Marlai Thai Restaurant Reviews

We eat here often and love the food. It is a little pricey for Thai food, but food is always fresh and excellently prepared. Lunch is more affordable and is the same wonderful food. One of my husband's Thai students also considers Marlai his favorite, which is why I am confused at the 'Americanization of Thai food' review earlier. Our student friend occasionally orders off-menu, which they seem to accommodate with no problem. One of the items he orders off-menu is some sort of spicy sauce which is perhaps too spicy for most American palates, so I would suggest that solution for others who think the food too inauthenic.

Love Thai food but this wasn't up there with others in the area for taste. The food was not very hot or flavorful. The service was ho hum mundane, felt like an interruption. The chatter from the employees was loud and made for an unpleasant dining experience. Will be heading to another place for Thai food next time.

Have eaten here numerous times. The food and service has always been outstanding. Staff is friendly, atmosphere is upscale. Impeccably clean.

We have gone here for years. Very reliable, very good over a range of dishes. We love the crab wontons, the Tom Yum Gong soup with shrimp, the Rama Rong Song (chicken with spinach and peanut sauce), the Mongolian beef (excellent!), and various of their curries, not to mention the excellent Pad Thai. So many dishes we have yet to try because we have so many favorites.

Marlai Thai is a cut above your typical neighborhood Thai restaurant. Their food is well prepared, tasty and provides good value. The menu doesn't stray far from standard Thai. The dining area is spacious, clean and comfortable.

Went here with my parents when they came from MT to visit. We were looking for something casual, quick and delicious and that's exactly what we got. The decor is a little outdated, but who cares? The food was delicious, the service was great and the prices were low!

We decided to take our niec the Marlai Thai Restaurant in Seattle, and it was certainly a good choice. I too - read the reviews by other people who have gone there, and so this place seemed to have some of the highest ratings. The menu was complete in terms of Thai cuisine, and the food was tasty. The portions were large, and so we had to take some of it home. I'd highly recommend it. Parking appears to be difficult, but it isn't, if you park in the rear behind the restaurant.

We love Thai food, and over the past thirty years have tried many Thai restaurants in Seattle. Marlai is easily the best as far as we're concerned. The dining room is quiet and comfortable, service is friendly and efficient, and the food is excellent. Although we have our "favorites" (the fried wontons stuffed with dungeness crab and cream cheese, the chicken coconut soup, the shoo shee salmon, the garlic pork, the coriander chicken, the ginger chicken, the panang curry, the vegetable delight, the pineapple fried rice), we've enjoyed every dish we've tried. It may be a little more expensive than most other "neighborhood" Thai restaurants in Seattle, but it's not out of line for a high quality restaurant -- which we believe it is. (It's also great for take out, by the way.)

Very nice Thai restaurant. Friendly staff. Good food. Nearby the UW district. Also had a take out spot to wait for fod.

Lackadaisical, kind of distant service with high prices and so-so food that they advertise as the best Thai food in Seattle. It's okay but nothing special. Place is always empty. Wonder why?

Had lunch here to celebrate Valentine's Day. Quickly seated and greeted by knowledgeable server who helped with ordering. From the luncheon combo menu, we had Pad Thai which included Chicken Satay, Red Curry Chicken and sweet & sour soup. Asked for 1½ star hotness, but could have tolerated more. Sometimes, 1½ is really spicy, but not here.

As for Thai food it was good but nothing to write home about. The female staff were very friendly and helpful, but that could not be said of the one male I saw waiting on tables. Realy, a thai restaurant that runs out of ice tea. I'm ok with eating here the food was good but will look for a different Thai restaurant next time.

Plenty of easy parking help make this a destination of choice. Relatively quiet which I prefer so as to hear my dinner companions. Nice range of dishes, good service in an elegant setting.

