Solid Food. I have beef salad and chicken satay for appetizer and both were delicious.
The pad thai very good one of the best pad thai ever. yellow curry very flavorful and delicious.
The service was really great we only waited about 15 minutes for our food but server even apologized to us for the wait.
In short, I highly recommend This restaurant and hope to see them stick around for a long time.
Had lunch here last week while visiting San Clemente. Hubby had Pad Thai extra spicy and I had fried rice. Both were super fresh and very tasty! Service was friendly and prompt. Ambiance is great, too. We always make a point of dining here on our visits to San Clemente (from Bishop, CA) and would feel like we missed out if we left without our Mongkut Thai "fix!"
Review Source:Let me say I don't know what "authentic" Thai food is, or tastes like never having been in Thailand.
My wife and I had a late lunch at this restaurant yesterday. Â I had Amber Chicken and Larb. Â Because Amber Chicken was new to me I ordered it. I ordered the Larb for just the opposite reason. Â
The chicken order came with soup which was good and also hot, very important to me. Â Hot foods should arrive at the table hot.
The chicken dish was just average with no special characteristic. Â The Larb on the other hand was very good, sweet with a punch.
I had a (small) pot of hot tea served with a tea bag.
Service was very good. Â However, we got in just before she closed the lunch time so there was only one couple eating, with two women coming in as we were eating.
So, not great, not a disaster, but not up to what I've become used to at my fav Thai restaurant in Long Beach or, for that matter in El Centro, CA.
My friend and I were starving while stuck in traffic on our way to LA from San Diego. So, naturally, we Yelp'd Thai restaurants in the area and decided to give Mongkut Thai a try. We were so starving that we called in our order ahead of time and the awesome people who work there had it waiting for us when we got there. I think the owner and one waitress handled the phones and tables for the whole restaurant alone, yet we still received amazing and friendly service. We ordered two bowls of Tom Kha (perfection), one order of green curry, and another order of flat noodles. Everything was delicious and we were so happy with our experience.
Review Source:Really good food, down to earth service.
Went for: Lunch
What we ordered: Veggie Yellow Curry, Emerald Vegetables, brown rice, salad, soup.
You can request spice level you want.
Brown rice is REALLY REALLY good. Â Its kind of like dirty brown rice. Â Has lots of flavor, fresh, and fluffy.
Another great little Thai place in San Clemente! The food is wonderful and tasted very fresh. I'm not much for spicy food and was had heard the Thai food warnings, to my surprise less than half the menu is considered spicy and everything I have had is amazing, spicy or not. Nice people who work there too.
Review Source:The staff is very sweet and it's close to home. Â Pricing and portions are average, which is fine. Â I so wanted to like this little place, but my experiences have been lukewarm at best. Â We're really familiar with Thai food (not just the basic dishes that we've tried at Mongkut) and used to dine regularly with Thai friends so we do know what it's supposed to be.
I'll start with Panang curry (chicken), which I have ordered twice. Â This normally flavor-happy curry was sadly bland and tasted mainly of coconut milk both times I have tried it. Â The first time the dish was slightly more flavored than the second time. Â The second time, there was barely any color to it at all. Â It was as if they'd run out of curry and tried to stretch the last cup of it till the end of the night. Â It was quite sad, tasting only of coconut milk and accompanied by a puzzling recipe for brown rice.
The first time I had the Thai brown rice with my bland curry, the rice was perfect, nutty and tasty. Â The second time it was a disaster, cooked in some kind of odd vegetable broth. Â It tasted and smelled like celery with bits of tomato, carrot, parsley in it. Â This is not how Thai brown rice is meant to be.
Pad See Ew was bathed in oil and brown sugar only. Â No spices and gooey, gooey noodles. Â Pad Thai Jae was quite bland as well.
I've also tried the Tom Yum Kai. Â I love this sort of spicy, lip-smackingly sour Thai soup. Â It's comfort food to me. Â On the menu, it has one pepper next to it so I didn't expect it to be hot, but in real life is really rather one-dimensional and didn't quite even live up to it's one little pepper reputation. Â It may have potential if requested "Thai style"...
