For Evansville, I was really surprised with the quality and authenticity of food at Thai Papaya restaurant. Â The front of the place reads, "Thai Cuisine." Â The dinner prices are fairly high, but the dishes are large enough to share between two people. Â
My Dad ordered the Crab Fried Rice, which I tasted and then continued to crave for the rest of the evening. Â There were both large and small pieces of crab mixed into the rice and just the right amount of oil and black pepper. Â It would have been great with corn. Â
The side dish of Cucumber Salad is something that I highly recommend. Â If they could just add a little less corn syrup, it would be perfect. Â
The Thai Tea was pre-mixed with milk, but not too sweet. Â
The spicy sauce is homemade containing both red and green chili's. Â The taste is very fresh and goes great on all of the food offered. Â They also sell jars of it at the register for purchase.
Due to the limited choices of interesting foods to eat in the area, surely Thai Papaya is a welcome food destination for many locals.
The food is delicious and authentic, but the staff is so-so. Â Our server was very nice, but the manager (I think she was the manager) was not very kind. Â My children were looking at the fish tank, (not acting up or touching anything)...just looking, and she told me to "control them," because they were, "messing with her stuff." Â It put a bad taste in my mouth.
Also, the portions are overpriced and small.
Get the spring rolls with extra cucumber dip. Delicious.
The Pad Thai (I've had it with chicken and tofu) is phenomenal. Ask the waiter how to spice it up (lemon & the red sauce on the table is what he did, I think) & it's even better.
My mom and I have come here since they opened & they never disappoint!
Best, well, only Thai in Evansville. Â Even if it is the only gig in town I get disappointed when I eat Thai in other cities because this place does an outstanding job. Â Spring rolls and red curry are my standards, but I will venture out to some Pad Thai occasionally because it is fantastic. Â
Added bonus: Â Ask the owner about how he ended up in the restaurant biz. Â He is living the American Dream. Â The food and story will keep you coming back!
The pad thai will change your life, people. They serve it with a little dish of chili sauce and lime juice you can put on top - now I miss the chili sauce if I order pad thai anywhere else!
Their tofu is really delicious too - cooked so that it soaks up a ton of flavor and is nice and chewy. Try something with tofu in it even if it's not always your favorite!
The appetizers are good (at least the ones I've tried - I really liked the spring rolls) but a but pricey, while the prices for entrees are pretty normal.
Instead of an appetizer, get dessert - I've tried all the desserts and they are all worthy endings to a delicious meal, not just extra sugar and calories.
This is by far my favorite restaurant in Evansville that I've tried - but we just moved here a few months ago so you can take that with a grain of salt I suppose.
This is culinary bliss. I've been here twice and can't wait to return. If you want your taste buds to be happy and your stomach to not feel like a slob, then go to this place. The food is superior, but some may feel the price is a bit steep for portion size, so I will give 4 stars. Increase portion size and I will give 5 stars.
Review Source:Evansville, way to go! This is a fantastic place to get Thai food.
I stopped in because I saw that they were rated highly on Yelp, and I was NOT DISAPPOINTED. I'd never have found this place on my own, but once I located it and tried it, I'll NEVER forget where it is again.
The staff is friendly and engaging and truly wants to teach you something about Thai culture and food. The menu explains each dish, and gives you the proper Thai name for the food.
Not only is the staff friendly, the other patrons are too. I had a great conversation with a woman at a neighboring table who had also recently visited Thailand. Meeting friendly folks is a key element of me enjoying my experience during business travel.
The tables boast maps of Thailand and pictures of typical ingredients in Thai food and explains their uses and properties. It's a very educational experience.
The sauce for the spring rolls is some of the best I have tasted, sweet and spicy and tangy- it's a perfect combination of flavors. The even better news is that they sell it in jars so you can take it home with you!
The spiciness is a little bit more than I am used to at home, but that reminded me very much of my travels in Thailand. I have a very high standard for authentic Thai food now that I've actually experieced it IN Thailand- and Thai Papaya fits the bill every time.
Every meal I have had here has been an absolute treat, and it is a must-do every time I am in Evansville. I actually just want to pack up the restaurant and bring it home with me so I could eat there all the time. It's actually a reason for me to stop in Evansville on my travels!
Tonight I needed comfort food. Â Pad Thai fits that bill for me. Â Didn't even want to deal with a restaurant so I decided on carry out.