I asked my server for some recommendations. Among others he suggested the salmon. The manner in which he approached the recommendations was in such a detached way that I wondered if I was bothering him. He was looking out the windows, at the ceiling, everywhere but at me. The salmon was done nicely but it isn't what I am thinking the true Thai experience really is. The wine pours were generous and they had a reasonable, but limited, selection. The prices were very reasonable.

we stumbled upon this restaurant when we stayed at the Talaris Conference Center. It is very near the University of Washington. I had the salmon with red curry and so did my friend. It was excellent and very fresh. My husband and his friend both had the Pad Thai. Both said it was the best they had ever had. While we were the only people in the restaurant at the time, the staff was friendly and prompt. It will be hard to beat the Mariai Thai.

Service was great , very attentive without being obtrusive Food, while not very adventurous, was delicious. Atmosphere was calm and quiet, just what we wanted after a long day. Overall very pleasant experience

This place is always a great place to stop in for some good food. The staff is great and is very family friendly. I think the food is quite good but wouldn't go as far as to call it the best Thai in Seattle. Though prices are fair and you'll leave happy.

Marlai has these alcoves where you feel like you are sitting on the floor. We would ask for these places when we had young kids with us because they could toddle around. One time in the early 1990's we couldn't get that table because Bill Gates and his family had it reserved. With the recession we were eating out less and I hadn't been to Marlai in over a year. I just went back with my now grown nephew. He loved it and so did I. The service is impeccable, the food is reasonably priced and really delicious. Lunch is very fast and there is a great selection. Next time, I won't wait so long to go back.

Very friendly, unpretentious, neat atmosphere; efficient, thoughtful service; ultra-fresh, no- shortcuts, honest, and well-understood food, knowingly spiced for the liveliness and pleasure of the dish as a whole. A Real Thing through and through!

I was staying at a conference center nearby and while out walking stumbled upon this restaurant. The waiter was extremely friendly and the food was delicious! I had the ginger chicken and it was by far the best Thai food I’ve had in a long time. I would definitely come back any time.

We dropped in for lunch today & wow! The traditional Thai dishes are fresh & flavorful. We will be back.

This Thai cafe, located in the Laurelhurst University of Washington area, has it all: delicious, fresh food; spotless, attractive decor. My grilled beef salad had an expected ingredient, mint!

American twist on Thai cuisine. I have a hard time when I am eating there that I am actually at Thai restaurant. Pricy too, but it is on Sand Point Way...

We walked from our hotel and found a restaurant full of people enjoying thai food at lunch. They found a spot for us and it was one of the best Thai experiences we have had, even Bangkok. The Avocado Curry was excellent.

I have eaten here many times. the food is okay but nothing special. There is a fairly large menu but the food simply is not sufficiently spicy. I am a 4-star person and they usually deliver 1-2 star dishes and give me chili powder on the side when they ask how is everything? There are much less fancy and more adventurous Thai places in this Asian-infused town.

We always try to come here to entertain the speaker at our meeting for the month! So delicious and we share family style our many favorites! Mine is combining the coconut ice cream with the warm black rice pudding sundae style! It is truly a piece of heaven!

Whenever I visit Seattle, we always come to this restaurant. It is may sister's favorite and she always goes there. The food is exceptionally fresh, the service is outstanding and the selection is great. You can watch the chefs preparing the food behind a glass window. The atmosphere is very clean and airy. The food is unfailinging and consistently excellent across a wide range of dishes and I am particularly impressed with food's freshness.

Excellent, authentic Thai food. A wide variety of dishes. Everything is fresh and seasoned just right.

The team at Marlai has always a smile; That's very pleasant. The menu is varied without being too ambitious, and that is generally a good sign. Opted for the "Mongolian beef". The meat was tender, legend has it that mongol horse riders kept a piece of meat as a saddle and enjoyed it, dry aged?, upon arrival at destination… Well, this one was taken care by a scrupulous Chef and was deliciously tender. I would just suggest they use less, or not at all, starch for thickening the sauce. A detail, but… it makes a difference. Taste was perfect (if a little on the sweet side). Then came duck. Meat was tender and abundant, ducks tend to be fatty with not so much meat, that one was perfect. For dessert, I selected a "Mango with sweet sticky rice". Mango was selected from a basket on a piano: music play a large part in the kitchen, French Chefs call their burners a "piano", and that fruit was ripe and sweet. A pity the layer of glutinous rice it was disposed on turned out to be a little dry. Some more coconut milk would be welcomed. next time. Because one can go to "Marlai". If only to get a smile…

I've been to Thailand several times, this restaurant offers the real flavors and a great upscale environment while still affordable. I recommend it.

