Araya's Vegetarian Place

Nice Thai restaurant with all the usual authentic Thai classics.
green curry was really good and the pad prik king was also good. They have a spicy scale - I asked for 3/5 and it was fine. Could've probably got it a bit spicier

Me gusta este restaurant con su buffet Vegano y la amable atención de todo el personal que labora alla

Now that I have been there several times, I can confidently give it 5 stars. It truly is amazing!

Thai food is usually off boundaries but a vegan thai restaurant? Any time!
We went there starving but the menu was so large it was hard to pick... We got the avocado curry, the cashew delight and the asparagus hunsa. All were delicious and super tasty. I preferred the hunsa but my husband preferred the avocado curry. That was so creamy and spiced just right although we could have handled more spices. Lots of veggies in all the dishes as well as tofu and seitan. The only con about the food is it cooled down pretty fast and that was a shame because it didn't taste quite the same once it was lukewarm/cool.
The service was great and the food came pretty fast considering the restaurant was busy.
Definitely will be back to try more of their yummy specialties. Would like to see sticky rice on the menu as well.

I love their buffet it is amazing!

The choices were amazing, the atmosphere nice. Service was not friendly but the food was worth it. Delightful tastes and smells.
I would like to meet the owner, as she has emailed me and seemed to be a very friendly person, doubt she appreciates her employees ignoring customers.

Have only had lunch buffet twice now but oh my is it yummy and FULLY vegan! As new vegans this place has become a favorite for both my husband and myself. One of our comfort food places. We are eager to try dinner and regular items off the menu. We tend to overeat at the buffet [blush] and think having leftovers to take home will be more our speed. This has been a great find as we are not big fans of eating tons of faux or overly processed foods and prefer to eat at places that just make their normal cuisine vegan by omitting meat, dairy etc. Also, I feel like they keep their use of sodium in check. Unlike some other places, I'm not finding myself dying of thirst the rest of the day. The regular water they serve you tastes fantastic! I mention this because as long time filtered water drinkers at home, regular water at restaurants can taste funky to us and I am super picky, usually opting for a sparkling water when out. The water here is clean and fresh tasting and they bring you a carafe for the table.

We can't wait for them to re-open in Bellevue!!

Lunch Buffet was very good, even better price. Not top of the line Thai if you break it down into individual dishes from the buffet (I didn't have anything but the buffet), but still delicious and highly enjoyable all around. You can add as much peanut sauce or hot sauce as you want and there is a decent selection, including sticky rice with coconut milk dessert. I was very happy here!

Good food. Good Lunch Buffet. Cell phone might not work inside the restaurant (metal building).

Parking on street. Nearby other veg. store and food places.

They might have some special-hour pricing.

Updated from previous review on Saturday January 03, 2015

This is one of my fav restaurants of all time. Thai food is my favourite cuisine and this place does it real well. The buffet is very fresh. The spring rolls are fantastic. Pad Thai is amazing. Everything is fresh. The food is keep coming out. If you are vegan and you like Thai food, you will love it.

We only had the lunch buffet here. The selection was limited but what they had was pretty good. Nothing to brag about but a decent feed. The place is nice and clean and it appeared that the buffet was regularly attended to by the staff.

A tip: Bring your gas mask if you come to University Ave and don't want to get stoned on second hand smoke. Or breathe in deeply - whatever floats your boat.

Araya's is great. Their new location on the ave is classy but unpretentious. The staff is always friendly and the food is GREAT. The lunch buffet is such a good deal at only 10 dollars and the peanut sauce is so good that since I don't live in Seattle I like to get a to go order and freeze it at home.

The cocktails are fun and tasty too!

Arayas is good. They will omit things you are not fond of. I think they buy dumplings and some other standards, so not everything is housemade. But it is very good and worth a visit. Like many places, it can depend on the day and who is working in the back or front. The Bellevue spot had great people up front.

Not the best Thai food I've ever had, but not the worst. It lacks authenticity a bit, especially when it comes to the lunch buffet. The décor is very pretty however and the overall vibe is nice. The waitstaff is not unpleasant. It is one of those restaurants that has not made a huge impact on me either way, but if I'm craving Thai food I will probably choose it because there's no other vegan Thai places around and it's easier than trying to ask all the questions and make all the specifications, at a place that is not vegan! Thanks to Araya's place though I discovered Aloe juice :)

This is a great Thai Vegan restaurant, the food is very tasteful the peanut sauce is outstanding. We go for the lunch buffet about once a month we would go more often but, the only problem I have is they always have the same items and it gets very boring after a while.

Updated from previous review on Saturday March 29, 2014

I went to Araya's years ago and it made a lasting impression. If I ever make it back to Seattle it'll be the first place I go!

The appetizers and soups at this place are AMAZING!!! I can't vouch for the salad as I've never had salad there. I can caution people away from the entrees. While they serve GIANT portions, the entrees tend to be greasy with vegetable under- or over-cooked. Service is friendly, though at busy times they are understaffed. Don't come here at a peak time if you are in a hurry.

We weren't sure what to order when we got here so we got the buffet. Plus for some reason all the buffets we came across in Seattle are super cheap. Not like Edmonton where you pay literally double the price. Two of us ate an amazing amount of food for under $25 including tip.
The buffet was a great mix of different dishes, but the one that stood out was the orangey-red soup. It had mushrooms and onions and was just the right amount of spicy and citrusy. I want all of it.
We didn't try the desserts because we were determined to make it to two different bakeries after eating here but they looked good. I'll be back next time I am in Seattle.

We ate at Araya's today for the third time. The dinners we had several weeks ago were delicious, rated very high by all three of us. A treat to not have to ask and specify about the ingredients of each dish. Today we had the luncheon buffet - it is fabulous! My non-vegetarian friend was blown away. I know we'll go back often. Thank you Araya for a wonderful restaurant.