Northern Thai Restaurant
4.3/5
Opening at 11:00 am
, See all hours
Details
Information
Reviews
Location

Cuisine type

  • Thai,

Atmosphere

  • Casual,

Products and Services

  • Pubs,

Languages Spoken

  • English,
Location
95 Queen St S, Kitchener, ON N2G 1W1
Useful Information

Opening Hours *Holiday hours

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Verify with Merchant

Rates:

  • $11 To $25,

Methods of Payment:

Ratings & Reviews - Northern Thai Restaurant

Write a review
How would you rate this business?
4.3/5
  • Excellent
  • Very good
  • Average
  • Poor
  • Terrible
18
14
5
2
0
  • Atmosphere:
  • Food:
  • Service:
Sort by:
Language:
Restaurantica12
By

Hidden treasure in downtown

I've been to my share of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants in the region, and Northern Thai certainly ranks near the top. The place is clean, if a bit dated in its decor. (And please, if you see this: change your front signage. Blah!) If you've never heard Thai pop music before, you're in for a treat for the next hour or so. Service is always attentive, courteous and mostly friendly. As with most Thai places, very willing to accommodate for vegetarians, too. The food is colourful, fresh and immensely tasty. Plenty of cilantro and basil to go around for all! The vegetables are plentiful and cooked to perfection. I'm particularly a fan of their Thai sticky rice, a nice change of pace from the standard jasmine rice that most places only offer: dense, flavourful, and arriving in it's own small steam basket. Their vegetable curries are jam-packed with a large variety of fresh veggies and thinly sliced tofu. Om nom noms, indeed!

Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

Best Thai in KW

I have been going to Northern Thai for about 4 years now, after I first stumbled upon it just walking by. Now, I recommend it to everyone I know. I try to explore the menu here and there (it has really expanded over the years), but I am always drawn to the green curry and the pad thai. The mango salad is also fantastic. Definitely give it a try -- you might never go to another Thai restaurant in KW again!

Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

I have going here for years. The food is great...

I have going here for years. The food is great and homemade. The prices are way too expensive but very good food. The service is nice but a tad slow. I like the place as a treat but any other Thai places are just as good for 1/2 the price.

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

I've only had the pad thai as take out. But it is...

I've only had the pad thai as take out. But it is some of the best Pad thai I have ever had! Perfectly spicy and fresh tasting! I brought three orders of it to the guys at work one day and they also agreed. FANTASTIC! The only tricky part is that theres no immediate parking. But its worth the short walk!

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

Northern Tai is a gem found in the middle of a...

Northern Tai is a gem found in the middle of a small street. There is no emidiate parking but it is worth the short walk. The atomospere is as close to the thailand as possible including authentic music. There is nothing worse then walking into a ethnic restaurant and having to listen to loud obnoxiouse rock & roll or rapp music from the local radio station or whatever. We were attending every tuesday before bowling and got to know the owner and her sisters. They have provided the best service we have ever recieved in the restaurant industry. Life happens so we have not been in a while and are going tonight - We decided that Northern Thai was goiing to be only our restaurant and we were not going to share it with family members. We wanted it to be our little treasure. but we are going to take a big critic tonight - his mother and will see how she likes it. We tried other Thai places in the area and were not happy with the service and the complicated food menu. Northern Thai is fantastic

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

Although, a little skeptic when I found that the...

Although, a little skeptic when I found that the restaurant had changed in ownership, I was pleasantly surprised! Not only was the food delicious, the atmosphere was the same relaxing place, and even better the plates where bigger portions, and less expensive. The couple now running the place are genuinely nice people with an obvious flare for what they do! Their food is grade A, fresh, savory and all to perfection. A favorite place of my family and I still.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

I found this little place a few months ago, and I...

I found this little place a few months ago, and I have probably been there about 10 times! I absolutely love Thai food, and I have to say, in my opinion, Northern Thai has the best Thai food that I have tasted in all of KW. I would highly recommend the pad thai, green curry, mango salad, shrimp rolls, and pretty much anything else on the menu! I can't get enough of this place!

