Talay Thai Kitchen

I'm obsessed with Talay and it gets better every time we dine here. The service is impeccable and the food is a gastronomic delight!! They validate so you can valet your car and walk down the idyllic path to this beautiful pop up restaurant. Make sure you try it before 9/2/24!! Order the lobster without the brioche so it's gluten free!!

Laguna Beach, Ca.This will be my second time to be able to get a table here at this wonderful pop up located on the grounds of the Montage. I try to make it once a year; I had to skip a year because I was a bit late trying to secure reservations last year. I've nothing but good things to report about this dining experience, it is indeed special. I came here with my wife for her birthday this year, accompanied by our two young sons. The setting is outside as well as a mini kitchen and bar. A cool breeze was blowing off the ocean and the ad airplanes were passing over trying to sell stuff to the throngs of beach goers below. It was peaceful and a bit romantic. There is an unspoken ( For the Most Part) camaraderie amongst the patrons, we all know this is a treat not often offered. My suggestions are few but perhaps helpful: Get a first sitting reservation. It's easier and you get a lot of attention from the wonderful waitstaff prior to them getting really busy. Be a party of at least four people, you will be able to sample many more dishes that way. Bring a light jacket just in case the ocean breeze becomes chilly. The cushions on the bench seats are really comfortable, a great feature. The food, as I have implied, is delicious. Some variations on traditional Thai, but all were exquisite. Here is what we tried:Watermelon Temptation, a thirst quenching, not too sweet delight. Pretty too.Thai Iced Tea, a wonderful versionVirgin Ma ka Ri ta, a superb creationLobster Satay Toast, excellent.Crispy Pork/ Moo Tod Kluk Fhun, amazing, this one we had to order a second.Papaya Salad/ Som Tam Thai, great spices, fresh greens.Thai Dumplings, we are not typically fans of dumplings but these were awesome.Tom Kha Hed, most likely the best I've ever had. Be sure to order this no matter what.Yellow Chicken Curry/ Gaeng Ka-Ti, oh this is so good...Pad Thai Shrimp, wow, I loved this dish.Spicy Beef Pad Ka-Prow, this was a real winner, the short ribs are cooked perfectly.Thai Tea Popsicle, very nice.Coconut Ice Cream, perfectly tempered artisan treat.Mango Sticky Rice, I loved the ample mango slices that had been soaking in a very flavorful light syrup of some sort. Fried Bananas w/ Sesame Ice Cream , flavor infusion!Birthday Surprice, a white chocolate covered cake, applause all around. We attended the last weekend before the chef returns to his restaurant in Mexico. I am looking forward to being here next year!

First of all...the vibe! It's in a lush garden with banana trees and ocean view. The bar and kitchen are also outdoor. We felt like we were on vacation at a luxury resort (but to be fair...most other were actually on vacation at a luxury resort lol). Services are 5 stars. Again...the servers seem to be Montage's workers (at least ours was). Foods are awesome in general. Papaya salad is good but nothing memorable, pork belly dish was excellent, lobster toast was top notch, scallop ceviche was impressive looking and interesting taste but a bit bland. We ordered 3 drinks and they were all very unique and very good.It really felt like we were on vacation in a tropical country. A very unique vibe for the area.

Hard to get a table but there is a reason for that. Ambiance cannot be recreated. Go at sunset. The food is not like you've ever had. This restaurant only opens for the summer. It is the real deal.

This was a super fun, beautiful pop-up restaurant to try out! I thought food was all tasty. Much too spicy for me tho (even after asking for mild). Great service, gorgeous location. If you like spicy Thai, must go! Cocktails were beautiful but just ok taste wise.

Talay At the Montage Laguna is a short term pop up restaurant. Talay has a permanent location at the Montage Cabo and has offered the pop up Talay in Laguna for the past 2 years.Service is great from the front end at Valet to the waiters and servers in the restaurant.The menu items we ordered were well made and were presented very well.The Montage is a perfect location for this popup and is finally (at least for a short time) a place where grown folks can dress nicely and have a wonderful meal in Southern Orange County.

Service outstanding and food great with a beautiful viewBartender knows his cocktails and very friendly.

Servers are friendly and attentive, but if you are gluten-sensitive or have Celiac, I don't not recommend dining here. Ordered a gluten-free dish and became ill from it.