Glai Baan Is the Original Best Thai Place in Phoenix
In a city filled with mediocre Thai food—mostly of the fast-casual variety—we almost aren’t worthy of something as delicious as Glai Baan. The flavors and smells are just out of control, and the cocktails are as unique as they are delicious. The only downside is that getting in can be a chore (make a reservation!) and the parking situation is a little wild. Maybe show up in a Lyft.
Website: glaibaanaz.com
Reservations: You have to call
Tip: If you don’t have a reservation and have to wait for a table, the bar makes awesome cocktails. You’ll almost forget that you’re waiting.
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Glai Baan Has 12.5 Yumpoints
Feb 16, 2024 / Bahar Anooshahr
USA Today: Restaurants of the Year 2024
Glai Baan means "far from home" and is an ode to chef Pornsupak "Cat" Bunnag’s homeland in northern Thailand. She and Dan Robinson opened the intimate restaurant in 2017, and it has been packed ever since with diners eager to enjoy dishes like kanom jeeb pork dumplings and yum het tod tempura oyster mushrooms and cocktails infused with Thai ingredients. The charming patio is adorned with flapping flags and string lights, and the cozy dining room feels like stepping into Bunnag’s childhood home. Consistently excellent, Glai Baan was a 2023 James Beard semifinalist for its outstanding wine and beverage program and is on permanent rotation for food lovers in Phoenix. Word to the wise: The restaurant’s popularity warrants making a reservation to avoid long waits.
FEB 13, 2024 / NIKKI BUCHANAN AND CHRIS MALLOY
Eater: The 38 Essential Restaurants in Phoenix
Twinkling with string lights, this cozy, brick-walled Thai restaurant in Central Phoenix is a beloved standby for chef-owner Cat Bunnag’s delicious take on Thai street food, and the specialties of her native Isan. Local favorites include steamed dumplings filled with local pork; mackerel fried rice; and PEI mussels, fragrant with lemongrass and chile jam. Start with outstanding cocktails, which incorporate Thai ingredients.
FEB 1, 2024
Phoenix New Times: The Top 100 Restaurants
This central Phoenix restaurant — the name translates to "far from home" — specializes in Thai street food and regional northeastern Thailand cooking. Chef and co-owner Pornsupak "Cat" Bunnag has roots in Bangkok and the Isan region of Thailand. That heritage is reflected in Glai Baan's tight menu of small plates, noodles and street food favorites. We recommend the kao soi, a northern Thai-style chicken curry dish, kanom jeeb (steamed pork dumplings), and Silom Road Moo ping pork skewers. And you can't tell anyone you dined at Glai Baan without trying the larb moo salad or the son-in-law eggs — a Thai street food delicacy. Pro tip: Parking is tough along this stretch of Osborn Road, so it may be wise to Lyft. Bonus: That'll allow you to try another one of Glai Baan's impressive cocktails.
JAN 24, 2024
James Beard Foundation: 2024 James Beard Awards Semifinalist
Best Chef: Southwest
JAN 16, 2024 / Becky Bartkowski
AZ Central: 100 essential restaurants in metro Phoenix: The best places to dine in 2024
Yeah, you might have to throw back a beer at the bar around the corner while you wait for a table, but this Thai restaurant is worth the fuss. It is cozy enough for date night and the place to take out-of-towners. Don't get me started on the perfect patio. Order plates to share (don't miss the crisp yum het tod and pad kee mao) and find your cocktail of choice, whether it's the passionfruit-brandy Sunshowers or herbed fan fav Laab Sided.
JAN 13, 2024 / LAUREN MILLINGTON
Female Foodie: The 16 Best Phoenix Restaurants
Stepping into Glai Baan feels like being transported to Thailand (the vibe is spot-on!), and the food continues the illusion with a focus on authentic Thai street food. This cozy spot is decorated with the owner’s family photos and memorabilia from their home country and is strung with twinkling, colorful lights. Start your journey with the Kanom jeeb steamed pork dumplings – paired with a ginger soy sauce, these dumplings are practically perfect. For the main dish, order the Panang curry, a rich and creamy curry with melt-in-your-mouth braised beef, which somehow manages to outshine the dumplings. Order both for a truly phenomenal dining experience – we promise you won’t regret it.
APR 24, 2023
Foodists Awards: 2023 Foodist Award Winners
MOST DELECTABLE DESSERT - Mango Sticky Rice
BEST WORLD FLAVORS
JAN 25, 2023
James Beard Foundation: 2023 James Beard Awards Semifinalists
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
