The Top 5 Thai Restaurants in Galleria Houston

How We Picked:
1. Thai Bistro
Website: Thai Bistro
Address: 3241 Southwest Fwy, Houston, TX 77027, United States
Contact Info: +1 713-669-9375
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11:30 AM to 3 PM
4:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Google Reviews Score | 4.5/5 |
Yelp Reviews Score | 4/5 |
Facebook Reviews Score | 4.5/5 |
Total Reviews | 4/5 |
Score Consistency | 4/5 |
Atmosphere | 4.5/5 |
Prices | 4/5 |
Taste | 4.5/5 |
Authenticity | 5/5 |
Pros
- Delicious Penang curry
- Prompt service
- Authentic Thai food
Cons
- Lack of chicken in Pad Thai
- Curry mixed into rice
Thai Bistro has become a well-known and popular dining establishment in the local community. Thai Bistro boasts a menu consisting of authentic Thai curries, noodle dishes, and fried rice.
This restaurant has also received good publicity for popular dishes, such as its Basil Inferno and Penang Curry. At least, that’s what we were told.
“THAI BISTRO” is proudly displayed in bold letters that catch customers’ eyes. Once patrons walk inside, they may notice a lovely aroma of Thai cuisine in the air.
The interior is small but inviting. We found Thai Bistro to be suitable for people of all ages and it has a pleasant atmosphere for small groups and couples.
During our time at Thai Bistro, we received prompt, and kind service. The server we had was really helpful when it came to explaining their menu.
Price-wise, everything we saw on the menu is reasonable. We also liked how the food arrived promptly within thirty minutes.
We ordered a lunch portion of Penang Curry. We got ours with chicken and requested it medium spicy for a little extra heat to go with the meal’s sweetness.
The Penang curry was delicious and fresh, with plenty of gravy, spices, and chicken pieces. This curry’s gravy was rich and flavorful, with the perfect balance of sweetness from the bell peppers and heat from the coconut milk.
Furthermore, the chicken was exceptionally juicy, and the rice was fresh, sticky, and delicately flavored. Plus, the servings were large and satisfying.
In addition, we thought it strange that the lunch order came with the curry already mixed into the rice, while the two are served separately normally. Still, nothing in the meal’s selection was too sweet, spicy, or salty.
However, we didn’t like their Pad Thai. We had to dig through the noodles to find the few pieces of chicken and the bean sprouts.
2. Rim Tanon
Website: Rim Tanon
Address: 2241 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77098, United States
Contact Info: +1 713-529-3100
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11 AM to 2 PM & 5 PM to 9 PM
Friday: 11 AM to 2 PM & 5 PM to 10 PM
Saturday: 12 PM to 2 PM & 5 PM to 10 PM
Sunday: Closed
Google Reviews Score | 4.5/5 |
Yelp Reviews Score | 4.5/5 |
Facebook Reviews Score | 4.6/5 |
Total Reviews | 4.5/5 |
Score Consistency | 4.5/5 |
Atmosphere | 4.4/5 |
Prices | 4.5/5 |
Taste | 4.75 |
Authenticity | 5/5 |
Pros
- Authentic Thai food
- Reasonable prices
- Flavorful pumpkin curry
- Fresh young coconut juice
Cons
- Limited curry options
- Lacking cocktail menu
Rim Tanon makes it possible to have an authentic Thai meal without breaking the bank. No, that doesn’t mean it’s a “cheap” version of Thai cuisine.
It’s a nice place to bring a date for lunch or a casual supper, and the staff was always willing to answer questions and provide explanations.
Even given the low pricing, we found the portions insufficient. Still, the food we did enjoy was delicious and flavorful.
We started off with the Ma Hor starter. A “fresh fruit morsel” sits atop three “meat balls” that are more like clumps of ground pork and peanuts.
All of ours were served over fresh pineapple rounds. The tropical acidity was perfect for livening up the pork mixture, which was a touch crumbly and inclined to come apart.
The menu may be described as modern Thai street food, but many of the items will be instantly recognizable to Houstonians. Their Tom Yum had a moderate level of heat from Thai chilies and was mild enough to be enjoyed by most people owing to the addition of sweet palm sugar.
By the way, for those who like spicy things, there are extra crushed dry chillies on the table. The complexity of taste was quite astonishing; the soup’s star ingredients were the kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass, and lime juice.
While their curry options were limited, the one we tried was full of flavor. The pumpkin curry had a particularly alluring rich aroma and it wasn’t that spicy.
The one thing we did note about Rim Tanon is that it’s cocktail menu was lacking. Hence, we opted for fresh young coconut—a tasty alternative to booze.
3. Songkran Thai Kitchen
Website: Songkran Thai Kitchen
Address: 1101 Uptown Park Blvd #8, Houston, TX 77056, United States
Contact Info: +1 713-993-9096
Hours: Sunday: 12 PM to 8 PM
Monday – Thursday: 11 AM to 3 PM & 5 PM to 9 PM
Friday: 11 AM to 3 PM & 5 PM to 10 PM
Saturday: 12 PM to 10 PM
Google Reviews Score | 4.4/5 |
Yelp Reviews Score | 4/5 |
Facebook Reviews Score | 4.3/5 |
Total Reviews | 4.2/5 |
Score Consistency | 4.2/5 |
Atmosphere | 4.4/5 |
Prices | 4.4/5 |
Taste | 4.3/5 |
Authenticity | 4.3/5 |
Pros
- Crispy bone-free red snapper
- Classical Thai aesthetic
- Straightforward menu
Cons
- Salty “Son-in-Law” eggs
- Toned down Thai food
Songkran serves up upscale takes on Thai classics like pad thai and tom yum while still retaining some of their traditional flavors.