The Thai Wraps are the bright spot in my experience here. Â I did find the spicy lime sauce to be a little on the sweet and not particularly spicy side, but a pot of peppers on hand balanced things out a bit. Â This I would try again.
Overall, I'm still searching for an authentic Thai experience closer to home. Â Perhaps the issue here is not a lack of know-how, but a catering to American palates, which seems to be the norm in Orange County. Â Sheesh. Â When I go back East or to L.A., I joyfully eat nothing but authentic Indian/Thai/Pakistani/Ethiopian/Turkish food and savor every bite as if it were my last.
I'll be heading to Anaheim this week for another shot at some serious Thai. Â We'll see how it goes. Â If you see a gal driving down the 5 wearing a great big smile and hair on fire, you'll know it was good.
This is my family's favorite restaurant in San Clemente. Â We've been eating there for over 10 years. Â Food is terrific and prices reasonable. Â I especially like the Pad Thai. Â You can order take out - take it home to serve guests - and pretend you fixed it. Â They will be so impressed!
Review Source:Mongkut has really good Thai food. Started with the vegetable soup. Normally not my favorite but they did it right. Light broth with fresh cabbage, baby corn and thinly sliced carrots. Clean and fresh tasting.
For lunch, I had the Ivory ginger beef and it was very good. Very fresh vegetables - mushrooms we're good, beef was tender and lean and the sauce was bursting with ginger and the right combo of spices. The side of white rice was cooked just right. You can tell this ain't no uncle Ben's instant crap. Good portion size.
I got the "medium" spicy version and this stuff will still clear the sinuses. Not for the faint of heart. I think it actually may have singed the lips right off my wife's face! Excellent!! Make sure to have some ice water nearby.
My only suggestion is to work on the name. What the hell is a "Mongkut" anyway? Should throw in some crazy animal name in there somewhere so I can remember this place and go back. Winner!!
Southern Orange County is no place for authentic Thai food. Â For amazing authentic Thai food you have to drive far... for convenient Thai serving the South Orange County palate you should look no further than Mongkut.
Pleasant, clean, cheerful dining room right in the heart of San Clemente's fabulous commercial walking street, Avenida Del Mar, this Thai place covers all the Thai basics of apps, soups, curries, and noodles... all of it tasty and fresh, clean and healthy. Â This won't be the most amazing Thai you've ever eaten but it won't let you down either.
It's a nice place to sit down, not just a take out place with a few spartan tables. Â Service is friendly, portions are generous, windows look out onto Avenida Del Mar, they've got lunch special combos and a vegetarian section to the menu with about 40 items as well as the regular menu with about 80 choices.
We tried:
#1 Mee Krob (sweet crispy noodle w/ shrimp, chicken, and bean cake)
#5 Chicken Satay (skewers of chicken with peanut sauce)
#75 Pad Thai noodles
#63 Amethyst Forest Shrimp Stir Fry (with eggplant, chili, garlic, & Thai basil)
#66 Siamese Pride Chicken (with cashews & fresh garlic)
Brown rice (cooked just right)
All of it tasty, none of it bold, but all it of good. Â I'd order everything again except for the #66 siamese pride chicken which seemed too mildly flavored.
Ask for the hot sauce/chili/spice tray to jack up the heat level to traditional or personal taste.
If this place were near Sutha Thai in Tustin, The Thai Nakorns in Garden Grove or Stanton, or (the furthest drive) Renu Nakorn in Norwalk... then Monkut would be rated 3 for the mild, toned down flavors... but for San Clemente, I bump it up to 4 stars and will return.
Pretty disappointing overall. Vegetarians be warned... Their "vegetarian" curries almost all have shrimp paste in them. I tried to talk to them about it, but she argued that vegetarians eat fish. Um no. Anyway, the veg lettuce wraps were pretty good, but the veg pad thai was pretty bad. The veg golden curry was just ok. Brown rice was really dry - not worth the extra money!
Needless to say, we won't be going back.
Also, we walked by the kitchen at the beginning of our visit, and towards the end of our visit, to use the restrooms. There were several uncooked whole chickens sitting on the counter in the kitchen, unrefrigerated, that whole time. Definitely not how they should be handled. (Glad we're vegan!!)
