Vegetarian, mostly vegan small Thai restaurant. Affordable and not super fancy, but a step up from the standard. Focus on presentation so each dish looks colorful. Mostly classic Thai food but with re-interpreted flavors and ingredient combinations. Open Mon-Tue 11:00am-2:30pm, 5:00pm-9:30pm, Thu-Fri 11:00am-2:30pm, 5:00pm-9:30pm, Sat-Sun 12:00pm-9:30pm. Closed Wed.
-
710 Polk St, San Francisco, California, USA, 94109
-
Loading...
-
- Accepts credit cards
-
-
Last update on 06 Feb 2024 by nikg
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business -
Added by AshleyLorden on 09 Nov 2013
-
-
56 Reviews
First Review by tartarugafechada
Tom8315
Points +232
Still great vegan food - Edit
Haven’t been here (due to work and Covid) for several years. Lots of Asian options. Lots of mock vegan foods and all fantastic! We started with spring rolls and crab cakes (vegan!). Both delicious! I had panang curry and my friend had green curry. You have to order rice to go with it. Mango sticky rice for dessert. #Veganuary
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2019-01-19
Pros: Lots of different Asian options , All delicious , Dessert good
Cons: You have to order rice to go with the curry
Guest
bramhubbell
Points +869
Great thai food - Edit
The menu has all the thai classics and the food was delicious.
Read moreGuest
Zurv
Points +574
Delicious - Edit
The spicy fried rice is amazing here and they have delicious curries too. The crepe and ice cream was a fantastic dessert too.
Read morePros: Staff, Food
Guest
nikg
Points +39
Great Thai food but not for the budget-conscious - Edit
Thai Idea is in a pretty sketchy part of town—you have to ring the doorbell to be let in. But once you are inside, it's a cozy place with really great food. I highly recommend the pad kee mao or pad see ew, or any of their curries, but it's all really good. Entrees are slightly above average price, but appetizers are nearly the same price as the entrees. You might be better off skipping them and getting more entrees/soups.
Read moreService is super friendly. I used to go here every week when I wasn't watching my spending so much. Now it's an occasional treat.
Pros: Really good food., Friendly staff., Say "pet mahk mahk" for extra spicy!
Cons: Pricy appetizers., Sketchy neighborhood., Tough to find parking.
Guest
RachelFeiner
Points +812
Very good - Edit
The food was very good and so is the service.
Read morePros: Quick
Guest
LaurenFBayBee
Points +17
Delicious must try - Edit
Pumpkin curry
Read moreYellow curry
Crab Rangoon’s
Thai tea
Updated from previous review on 2023-10-10
Pros: Everything is delicious. , Staff is super friendly and very atentative, Clean and prompt.
Cons: Parking is at times hard to find. , Neighborhood is rough
Guest
Viclimay
Points +170
Beautifully spiced - Edit
Mostly Vegan. Despite being in a rough part of town you are welcome with a happy and calmly smile.
Read morePros: Flavor , Service , Speed
Guest
Gopala108
Points +2912
All Veg Thai Food in the Tenderloin - Edit
I first went to San Francisco in 2002 & during that visit made a pilgrimage to Eric Tucker's Millennium restaurant that was in the Tenderloin yet is now based in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood.
Read moreThe Tenderloin is still the Tenderloin as it reminds me of how Times Square in NYC used to be. Times Square has changed yet the TL still has a gritty edge to it along w/ being a great place to visit if you are a vegan.
There is Golden Era, Thai Idea Vegetarian, L & G for a tofu Banh Mi, & the energy of Millennium's legacy in the neighborhood. In fact it was countless visits to Golden Era over the last few months that have kept me from visiting Thai Idea sooner yet am glad I made the visit.
Thai is always a good idea & is especially a good idea if you dine at an all vegetarian restaurant called Thai Idea Vegetarian. It is in fact an ovo-vegetarian restaurant that is vegan except for serving eggs & dishes can easily be made vegan be omitting the egg on selected dishes.
The website link to Thai Idea on Yelp was down so the prices listed on Yelp were in fact higher than prices actually are here. Besides that rice isn't an additional charge as rice comes w/ all the dishes except if you have brown rice there is a minimal charge of around .50 cents which is very reasonable.