Around the corner from where I'm working this week I found Thai Papaya. Â Odd name I thought, but worth a try.
Little strip mall place. Â Very unassuming. Â Only a couple of other people in the place as it was early in the evening. Â Decor was typical for this type of place.
The restaurant had a family feel about it. Â Everyone smiling. Â Staff chatting with the guests.
I ordered Pad Thai with Tofu (no meat, just my preference). Â The young man immediately asked if egg was OK. Â Nice catch! Â It is but usually I don't get asked. Â I also ordered spring rolls and he confirmed the meat in them was OK as well.
Food was served promptly. Â Got it back to the room and was sooooo happy. Â Spring rolls were excellent. (had gotten a little hot and sticky on top of the Pad Thai box) Â The Pad Thai was hot (temperature) and very good. Â Small container of chili made it pop.
Great place. Â I will definitely be back hopefully to eat in.
After reading all the reviews online, we drove 50 mins to come try this place. Â We were first greeted by the owner who was very welcoming; he seated us and took our order. Â
Upon receiving our food, I was blown away by the first bite of my dish. Â I've been craving papaya salad for months and I was a little reluctant about ordering this time because I've had bland dishes from previous restaurants. Â The Thai papaya salad I ordered was full of flavors, with real ingredients! Â I could taste the fish sauce, palm sugar and other pastes used to make it. Â I ordered it spicy so my tongue was on fire but I kept eating because it was so good! Â It also came with sticky rice! Yum!
My husband ordered the Masaman curry and it was delicious! Â The curry came in a big bowl and was spicy and thick with meats and veggies; its portioned for two people to share. Â My daughter had the kid's pad thai meal and that was also cooked to perfection. Â I am delighted with this restaurant and all their dishes; we will definitely be going back.
This restaurant is a gem in Evansville. The staff is so nice and helpful. The food is really good. I have had Thai food all over the United States. Their spicy fried rice is amazing. I really like their curries too. The Pad Thai is a little too sweet for my taste, but the rest of my family loves it. One great thing, is that they are totally aware of different vegetarian diets and can accommodate vegans. All you have to do is order with tofu and no egg. They have a veg "fish" sauce that they make in house that they will sub for tofu dishes.
Review Source:I stopped in for lunch intending to place a to go order since I had a long trip ahead. I was greeted by Joe presumably the owner who immediately recognized that I was from out of town since as he said "he knows his regulars". Â Joe convinced me to try the curry and spring rolls with his special sauce. Since he treated me with such hospitality and he invited me to eat my food at a table I enjoyed my food in the restaurant. Eventually I did take what I wasn't able to eat with me and I asked for a bit more rice to take along. Joe obliged but I was charged an extra $3 for this request. I thought the extra charge for a small extra portion of rice was excessive but I did like my food. The large chucks of chicken and nice variety and amount of vegetables made this a very nice meal. I would stop here again on my next trip to Evansville. Joe was kind enough to give me a refill of iced green tea in a cup to go, and this was appreciated as I continued on my trip back to Kentucky.
Review Source:another great find thanks to yelp.
this little gem is right off of burkhardt which most everything is it seems. as soon as I walked in I was greeted with sit with where ever you like- I love it when they do that. I ordered the panang curry with chicken with medium heat. and I also tried to order the Tom Khai Gai soup but didn't want to have as big of a serving as they usually bring out and they gladly obliged!
I love Tom Khai Gai soup so much and this was extremely creamy and had great spice to it. It was still a huge serving for getting a smaller order, so keep that in mind.
The Panang Curry was super, it had great amount of vegetables and meat. You weren't digging trying to find the chicken and you weren't drowning in carrots. They give you plenty of variety and the vegetables were cooked perfect and tender with some bite still left. The heat was perfect for me and I ate every bite.
Highly recommend this place and the service was excellent, the owners even walked around and made sure everything was up to your standards. They are definitely owners that care about their place and it shows.
this place was awesome!
i was surprised to find it tucked into a strip mall by the dmv.
i have never tried thai food in evansville when i am home visiting, but you can bet i'll be back to this place.
i got the phad see ew (sp). they don't put spices in for you, but they bring you condiment hot sauce. i kind of wish that they put it in pan for me. i can take it. oh well. i ordered it with tofu.
my mom enjoyed her meal, too, and she's not a big ethnic food fan.
