Kuni's Thai Cuisine — Restaurant in Spokane

Sweetened for the American Palate – Not Quite Authentic Thai

We dined at Kuni’s Thai Restaurant on a quiet Monday evening and found the experience to be decent overall, though not quite in line with our expectations for authentic Thai cuisine. While Thai food often leans sweet, especially in American interpretations, the dishes we ordered were overly sweetened, even by those standards—clearly tailored more for a broader American palate.

We tried the Phat Si Ew and the Larb Salad with beef. The Phat Si Ew came drenched in sauce, which brought out a strong sweetness that overwhelmed the rest of the flavors. Still, the noodles and beef had a good texture and were cooked well. The Larb Salad’s beef was overcooked, with small pieces that were heavily seasoned, but there wasn’t enough vegetable content to balance the dish. I found myself running out of greens quickly and ended up boxing the rest of the meat to enjoy later with additional veggies. We also requested a spice level 3, but the dish barely reached a level 1, which was disappointing for those who enjoy more heat.

The ambience at Kuni’s was a plus. It was quiet and clean, with decent lighting and a setting that felt themed appropriately for a Thai dining experience. The tables were well-sized, offering enough space for shared dishes, and the chairs were comfortably padded. The layout was also spacious enough to accommodate wheelchairs, which is always appreciated for accessibility.

Service was friendly, though a bit slow—our food took about 20 minutes to arrive, even with only two or three other tables occupied. This may have been due to limited staff at the time.

Overall, while the service and setting were pleasant, the food simply didn’t match our flavor preferences. If you enjoy a sweeter, milder take on Thai cuisine, Kuni’s might be worth a try. But for those seeking a spice-forward, more traditional Thai experience, it may not quite...

So, I'm not at all trying to make it seem like this place isn't worth checking out. Please do! It may be for you, it just wasn't exactly for me in a few key ways, but it was by no means bad.

It's a very well presented and put together place, mixing new modern style with warm Thai influence. The service was good and super friendly. They had forgotten the fact that we ordered steamed vegetables instead of rice, but they very quickly amended it, with no issue. The food was definitely different than we were expecting, though. We found out later that it was due to the owner having a mixed ethnic background of, both, Chinese and Thai heritage. That made for a unique style of cooking. That was very much influenced by the Chinese heritage and reflected in ways that I wasn't a huge fan of, but I tried all the same because I am always open for new experiences. I don't personally like the pickles, specifically, as an addition. Generally, I'm used to Thai food having more fresh ingredients, and the fresh rolls had pickles and so did my pad Thai. Also, everything was a bit more mildly flavored than I am used to. The pan nang was not as robust as we were expecting, and neither was the sauce for my dish. It was also served with sliced apples which I found to be a bit odd. The basil fried rice, however, was amazing. It has to be some of the top I've had, ever. It was so flavorful and the meat was so tender. That was something I was impressed with, greatly. They use very quality cuts of meat and it doesn't change the price very much, either.

All in all, I have to say it's worth checking out. I just would probably ask for no pickles if...

I ate at Kuni’s Thai Cuisine with my parents on Saturday, January 4, 2025. What a treat! We did have a 30 minute wait time for a table but they have a comfy couch and other nice furniture in the waiting area that makes the wait not that bad and perhaps even a little pleasant. Once we were seated, we enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant. It truly is a nice place with a charming interior. In fact, just like with the table wait, the long wait we had for our food (it was about 45 minutes) was tolerable because of how warm/nice/peaceful/conducive to conversation it was inside the restaurant. BUT, even if the place was a shack with terrible acoustics, the long wait would have still been worth it because the food was INCREDIBLE.

I ordered the pad thai (crispy chicken), my dad ordered the garlic and black pepper stir fry (beef), and my mom made the order of the night by opting for the peanut sauce delight (crispy chicken). I loved the spice on my dish (4/5) and enjoyed the rice noodles while my dad’s dish had such a savory flavor with tender beef. But the peanut sauce delight was out of this world. Honestly, adding “delight” at the end of the dish’s name doesn’t even do it justice. That peanut sauce is truly decadent, one of the most pleasing tastes I have enjoyed in a long time.

Shout out to our server who kept my Mt. Dew glass full and who came by a few times during the long wait to update us on when we could expect our food. Also, it was very nice of the manager/owner who came by at the end of our meal to apologize for how long it took. We assured him that it was well worth the wait. I highly recommend Kuni’s...