Emporium Thai Reviews

Very disappointing. Our food was totally wrong. 1. BBQ Chicken tasted as if it was few days old and was just warmed up. 2. Ordered the Curry Chicken and since my kids were going to eat I specified "NOT SPICY" it was extremely spicy, we I called to compliant it took them 10 min to decided what to do with their mistake and I was told they are sending a new one ASAP , It never came. So I paid for a dish and had to put in trash. 3. Their special Beef Dish which apparently was on Food Network's Best thing I've ever eat., was disgusting. I'm never ordering from this place ever again. What a joke.

We found ourselves in the area after a drive around the Hollywood Hills and decided to look for a restaurant here rather than head back into the city. Upon agreeing 'something Asian' my son found this place on Google maps. When we arrived the place was full and there was a queue so a good sign. The lovely French student waitress came out and gave us the low down, which was a 20 minute wait, so we waited whilst reading the menu, however our wait was only 10 minutes as she showed us to a large table in the window. We ordered drinks which came immediately and then food which did take a while longer and they forgot the tofu but OMG it was worth it. You could tell it was freshly cooked and delicious. As with other Thai restaurants I have been to the food tends to come out as soon as it is cooked, even if you haven't finished your previous course but it remained hot throughout. The owner came out after for a chat, which was a nice touch too. Absolutely recommend this place.

Stumbled into this place while staying in Westwood. The curries are all ordered by hotness levels, 3 being average heat. My daughter and I ordered the 4 level and wouldn't have wanted any spicier. The curries were both excellent. The service was good and the portions were average. I would defiantly go back when in the area.

Food here was good but service is slow. Expect to wait at least 30 minutes. We had Tom yam soup, fish and vegetables, curry and pad Thai. They also have fresh Thai coconuts.

My son and I went for lunch recently and had a great time watching both other people and the foodie videos they have on the TV. We had a mango coconut salad with shrimp, thai beef salad, and thai iced tea with boba (a great addition to thai iced tea, IMO). Terrific food! It was actually our second visit; we'd had a wonderful dinner there about a year and a half earlier. Service is more efficient than friendly, but I have no problem with that.

we go here about once every 1-2 weeks. John and his team are amazing cooks and gracious hosts. We always have either Jungle Curry or Crying Tiger. --- with some Singha's of course

Same family, same recipes, smaller portions, higher prices. The only reason I eat here is simple: it is closer to my home than Jitlada.

Love this place so much. Definitely my favorite Thai in Los Angeles. Fresh, healthy and delicious. Couple of suggestions- Pad Woon Sen, Crying Tiger Beef, Morning Glory Salad and Pursuit of Happyness (like the movie!).

We stopped at Emporium Thai in Westwood for lunch on Veteran’s Day. We came in for a late lunch (around 1:15 pm) and thought this would be fun. We were seated without menus and then waited at least 10 minutes before asking for them. It was well over 15 more minutes before ordering with about 15 minutes after that before getting our first food item. The 1 appetizer and 3 entre items finally came and were all really good. However, the 2 servers were working their hearts out and not able to keep up with the demand for a place that seats up to 50 people and was near capacity. We saw three groups of 2 leave after waiting for more than 10 -15 minutes with similar situations. The 2 person wait staff were working their butts but needed much more help. What was even more surprising to us is that an older grey haired lady, who look appeared to be someone in charge or the owner of the restaurant, came in with groceries and food items in hand. She gazed at the restaurant patrons, bumbled around behind the bar area for a few minutes and then disappeared into the kitchen. She was not seen for at least 20 minutes before coming back out to simply watch the one waiter, one waitress and stand by unwilling to pitch in and offer a helping hand. The waiter and waitress on staff also bussed the tables themselves too. We saw help wanted signs in the window on the way out but could not understand the ignorance of the person in charge behind the service counter. We observed a few other matters with workers (no need for details) and could see that all was not well in Dodge! Sadly, we cannot recommend this place will not go back here again, sorry.

