kids do. The Asian lady came and we apologized and told her about the spill, She replied with "You say sorry and do it again, what does sorry do" as she walked away.

I couldn't believe my ears, did she just say that about a child. Note we had only taken my toddler there with us once before . As I was with my family I saved my frustration until we were done eating.

As she gave me the check I approached her with did you just refer that comment towards my child, do you understand shes a child (15 months) And if you didnt want unintentional accidents that they should put a sign on the door that says no children allowed.

She replied with "I have a kid and my kid doesnt do that" WOW! Unbelievable. We walked out and told her we would never return again and neither will our friends and family that go there as they will be hearing about this disgusting incident we had to go through.

Terrible service and overpriced pho. Go to pho ca dao in Mira Mesa, half the price and...

What can I say…Aaharan is still simply the best!! It remains our family weekly go to for the best and freshest Thai food we’ve had;and we’ve tried many. Great vegetarian options with Excellent flavors with just the right heat and always delivered with prompt service. Fantastic anppeti options! This week we tried the shrimp spring rolls with peanut sauce and they were amazing!! We even got extra sauce so no one would have to have less. It is that good!! The drunken noodles are still a big hit with our family, especially with tofu for our vegetarians. Even the Thai ice tea and desserts are amazing! The Hancock mixed veggies are also excellent, with just the right amount of sauce and cooked perfectly! Still Can’t say enough good things about this restaurant, the food or the wonderful and warm staff. We eat here or take out at least weekly!! Never a bad meal or experience! We love it!!! And highly recommend this hidden gem. It’s fabulous !!! If there were more than five stars available, we’d still, after all these meals, give them!! Best Thai food...