   | Albuquerque - Downtown Thai CrystalMon-Thurs: 11:30am-9:30pm
Fri-Sat: 10:30am-11pm
Sun: 5-9:30pm (subject to change) Read more: The Dish: Two restaurants reach the decade mark (1/26/2012)
Located on the back side of the Century 14 Downtown theater complex, Thai Crystal is an obvious choice for a dinner-and-a-movie date. Our favorite dishes include big noodles with soy sauce (which sounds less exciting than it is) and the wide array of soups that arrive in a tall, steaming pot. Then cool yourself down with a Thai iced tea. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 3 ] Albuquerque - FairgroundsFareast FuzionMon-Th: 11-9 pm
Fri: 11 am-10 pm
Sat: noon-10 pm
Sun: noon-9 pm (subject to change)
You may remember Bangkok Asian Fusion, which used to occupy this place. Now there’s a grand, shiny new sushi bar, with a huge fish tank behind it that lays out generous portions of great sushi. (Sadly, the
tom yum
ain’t what it used to be.) A plate of sashimi, densely and artfully arranged, turns the table into a school of piranhas. Each variety of fish is carefully garnished with complementary flavors, with the squid tossed in wasabi tobiko being particularly memorable. The sushi salad has so many chunks of raw fish among the greens that you can’t stick your chopsticks in without getting any. (Alibi Staff, September 1, 2011) Add a Review Albuquerque - Far Northeast Heights Sakura SushiMon-Thu: 11am-9:30pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-9:30pm
Sun: noon-9pm (subject to change) Full review: Adventures in multiculturalism (11/6/2008)
Sakura Sushi serves fresh, generous sushi (duh), as well as dishes from Thailand and Laos out of a small strip mall on north Wyoming. But if you order one thing, make sure it’s the udon soup. One bowl is big enough for four people. Dip a spoon in and you’ll strike heaps of firm, dense noodles, caramelized meats and crisp-tender vegetables floating in a sweet-and-savory broth. The curries and “monkey ball” appetizers are among the menu’s other high notes. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Albuquerque - I-25 Corridor Jasmine Thai and Sushi HouseMon-Thurs: 11am-2pm, 5-9pm
Fri: 11am-2pm, 5-9:30pm
Sat: 11am-9:30pm
Sunday: 5-9pm (subject to change) Full review: No pain, no gain (2/21/2008)
Chef Noi Zaintz, formerly of Bangkok Café, opened Jasmine Thai and Sushi House last June in The 25 Way shopping center. With brightly colored walls trimmed in gold and pools of low light, Jasmine has a sort of classed-up opium den feel. There are more than 60 items, plus sushi; the menu gives an equitable amount of attention to appetizers, soups, salads, entrées and an entire page of vegetarian dishes. The service is awesome, and so are the No. 18 (spicy beef
yum nuah
salad), the fresh spring rolls and the pad Thai. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 2 ]
Plum Cafe Asian Grill serves a mix of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai food that’s new to the city. Wyn Chao and his brother Brian Triem have been working for 10 months in preparation for their recent opening, but they’re a part of a family restaurant business that began decades ago. (They opened Banana Leaf in Rio Rancho, which they sold in 2006.) Plum uses the order-at-the counter model, but the dining area is spacious and elegant. Plus, its location in the Century Rio complex is right on the money for folks looking for a bite before or after the movies. Most dishes can be made vegetarian. The tama cod, battered and crispy, is glazed in a tamarind sauce that would appeal to orange chicken fans. The Thai mango curry is creamy and expertly spiced, but you can always ask to have the heat adjusted. (Alibi Staff, March 29, 2012) Add a Review Albuquerque - Nob HillStreetFood AsiaSunday - Thursday 11am-10pm
Friday - Saturday 11am-11pm (subject to change)
