Khun Pic’s Bahn Thai

Be prepared to wait! I didn’t give this place 4 stars for a long wait time, because I was fully aware of it before and each time I’ve gone. If you are really hungry before you come, eat a snack first and be prepared for at least an hour wait before food. Also, they ONLY take CASH, so don’t come with just a credit or debit card.
That being said, the wife makes truly amazing food. Before this, the best fried rice I’ve had was very similar to the worst fried rice I’ve had. I didn’t think there was some special way to do fried rice to make it taste amazing, but she knows how to do it. The husband is incredibly friendly despite having his hands full all the time. Their house is beautiful. Don’t miss out!

Let me start out by saying that I don’t usually care about the setting or ambiance of a restaurant, I usually only give a damn about what I’m putting in my belly, but holy Toledo is the location beautiful! I celebrated my 27^th birthday at a comfy table under a canopy of vines and trees. It was absolutely beautiful and felt so serene. This place would be an amazing spot to take a date.
Ok, the food. The tofu pad Thai was the best I’ve ever had. The sauce, the veggies, the noodles… everything about that dish was delicious. So much fresh flavor at this place! The green curry was great as well, though I wish I’d ordered it with more veggies. The salad rolls tasted as if she’d just collected the veggies from her garden. Seriously, go here. Oh, and the Thai tea was the best I’ve had (it’s like the #2 thing I’ve craved this pregnancy, so I’ve ordered a bajillion of those lately).
Lastly, the service was much faster than I’d anticipated and our server was super awesome too.

This is my favorite Thai food in Portland. The husband and wife team have there own unique niche. They are only open from 6pm to 9pm, they only accept cash and they are fantastic! The husband half of the team is the server and wife is the chef. He always remembers me when I come in. He will complain about his wife and she will get impatient from the kitchen, the quirkiness is an extra bonus adding to the great experience.
Get there before they open or you will experience a long wait or even possibly get turned away.

One of the best Thai Spots in Portland. Absolutely phenomenal.
Vegan and vegetarian friendly. The Red Curry and the Pad Ki Mao came with insanely fresh, and perfectly cooked vegetables (crisp yet cooked through). The vegetables were also abundant and unique.
Ran by a husband and a wife in a old beautiful converted house tucked away amongst a hidden garden.
The husband is the server, and he is really a cool guy and very accommodating and kind. The wife is the chef, and she knows what she is doing. Wow. Definitely going back. And by the way, it’s cash only, but there are nearby ATM’s as its right off Belmont St.
You might walk past the place if you don’t know what you’re looking for – this only adds to the intimacy and ambiance of it. If highly recommend it for serious Thai lovers and definitely a romantic date spot.

For all the subpar reviews of this restaurant…
As You walked into an old house, what lead you to believe the experience was going to be an American/​instant gratification style restaurant?
The service has a European feel to it– stay awhile.
In my opinion, it’s the best Thai food in Portland.
The waiter and cook (husband and wife) are lovely and great to the people who return.
If you aren’t in any rush and find joy in a laid back environment with AMAZING FOOD, this is your spot.

Wow! The best Thai food I’ve had in Portland by far (including Pok Pok and Khao San). The food feels home made with love and the green curry special was insanely good. We never made it inside, sitting in the tree covered patio which was a lovely place to eat. The service was fantastic. It was friendly, easy going and personal. I felt welcomed as a guest into a home. A Portland must visit.

Thai food that is a cut better than the norm. Though you better have some serious time on your hands. This is an evening, not a place you go before going to another event.

Get there early and be prepared for a leisurely dinner. You will wait awhile for your food, so bring a good conversationalist. That said, I think this is the best Thai food in Portland.

Came here after hearing good things about the food here. However i turned back as they said i have to wait for 2 hours for an order of fried rice. I requested them to speed up as i drove from beaverton and i wen there as soon as they opened. Owner was rude as well. They do not give take out boxes as well. Food might be good but service and feasibility are very bad. I will not try again.

Best Thai food I’ve ever had. Experience was odd though. We were one of the first tables (arrived at opening time, 6 pm on a Saturday). Thank god for that or we would’ve never gotten anything. As we sat there several tables came in, waited around, never got anything (even water) and left. I get that it’s family run, but I honestly can’t comprehend why they wouldn’t hire someone to bring water, take food and drink orders, and bring out drinks.