A young crowd of students with a large Asian, Asian-America clientele. More creative than your run of the mill Thai restaurant so it is a little more expensive. Well decorated and a nice discovery.

Went there for dinner Wednesday Night @ 7:00 pm. We didnt get our appetizer till 8:15 and our entrees till 8:30 pm. When we asked what the delay was, Originally we were told they had a lot of to go orders then at the end when they gave us the bill the apologized again and said the "ticket machine in the kitchen wasn't working". I cant tell you how many times i just wanted to get up and leave out of frustration. But i will say, the good wasn't bad.

No wonder how Thai couples have set up Thai restaurant in Los Angeles, and they both own and operate the restaurant themselves everyday. That's why they can keep original Thai taste. A lot of great taste such as crispy chicken and also their signature dish, pad Thai. We loved all the food and Thai service minded. Every time I visit LA, I cannot miss this place.

Six of us went to the Emporium for a late dinner (10 pm). We ordered a variety of items ranging from mixed veggies, pad woon sen royal, pineapple tofu, crispy pork, fried rice. All the food was hot and tasted great. Our waitress, however, had some problems getting our order right and one member of our group ended up getting his meal about the time the rest of us were finished. We won't let this deter us from trying the Emporium again.

This place has very good Thai at friendly prices and exceptional VEGAN Thai too Its extremely casual and good for a quick authentic Thai meal- everyone in there is THAI

They definitely serve the best Thai food in the area imho. We are vegetarians and absolutely love their Tom Yum/ Tom Kha which is cooked in a veggie broth. The Spicy Mint noodle is pretty good too. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. In fact the last time we went, the waitress even remembered that we like Tom Yum and offered to get that for us while we decided on the rest. No amount of data mining can beat that personal touch! Though the restaurant is not too fancy, it is a place for any occasion.

Who would have thought such a perfect Thai gem would be in the middle of Westwood, known mostly for it's suberb Persian restaurants? I found it on yelp...it was convenient to where we were going. Having traveled recently to Thailand, i feel a bit spoiled, and this place did NOT disappoint! We had the fresh rolls, yummy in a warm sweet sauce, pineapple and duck curry- perfectly seasoned as to not hide the flavor, and the garlic and basil beef. really great cuts of meat, tender and juicy. The ONLY thing I did not like was the sticky rice. It was not up to the caliber of everything else. Good, just not the best....

Our dinner was very tasty and the service was wonderful. The prices are a little on the high side and you are charged extra for rice.

I had a very good lunch here. It seemed like a popular spot but there was no problem getting a table. Lunch was very good. I appreciated the option to cut carbs by increasing vegetables and decreasing the amount of noodles. I also liked the option of serving stir fried dishes over steamed vegetables instead of rice. These are just options- they have traditionally prepared dishes as well.

As a lover of Thai food, I was extremely impressed with the quality of my Chicken Pad See Ew takeout order from Emporium Thai Cuisine. I had heard great things about the restaurant in the past and was not disappointed. Further, the restaurant is located on a great retail strip in Westwood and not far from cultural institutions - UCLA, Hammer Museum, etc. - which makes it a great spot to refuel before experiencing more of the neighborhood. Regardless, I look forward to returning soon, trying different dishes and satiating my appetite. I encourage you to do the same!

We were hungry for Thai food - Open Table had just two Thai restaurants listed for West LA so we tried one, Emporium Thai, and it just may now be a new favorite. The good was quite good, the prices reasonable, and the owner/manager (along with his Mom and other members of his family) came to our table for a most pleasant conversation. Be sure to try the Fresh Rolls. We will return! Probably soon!

What this place lacks in decor it more than makes up for in its food and service. Inside the decor is very limited/simple and the noise level makes it hard to hear each other. However, the food was awesome. The ability to control your spiciness level is a nice touch. My Chef Special Pad Thai at Level 5 made my eyes water (and I usually do not find food spicy). All of our meals were generous portions and flavorful. The meals came out slightly staggered (which indicates that everything is fresh made and served immediately). The beer selection was very limited but overall the service was very good.

