Thai Nakorn Restaurant

Our family has been a very loyal fan of this Thai Nakorn for a long time. I moved to Denver but I always try to come here every time I have a chance to visit OC. Their food has been very consistent for many years. I love their Tom Yum Soup. Just recently visited this place again with my family and I was still a happy customer. The restaurant is spacious so we never have to wait long. It does fill up very fast during dinner though.
Highly recommend Papaya salad, Tom Yum Seafood soup and cat fish with mango. LOVE!!!

We were doing something in LA and wanted some Thai food and we haven’t been to this place like 6 years, so we stop by to have dinner on our way back to San Diego and was not disappointed at all. We ordered Tod Mun Pla, Sautéed Clam, Moo Nan Tok (Pork Salad) and Sautéed Catfish which were all very flavorful like I was in Thailand again.

Hmm, it was fine but didn’t appeal to me as much as the Garden Grove one. Maybe it was a fluke — I’ll need to try it again. Parking is not as much a hassle though.

Did like this place, until we found body hair in our sweet rice. It was enough to keep us from wanting to go back.

They must have tons of cooks in their kitchen, the food came out very fast. I was with a party of 25 people, yet the food was served pretty quickly. We waited longer for the table than the time we spent sitting down and eating the food. We had RSVP as well.
Food was B+, not quite A. Servers were very attentive with serving water. They know we are sweating from spicy food! Food portion is small. For my party of 25, I ordered 2 of 15 different dishes. That was perfect amount, no left over.

I cant believe I haven’t written a review for one of the best Thai restaurants in oc. I’ve tried many many Thai spots to homemade Thai food so I think I can trust my good olé taste buds when it comes to what’s good and what’s not.
I’ve pretty much had a handful of my favorite things here such as pad Thai, green curry, pad see ew, crispy pork w/​broccoli, nam sod, papaya salad, etc. The only thing that didn’t tickle my fancy is their fried rice. I know it’s just fried rice but it’s one of my fav things and it’s so simple that it leaves me wondering how you mess it up. It was dry and burnt at the same damn time. If you need to get rice just stick to steamed rice bc everything else is full of flavor and everything good you can think of. Whatever you order tho you prob won’t be disappointed. This place knows what they’re doing for sure so let them work the wok and you’ll be literally rolling out of there.
There’s plenty of parking but it can get packed and slightly chaotic at times. Service can be a hit or miss but food def makes it up. Restaurant is spacious with seat availability majority of times. If you’re picking up food I suggest you calling it in. It saves so much time!
Basically this is the closest you’ll get to authentic Thai food in oc and awesome part is that they have another location in garden grove.

They have the best spring rolls I have ever tried!!! They are huge & very crispy, the dipping sauce it came with was delicious.
Their Pahd Kee Mao is amazing.

Not very many places remind me of my Aunt’s yummy homemade cooking. When I ordered the beef panang I was taken aback by how similar it was because it was so comforting and delicious. I advise you to order a small rice for 2 or 3 adults. A large rice for 4 – 6 is enough because the large rice is refillable and only double the price of the small. I also ordered the mango salad with bits of shrimp and catfish which was a great combination of tangy sweet and salty. At first I couldn’t find the shrimp but it was bits not whole shrimp and it added more flavor than you round think with the peanuts and veggies. We also ordered the nam sod which I felt was more like a lettuce wrap appetizer and the other flavored overpowered the ground pork. Don’t order this unless you feel like you have room after the mango salad. Last but not least. The coconut custard was really yummy nestled in an actual coconut, the custard tasted like a crème brûlée and the coconut «meat» absorbed the sweetness. It was definitely the best I’ve had in the OC!

Service was terrific. Food was salty. Had the fried fish Pomfret. Crispy but no flavor. Sauce was on the side and was thick.
Had the papaya salad mild but just tasted salty. No mildness whatsoever.
Ordered the chicken pad see yu, was the star of the night.
Had the bowl of soup Tom Yum Gung, was really sour and salty.
Maybe an off night but will try again.
Cheers!

I am a huge fan of the Thai Beef Salad or Yum Nuah… I do measure how much I like a Thai place based on how they make that dish. Thai Nakor makes the best Thai Beef salad I have ever had anywhere! It is the perfect blend of citrus tang and warm grilled beef and fresh crispy lettuce, tomatoes, onion and cucumbers… mouth watering!
Their spice scale is one to five… I eat spicy food, but a five makes my years steam and sets my mouth on fire. I stick with a four, it makes me cry, but I can still enjoy the burn.
Their curries are perfect. Their pad Thai is very tasty. They have a fried pomfret which they serve with a sweet sauce that is also a wonderful thing to try. In fact I have never had an item that I did not enjoy!
When I was planning a trip to Bangkok, the wait staff sat down with me and helped me plan out what to do!
The service can be a little bit slow, but the food more than makes up for it!

