Kook Kai's Thai Noodles — Restaurant in Silver Spring

Repeat customer.

That, theoretically, should be enough recommendation. But, to elaborate, the food at Kook-Kai's is ever reliable. I've been a few times over the past several years, since pre-pandemic, and they've always been, consistently been, satisfying.

MAIN: The food is good: hot, popular, delicious. I've gotten the Drunken Noodles before (reliably hot 🥵😋) and this night I got the Basil Fried Rice (beef, spicy 🥵) and it was very satiating. It was just a touch too salty this time, but not enough to ruin the dish. It was still amazing and has been when I've ordered it in the past.

DRINK: The Thai Iced Tea (no ice, $1 extra) is better than the default with ice, imo (nothing to water it down). Saving it for the very end, too, makes it sooo much more satisfying 🤤

DESSERT: The Taro Ball dessert is also yummy. Essentially, it's tiny diced chunks of taro in a hot coconut cream/sauce. It's lightly sweet and very tasty.

(Extra): They also kindly surprised everyone with a delightful little Hibiscus Tea (pic 7) that was yummy. No complaints!

The service is friendly and their Google page advertises a women-owned, LGBTQIA-friendly establishment. I vouch for that; they're very fast and hospitable 🤗

🚻 There is one tiny little any-gender restroom in the back (past the cooks in the kitchen) that is available for customers. As a transwoman, I felt very welcomed. NOTE: I try to mark gender neutral bathrooms in restaurants I try. You can find some of via the hashtag on IG: #genderneutralbathroomsindc 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

🅿️ There is paid street parking out front or a couple of paid (except Sundays) parking garages a short walking distance away. Nearest metro station is Silver Spring on the 🟥 red line (but it'll be 15 mins or so of an extra walk past shops and the main road).

Overall, I enjoy this Thai restaurant when I visit Downtown Silver Spring. Also, I vaguely remember them having fried ice cream once and have been dreaming of them having it again one day. Please bring it back!!...

About a month ago, my friend and I visited Kook Kai’s for dinner around 6:45 PM (not busy) on a very cold and windy evening. While the welcoming hostess and prompt seating started the experience on a positive note, things quickly went downhill. The server brought us two small glasses filled with a bright orange drink and ice. The drink was overly sweet and too cold for the weather. No vegetarian soups. Then the dishes came. My friend ordered the Drunken noodles. He said the noodles were overcooked and the dish was too oily. He said his stomach was hurting later in the evening. I chose Pad Thai with Shrimp. I also found it too sweet: the sweetness overpowered everything except the shrimp which tasted frozen. My friend also had a ginger tea which he also said was too sweet. The food was inedible and neither of us ate even half of the food. And at $40, that’s awful. I think they definitely need to cut down on the sugar/sweetness. The service was not great. The server was nice but appeared overwhelmed. And it was not busy. I asked for no scallions and I got scallions. To make matters worse, there were flies in the dining area, and one landed on my food. I couldn’t help but wonder why there are flies in the cold winter?? Additionally, the tables were cleaned with what smelled like PineSol, which made it unappetizing to eat with the strong odor lingering in the air. Overall, while the initial greeting was pleasant, the overly sweet food, poor service, and unsanitary environment made this an experience I wouldn’t want to repeat. I truly don’t know how they have these high reviews. The third picture on the right shows the fly on the bean sprouts if...

I’ve been coming to this restaurant for over 30 years (it’s changed ownership a few times). This used to be one of the places my picky Thai mom would actually go to. I was excited to try the new place, but let down when I got there because A LOT of the items on the menu were not available. I was bummed that a few of my favorite traditional Thai dishes weren’t offered. (No Thai noodle soup and no Lard Nar, but they serve Ramen. Japanese Ramen. -_- ).

I ordered Larb Gai and Drunken Noodles. The Larb was really bad. Super dry and really sweet.I took a bite and pushed it aside because there was no way I was wasting my calories on it. Le yuck. The Drunken Noodles were excellent. Full of flavor and exactly what I expected. The mango & sticky rice was just ok. The rice was REALLY sweet and didn’t have the typical sticky rice flavor I’m accustomed to. And the mango was dry and tart. I thought that might balance itself out, but it didn’t.

The server was very nice, but not attentive. There was only one other patron, who showed up halfway through my meal. But the server was MIA most of the time. I’m assuming she was tending to Door Dash orders or something. But I was let down by her lack of mindfulness. I had to eventually go to the front counter to pay because I was tired of waiting for my check.

I’m hopeful that the food and service will be better the next time I...