Great tasting food, a local favorite, take out available, comfortable booths, parking is a little of a challenge

Came here for a bfs fundraiser it was great thai food. All in all, very good. To reiterate super tasty

We went to Thailand twice last year and the food at Emporium Thai is even better! We had our favorites — Pad See Hew and Pad Thai — which were both excellent (as were the martinis made with a terrific CA craft gin)!

There are a few Thai restaurants in LA that make the kind of dishes they would make for their family. This is one of them. The owner is a young entrepreneur who owns the Thai massage place next door. It's my new favorite Thai restaurant on the West Side of LA. He's had an extensive background in the restaurant business. The curries and standard dishes are delicious and it's one of the few places where you can get a Morning Glory salad! I'm happy to have found it, even though I live in the South Bay. My only suggestion would be that they put a squid salad on the menu. Down here in the South Bay below LAX, Siam I Am is the place to go for Thai take out. Great squid salad and very low prices for all dishes. But I digress.....

Arrived close to 5:00 on a Saturday and noticed a couple of families seated. We were quickly seated and order taken. Then I noticed the other patrons had no food. It took 45 minutes before the Tom Yum soup arrived...and this is around the same time the other guests who arrived before us were getting served. The soup was very good with just enough heat. However, it then took another 20 minutes before ALL other dishes arrived at once. Unfortunately two of the dishes were only warm. Not sure what was going on in the kitchen that night. By the time we left the restaurant was almost full and the dishes seemed to be coming out on a more regular interval. Make sure you have enough time to wait .

At a friends recommendation, we made reservations at Emporium Thai for dinner. We were seated immediately on arrival. Our orders were quickly taken and a pot of tea was quickly served. We ordered 4 different entries, and soon our orders were served. All of the dishes were delicious, and my liking for spicy food was tastefully met. We had an enjoyable evening and a great dinner. Thank you Emporium Thai Cuisine.

Whether you eat in or have it delivered, its an awesome place to eat Thai. Related to another great Thai place in Hollywood, on Sunset. This place is the best on the westside.

I travel to Thailand on a regular basis so I consider myself qualified to opine that most Thai restaurants in the Western world do not serve authentic food: too much sugar and not enough spicy flavors. This place is welcome exception from the sad rule. "Aroy maak maak" means "very delicious" in Thai, and that's exactly how the food tastes here. Nice ambience and great background music as well (loungy jazz). Note that you can choose your spice level on a scale from 1 to 10, so there is no need to be afraid of too much heat; I would suggest to start with level 3. Highly recommended!

2/5/2020 Ripoff Thai: My wife and I ate here last Friday night and possibly ordered the wrong dishes because each, at top dollar prices, was totally sub-par. The Crispy soft shell crab at $16.95 consisted of 2 lame, over-breaded, over-fried and still greasy crabs that came to the table luke warm and were basically inedible. When we complained that they were not hot, the replacements were no better. The tom kha gai soup was average in taste with little chunks of dried out chicken. Also luke warm. When originally ordering, we had asked the very pleasant and well-meaning but ultimately clueless waitress if the chef's special fish (at $26.95) came as fillets. She clearly said yes, so we ordered it. A few minutes later, concerned whether she had actually understood us the first time, we asked again and were told no, it was the whole fish, but she would fillet it for us. When we wanted to cancel the order she said she had already put it into the kitchen and couldn't cancel. When the fish finally arrived with a savory sauce on top, it was indeed a whole fish but had been so deeply fried that it looked as if it was embalmed, petrified for mounting-- and pretty ugly to boot. The waitresses attempt to fillet it for us was a joke, and produced only a few spoonfuls of dried out flesh and a whole lot of little bones. Awful. To add insult to injury, when the bill came, the fish was charged at $36.95 (rather than $26.95 as on the menu). When we pointed it out to the waitress she apologized profusely and gave us what sounded like a song and dance about the boss not having programmed the correct price into the computer. When we asked to see the manager, nobody showed up, so we eventually paid the corrected bill (with the fish at $26.95) and left, hopefully, never to return. To us, this place seemed wildly over-hyped and over-priced. Perhaps it's ok with noodles or vegetable dishes but our experience leads us to believe its best offering is it's overblown PR. UsefulFunnyCool