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

I never dined here when it was owned by Dora and...

I never dined here when it was owned by Dora and Sunny (got those names from reviews below), so I'm impartial to the way things "used to be." The food is excellent and the place is really nice and clean inside. Everything tasted like, smelled like, and had the texture of fresh food. So the amount of frozen ingredients, if any, must be small. It's a really cozy place inside. Definitely the kind of place I feel comfortable sitting down and relaxing to eat for a while. The classic Thai dishes -- pad thai, anything with coconut, and the curries -- are all well-made and hit the flavors their supposed to have. Nothing I've eaten was overcooked, underseasoned, or had weird combinations (the three typical failings of a bad chef). I will be back and recommend this place to anyone that wants really good Thai food.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

big shoes to fill

In all fairness to the new owners, they have very big shoes to fill when it comes to Sonai (it's not "Sunny") and Dora, the previous owners. Previously, Dora made it her business to know the names of her regulars and Sonai made it his to be precise and consistent with his dishes. Everyone enjoys an atmosphere of knowing exactly what they will be getting. The new owners have expanced the menu and dropped a few items. The restaurant and washroom is still clean and the service is still good. When comparing the food, you must compare it in context and without preconceptions. Yes, the basil beef is different ....Sonai is no longer making it. However, it is still flavourful, it is still fresh and it is still tender. I suggest a couple of things to the new owners (and hopefully they will read this).... 1- maintain the cleanliness and appearance of the restaurant 2 - use fresh ingredients (a review below suggested frozen vegetables were used....i hope he was wrong!!!!) 3-make every dish the same everytime...consistency is very important 4-know your customers....the small "mom and pop" style restaurant is conducive to return business Now a couple of suggestions for returning customers: 1-do NOT expect the dishes to be the same. Different cooks, different ingredients, different taste 2-know your dishes...if you liked something a certain way, tell the wait staff - they aren't mind reader. If you want spicy, ask for extra finger peppers, if you want it saltier, ask for more fish oil, etc.... 3-sample each dish on it's own merit, not on how someone else made it. Good luck to the new owners and hopefully they can keep me and my wife coming back!

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

New Owners Do Not Compair

I have been going to Northern Thai for 7 years and have been very loyal. I would go here on a monthly basis or whenever i had a craving which was very often. Every time I went to Northern Thai I was greeted by Dora which always asked me how my 7 year old daughter was and she always sent me with a handful of candies to bring home to her:) Last weekend It was my birthday and I always order from Northern Thai on my birthday and when I walked in Dora was not there and things were changed around but i had no idea that what I was ordering was going to be nothing to even compair to what i usually order..What I usually got was AUTHENTIC Thai Green Curry Chicken with Thai eggplant, potato, carrots , fresh thai basil and the chicken was fall off the bone chicken and there was always a radish that was cut to look like a flower:)......The new recipe is very dissapointing what i was served was packeged(FROZEN) veggies, and tought chicken...there was no passion put into this meal, they just threw it together...Now i will spend the rest of my life craving the curry Dora and her chef prepaired...If anyone one knows their recipe please e-mail me A.S.A.P and i will be forever grateful... To the new owners... You should have at least got a few recipies from Dora and her chef before they left..

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

A very good place

We found this restaurant by chance, since we normally live in Switzerland and were only visiting. We can only say that it was one of the better Thai restaurants we have been to, and we have been to many, in Europe and in Asia as well. The food was spiced in a very balanced way, everything was absolutely fresh and you could taste it. The service was very friendly and fast. The sticky rice with Mango dessert was on the house and absolutely delicious. A place we really can recommend..