My boyfriend took me here for a date and let me say this… I have never had better Thai food. The atmosphere: quaint, intimate, Victorian, romantic. The service: personal and friendly. The food: flavorful, life changing, and delectable. The owners do everything-​the husband provides the service and the wife cooks. They do everything made to order and their menu is small which I prefer actually. I loved everything about this place and I will be back when I’m in Portland!

The best Thai food I’ve ever had. The menu is limited, and service is super slow, but that’s to be expected with just two people doing all the work. Service is friendly, if harried, and the curry is always amazing. Their extra spicy is genuinely hot and full of flavor. I’ve moved away from Portland, and this is the place I’m going to miss most.

I finally ate here last night after hearing great things. The reviews are correct. This is some of the best Thai food I’ve ever eaten. It’s a little tough to see from Belmont, but it’s so lovely to eat inside. It’s like sitting in someone’s home. The owner and his wife were so sweet. I will absolutely be back!

After one visit, this place instantly became my new favorite restaurant in Portland. Owned and operated solely by a husband and wife team, Khun Pic’s Bahn Thai will absolutely impress even the snobbiest of food snobs. My boyfriend and I couldn’t talk about anything other than how delicious the food was the entire time we were eating! My only complaint about this place is that it has soooorta ruined all other Thai food in town for me… It really is that good.
Bring cash (no cards accepted) and order the AMAZING salad rolls.

The food is incredible! It will make your belly SO happy. We had the spring rolls, papaya salad, and chicken pad Thai. Can’t wait to go back and try more.

Keeping in mind this is a review of a local Thai restaurant, not of a San Francisco upscale restaurant, this place is a fantastic find for the Portland restaurant scene. It is hidden behind foliage, with an outdoor area for good weather, in an old house. The décor is homey, dark, and welcoming. The service is extremely slow, as the waiter/​owner takes care of everyone. If you are in a hurry or fussy about those sorts of things, you will not have the pleasure of this place.
The house wine was inexpensive, and fine with Thai food. The salad rolls were delightful, with fresh warm peanut dressing with lots of crunchy peanut bits. The green papaya salad was generous in size, and very tasty. The curry of the day was a coconut based chicken green curry, with a nice flavor. In retrospect I would have asked for extra vegetable in the curry, which is not expensive to do, as I like a higher proportion of vegetable to chicken, however my husband was pleased with the amount of chicken.
We definitely will come here again.
Oh, and a word to the wise — they do not take credit or debit, so bring your checkbook or cash.

This is my favorite restaurant in Portland. Share a bottle of wine in the tucked-​away garden in the summer or feel the intimate vibes in the homey dining area in the winter. The husband and wife team do an amazing job with the food – go family style so you can try more things.
The wait time is longer, but when you make the evening revolve around spending time here, together… it’s truly lovely. Go with someone you love… and linger.

At the risk of my review leading more people to go to this wonderful restaurant and cause it to become crowded instead of a good portlander’s secret, this married couple turned a quaint little house into an incredibly portland experience of wonderful food. It’s a house with an eclectic garden in the front in which you eat. Definitely a good interesting experience.

This place is magical. You walk from a busy street to this hidden oasis. It takes a while to be served as it is just one gentleman serving everyone but the food is definitely worth the wait! Everything is completely fresh and made as you order. Check out this place!

Great food. Took a bit long though. Very authentic. Romantic ambience. Feels like your in a enchanted forest. Server was hilarious. You can tell it’s a family owned business. But none the less worth it!

We arrived around 5:50pm, Khun Pic greeted us at the door, we were the first ones to arrive with no wait. We sat had the spring rolls as a appetizer, drunken noodles with chicken (hot) and stir-​fry veggies (medium). The flavor was amazing and level of spice was accurate. I will be back next time I’m in Portland.

Khun Pic’s is located in an old house behind a gate surrounded by a tangle of leaves and vines. If you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to miss. So glad I spotted it one afternoon and decided to pay a visit later that evening.
My boyfriend and I arrived just as the restaurant opened on a Saturday night and were the second party to be seated. We enjoyed the ambiance and décor, a mix of old Victorian architecture with Thai embellishments and details. Warm and inviting, just as you’d expect while dining in someone’s home.
As we sat down and waited for our menus we gathered that the restaurant is run by a couple. The wife’s domain being the kitchen and the husband’s being the front of the house. Since we were among the first to arrive that night we got our menus quickly and were able to put in our order early.
It must be noted that an evening at Khun Pic’s is not your quick and dirty, in and out in 1 hour dining experience. Because there is only one cook and one waiter, the service takes a little longer and so does the food. That being said the service (in our experience) was warm, friendly, and thoughtful and the food – phenomenal. It. is. worth it. Trust me. Plus if you’re with someone you like (and I hope you are!) you get to spend quality time together. Win-​win.
Having lived in Thailand, I crave authentic and fresh Thai flavors, which are often missing from Thai food here in the states. At Khun Pic’s you can expect freshness (everything is made to order) as well as the authentic balance of flavors (sweet, salty, sour, spicy) characteristic of Thai cuisine.
We ordered the fresh spring rolls with curry peanut sauce, som tam (green papaya salad), and the fried catfish with chili garlic sauce. Everything was bursting with flavor and prepared with care. Even though we were nearly full by the time the catfish arrived we ate every piece, which was fried to perfection and served with sautéed vegetables and a garlic chili sauce that was just the right balance of sweet and spicy.
Khun Pic’s definitely sits at the top of my list for best restaurants in Portland.

