Thaim has an impossible task: capturing the vibrancy and flavors of old-school Bangkok while appealing to the palates of Pasadena in a space that feels like a contradiction: very vibey, modern, and new school. While you’d think these conflicting identities
would cause the entire concept to collapse, the recently opened restaurant in the heart of Old Town Pasadena is actually serving some of the most exciting new Thai food in Los Angeles. The menu has a knack for reimagined classics, like traditional pad Thai served with fried egg tofu or salmon and spicy basil bowls that swap out minced meat with grilled short rib. But you’ll also find nostalgic favorites such as a comforting wok-fired morning glory dish and a superlative version of Thai-style dry suki that I’ve yet to find anywhere else.
What to order
- Steamed fish balls remain an underrated snack in Thailand and beyond — I love that you can order a version of them at Thaim. The Bangkok fish balls arrive with both fish cake spheres and slices that have a satisfyingly bouncy texture. The fish cakes themselves are mildly sweet; the accompanying green seafood sauce brings excitement with the brightness of Thai chiles, lime, and garlic.
- Morning glory has always been one of my favorite vegetables and Thaim serves its version exactly how my Thai grandmother would: with plenty of Thai chiles wok-fired in a salty soy bean glaze.
- Fiery jaew, or Thai chile dip, cuts through the richness of tender slices of pork jowl lined in fat. The appetizer gets served with fresh vegetables so you can make your own lettuce wrap to lighten each bite.
- Suki Yaowarat is my favorite dish at the restaurant. The shareable dish involves a stone pot filled with stir fried glass noodles to absorb a spicy red bean curd sauce that gives suki haeng its signature color and punchy, salty-sour flavor. A generous portion of chicken, squid, and shrimp get fired alongside the noodles with napa cabbage and garlic.
- I never order fried rice at restaurants because I typically can make it just as good at home — but I feel differently about Thaim’s midnight train fried rice. Train fried rice gets its name because it was once sold along train railways and dining cars in Thailand dating back over a century ago, when train travel was one of the primary methods of getting across Thailand. Now, the dish exists outside the confines of train travel — including at Thaim. Thaim’s take arrives deeply smoky with wok hei and includes Chinese sausage, which provides pops of sweetness, and savory marinated chicken.
What to drink
Thaim has two hypnotic slush machines whirring throughout service and you should definitely tack on either flavor to your order. The mango sticky rice option consists of a subtly sweet mango slush topped with a fluffy coconut foam and shards of toasted coconut. The Thai tea slushie — my personal preference — has sweet and warm notes of bold assam tea with a hit of vanilla. It’s crowned with the same coconut foam.
Insider tip
Don’t skip dessert. Thaim is actually a sister restaurant to the Bay Area’s beloved U: Dessert Story and carries its bittersweet and balanced chocolate matcha lava cake on the menu — a dish that feels appropriately modern. On the nostalgic side, the sticky rice baked in a bamboo shoot is nutty and fragrant and reminds me of my childhood. It’s served alongside a scoop of pandan tres leches ice cream from Wanderlust Creamery.