The Songkran Angel welcomes you as you enter. There’s another mural on the back wall, this of a figure with her eyes closed against a textural backdrop of red and black.
Even though the predominant color scheme is red and black, the restaurant is not at all cold and forbidding. Rather, the colors are used to create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere.
All over the room, golden candles burn softly, and huge chandeliers contain false candles in spheres of metal. It’s up-to-date while retaining a nod to Thai culture and a classical aesthetic.
Most of the food at Songkran is fairly straightforward, and though it strives to be as true to Thailand as possible, it ends up being a little toned down.
They don’t just serve a fried red snapper with chili and tamarind sauce on a dish with forks and spoons so people can pick the flaky flesh off the small, fragile bones.
Instead, their crispy red snapper is bite-sized fillets. We thought their red snapper was delicious and we liked the added touch of it being bone free.
But we didn’t like their “Son-in Law Eggs.” They are hard-boiled eggs deep-fried until a thin, golden crust forms on the outside, then doused in tamarind and garlic sauce and sprinkled with crunchy fried shallots.
As much as we wanted to like these eggs, they were too salty.
4. Street Food Thai Market
Website: Street Food Thai Market
Address: 1010 W Cavalcade St Unit D, Houston, TX 77009, United States
Contact Info: +1 346-406-3177
Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 11 AM to 8:30 PM
Friday & Saturday: 11 AM to 9 PM
Google Reviews Score | 4.6/5 |
Yelp Reviews Score | 4.5/5 |
Facebook Reviews Score | 4.6/5 |
Total Reviews | 4.5/5 |
Score Consistency | 4.5/5 |
Atmosphere | 4.5/5 |
Prices | 4/5 |
Taste | 4.5/5 |
Authenticity | 4.6/5 |
Pros
- Delicious Khao Soi Gai
- Chewable Nuar Tod
- Steaming hot meals
Cons
- Sweet fried rice
- Small serving of sticky rice
Street Food Thai Market on Cavalcade Street is a family-run business split down the middle, with tables strewn over the restaurant section.
If you’d like to eat in, pick a seat at one of the available tables. A menu is brought to you by a waiter. If you want to take your food to go, place your order at the counter.
Thai curries, classic Esarn food, different stir-fried alternatives, vegetable dishes, and more can all be found on the menu of at Street Food Thai Market.
The last time we were there for lunch, we got two appetizers to share: veggie egg rolls and Nuar Tod (beef jerky served with sticky rice).
Crispiness and little oil characterize these fried egg rolls. Vegetables like cabbage and carrots were easily accessible from the roll’s thick covering.
The Nuar Tod had the same “jerky” flavor as beef jerky but the size and texture of fajita meat. The flesh was little more than a centimeter thick at its thickest point, and despite its jerky quality, it could be easily chewed.
Yet, there was not much sticky rice served on the side.
For our main entrees, we inquired as to the most well-liked items on the menu. The waitress directed us to the “All Time Favorites” section and suggested we order the Khao Soi Gai, a dish consisting of curry noodles with chicken.
Khao Soi Gai is a soup with noodles made from eggs cooked in a coconut broth with chicken and then garnished with crunchy shallots and onions. In spite of the fact that most of the chicken in the soup was boneless, a chicken leg was nonetheless included.
Among the numerous spices that must have gone into the curry, the ones we picked up on most strongly were cumin, coriander, and ginger. Tender, but ultimately secondary to the noodles and broth.
Furthermore, the fried shallots added the perfect amount of crunch to the curry-soaked noodles, making them my favorite portion.
The Pad Thai that was also recommended to us for lunch proved to be a delicious addition to our meal. There was just the right amount of sweetness and saltiness.
We also had a little portion of the fried rice, and found it to be too sweet as they use fish sauce as a base instead of soy sauce. Still, all our meals came out steaming hot, which made us think they were freshly prepared.
5. Kara Wok
Website: Kara Wok
Address: 5757 Westheimer Rd Suite 114, Houston, TX 77057, United States
Contact Info: +1 713-780-0888
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 11:30 AM to 9 PM
Google Reviews Score | 4.4/5 |
Yelp Reviews Score | 4/5 |
Facebook Reviews Score | 4.1/5 |
Total Reviews | 4/5 |
Score Consistency | 4/5 |
Atmosphere | 4/5 |
Prices | 4.5/5 |
Taste | 4/5 |
Authenticity | 3/5 |
Pros
- Flavorful green curry
- Spicy chicken manchurian
- Tasty vegetarian samosas
- Lightning fast service
Cons
- Thai fusion food
- Undercooked potatoes
Kara Wok claims to serve traditional Thai cuisine. At least, that’s what we were told.
When we went to Kara Wok, it was completely empty, so the service was lightning fast. Additionally, the servers were attentive, helpful in explaining their menu choices and friendly.
They provide a wide variety of meals on both their lunch menu and normal menu. We found the pricing to be considered cheap for Thai food.
So, we ended up ordering off the lunch specials menu. For an appetizer we started with the vegetarian samosas.
The vegetarian samosas were crunchy, tasty and whetted our appetite. We then had their chicken manchurian lunch special, garlic fried rice, green curry and massaman curry.
First, the chicken and corn soup and the salad that came with the lunch special were tasty. The rice was just like garlic and it complimented the spicy chicken manchurian.
Moreover, the green curry we also ordered was full of flavor. We could mainly taste the ginger and Thai chilis.
However, we didn’t like the massaman curry. The potatoes were undercooked.
After dining at Kara Wok, we wouldn’t say it’s true authentic Thai food, rather it’s a fusion of Thai food influenced by other asian cultures.
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