Stopped by Mongkut Thai with my friend who praised this restaurant.
Having eaten at many traditional Thai restaurants, Mongkut surpasses my expectations!
Ordered the Drunken Noodles and Lettuce Wraps.
My God, the lettuce wraps were pure genius! Had the perfect amount of crisp and spice!
As for the Drunken Noodles, they were also fantastic. Wish it had more tomatoes and a bit more hot sauce. Thus I kicked up the spice by added some chili paste. (Note that I eat extremely hot foods).
Lastly, the Thai Ice tea was delicious!
Just wished it was mango season so I could have order sticky rice!
Can't wait to go back!
I've had a LOT of Thai food and this place didn't cut it.
Pad See Ew was way to oily/fish saucy. Not near enough soy--the sauce wasn't even dark. The Pad Thai was downright bad. Orange-colored, gritty, and gummy. The satay app was decent, and the two curries we got (panang and yellow) were actually delicious. If all I'd eaten was curry I'd give it 4 stars, but the other dishes just didn't impress. We were all surprised at the small entree sizes.
Service was nice, but I won't be back.
For 5 dishes, one app, and one Thai iced tea, the total was $18 each, incl 20% tip. Waaaay too much for what you got. Hubby and I can eat at our favorite local joint for $18 both including tip.
Eh...
Tried the yellow curry here. Â Tasted like chicken in coconut juice. Â I mean, you can barely tell it was curry.
The beef fried rice wasn't anything better. Â It was so wet!
Prices suck, too. Â I don't know if it's location or what, but $30 bucks for two people? Â And we only had water?? Â It's Thai food, why is it so expensive?!?!
Yay four stars! Â This place is bomb. Â The last time I went here, I got Pad See Ew, and then last time I had the Panang Curry. Â Absolute favorites!!
The Panang Curry is sooo deliciously creamy I can't even describe it. Â I got it medium spicy and it wasn't too spicy, nor too mild. Â It was perfect. Â The chunks of chicken in the curry were also great. Â I consider myself really picky when it comes to meat (I just don't like chunks of fat or gristle on my meat) and the chicken in this dish had neither. Â The rice accompanying the curry was pretty standard, nothing great or terrible.
I know I'm going backwards but the salad served before the entree was pretty surprising to me. Â Normally, you expect these salads to be as small as possible, at least at these kind of places, but this salad was pretty decent sized (took up the entire medium sized plate) and had chicken! Â The chicken in the salad was shredded and really good, and the dressing on the salad was also very good (seemed like a variation on Thousand Island). Â
Altogether, this place was pretty awesome, I just wish the prices weren't so high :]
We love Mongkut Thai. We get take out from here all the time-usually because we want to snuggle in at home with the rugrats. The restaurant is nice and reminds me of cute little places I used to frequent in LA when I lived up that way. The service is fantastic and the prices are very reasonable.
Best dishes: Panang Curry and Silver Lining Noodles!
My girlfriend and I came here on valentines day and have to say the food and service was amazing The food was outstanding, try the magnificent firebird (which is now a funny saying between the two of us), the chicken ambrosia with the p-nut sauce is frigging awesome, and best of all the Pad See Iw is the way to go. The server was very courteous, and attentive. We will definitely be back and would recommend this place to anyone.
-J.Q.H
This is quite a hidden treasure tucked away in a quaint little location away from the usual flock of crowd. It wasn't in my GPS (for some reason) and if it wasn't for my friend then we wouldn't be able to spot this place.
I say this place offer authentic Thai food and I know it deserves at least 4 stars but when I went there and I asked the owner to make me a special out of beef... he gave me something plain. So I was a bit disappointed.
I know they have more to offer but it was just a bit mediocre for my first try. But if you look around that they have a pretty good and loyal crowd.
That's one thing that this place have and that's loyal customers. No wonder theyve been open since 1986. I will definitely give this place another shot and update my review soon after.
Give this place a shot and get something from the Menu. I suddenly lost any interest on house specials after that experience.
