Bay Area/ San Francisco/ Food & Drinks
Published on January 18, 2018
3 New Thai Spots In San FranciscoPhoto: Ling L./Yelp

Looking for your next great Thai meal in San Francisco? These three new spots will satisfy all your cravings. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for Thai food.

Rooster & Rice
125 Kearny St. (between Vermehr Pl & Post St.), Downtown/Union Square

Photo: Sean G./Yelp

Rooster & Rice is a Thai and Asian fusion spot with three spots in San Francisco; the Marina, SoMa, and now, the Financial District. 

The eatery focuses on khao mun gai, a popular dish in Thailand similar to Hainan chicken. Poached chicken—accompanied by sliced cucumber and cilantro—is served over a bed of rice cooked in chicken broth. It is then topped with a spicy soybean sauce with ginger, chili and garlic. There's usually a bowl of chicken broth for sipping as well.

Rooster & Rice also offers a low-carb version with brown rice, a vegetarian version with tofu, and a paleo version with seasonal vegetables instead of rice. 

Rooster & Rice's current Yelp rating of four stars indicates the newcomer is finding its way, but it's still early days.

Yelper Ed U., who was one of the first users to visit Rooster & Rice on January 11th, wrote: "What was nice was the choice you get to make between a breast and a thigh for your poached poultry...It came with a snappy dipping sauce made of chili, ginger, garlic, and soybean, as well as a cup of intensely flavorful chicken broth."

Allyson L. wrote: "With each order, you get soup and a sauce to go over your chicken/tofu. The soup would be the perfect soup for a cold day, or if you're feeling a little under the weather. It was quite refreshing."

Rooster & Rice is open weekdays from 11am–8pm. (It's closed on weekends.)

Wow Thai Bistro
701 Randolph St. (between Ralston St & 19th Ave.), Ingleside Heights

Photo: Kat L./Yelp

Taking over a space that previously housed April Nine Thai Kitchen, Wow Thai Bistro recently debuted in Ingleside Heights.

Although the name has changed, the menu for the new spot is similar to the one for the former eatery. It serves up classic eats like papaya salad, pad thai and pad see ew noodle dishes, and a wide range of curries (red, green, and pumpkin).

With a 3.5-star Yelp rating, Wow Thai Bistro is still finding its way, but it's early days.

Yelper Spencer L., who was one of the first users to visit Wow Thai Bistro on December 8th, wrote: "Formerly April Nine, this restaurant never fails to deliver high-quality, cheap, fast Thai food. Truly a remarkable combination of traits. The fried rice with crispy chicken is fantastic."

Katelynn L. said: "Wow Thai is a solid Thai restaurant. The food is reminiscent of home cooking but still very flavorful. Service was a quite slow even though we were the only ones there, but they had a ton of takeout orders. "

Wow Thai Bistro is open Monday from 4am–10pm, Tuesday–Friday from 4pm–10pm, and weekends from 4:30pm–10pm.

Lapats Thai Noodles Bar
601 Larkin St. (between Willow St & Eddy St.), Tenderloin

Steamed fresh clams with garlic lemongrass and basil served with house special sauce.  | Photo: Lapats Thai Noodles Bar/Yelp

Previously home to Vietnamese spot Mangosteen, Lapats Thai Noodles Bar recently opened in the Tenderloin. It features a lunch and dinner menu with a variety of rice plates, pan-fried noodles, curries and house noodles. 

Offerings include the kao kha moo, pork leg braised in Thai spices served with rice and chili vinegar sauce and the kuay tiew nuer toon, thinly sliced beef braised beef tripe in a traditional Thai soup. 

With a current Yelp rating of four stars, locals have taken to Lapats Thai Noodles Bar.

Yelper David C., who was one of the first users to visit Lapats Thai Noodles Bar on January 9th, wrote: "The chicken and Thai is one of the best ever. Prices are very reasonable and this place is very nice; staff is great."

Yolanda G. noted: "Great place with so many options. Good service, super yummy. When you ask for spicy, they actually make it Thai spicy, which I love. Would definitely recommend!"

Yelper Kim R. wrote: "We came here as a safe haven after opting out of a nearby restaurant and were pleasantly surprised! The restaurant itself is clean and presentation is nice."

Lapats Thai Noodles Bar is open weekdays from 11am–4pm, Monday–Thursday from 5pm–11pm, Friday from 5pm–1am, Saturday from noon–1am, and Sunday from noon–11pm.