Noi Thai Cuisine

You like Thai? Central Oregon has no shortage of options for this type of cuisine, it all comes down to deciding what type of experience you want and the style of Thai food you prefer.

For GO! Magazine readers, that’s upscale Noi Thai Cuisine.

“Hopefully it’s for the consistency and the service,” said Sandy Burns, restaurant manager. “I believe you can’t have a good restaurant unless you have good food, good service and a great atmosphere.”

The downtown Bend restaurant, which opened in 2012, is defined as a fine dining establishment. The restaurant is one of three; the other locations are in Seattle and Honolulu, Hawaii.

Burns said by far, diners’ favorite dish is crispy garlic chicken.

For dinner, it’s $17.49. If that’s too steep, it’s $10.95 at lunch and $8.95 on the happy hour menu (2:30 to 6 p.m. daily). For noodle dishes, customers tend traditional, often ordering pad Thai.

Wild Rose

Earning the No. 2 spot in this category is Wild Rose, a rustic, casual cafe with northern Thai cuisine.

The downtown Bend restaurant’s inviting atmosphere provides a comfortable, everybody-fits-in feel. Order from the menu or a variety of options written in chalk on the wall. Don’t bother looking for pad Thai, you won’t find it.

Owner Andy Ricker, in his cookbook, describes very rural Thai cuisine as featuring a “generous use of dried spices, frequent appearance of fresh turmeric, and prevalent bitterness from leaves (and) shoots. … Cooks tend to use tamarind instead of lime (and) fermented soy beans … rather than fish sauce and shrimp paste.”

Thai Thai

Locally owned Thai Thai in Northwest Crossing took the No. 3 spot. Host Corey Bock (a Bulletin employee) and his wife and co-owner, chef Vivah Vachiraseneekul, opened the restaurant six years ago.

The restaurant serves the better-known food of metropolitan Bangkok, which is what’s most common in Thai food restaurants.

The atmosphere is semi-casual, great for families, with two separate dining areas.

— Jody Lawrence-Turner, The Bulletin