Prik Nam Pla — Restaurant in Somerville

I just paid way too much money for a meal that was not good at all on any level! I wanted to like this place because I am New to the area and love Thai food but sadly, this is not the place! I ordered crispy chicken Basil fried rice, flavorless and the chicken was definitely pre breaded frozen Tyson chicken cutlets type chicken, it was very dry, it was flavorless and cold; I ordered crab Rangoon, these were not too bad but had minimal flavor, and I ordered what I thought would be chicken fingers like I get from the Chinese restaurant, nope, more super dry pre breaded frozen chicken tenders with zero flavor and rubbery . A total disappointment across the board!!! I thought the Thai Ice Tea would be a hit, it had minimal flavor. I paid almost $50 for the food and it was just not good on any level!!! I threw my food and money away! I won’t return to this spot and it has turned me off from wanting Thai Food anytime soon! It may be good eats for The college kids from Tufts but now I see why it’s empty. Very nice staff is their saving grace! I need a refund. I will cook no matter how hot it gets because I could have gotten groceries with the money I...

Updated April 23, 2025 lunch specials are still good and only a little more money. The veggie dumplings are noticeably smaller but I understand costs are soaring for ingredients so sympathize. Updated photos for the same dishes below are now served in trays vs in bowls a year ago. The long counter is gone and have been replaced by tables which is better. I still recommend this place. Great food and service.

Lovely service and mostly authentic Thai cuisine. The lunch specials are a great deal at $12.95 for entree and appetizer. We had red curry with chicken and masaman curry. Both had great heat and spices. The most delicious part of the meal was the appetizer. We skipped the gyoza option (not Thai) and had what they called vegetable dumpling. The server explained it rarely is offered in a restaurant but is Thai. I forget the Thai name despite asking her twice what it was. I wanted to research it ao I could learn how to make it. It’s not really a dumpling but more like a triangular crispy puff of green veg and something soft. Terrible description but you will need to order it and see for yourself....

Okay so IMO this is pretty damn tasty and authentic Thai food. In fact I'd say it's some of the best we've had in New England. The spices are all there -- but be forewarned that so is the overuse of sugar in many of their dishes (Pad Thai, Tom Kha, etc), so you may want to ask them to leave that out. I did this for the Pad Thai and the result was excellent. The spice level in the curries is also spot on (for me at least), and their Panang is as good as it gets. Everything is fresh and the servings are plentiful, and the prices are, well, Boston prices -- but your not likely to find better for less. Although it's a very small space (just a few tables) the owners are attentive and helpful and the food comes out of the kitchen really quickly and piping hot.

We'll definitely be back...