On the streets of Asia, vendors often specialize in one dish handed down through generations, preparing quick meals for passersby like hot noodle bowls, exotic sandwiches and spicy skewered satays. It’s a hotbed of cultural diversity including Vietnamese pho, Korean noodles, Japanese udon, and Malay and Chinese stir-fry. StreetFood Asia's menu offers a dizzying array of sauces, toppings, garnishes, meats, seafood, and vegetables in dinner portions or small plates in the heart of Nob Hill. Exotic bar drinks and an long list of excellent sakes adds sparkle to your meal. (Alibi Staff, July 12, 2011) Add a Review The Thai Vegan menu includes fake shrimp, chicken, fish and pepper steak. That said, it isn’t the sophistication of vegetarian faux meats that makes the place so good. It’s amazing because the cooks really know what they’re doing, and they use quality ingredients. The Thai iced tea (yup, that’s vegan too) is like sipping Bangkok through a straw. (Alibi Staff, April 10, 2013) Add a Review Albuquerque - Northeast Heights Best Lee’sMon-Fri: 10:30am-9pm
Sat: 10:30am-9:30pm
Sun: noon-9pm (subject to change) Full review: Far East flavors in the Northeast Heights (1/14/2010)
A smattering of Chinese dishes that deserve to be called “authentic” is just one reason why Best Lee’s is worth a visit. The food is prepared and presented artistically. The atmosphere encourages the unexpected—visitors are often greeted by a bespectacled man who introduces himself as “Chinese Uncle” and returns to your table to make sure things are going well. And while the menu is mostly a mix of standard Americanized Chinese food (General Tso’s chicken, crab Rangoon) and pan-Asian cuisine, especially Thai food, there are some gems on the menu that you probably haven’t seen before. A bowl of Thai-style spicy red curry soup—rich with coconut milk and packed with vegetables, fresh basil and crispy tofu—is good enough to be served at a top-tier Thai restaurant. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Siam CaféMon-Wed: 12pm-9pm
Thu: 9am-1:pm, 5pm-9pm
Fri-Sat: 10am-9pm (subject to change) Full review: Bangkok’s best in Burque (1/28/2010)
Siam curries are a splendid and lip-smacking affair that cling to every grain of rice like a slinky nightgown. Order anything involving tofu, peanuts, noodles or fried eggplant (which, now that we think about it, is pretty much the entire menu) and you’re guaranteed to walk out with a big smile. Order it extra-hot and you’ll be dousing your head with the waitress’ pitcher of ice water ... and loving it! (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 3 ] The menu at Thai Tip is extensive, with pages and pages of noodles, curries and stir-fried dishes. The spicy and sour
thom yum
soup (served over a flaming Sterno) is as delicious as its presentation promises; the brightly colored green bean curry is fantastic. Fans of Thai food will not be disappointed. Winners of Best Undiscovered Restaurant and Best Mom and Pop Restaurant in
Alibi
restaurant polls past. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ]  Thai VeganLunch Monday-Saturday: 11 am-2:30 pm
Dinner Monday-Sunday: 5-9 pm (subject to change) Full review: Enlightened dining (10/28/2010)
The Thai Vegan menu includes fake shrimp, chicken, fish and pepper steak. That said, it isn’t the sophistication of vegetarian faux meats that makes the place so good. It’s amazing because the cooks really know what they’re doing, and they use quality ingredients. The Thai iced tea (yup, that’s vegan too) is like sipping Bangkok through a straw. Check out their other location at 3804 Central Ave SE. (Alibi Staff, November 4, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ] Albuquerque - SoutheastThai HouseLunch:
Mon-Fri 11 am-2:30 pm
Sat 11:30 am-2 pm
Dinner:
Mon-Thu 5 pm-9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm-9:30 pm (subject to change)
Though the brightly lit, minimalist atmosphere leaves something to be desired, the mouthwatering dishes at Thai House (formerly Thai Ginger—same owners, same cook) have us drooling like Pavlov’s poodle. There’s a lunch buffet, but order off the menu, paying special attention to the noodle dishes (like Drunken Noodles) that are this restaurant’s specialty. Vegetarians will feel at home, too. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Albuquerque - UniversityThai HouseLunch: Mon-Fri: 11am-2:30pm
