So many Thai places are, let’s face it, run-of-the-mill. Sure, they can meet your standards passably well, but they don’t excite. They don’t take you to the next level. And, yes, most of the time, even just regular Thai is pretty good food. But why settle? Krua Thai turned out to be much better than we’d expected.
Until recently, Krua Thai operated at 16th and Guerrero streets, and I hadn’t even noticed it (what with Lers Ros being so close by and all). It moved, and now shares the space with RAW Sugar Factory on Valencia and 16th streets. The RAW Sugar name baffled me for a while, until I found out it isn’t some cavity-inducing candy mill, but instead actually makes what sounds like quite good breakfasts — waffles, hash, eggs Benedict, and the like — all with an Asian fusion theme. It turns out RSF operates in the space by day, serving breakfast and brunch, and Krua Thai takes the night shift, bringing bold Thai flavor to the Mission.
Three of us started out sharing veggie spring rolls with avocado and peanut sauce.
Very fresh and, though I missed the shrimp, I liked the creamy texture that the avocado added. A nice, bright start to the meal.
Next, corn fritters with sweet Thai chili sauce:
These were rather divine. With soul-satisfyingly and addictively crunchy, sweet, juicy corn flavor (even though they must have been using canned, since it’s nowhere near corn season around here), these went well with the sweetish heat of the chili sauce. I’d not be able to come here and not order these.
We also ordered a green papaya salad with shrimp:
Again, very fresh, with some bites of the papaya exhibiting an interesting funk. Not at all unpleasant, it simply added a depth to the dish I hadn’t had in many restaurants serving this. This was lively and spunky, and we finished most of the generous serving.
My friend ordered the gorgeous green bean/red pepper/basil dish with fried tofu and jasmine rice:
This hit all the right notes: Perfectly crunchy green beans, pillowy and crispy tofu, sweet/salty/spicy from what I imagine is oyster sauce and chili paste. A very good, vibrant rendition of this comfort-food dish.
Other friend had the crispy chicken off the “signature dishes” menu:
Fried, marinated and breaded chicken strips with a salad and a sweet chili sauce, these were the only letdown of the evening. I found the chicken dry and bland — it had clearly been over-fried. Why put something on your signature menu and then not do your best at it?
For my main, I had khao soi, a northern Thai/Laotian coconut curry dish with chicken that I will order whenever I see it on a menu:
Talk about a dish that delivers on the thrills and chills. This was a humongous portion, with at least two to three whole pieces of tender chicken (legs and thighs) swimming in the steaming broth, along with perfectly textured rice noodles. Exceedingly creamy, with a great amount of heat — the kind that grabs you gently by the throat and then dissipates to a lovely warmth that keeps you company for the rest of the meal. With a good amount of crunchy egg noodles and red onion, tart pickles and lime on top, this was just a perfect rendition of one of my favorites. Much too much to finish, plenty of leftovers.
Krua Thai boasts a very full menu with a few surprises, like the intriguing cream cheese taffees (akin to crab Rangoon?), chicken samosas and siu mai. They offer curries (massaman, red pumpkin, and an avocado curry); veggie stir fries, to which you can add your favorite protein; salads, including everyone’s favorite, larb (isn’t that everyone’s favorite?); pad Thai, pad see ew and drunken noodles — all the hits! But I have a feeling they’re done exceedingly well here. I can’t wait to try the crab fried rice.
Krua Thai offers fruity soju cocktails, beer, wine, and Thai iced tea. And a Shirley Temple for the kidlets!
It’s good to have more quality Thai in the neighborhood. Stop in for breakfast, brunch or dinner. Life is too short to not have your expectations exceeded.
Krua Thai
525 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA 94110