Tawon Thai

Tawon Thai
3410 Fremont Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 633-4545





I visited this place because of my mom -- she knows the owner of this place and he treated us a big meal the first time we were there. No offense to my american friends here, initially I thought this place is so americanized. Pad Thai and Tom Yum soup are too sweet for native Thai tongue of mine.

Then, I went back with my girlfriend several times when we're around the area. We discovered several dishes that make Tawon Thai the real best Thai food in the area -- and I'm not saying that because I know people there. They're really good. The best dishes we always go back to eat (sorted by order of likeness) are:

H1. Kow Soi (Curry Noodles) $8.50
Better than a lot of places even in Thailand. Spiciness and Taste of the curry noodles are just right. Salty, sweet, spicy enough to make it absolutely yummy but not overdone. Pickled cabbage and fish sauce they put in there are so high quality that you can feel it. Don't forget to ask for chilli paste to go with it.

44. Neau Yang E-San $9.95
Best thai-style grilled beef I've ever had. Sauce (jaew) is amazing. They use New York steak beef grilled it to well done (don't complain folks, that's what Thai people do for grilled beef dish) but it's not at all chewy. Highly recommended for beef lover.

H4. Gai Manow (Chicken lime) $9.95
Most people screw up this nice dish but this place doesn't. They grill the chicken instead of deep fry it so it has nice grill aroma. The sauce is made of real lime juice and low on mayo so you can have great smell of lime in there. Other places put almost pure mayo on the chicken with some fresh lemon slices with seeds and peels left on them. Ew.

A.4 Crispy Soft Tofu $6.25
The name is a little confusing itself. They use soft egg tofu and fry it to perfection. I'm sure it's not an easy dish to make since tofu can get mishaped very easily when you put it into the boiling oil. They made it so nice-not soaked with oil. I really like the flavor but my gf doesn't eat tofu so it can't make top of the list here.

The owner shipped most of the decoration, except the dining sets, from Thailand. The ceiling is really high that you'll feel it so spacious. You'll have a glimpse of the kitchen but the ventilation is great making it not stuffy. When the owner is there, he really enjoys talking to the customers over there if you want him to (I saw him sitting down with a lot of diners over there just to chat). Although they don't have full-serviced bar, they have several selection of wine, beer on tab (including Fat Tire Draught), and of course, Singha! The owner can give you bar experience if you go there alone :)

Bottom line:
4 stars out of 5.
It lost 1 star because parking is a little hard to find and the famous Thai dishes are quite americanized. However, the ambiance is nice and staff are really helpful and friendly. It's a great place for meeting with friends, dining with kids, having work lunch, and dating.