Evansville had taught me to never fully trust an ethnic restaurant within the city limits, but Thai Papaya has allowed me to forget that notion. The food here is absolutely delicious for a reasonable price, and the service is very welcoming and helpful. The dishes were explained clearly to me, as well as the levels of spiciness. The curry wontons and spring rolls are good appetizers, and the Yellow Curry is absolutely delicious.
If you enjoy Thai or Asian cuisine, I can not recommend this place any stronger.
A very enjoyable experience. Â We got the Fresh Rolls, Papaya Salad, Fried Rice (non-spicy version) and Yellow Curry Chicken (lunch menu). Â All the food excellent. Â I thought the drinks were expensive being I paid $2.50 and they brought 20 oz bottle of Diet Mt Dew with glass and ice. Â I would suggest ordering from the dinner menu because the price difference is like a dollar or two and the portion size is much larger (I didn't go away hungry but if you aren't ordering extra stuff [salads/appetizers] you might.) Â I recommend going here. The best Asian food in town since they closed Thai/Korean/Chinese place that was by Burlington.
Review Source:I start this by saying I am very spoiled by my Thai former mother-in-law and the food she cooks for her restaurant in California, however, this is the next best thing for me. The staff is always very nice and I haven't had a bad dish there yet. Their spring rolls are to die for and the sauce they created for it is heavenly! I'm also a big fan of their Tom Kah Gai soup though I have to ask for it a wee bit milder than the norm. The Pad Thai is a *little* bit different than what I'm used to at other places I've been to but it's definitely not bad. The Thai iced tea, of course, is a staple!
The prices aren't *too* bad but it adds up pretty quickly. I am sure I will end up again there soon!
My mom and I ordered the tofu pad thai for lunch and we both enjoyed it very much. It was a little different than I've had at other Thai restaurants but good. This one had flat noodles with carrots and broccoli. The lunch special came with an egg roll and another fried appy that I wasn't sure what it was. Service was quick, restaurant was clean and prices were average. My only complaint was the TV was turned to a channel featuring a show about disgusting things people eat. Every time I looked up there was a graphic picture of something gross like dead beaver and how to prepare. Ick.
Review Source:I love this place. Â It's got friendly service, it's nice and clean, and the food is phenomenal. Â If you've got special dietary needs, just say the word and you'll be accommodated. Â
The fried tofu with peanut sauce is amazing. Â If you think you don't like tofu, try this.
I wish I could say I've tried several different dishes, but I can't stray from the tofu pad thai: yummy tamarind sauce, rice noodles, veggies, and tofu accompanied with lime juice. Â If you want it spicy, add sriracha to your heart's content. Â Personally, I like it with just a bit of heat so the flavors of everything else come through. Â If I had five dishes I had to eat for the rest of my life, this would be one of them.
My boyfriend is crazy about their yellow curry with tofu. Â As I am married to pad thai, he is reluctant to stray from his yellow curry.
Eat here. Â Your belly will thank you!
If you don't like Thai food go just for the Egg Roles--they're awesome!
They serve them with a clear, sweet, I'll call it duck sauce, that's garnished with diced cucumber and chopped peanuts. It sounds like a strange combination but it works well. And, instead of hot mustard they give you a hot red sauce. I don't know which one I like the best.
The best entree I've had here is the Chicken Padang--I think that's how you spell it. It's chicken and veggies in a thick creamy curry sauce.
Both the Red and Green Curries are good and come in bowls with a thinner soup-like curry sauce with a side of rice.
All of they're meals are cooked to order and you have the option of hot medium or mild. I order mine medium and it comes out spicy but not overbearing.
All in all, this is a great place with great food.
2/6/10 Went back for lunch with family.
The Pad Thai was good.
The Coconut soup was good.
The Thai Fried Rice was just OK; it tasted good, but the rice  was kind of mushy. Not the same kind of rice they use in Chinese fried rice.
This might be the only Thai place in Evansville and it will be on my "go to" list whenever I am back in town. Â And since they do Thai really well for the big EVV, I am giving them 5 stars.
I had the Red Curry Chicken with medium spice and it was just right. Â The vegetables were fresh and not overly cooked.
Evansville is such a meat-n-potatoes crowd, I hope this place makes it. Â Get away from all the chain restaurants and come check this place out. Â Most dishes range from $9-12.
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