Thai Orchid @ Soi 1 — Restaurant in San Jose

Thai Orchid used to be my favorite Thai restaurant since I moved to the area back in 2019. They used to have amazing portion sizes and taste and I was a regular since. I know with inflation restaurants are struggling, but the quality of food just has not been the same. The ones I had today were absolutely disappointing. My pad kee mao had many visible burnt flakes and meat pieces (perhaps the wok was not clean?) that overwhelmed the taste of basil and sauce. After a first bite no one in my family touched it. I don’t review restaurants often, but because Thai Orchid has been my favorite, I wanted to share my experience with the owners. I would not mind a price increase if the quality returns. But what I had today really deserves 2/5 stars. I don’t think I’ll order any time soon… or...

Pad Woon Sen always reminds me of a homecooked meal from home. I enjoy getting it from here! The noodles are cooked well, so they don't stick together. The dish is a bit oily, but overall savory and flavorful. They give lots of cabbage and egg. I appreciate that the chicken was tender! If you come during lunch, they give you complimentary veggie soup too.

I also tried the Pad Thai and it was delicious! Flavored very well and had the perfect chewy noodles. It's pretty oily though, especially if you pair it with fried tofu. More oily than the pad woon sen.

I recommend bringing your own water bottle if you can. Not sure if it was an off day or if the tap water is just THAT gross... but the glass of water they served me...

This is an updated review as on our last visit to Thai Orchid in San Jose we noticed the quality of the food has declined. It is under new ownership as the food tastes heavily of MSG and was extremely salty. Sadly, post covid you can tell the food is not fresh anymore.

We like having dinner at Thai Orchid during the weekdays because it's less crowded than the lunch hour. It's pretty quiet unless noisy customers are having dinner. The food is reasonably priced and the staff is friendly. The wait time for our dinner is decent, no long wait times. The portion sizes are good for sharing with family or friends....