Marlai Thai is our neighborhood Thai restaurant. We love it. Great service. Nice setting and decor. And, most importantly, good food. The fresh vegetable rolls are the best I have ever had outside of Thailand. Marlai's "secret" peanut sauce is, by itself, worth the trip: flavorful, perfectly seasoned (not too hot) and has the absolute perfect texture. The fried stuffed wontons are the most delightful and delicate appetizer you will ever get (hard not to reorder a second serving). We shared orders of the Chicken Rama Rong Song, the Lemon Grass Chicken and the Coriander Beef (it comes with amazingly delicious green beans!!!!), plus brown rice. A perfect mix of flavors, each dish so well prepared and served warm, even if not all at the same time (but we share, right? So who cares). Presentation of dishes is absolutely beautiful, with orchid flowers on every dish. Feasting your eyes before feasting your taste buds enhances the whole experience. A truly great neighborhood restaurant worth traveling to. Casual and formal at the same time Tables are far enough apart to feel totally private. A rare commodity. Also offers the same food as a take-out (we have used it many times), always great, but eating on the premises is still the best way to experience the quality of the food.

Tom Kai soup with too much coconut milk and little flavor, special noodles with watery sauce. Disappointing lunch given the prices are slightly higher than the normal Thai restaurant.

I have been here many times, and the food is always tasty and unique. The service is good, sometimes almost too fast if you want to relax with friends. It has a pleasant, welcoming atmosphere inside with attractive decor. The food is fresh and they have a variety of nice sauces, but nothing is too spicey. The only negative is that the area outside the restaurant is generally not kept up very well. It's not unusual to see weeds and garbage in the flower pots...seldom any flowers or plants. This seems to be the norm for all of the businesses along this block. All in all, it's a great neighboorhood restaurant featuring good Thai food.

I had a quick meal while visiting with my son for college orientation. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and was somewhat busy for a Monday night. But, service was quick and my chicken Pad Sew Ew was tasty, with a large quantity, lots of chicken, egg and broccoli for a reasonable price.

My husband and I joined two friends here for dinner at 6:30 p.m. on a Sunday night. Street parking was easy to find in the neighborhood. Though we had reservations, only a few tables were occupied in the large room, which is modern and attractive. Windows along one side bring in plenty of natural illumination. We sat by a window, where I enjoyed the view of many nearby tall trees. The number of menu offerings overwhelmed. Luckily, our friends had eaten here many times and made recommendations, based on their experience, To share, we ordered lamb sate, chicken with cashew nuts, Pad Thai with prawns and a curry special for the night of duck and pineapple, along with brown rice. Everything proved to be of high quality and beautifully prepared. I considered each dish to be superb in taste, seasonings and consistency. Plenty of cashews accompanied the chicken, a rare occurrence for me. The special, however, led the pack in taste; it was eye-rolling delicious. I found the service to be excellent. Our water even got our order right, without writing anything down. Marlai now tops our list of where to eat Thai in Seattle.

want to try spicy

I sometimes eat here because of its location. The waiter seems zoned out and particularly unfriendly. The food was lukewarm and certainly not 4 star. I asked him to bring some red hot sauce. He did so but it was empty! I motioned to him and he very slowly sauntered back and forth to fill the bowl. I know many very good Thai restaurants but this one surely is sub par.

One of the best Thai restaurants I've ever been to. Great food, great presentation, great atmosphere!!

The menus were fantastic for those of us who had never had Thai food. Each item was explained very well. This is my dad's favorite restaurant. I had a salmon dish covered in a wonderful mango sauce. It came with salad, beans, and sticky rice. It was wonderful and 'light'. My husband had the Mongolian Beef which was yummy. He got fried rice with his meal as well as a salad. We went for lunch and were surprised how many locals were there. The cost was very reasonable. Only down side is that they only had two waitresses. I would definitely recommend this restaurant whether you are a newbie to Thai food or are an expert.