Malai Thai Street Eats

I finally visited this place after having it on my radar for a while. It's in an unassuming strip center with several other businesses, many Asian, and there is limited parking. Once inside, the main thing you notice is the center of the room, which looks almost like a stage for a fashion show or something, but is actually seating. Nice use of this space to be somewhat unique.I definitely enjoyed the music playlist in the background. It was a mix of poppy dance music and EDM.They have an average size menu, but I noticed they had one dish which stood out, the Hamachi kama, but thai style. Here, they call it kama sugoi. And one dish they didn't have, beef salad.Since I wanted a light meal before an event, I ordered the kama sugoi and spicy dumplings.The dumplings are just your garden variety and nothing special. In fact, they taste pretty similar to any you would find at most Chinese restaurants. The kama was pretty good though. It is the best part of the fish, after all.I wouldn't mind coming back to try other dishes if I was in the area again.

Doesn't look like much from the outside but it's beautifully decorated inside with florals and plants. Service is great and attentive. The food is a variety between Thai and Japanese. The flavor profile is good but they've added sugar to everything including the soups and curries. Everything tasted like dessert. We had the tom ka ga (coconut milk), pad Thai and massamun curry. The soup was incredibly sweet and a preview of what was to come.

Simply and elegantly decorated, clean appearance, great music too! Service was great. I tried the gyoza and it was exactly how you'd imagine them pan fried slight crunch but devoured in seconds. Next tried the lunch belly belly basil. Little light on protein compared to onions, carrots and bell peppers. Tasty, I like pork belly crispy and caramelized these were cooked thru but a little too soft for my liking. I liked the medium spice and taste that I would consider curries here next time. For dessert was wanting something different besides sticky rice and they recently added butter cake, I was sold! On the sweet side but as it should be!! Just take note! I'll be back for lunch great spot in midtown.

Food was very flavorful. The medium spice was perfect and service was good. Place even has draft beer which I don't normally find in Thai food places

4.5 starsI've been looking for a new Thai place in town because my favorite Thai place had closed awhile back. I was in the UH area and searched "Thai food" and Malai Thai food showed up. We headed over to discover that it was in the same plaza as Cali's Vietnamese restaurant, right next door!The place was lively and full of couples on dates. Cute! We got seated right away and service was prompt. I ordered my Thai restaurant usuals: Massaman curry and pad kee mao. Seeing that they had chicken lettuce wraps (a favorite dish at my old Thai restaurant), I added that to our order as well.Food came out surprisingly fast. Chicken lettuce wrap was flavorful and delicious, and loved that the chicken breast was not dry. The lettuce cups were crisp and fresh. Also loved that there was extra lettuce tucked in the plate of chicken. Yum! Pad kee mao came out next and we all enjoyed it as well. I absolutely loved that they deep fried the basil so that it was crispy, and it was served like a garnish on top of the noodles. Another very tasty dish.Massaman curry promptly followed suite and it had good flavors. unfortunately I found the dish to be on the salty end (but does go well with rice), and there was an extremely strong coconut flavor, to the point of being a tad unpleasant. This was my least favorite dish. However, I did like how they julienned the carrots and there was a good amount of potato's and tofu in the dish.I thought the price was reasonable for the amount and quality of food they gave you, and with inflation on groceries and everything, it's understandable.Also, another bonus is they don't use MSG in their food. Woot!Overall a very good Thai joint in midtown. I definitely want to come back!

I visited this quirky and cutesy Thai spot for lunch on a whim. The flowers, decorations, and seating are all very thoughtfully and interestingly placed. I was surprised at how well they were able to put their own touches all over the restaurant's footprint. Parking is limited outside, just be aware that you might have to look a little. The service was a bit awkward, but polite and eager to help. I think our server wasn't intimately familiar with the food/menu, but he did know what people liked. He was able to tell us what was popular for others and for him. I was initially concerned about the menu's lack of authenticity to Thai cuisine, as I saw many Japanese offerings like gyoza, tempura, takoyaki. We stuck with the more traditional Thai dishes and weren't disappointed. The Pad Thai was worth the trip, one of the most comforting dishes you can order imo. The Panang curry had good depth of flavor as well. Lots of fresh veggies and fried basil brought with every plate. Loved that they had Thai Green tea available too, the sweetness helps cut through the spice of the entrees. The spice level is variable upon request if you like to turn up the heat, or keep it mild.

