Best Thai Restaurants in Downey / Norwalk / Santa Fe Springs

Some of the best Thai food we have eaten! When in the Long Beach area, you should try it. It’s pretty small, so be sure to make reservations.

We ate at Bobo Thai in Silver Lake last night and absolutely loved the food! We had the green curry chicken wings, 1938 Pad Thai, and papaya salad, and everything was delicious. Each dish was flavorful and really well done. The only downside was the seating. The tables outside on the beautiful patio are VERY close together, so you can hear pretty much every conversation happening around you. We found ourselves being extra careful not to discuss anything private because the table next to us could probably hear every word! That said, the food was fantastic and definitely worth coming back for. Just maybe save the juicy gossip for the car!

I've done quite a bit of West Coast tasting menu fine dining (Providence, Melisse, and French Laundry, etc.) along with Japanese style grill dining (Yakitori and Robata yaki's in SoCal, most recently ToriMatsu in Gardena) so I was truly excited to try the tasting offered by Yhing Yhang BBQ - a Thai-focused grill inspired by the street cuisine of Thailand -- it was just the thing to satiate adventurous taste buds. I'm no stranger to local modern Thai cuisine either - my faves are Luv2Eat Thai Bistro and Night + Market Song. For traditional, I enjoy Lacha Somtum and Mae Malai in Thai town. I visited Yhing Yhang BBQ by the Holy Basil folks at their Maydan Market location in early January 2026 and whatever kitchen inconsistencies may have existed in October/November 2025 were non-existent during our visit. All proteins (fish, shellfish, chicken, sausages, and pork collar) were cooked perfectly, flavors were on point, and table service was efficient without being intrusive and the server described each dish in a concise, quick and pleasant manner. Ordering the delicious specialty non-alcoholic drinks at Compass Rose next door and having them brought to Yhing Yhang's tasting counter was convenient and complemented the meal and overall experience. The vibe of Maydan Market was glamorous without being stodgy. We all thought for $65 the tasting menu was an outstanding and extremely reasonable meal for the quality, execution, composition, creativity, service, and ambience. One of my guests went to the Michelin starred Vespertine a few months ago, and definitely preferred the tasting experience at Yhing Yhang BBQ. I came across some recent rumors that Yhing Yhang will be changing its format, but I hope the Thai-focused grill concept will re-emerge someday. Until then, I'll look forward to visiting the recently opened Holy Basil Santa Monica, the well-established flagship restaurant in Atwater Village and whatever new food projects this restaurant group comes up with.