Dinner: Mon-Thu: 5-9pm
Fri-Sat: 5-9:30pm (subject to change)
The university crowd has been patronizing Thai House for years, and with good reason. For those living in the student ghetto, the location is ideal, and the extensive, vegetarian-friendly menu is usually supplemented with delicious specials. Go for the spicy white fish in a hot, red curry sauce. On your way out, pick up an origami crane or another Asian knickknack to add to your collection. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Albuquerque - Upper Nob HillThe Orchid has a fantastic atmosphere, there’s no question about it. Elaborate murals line the walls and the dimness is punctuated by pools of light just where you need them—on the tables. The service can be weak, but the enormous menu has something delicious for everyone. From basic pad Thai to much more exotic fare, the Orchid is one of the tastiest flowers in Albuquerque’s blossoming garden of Thai restaurants—its Best Thai and Best Tofu Dish awards in our 2007 Best of Burque Restaurants poll prove it. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Salathai11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday; 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday (subject to change)
A sign outside Salathai advertises vegetarian specialties, and perhaps the most special of them all is the eggplant delight. It’s like a Thai version of ratatouille, with purple eggplant, onions, garlic, basil, and red and green pepper. The menu is strong from end to end, but the seafood dishes are the strongest, especially the fish dishes. A sweet piece of tilapia is batter-fried to a light-brown crisp and smothered in a floral green curry. Decadently greasy catfish gracefully absorbs a shredded salad in a sweet, tangy sauce.
Thom kha talay,
a coconut seafood soup, is aromatic and packed with proteins. The mussels and herbs are a simple bowl of comfort, delivering the distilled essence of the ocean. (Alibi Staff, September 3, 2010) Add a Review  Thai Cuisine IIMon-Sat: 11am-10pm
Sun: 5-9pm (subject to change) Full review: A garden of surprises (4/29/2010)
Sure, it looks like an old Dairy Queen on the outside—but inside, it’s totally Thailand (just check out the caddy of housemade condiments). The menu’s large selection of salads is a strong suit, including crispy, delicate green papaya and a not-to-be-missed tempura-fried trout salad (sop up the tamarind dressing with a side of sticky rice). The
tom yum
soup is perhaps the best in town, and you can choose between chicken and veggie broth in some of the other good soups here. Most dishes—like
pad cha
vegetable stir-fry and creamy, fragrant red curry—can be ordered vegetarian, too. There’s also a small sushi menu that offers big, adequate rolls. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 3 ] Albuquerque - Uptown Krung ThaiMon-Thu: 11am-9pm
Fri: 11am-9:30pm
Sat: 12pm-9:30pm
Sun: 4pm-9pm (subject to change) Full review: Thai spice and a very mad fish (11/23/2006)
Frog legs, frog legs tra la la. This place has got ’em sautéed with sweet basil and peppers and deep-fried with garlic. The refurbished and redecorated Krung Thai is a magical wonderland of bright colors and exotic spices, and the best coconut lemongrass soup this side of East Asia. Savor the green curry, the spicy tilapia and the garlic quail, but make a pit stop at the dessert menu, because a scoop or two of purple taro ice cream is worth the trip. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Albuquerque - Westside Thai Cuisine ILunch:
Mon-Sat 11 am-3 pm, Dinner:
Mon-Sat 5-9 pm
Sun 4-8 pm (subject to change) Full review: So very special (3/31/2011)
Thank you, Jeebus, for making the Westside’s only Thai restaurant a great one. The stir-fried wide noodle dishes are a hit, as are many of the salads (try the mango salad, if it’s available, or the lovely seafood salad). All of the rice-accompanied dishes at Thai Cuisine allow you to upgrade from jasmine to a short-grained, flavorful brown. The lunch specials are a steal. (Alibi Staff, November 1, 2010) Add a Review | 
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