Thaiku
Seattle, WA 98107
Phone: (206) 706-7807
- Price:
- $
- Cross Street:
- 22nd Avenue NW
- Hours:
- Sun-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10:30pm
Editorial Review for Thaiku – by Hannah Levin
The Scene
Softly lit paper lanterns and rich mahogany trim set the seductive-yet-festive tone of the main dining room, while a separate screened nook decorated with quirky Asian antiques provides more intimacy for groups. Couples and singles alike head for the charming piano bar upstairs and sip signature aphrodisiacal cocktails. Regardless of the chosen table, service is exceptionally polite, if occasionally sluggish.
The Food
Start with the mieng kahm, a beautifully presented appetizer of toasted coconut, lime, ginger, peanuts and thai chilies wrapped in emerald bai cha plu leaves. Most noodle and grilled dishes are safe bets, but top marks go to the kanom jeen nahm plik, a consistently executed red curry served with tempura-fried basil leaves and shredded green papaya. End with a cooling finish of coconut sorbet.
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Insider Tips
Where to SitThe dining room and bar are smoke-free, but a ventilated annex upstairs lets smokers get their fix while keeping an eye on the action through a large fish-eye window.
The ExtrasThe Opium Den, a swank, private dining room downstairs, is available Sunday through Thursday for a $300 rental fee and seats up to 20 people.
What to DrinkOrder the Oolong-Tini (icy vodka infused with potent black tea)--it shouldn't be missed.
User Reviews for Thaiku
10/06/2008 Posted by smoke_it
I eat here a couple times a month with some co-workers for lunch. The food can be inconsistent but I've found that the Tom ka gai (coconut curry soup w/ chicken) is always good. Service can be slow but the prices are reasonable.
Pros: Downtown Ballard, good for lunch
Cons: parking can be tough, service can be iffy
04/07/2008 Posted by shimbl
Best underground jazz scene in Seattle! Wow! What a surprise. I went there after a movie on a Thursday night and was treated to some of the best jazz I've ever heard! Mark Seals, Jeff Johnson and Tadd Britton were performing that night. It was absolutely the best I've heard since I moved to Seattle from New York City. We were too late to order food, but we decided to get a cocktail and we ordered a drink that had lotus root in it. It was delicious! We stayed until the music stopped at around 11:30. I went there a couple other times and there were other people playing that were also very good players. My understanding is that they have live jazz there twice a week and have done so for years. It's like an underground secret or something. that makes it even cooler! The place is the best, most unique club in all of Ballard and Seattle as far as I'm concerned. It has it all. It's friendly. It's busy. It's relaxed and it's in the heart of old Ballard. Anyone who is visiting town for the first time should go there on a Thursday night and catch the live jazz. There's NO COVER CHARGE! But there is a one drink minimum for the psychadelic drinks. I would have ordered TWO! FIVE STARS FOR THE GREAT LIVE JAZZ!! And FIVE STARS FOR THE ATMOSPHERE!! I think people who go to the trouble of writing a bad review of such a cool place MUST work at a rival restaurant in the area. While other places all around it are empty, The Thaiku is always packed. I guess that speaks for the quality of the service and the menu, but it's the extras that make the club enticing enough to motivate me to get up and be a part of the scene. Damn, this place is COOL!
Pros: The live jazz, the drinks, the service, the atmosphere, the location
Cons: not enough parking
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