If you want a beautiful dining experience in an elegant setting then this isn't the place. If, on the other hand, you're in the mood for a small, relatively unadorned dining area coupled with good food then this is great. Not the place for a flashy dinner but great for grabbing dinner with the friend/girlfriend when you just want some good food to go along with good company.
They have a good selection of tasty vegetarian entrees and my omnivorous friends and relatives have complimented the meat and seafood dishes as well.
Pretty fabulous yummy Thai stuff going on here and glad it was since we drove about 29 miles to get there. I just can't seem to find a good Thai place in N. San Diego County and figured what the heck....I can get there in .30 minutes and old San Clemente is beautiful, especially at night.
I'd love to tell what you we had but I'm sorry to report that I could hardly pronounce it, let alone remember what it was. But what I can tell you is that it was all delicious, tasty and spicy just the way we like it. We are not HUGE fans of Thai although we have been known to eat it once every month or so which means that if we liked this place.....you will too! I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu.
Small cozy establishment with friendly owners. Parking was a bit tight so we used some of our patience supply in going around the block a few times but in the end, it all worked out.
Tasty. Delicious. Thai-scrumptious!
I've never really been big on Thai food. To me, the only thing I really enjoy about it is the fact that it's usually spicier than other Asian foods. Seeing as we were in the area, and he's mentioned this place a couple times before, my boyfriend wanted to come here for dinner.
A nice and cozy little hole in the wall restaurant in San Clemente, this place definitely gets plus points for its ambiance. Yet, I have to review this place with three stars instead of four because of our appetizer (some chicken stuffed with pork and beef-- even our waitress noted that it wasn't her favorite appetizer when she asked how we liked it).
Whenever I start off my meal unsatisfied, it's hard for me to rebound my feelings for the rest of it. But let me say that our drunken noodles were pretty good, so don't be too discouraged by my review to come to this place.
I think I would give this place another chance in the future sans chicken appetizers stuffed with other types of meat.
Welcome to your neighborhood Thai food restaurant. Â The first time I came here, it was empty and the food was overpriced for the taste. Â This recent visit, the food tasted amazing! Â
First off, my impression is if you're a regular you're given quality service. Â We ordered calamari for appetizers, and they didn't come out for 40 minutes, while people who were seated a long time after us were already past their appetizers and on their main courses! Â My appetite and patience were turned off! Especially after noticing that the waiters would idle to talk to people they knew.
They did notice our angst, and assured us they'd keep an eye out for our food. Â From then on, we were able to enjoy our dinner rather than drool over food from the nice people next to us =p
The panang curry chicken was very yummy. Â I'm used to eating this dish with vegetables (bell peppers, carrots, spinach/broccoli), but they serve it with just curry and chicken. Â Nonetheless it was very tasty. Â The pad see ew was also very yummy.
And naturally, I ordered dessert: Â banana flambe with 2 scoops of green tea ice cream! Â Again, yumm um ummy!
While the food is great, I'm hesitant because of the horrible wait time we endured overall. Â If there is a next time, I'd rather come when it's not so crowded so I can get some service!
I love this place. Â Not only is the food delicious, but the staff is friendly and inviting. Â It is honestly very difficult to not come here every night of the week. Â The prices are decent considering the quality/taste of the food.
I highly recommend the panang curry with the Triton's feast, the flavor combinations are making my mouth water as I type this.
Really surprising to see an average of 4 stars for this neighbourhood drop-in Thai restaurant. As a locals only joint, it is certainly convenient, and the lemon grass soup always hits the spot.
My rating drops for the meats - in particular the beef - which is sliced so thinly it loses flavor and becomes something closer to jerky.
Everything else is okay - uninspired, but okay.
Mmm, mmm, gooooodddd.
This place is so, so, so, good that my mom and I have become infamous at the restaurant. The food is amazing, the service is fast, the servers are pleasant, and the atmosphere is relaxing.
Being a vegetarian, this restaurant does NOT disappoint. A great soup that took me a couple of times to enjoy the taste was the Tom Kha Pak. Coconut milk with cabbage, bamboo, carrots, mushrooms, and some other yumminess. A little sour, but the desire to eat it just grows and grows until it's almost an addiction.
