Thai Gourmet Kitchen — Restaurant in Tampa

I went there to get my usual dishes and discovered that there are in fact new owners for this place.

I was excited to try their new food but it seems that they've completely changed all of their recipes from before. The mild is much hotter than it previously was and none of the old flavors are there, every dish I ordered was different and it wasn't an improvement to me.

I don't know if the new owners bought the recipes and cooking techniques with their sale but it seems that even if they did,bthey are not following the old recipes exactly and are tweaking them to be more "traditional" instead of taking the approach of if it ain't broke don't fix it.

This used to be my favorite Thai place in the area, but it seems going to have to try to find a new one.

I may come back at 6 months to see if they went back to the old recipes or if they are insisting on sticking with new recipes, but I'm not going to hold my breath over it.

My last note is that they seem to have removed the American foods from the menu so if your kids don't like Thai food they don't really have an option anymore. I think that that's what it was for before, more for the kids than the adults. At the same time I have no idea if their American food sales were high enough to justify having them on the menu, so it might have been a warranted change.

I will update this review if I do end up...

Our food was fantastic! I can't recommend this place more. It's incredibly authentic and the best thai I've had in Tampa. Their spring rolls are homemade and have a delicious flavor and small kick from the white pepper. The pad Thai and red curry were also fantastic. It is a new restaurant, so it's important to support them while they're starting out. Their food is amazing. The British man at the cash register was also very personable and charming.

I had some polite suggestions, as they are just beginning business. Our curry spilled on the way home because their takeout containers are not water tight. I would suggest using the cylindrical plastic tubs with lids rather than tin foil bottoms that clamp shut. Also, the outside seemed not to have been cared for in a long time and the waiting space was not terribly pleasant to wait in. It seemed like there were other people interested in dining in, but it is takeout only so a dine in option would be great. Particularly, the trash can was filthy and could use replacing. A nice outdoor space would go a long way in improving the...

Update Oct 2024: Food as good as ever - large portions, flavorful. They recovered from recent flooding and three tables where you can eat your takeout are improved. We enjoyed eating our food at the picnic table on a cooler day.

Update Aug 2024: We have gotten meals here three times in a month. It is worth the drive way down to South MacDill. So good! One week I portioned out the pad thai for multiple meals - huge portion.

This is a food truck that is surrounded by fencing and with a covered sort of platform in front. This is a hidden gem. Tasty pad thai, fried rice, & mango sticky rice. Super friendly owner. There is a picnic table out front and folding chairs to sit on to wait for your order. There is a little back area with a table on grass that could be improved to have better outdoor seating. But to be clear - this is a suggestion - not a criticism. I would consider this mainly a carry out place for now. This is the type of mom and pop place we like to support. We...