This is definitely a local favorite in Westwood. After being referred by locals, I decided to finally check it out for myself. I was blessed to try the Pad See Ew, which was absolutely AMAZE-BALLS!!! I can honestly say it's one of the best Thai cuisines in all of the city, especially the West-Side. In addition, it is walking distance from UCLA. I also had the pleasure of meeting the owner, John and his family. Great people, wonderful atmosphere, and genuinely a community favorite. The best part about Emporium Thai Cuisine, is that it truly is an authentic experience. If you want to have a taste of Thailand, I encourage you to come to Emporium Thai Cuisine. I promise you won't regret it.

We spent a terribly disappointing evening at Emporium Thai. We were seated immediately, but then we waited at least 15 minutes without water or anything before the server bothered to greet us. He thanked us for our patience, but didn't apologize for the delay. The rest of the night was about the same. We ordered our food and 40 minutes later had to ask someone to check on it. The server completely ignored us during that time. When he finally brought our appetizer, it was cold. Then someone else brought out one of our entrees, which was also cold. They took both of them back while we waited some more. We finally got hot versions of our appetizer and one of our entrees, which we ate while they were warm, but they were completely gone before they brought out the other entree, which we also had to ask for. To add insult to injury, when we got our food it wasn't even good. They Crying Tiger beef was just a pile of oily beef. The pad thai was completely bland. The sticky rice was way overcooked and had to be cut with a knife. The egg rolls were fine once they were hot, but they tasted about the same as the ones I buy at costco and heat in my oven. There was nothing redeeming about any of it. Stay away!

This restaurant has options for my carnivore friends, but their vegan offerings are well planned and simple to order. The papaya salad was fantastic, and the spicy basil fried rice was my favorite. Great flavors, great texture, and careful attention to the tofu. Can't wait to go back!

If you like authentic Thai food, spicy and not Americanized, this is the joint. Not a fancy place but very good food. You won’t be disappointed

We stumbled upon this place by accident whilst exploring the area. We were treated to reasonably price authentic Thai food in a nice location with great service. Can't really fault it in any way. Hot, spicy and less than $100 for four with starters and desert. Highly recommended.

The owners are friends so i'm biased a lot, especially after the took a suggestion one night to make their chicken wings in the Southern Curry sauce. Talk about an instant hit. Wow. My friends all loved them too, and the new "secret menu" item is called "Andy WIngs." Fitting as my first job was with the Philadelphia Wings Pro Lacrosse Club many years ago. But the reason I suggest people go to Emporium Thai is the service. The family that is behind it is also from the family that started Jitlada which gets lots of acclaim but Emporium Thai is as deserving. Great atmosphere, wonderful service, warm and friendly feeling from the moment you walk in. John and his niece "Honeybee" make you feel special from the start, while his sister dishes out family style recipes from the Southern end of Thailand. Too often Thai restaurants pour on the heat, but not here, unless you ask. There's a ton of options, from the Crying Tiger Beef to the mouthwatering curry dishes. They also have an updated and upgraded wine list, which I helped with so wine lovers will find some of the new wines very enjoyable. While I'm just a friend of the family, I used my wine contacts to help identify wines that go with Thai food, so it's a work in progress and will evolve more. Even so, the Thai beers and local options go great too.

I was able to order a gluten-free lunch without someone looking at me like I said I was an alien! The royal veggie pad Thai is delicious!! Veggie rolls were outstanding. DH had regular pad Thai and Tom Yum Gail soup. The portions were HUGE! We had to get to go boxes. The decor was neat, and the restaurant was clean. The only issue I had was the restroom. The age of the building really showed here. Also glad I didn't go before eating as the air freshener stuff was so overpowering I left with a taste of it in my mouth. YUK!! There was also no hot water to wash my hands.