My friends and I have long since wanted to try this mystery Thai restaurant. After a visit last week, I would highly recommend it. The food was pretty incredible! If you do plan on visiting, bear in mind that dinner will take a couple of hours– I believe it was 2.5 hours from when we sat down, to when we left.
The restaurant is located in an old Victorian home, and I like to think of it as going to a friend’s place for dinner. One person runs the front of the house, taking orders and serving food, while another is the sole cook. All dishes are cooked to order by this one cook, so they do take a little longer to come out than your typical Thai restaurant. Because all of the dishes are cooked to order, they are happy to accommodate any dietary restriction or preference.
Another important point is that their spice levels are to be taken seriously. The boyfriend (who admittedly is always a bit wimpish on the spice scale) could only tolerate a mild-​plus. I was fine with a medium, but it definitely packed some heat.
While their menu is fairly limited, the items they do have are made very well. Boyfriend had the special– a veggie stir-​fry that was really, really incredible and flavorful (with seasonal vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and cauliflower– it worked!). I am a sucker for curry, and was very pleased with the curry of the day– a green curry stocked full of tofu and veggies. The vegetable spring rolls might have been my favorite thing I ate– they have an apple slice in each roll (which is actually quite brilliant) and perfect slices of crispy fried tofu.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience and would highly recommend visiting on a day you feel patient yet adventurous.

If you want AUTHENTIC thai, look no further. A literally hidden gem on SE belmont, this tiny family owned and operated restaurant serves a hell of a delicious meal. After wandering around for 10 – 15 min, my friend and I finally found the entrance to Khun Pic’s Bahn Thai. Since the restaurant is a 2-​man operation (wife cooking and husband waiting tables and hosting), be prepared to be patient and enjoy the experience of eating a home-​cooked meal in a house. While our dinner lasted 2 and a half hours from sitting down to leaving due to the small operation, our dishes were flavorful and different from other thai restaurants. We ordered 2 of the specials of the day: fried catfish and yellow curry with chicken. The catfish was lightly battered and cooked perfectly flaky on the inside with a delicious thick sauce. The curry was also thicker than usual with potatoes instead of other veggies and was superbly flavorful. I’m not a huge pan of potatoes so I would opt for veggies in the future by the flavor was spot on. This place is cash only so prepare ahead of time. Hours are Wed-​Sat 6 – 9 pm only. A wonderful experience!

Possibly best Thai in town. Definitely get the extra veggies for your curry. It is a mom and pop, speak easy almost.

Nice atmosphere. Love the outdoor seating area.
Food was average. Portland has many Thai restaurants. They all taste the same. I would eat here again.

The food is spectacular. The wait is often long. Think of it as going on a mini-​vacation to somewhere that isn’t in so much of a hurry.
We once counted over 20 different vegetable varieties on our table, in the soups and Pad Thai. Amazing. But don’t go when you have somewhere else to be later in the evening. And have a snack before you head over. And maybe take a deck of cards if you aren’t confident in your ability to keep a conversation going.

Its a hard find, almost feel like walking into someones’ house, but then I realized that is what it is!
Anyways, don’t go there if you’re in a hurry, but its an excellent way to spend a couple of hours catching up with friends while they serve out some excellent home cooked thai food. The wonderful family that runs the place comprises of a husband-​wife duo, and they are the only people running the place, so service is on the slower side, but they make you well aware of this fact before you are seated, so settle in and chat with people while you’re waiting for the food. The décor is great as well, you need to see it to belive it.
I had the Pad Thai, and it was different than what I’ve had elsewhere, but very good nonetheless, will go back to try out some other dishes. Its cash only, just FYI!