Service — Good
Food — Good
Refillable fountain drinks — Yes
I’ve been going here somewhat regularly before when I used to work here and now this place is just a place I go to when I am nearby now, which is not a bad thing because I am a fan of this place. What makes me go is probably the best Beef Panang I have ever had. Not to mention the quality and quantity they offer in each plate is amazing.
The beef Penang here is worth it’s own segment because it alone is the most tender Penang I have ever witnessed. It is almost fall off the bone that I want to keep getting more of this item. The penang curry is consistent with many other Thai restaurants, which is good thing, but the quality of meat they conjure up in the cauldron of goodness is by far the best I have ever experienced. This is always a must on the table as being my favorite.
Other plates I order in this place are the Pad Thai, Rad Na, and Fried Rice. There are many variations of fried rice and the variations of them are each just as good in determining on your preference. If I have more beef dishes, then we go with chicken in the fried rice and vice versa. Oh and they give plenty and plenty of rice and noodles to get you way full before anything is finished. You are bound to bring something home. Probably not the Penang because I DEVOUR THAT SH**! Haha.
As a previous regular, this was my go to. Now it’s a nostalgic favorite of mine. Don’t mind going here when I’m around.

Favorite Thai food restaurant been going here for years and the food is always perfect and consistent just how you remember it tasted from the last time you visited .
Love the Thai tea it’s perfect it’s actually sweet enough everywhere I go and try to order Thai tea it’s not even sweet people don’t know how to make it but love this place they got the recipe right sometimes I come to even just order TOGO Thai tea no boba shop can match how good this Thai tea is but maybe it’s just my preference I love it :)
Anyways I don’t just get Thai tea when I come here promise lol
I always order larp beef (not sure if I spelled that right) spiciest level I can get it it’s so good juicy and chewy and perfectly goes with rice and the cabbage the serve with it
Then my second favorite is crispy rice pork nam sod (not sure if that was right either not that good at spelling…) super good crispy rice yummy peanuts and a bit sour I combine everything with rice
Next thing I order is pad Thai chicken no sugar on the plate they always listen and get my order correctly hate when there is sugar on the plate :(it comes out piping hot with bean sprouts like peanuts and time to combine everything to make a Tasty dish noodles are soft and chewy just perfect :)

Thai Nakorn is located in a small strip mall with plenty of parking. I went here for a to-​go order on a Wednesday night and the restaurant was busy with lots of families having dinner. Basic décor on the inside of the restaurant, a locals place.
I ordered the pineapple fried rice and a Thai iced tea to go. Service was fast… Ready in about 5 minutes from ordering. They charge an additional .50 cents for Thai tea to go. The Thai tea was a bit sweet for me, but still good. The pineapple fried rice was soooo delicious. Definitely hit the spot after a long day at the parks. The rice to ingredient — chicken, shrimp, pineapple chunks, cashews, onions, tomatoes was perfect. A meal in one dish. Portion was perfect… I ate half for dinner and had plenty leftover for lunch the next day. They include a spicy salty sauce concoction on the side that put the dish over the top. Delish! Will be back to try other dishes on their menu.

Yum yum!
I’ve been here a few times years ago and finally got the chance to try it again last night. We came in on a Thursday at about 7pm and were seated immediately. After the server handed us our waters we went for a pot of Tom Yum, Clams, Green Beans, and Pad See Ew, all served with rice. The Tom Yum was flavorful and delicious. We got it with fish and they used catfish. The broth wasn’t as spicy as I had hoped but still very good and satisfying. The Clams here were to die for! It came out drenched in a delicious sweet dark sauce. It was very good and I recommend if you like clams. The green beans were also good. They were cooked perfectly and were also topped in a very good sauce. You have the option of meat and we got it with beef. It had lots of garlic which I like. The Pad See Ew we ordered also came with beef. It was also delicious.
Our total was $ 58 (without tip). The service was excellent. The waitress kept coming back to refill our waters and to make sure everything was okay. The inside is very casual but plenty of rooms. We ended up hanging out and talking there for awhile and we did not feel rushed. I want to come back and try their $ 7.99 lunch specials that they have.

