Buddha Ruksa
A green house in west Seattle holds within its warm, red walls the best crispy garlic chicken in the city. People come from all over the city to get it. Another house specialty found nowhere else, is the prawns and pumpkin curry meal. The menu is extensive and features unusual dishes like trout salad made with a fried, boneless trout fillet, and standard fare like phad Thai. The restaurant serves lunch Tuesdays through Fridays and dinner every day except Monday.
Buddha Ruksa
3520 S.W. Genesee St.
Seattle, WA 98126
(206) 937-7676
buddharuksa.com
Jhanjay Vegetarian Thai Cuisine
Thai cuisine lends itself very well to vegetarianism and Jhanjay makes the most of both. This cute, casual restaurant in the Wallingford neighborhood excels in making soup--particularly spinach soup with tofu and the classic hot and sour Tom yum. The eggplant in black bean sauce and the mango tofu also stand out. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day.
Jhanjay Vegetarian Thai Cuisine
1718 N. 45th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 632-1484
jhanjay.com
Kaosamai
Kaosamai is located in a big pink house with a big deck out front that's great for watching the local flavor of the Fremont neighborhood, known to the entire city as "the center of the universe." The menu is extensive and solid, but the curries stand out here--particularly the pineapple, green and yellow curries, all made with coconut milk. The salmon curry is also worth a mention. Lunch is very reasonably priced and available every day, as is dinner. Kaosamai also runs a mobile food truck that serves lunch in various parts of the city.
Kaosamai
404 N. 36th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 925-9979
kaosamai.com
Thai Siam
The humble exterior of Thai Siam harbors some very good dining inside. You can't go wrong with any of the chef's specials, including the Thai Siam basil lover that comes with your choice of meat cooked with eggplant and Thai basil leaves. The lemon grass chicken also stands out. The phad see Iew and the lard nar (thick noodles with broccoli) are popular and solid choices, and all of the dishes have a hotter default spice level than most Thai restaurants in the area. The Crown Hill restaurant is open every day for lunch and dinner.
Thai Siam
8305 15th Ave. N.W.
Seattle, WA 98117
(206) 783-3668
thaisiamrestaurant.com
