Mysterious Garden Thai — Restaurant in San Francisco

Outside of Thailand, I doubt I have had any Thai meals that have been memorable. Somehow the pressure to cater to local tastes has made Thai food in The Bay Area muted and one noted. The only exception was our friend Chef Anucha of Mae Krua on bernal who decided to pack up and pursue other pastures.

We were excited to try Mysterious Garden, and they had a 65 dollar special vegan soul celebration meal for 2. For the drinks, apps, curries, rice and dessert, it was an excellent value.

After initial hiccups, waiting 30 extra minutes to pickup outside their shared ghost kitchen, we finally got a box that looked like an expensive Macy’s gift box. So far so good.

Everything was packed well and presentation was flawless. And then comes the downer. Everything was super sweet and had barely any spice. Good Thai food balances acid, spice and sweet. If your primary flavor hit is sugar, everything tastes like dessert.

The hibiscus tea and limeade pandan had great flavor, but could use a touch less sugar.

The tofu tod was crispy, but the sweet sauce needed less sweet and a hint of spice to balance.

The massaman curry had great flavor but for too much sugar and oil.

I really liked the salad. Probably the best item of the menu with the different types of mushrooms.

Sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf is hard to mess up, but after eating a meal that was all dessert, a dessert feels pointless :)

Would I bump up a star if it had more spice, 90% less sugar that allowed the lemongrass, galangal to shine, you bet. This place has potential but lacked in execution.

Tip: If you try Mysterious Garden, ask for some spice and go easy on sugar, unless you prefer your Thai sweet.

If you do find a place that does wonderful, authentic Thai food, please DM. My quest for really good Thai...

This is amazing meal for me who trying to keep myself healthy and still looking for delicious food! I ordered mysterious Mushroom salad and roasted honey Chicken. It came with good amount of portions comparing to the price. (I still have some left for another meal) I am surprised they put so many healthy ingredients like grains, edamame and stuff, not only mushrooms. My mouth was drooling from the first bite. The dressing was pretty unique and delicious. The roasted chicken was juicy and full of flavors. Some herbs such as garlic and cilantro came first and finish with honey. Also cut off with sweet and tangy sauce. This guy surprised me with the full of taste and food’s creations. Can’t wait to try the rest...

I just placed an order around 9:47 for pick-up, logged in waited in the car for the text msg.... 30 min later i started to worry, because I have a 11:59pm flight out of SFO... so i went in and waited... at around 10:25 the front desk receptionist said that their was nobody in the kitchen and he doesn’t know how to refund me.... I left hungry angry 😡 and without my...