This is by far my favorite Thai restaurant in Los Angeles, so much so that after our trip to Thailand we ate dinner here the second night we got home! My family and I come often for dinner and colleagues and I come for lunch at least twice a month. I was there last week for dinner, and thought I'd share some photo's. It was a feast

There are so many places for Thai and other Asian delights that it's tough to decide! I had a lunch combo at Emporium and loved the service and the atmosphere. I do have to say that it's not the best Thai I've ever had though. The Tom Yum is sweet & mostly broth. The Panang was loaded with tofu & veggies and sauce but it wasn't spicy in any way. Really delicious entree with a load of great brown rice but I expected "hot" and that was a disappointment. Order "hot"!

This place was amazing! My first impression was that it had the vibe that I expected from Thai food. Delicious creamy curry and super friendly staff!

This place makes me wonder why I seek out hoity-toity fru-fru restaurants that maybe offer six entrees and two appetizers. Why settle for limited options like that when you have a virtually endless choice of great dishes? Seriously, the menu here was so large I only went through less than half of it. And everything I ordered was great!

Terrible and slow service. Waited over 10 minutes to have our orders taken, then 45 minutes later only one plate of food had arrived. Finally walked out paying for that one plate of food angry and hungry. Even had to wait to pay the bill among other pissed off customers.

Emporium Thai is Thai fine dinning at it's best. The place is ever so pretty. You really need to make a reservation or you will be waiting a long time. Sometimes if you get there at odd hours, let's say 5 pm you can just walk in but don't count on it. Emporium is a little more expensive than your average Thai place, but it is worth it. All their ingredients are locally sourced and it is all made fresh to order. There is not a bad dish to be had. This place is family owned and the service reflects that. You will be so well taken care of you won't want to leave. The food comes out exactly as ordered and it is all pretty and perfect. You must start with the Phuket Wings. These have won awards. They are Thai style buffalo wings cooked with Southern Curry Sauce. They are heaven. Move onto the Crispy Soft Shell Crab. They are 2wo Crispy Soft Shell Crabs served with Thai spicy sauce on the side. You will love them. Their Shrimp Coco Mango salad is the bomb. It is shredded raw mango mixed with shrimp, dried coconut, onions, fresh chili and lime juice. Ask for extra lime juice. It is just so great. For mains, you can't beat their Phuket Duck. Now this is hard to find else where. It is so good. It is super crispy duck with southern curry sauce. This is addictive, They also have great desserts. Try the Thai donuts and get the mango sticky rice. They have a full bar. Again, the service is amazing. Have fun.

Great family run restaurant where the staff is friendly and attentive. We have tried 3 different dishes from Emporium-and EVERY one is excellent. Easily some of the best thai food we have ever had-anywhere in the US. The tastes are incredible. No bland watery curry here-extensive menu with many noodle and rice dishes-but hard to stray from the amazing curries. Would easily cost double the price at a 'higher' end place. They not only have the traditional thai red, yellow, panang type curries but they have unique southern thai curries that are harder to find. We will become regulars here no doubt.

Me and my friend are Thai people and we are here to travel. One day we are accidentally found this place and we decided to try some food here. It’s so good like spicy level or sea food sauce, it’s taste like the same in Thailand and the owner so kind that he gave us mango sticky rice too. I have good memories and good dinners here. Thank you so much.

I have visited this place many many times over the last year. Their food is very good and has an authentic flavor. From their noodle dishes, to the rice dishes, you can be sure to get quality food. The Thai Ice Tea is also special, that is if you like it extra sweet. The restaurant itself has something of a romantic atmosphere, in the sense that it is cozy and has a few dark corners. The people in this establishment are friendly and want to ensure you have a pleasant experience. I recommend this place for its food and surprising atmosphere.

We ordered 4 dishes to go 3 out of the 4 dishes were just okay. We ordered morning glory with tofu and this dish was not edible. It was deep fried with lots of batter and the oil was rancid. The yellow chicken curry had hardly any chicken. The other 2 dishes wet hmmm okay. Lots of other Thai restaurants in LA to go to,skip this one.

