Zen Yai Thai Restaurant, San Francisco, California Restaurant Details

Food:

Just tried tonight, fried wontons and bbq curry, hands down excellent, and it's been sitting in my cab for hours getting cool next to an open window. Love the late hours for an owl like me, will return asap.

Food:

The noodle soups here are delicious, and if you order the ones off their Thai menu on the wall, you can get three different small bowls of noodle soup for 2.50 and 3.50 each. The first is a traditional thai boat noodle with beef or pork. (2.50) It's really tasty and you can adjust the spice level. Topped with fried pork skin, this was my favorite. A rich and hearty soup, get it with wide rice noodles. The other two soups were also delicious. One was a thai sweet and sour soup with fish balls and other seafood ingredients topped with deep-fried wonton skins. (3.50) The last was a tom-yum type sound with ground pork and bbq pork. This was my second favorite. (3.50). For the price and portions, consider it a noodle soup flight. It will fill you up, and hey at these prices, add one more if you want!

The second night we tried rice plates. The duck over rice was really good. Boneless breast in a sweet soy sauce like glaze. Yum. What really got me was the special fried catfish deluxe. Fried catfish in a curry sauce without coconut milk. IT WAS AMAZING! Spicy!!! SPICY!!! SPICY!!! in a good way though. One of my new favorite dishes in the city. The catfish was fried perfectly with a nice crust on it. The sauce was thick and coated everything, on the drier side, preserving the crunchiness of the catfish.

For the prices and the quality of food, this is one of the best thai places in the city. I like it when the menu is not the same old thai food!

Food:

Be sure to ask the server for the boat noodles which is not on the regular menu, only on the Thai menu. Small bowls are $2.50 and you will need a couple of those to fill you up or get a large which will be substantial. This is the most flavor intense noodle I've ever had. So good!

Food:

Cheap hole in the wall eats - Not sure where else you would find a $2.50 bowl of boat noodles! While each bowl is small, I was able to sample 3 different kinds. Overall, the broth was rich and tasty. It's off the menu but the staff is super friendly and will know exactly what you are talking about.

Food:

Talk about a hidden gem. Where else can you get a $2.50 bowl of delicious non-fast food noodles in SF!? Well in that case get me 3! Here the "secret menu" boat noodle special is an homage to the type of simple, locals-style dish that's served from boats on the watery canals of Thailand. I got one of each style, the pork, chicken and Tom Yum. Love the punchy and spicy flavors -- reminded me of my many travels to Southeast Asia. Wash it down with a Thai iced tea and leave a happy camper for only $10 pre-tax/tip!