This place doesn't look like much from the outside. When you first roll up there's not a lot of parking, so that might be a challenge at times. I went closer to 1:00 p.m. and so I found a space right out front. The decor inside is quite nice. The service was quick and friendly. The food was delicious.I had the beef pad Thai lunch special which was like $12 and came with a little fried spring roll and cream cheese filled puff. While the meal is not huge, it's probably the size I should be eating. Everything was very tasty. I went with the lowest level of heat which turned out to be almost none at all. When I go back I would kick it up at least once level.

Malai Thai Street Eats is relatively new to the neighborhood, and a welcome addition after the closure of Nara. I have been curious about this Thai spot for a while, and placed a to go order recently to see if the culinary offerings would live up to the hype. I've had great experiences in the past with local Thai restaurants including: Nara, Rim Tanon, Kin Dee and Asia Market Thai Lao Food. No two restaurants are alike, so it helps to go with an open mind when approaching newer Thai establishments. Given this perspective, I think Malai Thai has potential, but in my view, it has yet to reach the upper echelon level of the aforementioned businesses. The chicken satay occupied the space between well done and tough, so not the desired texture, but it had a great flavor. The peanut sauce along with diced cucumber were both high quality. On a different note, I just couldn't get into the Tom Yam Goong soup. I would rate it a 3/5. The broth should have been brighter and developed more. It made me long for the broth at the long gone Thai Racha on Long Point. The soup had copious amounts of onion, which overpowered the flavor profile. The advertised cilantro never made it into the bowl, and I think this dish would have benefited from kaffir lime leaves, fresh lime and galangal. The three shrimp in the bowl were delicious, but 5-6 shrimp would have been more fair, in my opinion. I think the decor of Malai Thai is what makes the restaurant appealing. I would like to give this place another try in the future, but would probably order something different.

I must say, I must have truly fallen for this place since I found myself coming back at least 3 times in just 2 weeks! The food? Absolutely divine. And let's talk about the service - top-notch, absolutely amazing.Now, onto the dishes! Each one boasted a perfectly balanced flavor profile, with none being overly sweet or salty, a refreshing change from other Thai joints I've visited.- Pad Thai: 8.5/10. Not too sweet or soggy.- Pad See Ew: 8/10. Flavors were delightful, although the Chinese broccoli left a slight bitter aftertaste.- Golly Belly: 9/10. Loved every bite of the pork belly and the egg was cooked to perfection.- Massaman: 8.5/10. Generous with the cashews and bursting with flavor.- Mango with Coconut Rice: 6/10. The mango was refreshing, but the coconut sauce was a tad too sweet. My suggestion? Offer the coconut syrup on the side in a tiny pitcher, giving customers control over the sweetness.The moment you step in, you're greeted by friendly servers who are incredibly attentive and eager to serve. The service was prompt, and the spacing of the staff was just right - not overwhelming at all.Special shoutout to the young female waiter who kept my water cup full, even after providing me with my own water pitcher. Talk about attention to detail!The ambiance was perfect, allowing for easy conversation among everyone. Ideal for gatherings with family and friends. Highly recommended!"

What a cute spot for delicious Thai food! The restaurant is pretty Instagram-able with their floral walls, and my kids enjoyed the unique seating.Parking isn't easy in front of the restaurant, but there is plenty of parking in the back where it says Yummy Pho only, but Malai Thai said it was ok to park there.We got a variety of dishes including their pad see ew, curry, satay chicken and sticky rice mango, everything was delicious! Service was good, and the food came out relatively fast.I'll always remember this place because it's where we found out my daughter made the squad she tried out for, so now I think this place brings good lucks