My «go-​to» for Thai food.
I’ve been coming to this resturant for many years and the quality has always been really high.
Their Tom Yum is yum, yum! Good balance of soup and spice. You can select how hot you want it, and if you’re really into spice this is a good way to set the tone of the meal.
Their pad thai has become the standard that I judge all other pad thais. Good texture and seasoning, it makes you wish you didn’t come here to share the food family style.
I had the stuffed chicken wings. Great crunchy exterrior with delicious stuffing. Comes with red sauce if you want it a tad sweeter.
Spicy pork and basil will definitely clear your sinus, your throat, and probably your plumbing. This entrée is packed with spice. A lot of intense flavors going on here, best keep your glass of water within reach.
I also had the Sol fish. Fried with a sweet mixture thrown on top. The fried fish by itself is a little bland but I always put extra sauce on mine.
I’ve been coming here for many years so my experience here maybe a little bias, but I really love the staff here. They’ve always treated us well even during rush hours.
Have a lot of positive things to say about this place, please give this place a chance.

Can the employees talk any louder? Seriously… employees are louder than customers, just get each other # and call at night !
I’m wondering if the owner ever reads these reviews ?
When are you going to refill my water? I need water cus your food is too salty !
Will never come back again !

Food is very good here but the service is lacking.
I hate the idea that I have to flag down a waiter to place my order, get water, order dessert and for the bill.

My usual go-​to Thai place closes on Tuesdays so we decided to go to Thai Nakorn. I’m so glad we did!
The menu had a good amount of items and I liked that they had pictures. Service was really attentive and quick for a Thai restaurant. Since we were both starving, we ordered a lot and thought we’d probably have lots of leftovers to take home, but the serving portions here were on the smaller side so we finished everything.
Pad Thai — I liked that it comes w/​CHICKEN AND SHRIMP as a standard. Most places only allow you to choose 1 type of protein. The noodles were cooked perfectly and overall the dish had a good ratio of sauce, meat, and carbs. The pad thai sauce wasn’t too sweet either
Beef Pad Kee Mow — The beef wasn’t dry at all and this is probably one of the best Pad kee mow’s I’ve had. I would order this again
Clams in Chili Paste Basil — It was listed in their specials section and looked so good we ordered it. BEST DECISION EVER! Don’t you dare leave this restaurant w/​out ordering this dish!!! For the price we paid I was surprised how they gave us so many clams. These weren’t little tiny stingy clams that you’d find at other Asian restaurants. The clams were huge as in it looked like they were on steroids LOL. The sauce is like crack, we literally cleaned the whole plate. It was such a great blend of flavors and the basil was refreshing. To give you an idea of how good it was, we drenched that sauce on rice and ate it plain like that.
Dessert: The coconut custard looked good and is served in a coconut, but we decided to save that for next time.
Mung bean and taro in coconut milk — Served warm and it was delicious! Perfect amount of sweetness, I’d order this again
Mango w/​sticky rice — The mango was ripe, sweet, and soft. The sticky rice wasn’t dry and had coconut milk drizzled on it. Probably one of the best Mango sticky rice desserts I’ve had!
One of the best Thai restaurants I’ve been to and the food tastes authentic. The food is reasonably priced and won’t break the bank. Will definitely be coming back to try their other dishes! I like that they have exotic stuff like wild boar.

Speaking as a Thai person, this is a place that definitely hits the spot. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all that really matters is what’s tasty to each individual person, so who am I to dictate which Thai places are the «best»… but anyway, for what it’s worth, I think this place is great =D Here are some special highlights:
– Yum nua (spicy beef salad). I actually am not sure what this is on the menu because I order by its Thai name but I can’t read Thai… Maybe it’s the Thai Nakorn Beef Salad? It’s super flavorful but the heat/​salty/​savory/​sour is balanced by the crisp lettuce and onions. One of the best renditions of yum nua I’ve had.
– Larp (other places spell it «larb»). Another salad-​type dish, but this time with ground meat tossed with that spicy/​salty/​sweet/​savory/​sour mix that Thais love to use. It’s topped with roasted rice powder which adds a really nice crunch.
– Nuah dad deaw. Kind of like beef jerky, a nice salty appetizer. Honestly I’m ambivalent about this one, but my dad and brother love it, so I thought it deserved an honorable mention.
– Pad see ew. Delicious noodles, always a reliable dish.
– Beef panang. Well-​balanced curry.
– Thai Nakorn BBQ chicken is well-​seasoned.
– Mango with sticky rice is one of my favorite desserts of all time. The mango here isn’t as sweet and succulent as in Thailand, but it’s one of the best I’ve found in SoCal.
The only thing I haven’t been wild about is the green curry; it’s a little too coconuty and the balance isn’t quite right.
We come here all the time to satisfy our Thai food cravings and are already looking forward to our next visit :)

My family and I have been coming for years and for good reason– they have tasty Thai food!
The typical dishes we order:
— pad thai/​pad see ew
— fried fish with mango salsa
— papaya salad
You really can’t go wrong with that combination. Service is pretty quick here as well.
Things have improved since they cleaned it up a bit inside. Make sure you park in the right area, it appears there is a parking wars struggle going on in this complex.