For ethnic San Diegan dining, there are three neighborhoods
you must know about: Little
Italy for Italian, Old Town
for Mexican, and Hillcrest
for Thai.
Surprised by that last one? You shouldn’t be. The following top ten Thai list is for great Thai restaurants
that can all be found within Hillcrest’s borders. After you try them all, you
may be left to wonder if Hillcrest should be renamed Little Thai.
Lotus Thai
Lotus Thai, located in Hillcrest
and the Gaslamp,
offers an almost-overwhelming variety of traditional Thai dishes, but doesn’t
let the variety get in the way of preparing amazing, quality foods.
Taste of Thai
Taste of Thai has two locations in San Diego – Hillcrest
and Del
Mar – which means that you have two opportunities to indulge at this
award-winning restaurant.
Amarin Thai Cuisine
Tucked behind the corner of a
busy Hillcrest intersection, you’ll find this well-kept secret with entrees
that surprise and delight you.
Bai Yook
Sure it’s in a strip mall, but one taste at this lovely
restaurant, and you’ll agree that Bai Yook soars above its modest location with
truly authentic menu offerings.
Celadon Fine Thai
Cuisine
Celadon recently relocated to a larger location. Be sure to
check out their private dining rooms, full bar serving late night cocktails,
and a wide selection of Thai entrées.
Saffron Noodles and
Sate
Saffron is legendary for its easy, hands-on approach to this
exotic cuisine. Menu descriptions and translations are readily available,
making this restaurant an easy pick for authentic and affordable Thai food.
Saffron Thai Grilled
Chicken
Su-Mei Yoo, the owner of Saffron Noodles, opened up another
restaurant—right next door, in fact—to strictly concentrate on the pleasures of
Thai chicken and a variety of sauce accompaniments.
Kitima: Extraordinary
Thai
With sister restaurants in Irvine
and La
Jolla, Kitima prides itself on using fresh ingredients in all of their
dishes. The menu is extensive and promises to please even the most discerning
palate.
Golden Dragon Asian
Bistro
While not strictly Thai, Golden Dragon Asian Bistro serves
up all kinds of traditional (and not-so-traditional) Asian dishes with a focus
on Thai delights.
Thai Grill
You may originally overlook this hole in the wall, smushed
between a Washington Mutual and a donut shop, but the spicy noodles will bring
you back.
Photo Credit: Sue Pizarro
