BalaMao

This place just opened up and is such a rare find. I saw it while running one day. At first, I was surprised that it was a restaurant cuz it looked more like an old, abandoned service station. I'm glad I didn't judge it by it's outwardly appearance because it was actually freaking tasty!!! The inside is ... also interesting looking. The service was fast but lacking enthusiasm and could have been a little more friendly and welcoming. The first time I tried it was in person ... inside the restaurant. I've tried it 2 more times since ... both UberEats. The first time really blew me away!!! I was ready to give this place 5 stars!!! The flavors were so perfect and unique. The downside was that the portions were extremely small ... like so small, especially for the price. However, it was so good that I ordered it via UberEats 2x after. The first time I ordered it via UberEats, it was ok, but the second time, it was just horrible ... like way too greasy with no flavor. Just grease and oil. For this reason, I give the rating I did. I really need to try it again because I have such hope for this place, but dang ... the consistency is just not there. Please work on portion size and consistency!!! I know this place has what it takes to be consistently amazing!!!

For a weekend dinner my friends and I decided to try Balamao, having noticed its opening a few weeks prior. Arriving at 6, our party of 4 received seating immediately; the establishment only had a few other tables occupied (they did have a decent number of delivery orders). We ordered everything to share, I sampled the following:- Sai Oua | $10- Crying Tiger | $16- Kra-Pow w/ground Pork | $14- Drunken Noodle w/Beef | $16The Sai Oua, a Northern Thai style of sausage, had both strong lemongrass and earthy herbal flavors. This proved quite addictive; the plate emptied quickly.The Crying Tiger, a grilled steak, proved equally popular given the savory marinade's interplay with tangy dipping sauces.The Kra-Pow w/ground pork, an orthodox menu item representing ground pork sautéed with chili, garlic, basil leaves with hot basil sauce over rice, met expectations. The Drunken noodle with beef, another orthodox menu item, this time with sautéed flat rice noodles with egg, basil, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, and onions in spicy basil sauce, also tasted decent. Notably, the spicy sauce actually had some heat and didn't just taste like soy sauce.Overall, I enjoyed everything. The starting 2 appetizers stood out compared to the mains mostly because of the novelty. The portion sized did seem a bit small, but given the quality, I can understand the establishment trying to maintain a certain price point.

Dining method: Dine-inItem(s) ordered: Red curry, Veggie Pad Thai, Spicy Papaya salad, Peach jelly sake, Yuzu jelly sakeValue: Pricing was pretty much the going rate, maybe slightly higher.Service: The staff was absolutely lovely, and the salad came out about 20 minutes after ordering, then the food 20 minutes after that. The review: It really looks like a party inside Balamao. Open until 1 am during the week, it basically is. The food was incredibly fresh, with modifications for many dietary needs, including gluten-free. Everything was full of flavor and even presented nicely. The sake was a bit weird, and I would have preferred something closer to the real thing, or nothing at all. Overall, I have tried a ton of Thai food in Boston and I think this place makes the top of the list. The flavors are honestly different and bolder than other local Thai restaurants. I spoke to the co-owner, who said they make the food as authentic as possible, more so than other spots. 5 stars for going all-out!

First off, you should absolutely try this restaurant and give your own review, it's a new place so don't just make your opinion off of my review.Context: We went in and ordered takeout because we had to get back to work. The waitress was super friendly and greeted us and chitchatted with her for a bit. She did great.When we got home and started eating we realized that the food wasn't bad at all, it just wasn't amazing. I think for a new restaurant I expected the food to be really good, especially for 14$ per plate, but it was just ok. The chicken was a bit over cooked for both dishes. And the tomatoes in my yellow curry weren't wonderful. The curry itself was a good level of spicy and less sweet then most yellow curry that I have had in boston. It just didn't make me go "wow that was good". And the fried rice didn't taste greasy which was nice. It had a good amount of veggies, but the chicken was a bit over cooked like the curry. My wife and I typically get pineapple fried rice at Thai places and that is always wonderful, but they didn't have that, so I think it also just left us saying, "that was fine"So I hope you go and try out this place and try other dishes and give your opinion because this was just our opinion on two take out dishes that were on their street food menu.

Best and most authentic Thai food in the area. Their spicy is actually Thai spicy not toned down for Americans. Every ingredient is fresh and you can taste the tamarind & lime etc. they have the best kra pow. The larb nachos are delicious as well. so sad because they're closing temporarily while they find a new location, I just hope it's close by

Excellent! My favorite is the crying tiger. I am working close by and order it a few times before I go home. I love the pink milk. It's a delicious change from the Thai iced tea that I normally get. Both are great: this is just different.

Real authentic Thai food.New location in Brighton,Allston. They present authentic Thai flavors, spicy and hot. So flavorful. You much try every orders in the menu.

Balamao has amazing and authentic Thai dishes, with great service and a really clean and fun interior. I would highly recommend the dishes we got: Tom Zaap Pork Rib soup (a great mix of sour and spicy), Kra Pow, and Pad See Ew. The Nom Yen (pink drink) was a great addition as well and was wonderfully sweet. I'm excited to know that I now have a really great go to for great Thai food in Brighton!

This restaurant is absolutely amazing! The service was good, and our server was very sweet and accommodating. Everything we ate was absolutely delicious and very authentic. This is a must have if you are in the Boston area!

Best papaya salad I've had in a long time. Highly recommend the garlic fried fish and crying tiger steak. I usually get takeout, but the inside is very clean and the staff is very professional.