Two of my favorite dishes are the Lard Nar (thick and savory) and the Spicy Black Sapphire (a fresh dish with good spice and these oddly crunchy mushrooms that are saved for last because their so funkily delicious). I always add rice to even my noodles and it's yummers.
Tonight I tried the Drunken Noodles. I think I've had them in the past but didn't find it as amazingly delicious as it was this evening. I asked the waitress for a combination between my two favorites and she came up with the Vegetarian Drunken Noodles. It had the large noodles of the Lard Nar and the spicy goodness of the Spicy Black Sapphire. It came with red peppers, tomatoes, and basil leaves. I was surprised at how good it was considering I didn't think I cared for it last time.
I eat there and pick up. I feel you get a lot more for your money if you pick up, but the servers are so nice, it's sometimes nice to sit down and be taken care of.
If you like Thai food, you can't find anything better!
ATMOSPHERE: nice, conveniently located off of del mar. my main manbot and I love how the cash register is tucked away in the back of the restaurant. you eat your food in complete peace not having to hear that shit ring up and wonder how high your dinner bill is racking up.
also i looooove the thai art on the walls. i wonder where i can buy some for my house....
SERVICE: great service, attentive, FAST
FOOD QUALITY: DELICOUS, veg friendly (yaaay!) .the food tastes like you died and went toThai Heaven and you might go overboard and eat to much.
PRICE: the food is very nicely priced so you might go overboard and eat too much. Â
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND:The drunken noodles with LOTS of mushrooms!
(us vegetarians need our b vitamins, ya herd?)
I've been going to this restaurant on Del Mar for years, and it has never disappointed. Â With economic ups and downs, it's so good that this restaurant survives and thrives. Â Imagine how I laughed when my teenager came home this summer saying how there was this great Thai restaurant on Del Mar...I just never took her with me. She's a vegetarian and likes the drunken noodles, so I ordered them (open New Year's day and very busy that night), along with our usual pad thai, chicken sate, and a delicious soup (I know I can't remember the right name: kum thom kai maybe - coconut milk, cilantro, lemongrass, chicken, cabbage).
As always the service was attentive, detail oriented, and excellent. Â Kitchen was slower than usual, but they were busier than usual. Â With the exception of the Bangkok (multiple locales including Crystal Court in Costa Mesa) restaurants, this is the best Thai food in south Orange County.
Situated in a land by the sea, when grains were kept whole and the elderly are allowed to roam unsupervised is a slice of Thai Food heaven. Â Mongkut.... I'm working on my catch phrases for businesses. Â You should read the one I wrote about Folsom Prison.
Mongkut is a well-above-average Thai food joint. Â They manage to make their curries stand out. Â I simply had the Panang Chicken curry. Â Delish (there it is again)! Â I also had their mee krob here, with chicken and shrimp. Â Yummm!.. Such good stuff.
It should go without saying, but they do cook all their items to order... except rice. Â What, you want it fresh? Â Go get some minute rice and shut your mouth, cabbage head! Â Go to Mongkut Thai and I won't cut you!!!
Decent thai food. Ordered off the lunch special menu with a group of coworkers at around 12PM Friday. The staff is friendly, but there should be more than one waiter, especially at lunch when many people come in. The salad (that was included in the lunch special was a huge plate (you could get that or veg. soup). The entree (Ruby chicken or something) was smaller than I expected, and it took longer to come than I expected. Food comes out one by one, and the last dish came out an hour after we arrived (we had a party of 10). Everyone thought the lunch specials were average, I guess I should try Pad Thai next time.
Parking is on the street, and you need a $15 or so order to use credit card.
Great location in downtown San Clemente with decent Thai food. Â The curries are authentic and flavorful, with an extensive menu and friendly service. Â
The Chicken Larb is a great starter - spicy with a burst of flavors. Â Use the lettuce to make yourself a Larb Taco!!! Â For noodles, check out the the Pad See Ew or Pad Thai. Â
I also recommend a special they have from time to time -- a Panang curry with scallops, prawns and avocado - very tasty.
I've tried the fish once and it seemed like it was frozen so we stick with the meat, chicken and shellfish. Â Enjoy!
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