In a city where Thai food is more popular than pizza, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a purveyor of pad thai. But many places present anodyne, Americanized versions of Thai cuisine for the unadventurous palate. Here we’ve rounded up the unique Seattle gems distinct enough to stand out in a sea of pad see ew—the restaurants that specialize in the bold, funky flavors of authentic Northern Thai street food, the restaurants that don’t succumb to “vanity spicing” (meaning they’re not kidding around when you ask for five stars), and the ones that branch out with special dishes you won’t find elsewhere.
Chefs Wiley Frank and Poncharee Kounpungchart originally started Little Uncle as a walk-up counter (in the space that is now home to Westman’s Bagel and Coffee). Now it’s a bright, clean, no-frills sit-down restaurant just down the street, its lack of bells and whistles bespeaking a quiet confidence in the peerless quality of its street-style Thai food. Rarely is Thai food this impeccably executed: The sweet-tart tamarind pad thai with locally made tofu is charmingly served with little white paper packets of cane sugar, crushed peanuts, and roasted chilies so you can season your bowl to your preference, and it tastes fresh and alive rather than smothered in a syrupy, cloying sauce. To drink, there’s house kombucha and fizzy hibiscus lime soda, iced QED espresso with condensed milk, and a self-serve dispenser with complimentary pandan tea, as well as cocktails, beer, and wine.