Many of the dishes offer choice of protein as either:
veggie chicken
veggie beef
tofu
veggie shrimp
veggie lamb
As is the case w/ dining at a vegan or vegetarian restaurant there is too much choice. I decided to go w/ the Green Curry as my server recommended it.
The Green Curry came w/ bell pepper, bamboo shoots, eggplant, string bean, baby corn, & basil. I opted to get it w/ veggie chicken. It was quite good & not too spicy yet spiced it up a bit w/ the spice condiments.
I look forward to returning here again in the future.
Pros: All Veg Thai Food in the Tenderloin
Guest
stprevic
Points +136
SOOO GOOD - Edit
This place is SOOO GOOD. I have been craving vegan Thai since moving to the Bay Area and this went above and beyond my expectations! We ordered the vegan firecrackers, pad Thai (vegan sans egg) and Thai iced tea…then our server threw in some samosas leftover from a catering order, all insanely delicious! Can’t recommend enough!
Read moreGuest
Angelo23
Points +156
Good veg Thai - Edit
I really like Thai Idea. I've been eating here for several years now. It's always solid and the staff is very kind and friendly. The only reason it's 4 stars is because of the neighborhood and lack of parking. Very reasonable prices.
Read moreGuest
paulalecht
Points +209
Vegan Thai, need I say more?! - Edit
The first time I saw the sign on their window, Vegan Thai Food, I thought it must be some kind of trick or trap. How on earth could there be a vegan thai place in walking distance from where I work?! This is going to sound crazy but I didn't even go in there right away because it seemed too good to be true. Weird I know. When I finally did I was sad for the time I'd wasted. The food is fresh and delicious. The Pumpkin Curry is amazing, as is the Chow Fun, and their soups and starter plates are all inspired. My meat eater coworkers all love the place too.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2018-04-07
Pros: Really delicious Thai food, Very pretty place
Guest
andyjng
Points +4717
Good Thai in the City - Edit
I believe their menu is 90% vegan at this point and they'll label something vegetarian otherwise.
Read more- Firecracker Balls ($11.25) were like it's name... absolutely FIRE. Crunchy panko crusted bites which really resembled a fried tuna roll. A must start to your meal.
- Tom Kha Veggies ($14) is a classic coconut-milk based soup with plenty of veggies and tofu. You really can't go wrong with this dish.
- Rad Na ($14) - these flat-wide noodles cooked in a gravy sauce with mock meats were packed with flavor. The gravy was delicious and not overly oily.
- Roasted Duck Curry ($14) was also a huge hit. There were plenty of veggies and the creamy, red curry they used complimented well with the piping hot sticky rice bundles ordered on the side.
We ended the meal with their homemade Fried Banana and Ice Cream ($10), a melty goodness and tasty way to finish off a hearty meal.
Pros: All plant based Thai, Variety of options
Guest
Ken.thompson
Points +440
Bland but healthy - Edit
I had a massaman curry, but it completely lacked flavor. It looked like only coconut milk with a bit of chili mixed in. Almost completely white.
Read morePros: Very healthy food
Cons: Most bland massaman curry I’ve had
Guest
jlnevin
Points +13
Really yummy!! Friendly staff. Veggie meat is all soy based and made in house. - Edit
Very friendly staff and timely service. Fresh and delicious.
Read morePros: Vegan options , Authentic Thai with veggie meat
Cons: None
Guest
JimBoulter
Points +206
Great food, great service - Edit
Our food was delicious and plated beautifully. Loved the Pad Thai and the Satay. Would absolutely recommend!
Read morePros: Very cognizant of vegan vs vegetarian, Great menu with lots of options, Plating was well executed
Cons: Location is sketchy, unfortunately
Guest
AbagailPlayer
Points +84
Delicious thai food and amazing service! - Edit
Go check out this restaurant — you won’t be disappointed.
Read moreGuest
OrgFarmer18
Points +24
Love this restaurant - Edit
I have been ordering from them for two years. Every order has been great. Very accomodating of my allergies, very nice people and amazing food. Who could ask for more?