It was very full and busy when we were there, but service was still prompt and friendly. The food is good, fresh cooked. There is an ample menu to choose from.

We visited Emporium Thai Cuisine with a family group of 8. The food was good. The Pad Thai was very nice, as was the green chicken curry. However, we were disappointed when the waiter blatantly tried to “double charge” us for service. In the first instance, she added service to the bill. This is ok, as we were a large group. But when she returned with the credit card slip, she had removed the bill from the sleeve, but asked for a tip again on the credit card slip, hoping that we had not noticed that the service charge was already included. I asked to see the receipt, and she sheepishly returned about 5 minutes later with the receipt. Not recommended.

Great food and service for a reasonable price in a very nice and safe neighborhood. We spent one week in Los Angeles and went twice to the restaurant , each choice was great !

I visited this place with my girlfriend for brunch last weekend, and it was so amazing that we ended up returning two more times. I highly recommend this restaurant. The food reminded me of the authentic dishes I had during my trip to Thailand earlier this year, and the staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating. Overall, a 5-star experience!

Pá Thai incomplete. Order a take away. Also chicken Thai barbecue.... Too salty. I don't recommended. Only is you are very hungry, because the portions are huge

My husband and I are from Denver, found this place May 2014 on one of our trips, and have fallen in love with the food here. The owner and staff are all very friendly and provide amazing service. The last trip we had a party of 15 and the food was super quick to be made and served. We have not been disappointed with anything we have ordered and nor was anyone in our party. Crispy Veggie Rolls - nice portion side and the rolls are light and flaky. A good start to the meal. Morning Glory Salad - is light and refreshing. I really like the acid from the lime, it's a nice touch. Sometimes the watercress can be a little greasy. Pad Ka Paw - my absolute favorite dish here. The basil helps balance out the spice ness and the chicken is typically tender. I like things spicy and usually order a 3, just be careful because the heat really starts to buildup on this dish. Pad Thai - runs a little on the sweeter side here but still a good dish.

The restaurant at this location has been Thai cuisine for more than 30 years, but it has changed ownership several times over that period. This iteration is very disappointing. The service was excruciatingly slow. There weren't enough servers or bussers for the size of the crowd - the place was packed. It is the management's responsibility to have enough staff to be able to serve the customers adequately. Prices are mid-range; everything my husband and I ordered was $12.95. The quality of the food was very low, and tasted rather bland - very unusual for Thai cuisine. The coconut soup was oddly sweet and arrived at the table at a cool temperature. It seemed like the kitchen expected the serving bowl to heat the soup. I sent it back twice to be heated on the stove; the second time, it was only warm. My eggplant dish was bland and extremely oily; the sauce wasn't emulsified and just slid off the vegetables. The mango salad was actually quite good; it was the only dish I can recommend. If you plan to go for the mango salad and drinks, do make a reservation so that you don't need to wait for a table. It's certainly not worth the wait.

Great vegan options here. The staff was very welcoming. I got the vegan pad thai and it was great! My friend got the pineapple rice (vegan) and was VERY happy.

Looking at the restaurant from the outside, you couldn't tell that inside looks immensely different. The outside is a red building and there is an elephant drawn on the exterior to the left, you can't really miss it. It is a few blocks south of UCLA on the other side of Wilshire. The prices are pretty reasonable for what they serve. Definitely a meal for when you want to treat yourself, because it's a bit much for a college budget. Their spicy levels is so much different, so be very careful when you order. Do ask if you are not sure of how spicy you want. I think a Level 5 was the highest level I have gone and it was hot! I recommend coming in here for a meal when you want to treat yourself to a hard week.