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

I will miss this place

I have been a very loyal customer for the last 8 years and had given a couple other reviews on this restaurant in the past. In my previous reviews I gave very high marks because the quality of Sonny’s food and the atmosphere that Dora created in her restaurant made it a nice dining experience. The walls were filled with wood carvings, and if you asked about them, Dora your server would tell you she hand crafted them. The spring rolls were fresh and made daily by Sonny, and he made a peanut sauce that was fantastic, but my personal favorite was the basil beef. Some might think that it was a bit expensive but when you know that you receive 10 oz of AAA beef tenderloin in your basil beef dish, you know you are getting good value. This past week Sonny and Dora retired. Too bad, in my opinion their fine Thai cuisine in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere is gone. It has been replaced with run of the mill bland tasting Thai food that in no way should be associated with what Sonny’s Northern Thai food was all about. The restraunt name may be the same but the food coming out of it is not. So in reading any reviews on this restaurant prior to this posting – beware that they are based on Sonny and Dora and the wonderful food they served. My dining experience under the new management will be my last. I was completely unimpressed and ended up leaving more that half of my order untouched. I will miss Sonny and Dora and the great food they served; it’s a shame that I have to say goodbye to a place and people that I had known for 8 years.

Atmosphere: 2/5
Food: 2/5
Service: 3/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

this restaurant will never be the same

I have been a regular patron (generally lunch) of this restaurant for many years and have historically found it to be a consistently unique and wonderful experience. It was by far my favourite and most regularly visited restaurant. It was a fine dining establishment that lived up to its billing as high quality with a relaxed atmosphere. Prices were high (as fitting a fine dining experience) but quality (food and service) more than met our expectations and were never an issue! The restaurant has recently changed ownership and my last visit will definitively be just that. In 2 short weeks, the ambiance has changed significantly; the menu has been revamped to be more mainstream Thai (blah) and it has basically lost everything that we previously enjoyed. Prices have been decreased a little but meal quality (both recipes and ingredient quality) has suffered significantly. Why will I drive downtown (past 3 restaurants that serve the same blah fare) to pay a premium for just a so/so lunch?! The short answer is that I won’t. I feel that a little piece of me has died!

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 2/5
Service: 3/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

Excellent

We have eaten here before and we looked forward to our visit with anticipation. We were not disappointed. The food is flavourful and diverse. The service was appropriate because this is not an eat & run type of place.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

Exceptional Food at a Price

Husband and wife owners keep the establishement exceptionlly clean. Wife provides charming and personable service while the husband's dishes are beyond reproach in terms of flavour and presentation. Those who love spicy will love this restaurant. For the price, portions are on the small side, which is my only complaint. However, despite the relatively high price, my wife and i are regulars and this must attest to the quality of the food. We have been there more than a dozen times and have NEVER been disatisfied with our dishes. This restaurant has everything i look for: quality food and ingredients, tasty, charming service, super clean (including the washroom) and ALWAYS consistent - even if it is somewhat pricey.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

tasty but pricey

Food was tasty. But the portion size was small and it was priced high..

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

The food was very tasty, however small portions...

The food was very tasty, however small portions. The service was slow. The atmosphere was dull. I would eat there again if it wasn't on my bill.

Atmosphere: 2/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

Been to many Thai places and this one has some of...

Been to many Thai places and this one has some of the best tasting Thai I have ever eaten. Anyone who says it was bland needs to un-plug there nose. The only authentic Thai place in town. However I wish it was in a better location and had more items on the menu.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

For a Thai restaurant, they are lacking in...

For a Thai restaurant, they are lacking in vegetarian food. Only two vegetarian mains, and no vegetarian appetizers. When we asked if they could make the other dishes veg, they declined. The food was overpriced and mediocre.

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 2/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP
Restaurantica12
By

excellent service, the waitress was so nice. soup...

excellent service, the waitress was so nice. soup was excellent. i like spicy food and the basil beef was quite spicy unlike most other thai restaurants that advertise a dish as "spicy" and it is rather mild. spring rolls were average restaurant was extremely clean it even smelled clean. portions were an acceptable normal serving size, eventhough they are a little smaller than some other thai restaurants they were by no means insulting... but they may not satisfy the overeater types. i would return again and think i have found my new favorite restaurant that offers quality msg free food, a nice atmosphere and very friendly service.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Are you the owner? Reply or Contact YP

Get an opinion about this business!

Think your friends might be familiar with this business? Ask your friends on Facebook to see what they think.

Categories

Directory

Landmarks

Related Searches
Contact this business
Close menu