Read moreGuest
gettingthere
Points +124
Good food but they have some issues - Edit
I used to love this place and I still do, but they've been racking up the issues. No less than three times one of the dishes we ordered had egg in it, even though we specified "vegan" and "no egg". Honestly, it's weird that they keep the egg dishes at all, just make the whole place vegan already.
Read moreSecondly, they have some weird system when you order online where it forces you to choose a "protein" or something, but then it replaces the regular ingredients with that, like what? For example, I really like their pineapple fried rice, as I've eaten it at their restaurant. But when ordering online I chose "tofu", since I thought these were add-ons, and then there was no shrimp in the rice, which is one of the normal components. Something along these lines also happened 2-3 times, so maybe it's better to just call them instead of using ordering platforms.
Lastly, last night we got food there and my stomach has been very upset. I'm wondering if it might be something to do with the vegan lamb.... maybe it had expired, or it's not entirely vegan? Maybe another issue? Not sure, but my stomach is sure it doesn't agree with it.
Pros: Good food, Friendly staff
Cons: Egg repeatedly in dishes when we ask for no egg, Problems with online platforms, Tummy....
Guest
Anicahe
Points +210
A delicious place to enjoy Vfood - Edit
Food was amazing
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Dishes can be veganized, Spacious, quiet and friendly
Cons: The neighborhood
Guest
StaceyP
Points +609
Incredible food and service - Edit
I've been here several times and their food is always delicious. Serving size is massive, so expect to leave full and happy. Customer service is A1!
Read moreGuest
villain
Points +8088
Super vegan! - Edit
Everything is vegan or can be made vegan. So great. Cute restaurant with nice furnishings, the bathroom was nice but the toilet was just really messy... that's the only downside it just needs to be checked in on and cleaned more. The food tastes so great and they do some lovely plating. There are many little details that make Thai Idea stand out amongst other options for Thai food in the area. Another great thing is that even though there are a couple dishes that can have egg in them, the waitress double and triple checked with our table and every other table about whether or not we wanted egg or if we're vegan. Best attention to detail I've ever seen from restaurant that isn't technically fully vegan
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-11-25
Pros: Pretty much everything is vegan, They know what vegan means & are careful about it
Guest
stephaniefroebel
Points +965
Diverse menu - Edit
The menu is one of the best Thai places I’ve seen, having many different and unique dishes. I had vegan Catfish which I have no idea what that is or that it could exist, but I’m not complaining in the slightest.
Read morePros: Clearly labeled vegan options, Diverse menu , Good atmosphere
Cons: Bad area
Guest
MichaelMedlin
Points +11
Awesome Thai - Edit
Amazing and authentic Thai dishes - mostly vegan menu.
Read moreThe pumpkin curry w/fake chicken, fried rice w/green curry and pad kee mao w/fake beef were all amazing.
Don’t miss the Thai crepe dessert!
Service is top notch too.
Guest
dan&mia
Points +759
Good food - Edit
We enjoyed everything we ordered.
Read moreGuest
SoyCoffeeFTW
Points +639
Best Thai Place Around - Edit
The spicy catfish and the Tom Yum fried rice are sooooooo good! I’m usually not a fan of faux meats (a lot of them taste like cardboard to me), but they do an excellent job with plant proteins here!
Read moreThe portions are huge, so I didn’t have room for dessert. I’ll be back for the crepes! 🤤
Pros: Lots of vegan options, Delicious faux meats
Guest
jay.callores
Points +4219
Thai Idea is always a good idea - Edit
Thai Idea is as good as I remember it. A friend who was visiting was in the neighborhood which was the perfect opportunity to visit the restaurant since things started to reopen.
Read moreThe Papaya Salad is always a refreshing choice especially on a warm day. The Wing Bomb is a classic and a must have. Knowing we had two solid dishes, we felt adventurous and ordered the Spicy Catfish which blew our expectations. I’m currently into peppercorn and this dish had an abundance of that floral-spice mix that I love.
So many good things to choose from the menu that I easily forget that Thai Idea is not vegan. Just make sure to tell your waiter so they can make the necessary adjustments.
Guest
ShaliniChakrabarty
Points +1574
Cute and delicious - Edit
Came here with my friends a while back and it was beautiful inside. The dishes were yummy!
Read moreGuest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 15785 times.