When we visit LA, the world-class Thai food at Jitlada tops our must-dine list. We muse how it might be cloned for our home town of Boston. By contrast, our dinner last night at Emporium, whose menu superficially resembles Jitlada's, led to animated discussions of the propriety of sending bad food back to the kitchen. At first we were cautiously optimistic. But the morning glory salad, which was acceptable but not nearly so flavorful as the Jitlada original, turned out to be the high point. Tom yum soup similarly was decent but left me wondering just what was missing. From this modest level we went steeply downward, prompting the discussion about returning dishes. Spring rolls had some unidentifiable mush as filler. Pad Thai with crab was "disgusting" (to several at the table) and dry and inedible. A beef strip dish with sauces was tough and terminally overcooked. The coup de grace was the fried black cod, typically a simply glorious dish at Jitlada, which here arrived overcooked with some dark dry covering that I think was supposed to be garlic. To complement the food, waiters paid only modest attention to items like water at the table, hot tea, and clean setups for different sauced dishes. We had high hopes before this first experience at Emporium. Being a naysayer gives me no particular pleasure. Clearly we will not repeat here.

Well I really wanted to like this local spot. I ordered delivery basics since we are in quarantine. Pad Thai shrimp and pad Thai chicken. Neither came with the traditional toppings. Over cooked sticky and tasteless! Mint steak salad $19 had nothing but 5 pieces of burned meat and over sauced salad. Brown rice. Cold old and stale. Now positives. Green curry was delicious and spicy. Mango sticky rice was on point. I’m all about the mango sticky rice so that was a hit. Will I order again... I would try another spot first.

By far, one of the best east or west coast Thai restaurants. Ambiance was marginal, due to closely spaced tables and no noise damping architecture evident. Bathroom was also marginally clean. But, the food and service were admirable. Waitress very helpful with suggestions that we order salad to eat with Crying Tiger Beef. However, Beef was served after salad was mostly consumed. Beef dish and Shrimp and Papaya Salads were fresh and delicious. Prices were reasonable.

Went to Emporium Thai on a whim during dineLA's restaurant week. We were looking for a reasonable place for lunch, and this sounded pretty good. However, not only was it good, it truly exceeded my expectations. The place is small, but clean and well kept. Service was outstanding. We were greeted and seated immediately. We had the option of choosing from a prix fixe menu or ordering from the regular menu. Since we had not been there previously, we settled on the prix fixe menu, which was $15 per person, and included dumplings with the most delicious sauce ever, a choice of entree and a dessert. I decided on the Crying Tiger beef entree. The entree came with a decent amount of beef, a huge serving of rice and two very spicy dipping sauces. I should note that at this restaurant you can order your food spicy on a sliding scale from 1 to 10 or more, so each person can customize their dish according to their taste. I am not particularly fond of spicy food, so I opted to eat the beef with the sauce from the dumplings. Good choice! Also, this restaurant is rated as one of the top 100 Thai restaurants in the country. In spite of this, there is no pretentiousness whatsoever. The restaurant is family-owned. The manager stopped at each table to ask how everyone enjoyed their food. We found out that he was the youngest of 12 children and that the restaurant had been started by his family some 14 years ago. His brother and sister were the chefs. He was very humble and genuine and asked if we thought we would return. Of course! Even though I have to drive an hour to get there, I would most definitely go again. A must try.

Emporium is located near the UCLA campus and attracts many students. When you enter you are surprised by the rich interior. Not what you would expect from a restaurant catering to college students. The menu is extensive. The prices are reasonable. What isn't reasonable is the abysmal service. Plenty of help is on the floor. Although not busy food can take over 1/2 hour to reach the table. When you receive it it is luke warm to cold indicating that it has been sitting on a counter for a long time. This restaurant is a real hit and miss.

