Turmeric Thai Garden — Restaurant in San Diego

I loved this restaurant when we visited last summer, as the food was incredibly fresh-tasting and was cooked just right, so I was surprised at how disappointed I was by the food during our visit this spring. My husband and I ordered the same dishes as last year, but neither tasted anywhere near as fresh as last summer. We were especially disappointed by my dish, as the tofu was undercooked and the fresh basil was left out initially. On checking whether I had the right dish, they tossed in some tough basil stems with a handful of leaves and buds attached to them. I've read online that some people use the stems and buds in cooking, so it's possible that this might be a cooking style difference; since I don't remember having noticed stems and buds in my food last year, my assumption is that it's not a stylistic choice.

I asked when we paid for our meals whether anything had changed in the last year since we weren't seeing the same quality as last year, and I just got a response that nothing had changed. There didn't seem to be much interest in why I was asking or what differences I was seeing from last year to this year, and I think that lack of interest was the most disappointing thing of all during the visit. I hope our experience was just bad luck and/or misunderstandings, as all of the reviews I've seen are strongly positive like our experience last year; that said, we don't plan to return the next time...

Accessibility: read until the end of this paragraph as it is important especially for wheelchair users. There are a few disabled parking spots and flat ground from the parking lot onto the sidewalk where this place is. There are tons of short tables to sit at outside in their patio and moveable chairs perfect for wheelchair access. The only thing that is not accessible at all is the bathroom. Way too tiny of a bathroom; a wheelchair will not fit in here at all. There are heaters next to most of the tables outside and there are seats inside, but again, a single toilet and sink, tiny bathroom.

Experience: getting here was weird because the restaurant is surrounded by houses and is right in front of a gated neighborhood. I was so relieved to see this place not busy at all on a Friday night! I sat outside In their patio and it was super cute. There was no one sitting at any of the tables near me so it felt very COVID safe. The staff were all wearing masks and some even wearing gloves. The staff were all super friendly and the food was out of this world delicious! I was so surprised at how incredible everything tasted. I absolutely recommend this place, but sadly not for folks who need more room getting around in bathrooms.

Price: For three meals, one appetizer and one dessert the cost was around $75. With a tip it was $90-100. This...

We recently celebrated my wife birthday at Turmeric, and it was a truly memorable experience. We had a large party—22 people across two tables—and from start to finish, everything was handled with care and professionalism.

Brian, the manager, was incredibly courteous and accommodating, making sure our celebration went smoothly. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the patio was beautifully decorated by the chef’s sister, who clearly put a lot of love and thought into the setup. It added such a personal and tasteful touch to the evening.

The food was fantastic, and the service was excellent—which is no small feat with a group our size. While you might expect some hiccups with such a large party, the staff made a clear effort to bring out all the food at the same time. There was only a small mix-up with one guest’s dish, but it was quickly addressed and didn’t take away from the overall experience.

From the ambiance to the attention to detail, everything was 5 out of 5. We truly appreciated how the Turmeric team went above and beyond to make the night special.

Highly recommend for any special gathering or just a...