I'm not a big foodie, just a regular guy but I loved this place. Small but not too small and the food was the best. I got the drunken noodles #2 spicy (aka wimp) and it was perfect

Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles, and the owners and staff of Emporium brought that friendliness from Southern Thailand to their restaurant in Westwood along with exquisitely fresh and flavorful cuisine. Though the dining room is on the smaller side, they were able to accommodate our large group of 15+ people and there was another large group there as well. Our food came unexpectedly fast and the entire table got their food at the same time. We started with hot and crispy egg rolls, tasty papaya salad, and, my favorite, the Crying Tiger Beef Salad. I asked every person that works there for the recipe for the beef salad but they only smiled and said it was a family secret! If I wasn't already married, I would try marrying into their family just to get the recipe and eat it every day! Though I had stuffed myself with beef salad, I discovered I had more room when the yellow curry and Thai basil chicken came to the table. We ended the meal with Thai custard, which was creamy and delightful. The flavors of every dish were bright and perfectly balanced. The service throughout our meal was excellent, my water glass was never empty and they kept the wine coming as we had asked. I will definitely return!

There's this dividing line that separates north and south Wilshire. I can't really explain it, but when I'm looking for lunch spots, places to the south never cross my mind. My coworker had brought me here insisting that it was better than Noodle World. He was right. I ordered the Pad See Ew and it was really tasty. It tasted way fresher and I didn't feel gross after eating. The servers are really nice. I think they're all part of the family. You can really tell that they put a lot of effort into getting everything just right. They're proud of what they serve.

I was staying at the Hotel Palomar, and it appeared that nothing was near the hotel. However, if you want 3 blocks, you come to a sort of main street that has some restaurants on it. To tell you the truth, I wanted to try the Turkish place next door (for something different), but I went for this Thai place because it looked more inviting. It was a great decision. Excellent food! I got it to go, and I was leaving with this big bag, bigger than I thought, but whatever.... and I got about 50 feet from the hotel and the guy came running, "Sir, sorry, I gave you the wrong bag." We laughed about it and walked back inside and I got my dinner. The spicy Thai fried rice with shrimp was excellent, and I recommend it highly! Great food! Great prices! Great value! And I really enjoyed talking to the servers, too. Thank you! (Next time I"ll eat in the restaurant; it was very clean and very inviting.)

My friend recommended this restaurant and we went last week. I love Thai food and found the menu excellent and inclusive of many vegetarian choices. Will definitely go back.

You may have read or heard about Jitlada, which is considered one of the best Thai restaurants in the country, let alone Los Angeles, and it is GREAT, but EMPORIUM is the sister restaurant, and one of the only real differences is that Emporium is a lovely little restaurant in Westwood as opposed to a dive in a strip mall in Hollywood. The owner, John, is so warm and friendly, and so helpful in terms of navigating the menu. The must have's include Crying Tiger Beef, Morning Glory Salad, Thai Sausage, Southern Curry Fried Rice, Lettuce Cups, Panang curry, Mussel Soup and Hot Mama Soup. Like going to Thailand with no jet lag.

Service was odd with dishes brought out randomly. The food was very good and relatively inexpensive, but not great.

The tastiness of the food was exceptional, but unfortunately the portions were rather small (perhaps 1/3 smaller than a normal portion). The setting is casual but does have some exotic atmosphere. The location is quite convenient to Westwood, Century City and WEst L.A. I will return but will have to order more dishes to make up for small quantities.

We booked a table 20 minutes before we got there. Staff welcomed us very friendly and helped us to settle our 3 year old daughter. The food was nice too. We paid $63 for 2 adults and 1 kid for a papaya salad, a morning glory, a pad thai, 1 large beer and a couple of tofu sticks. + Great service + Food + Interior (apart from the bench seats which are too low) including the availability of high chairs for kids Thanks, we'll come back

We had great expectations on these place. Meat quality is really low, a dog couldn't chew that thing they gave us. That is just one of the bad things. The waitress didn't have the intention to solve our questions about the food. We asked for sauces, and she said they didn't have any. But 10 minutes after, another table had 3 different kinds of sauces to mix with their food. The food service was very, very slow. Please go to another Thai food restaurant. I have tried better ones.

Would never have found this restaurant if it wasn't for TA but really glad we did. The food was excellent and the service great. We don't have Thai very often so I asked about the 'heat' in the curries. They explained they were happy to do at what ever strength we liked but recommended a 3 if we didn't like things too spicy. As it was the 3 was pretty spicy but we still enjoyed it as we did with all the dishes we chose.