Tonight I introduced my better half to the yummy Thai goodness that is Titaya’s restaurant on North Lamar. Tucked away in an aging shopping center, this restaurant is a gem among Thai cuisine in Austin. I mean, I’m not an expert on Thai cuisine, but I know good food. This, my friends, is good food.
First, I want to mention how friendly and welcoming the folks at Titaya’s are. The service is outstanding! I’ve been here on slow nights like tonight and at the height of the lunch rush. Every time is a great experience. The restaurant is lovely on the inside: big, open and cool artwork on the walls.

Tonight we started off with their Hed Ping appetizer: lightly breaded mushrooms grilled on bamboo skewers. The mushrooms are fresh and coated in their signature sweet and sour sauce. The sweet and sour sauce actually has a bit of a spicy kick to it which is a nice surprise. The appetizer comes with an extra helping of fresh lettuce, sprouts and carrots.

We then moved on to our entrees. I ordered my favorite: Pad See Eiw. This dish is made up of rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, beef and egg, stir fried in brown sauce. Don’t like beef? You can also add tofu, shrimp, chicken, pork or make it strictly veggies. I love Titaya’s because everything tastes so fresh. The noodles are perfectly cooked (this is an artform in my opinion,) and the veggies are crisp every single time. The boyfriend ordered the Basil Fried Rice. Basil Fried Rice combines Thai-style rice, Thai chilis, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and fresh basil. The Basil Fried Rice is spicy, but in the words of my boyfriend, “It’s not too spicy. It’s just right.”

Another favorite dish at Titaya’s is the Tom-Kha soup. This soup is made up of coconut milk and is flavored with lemongrass, lime juice, chilis and fresh mushrooms. This is a perfect lunch.

The dinner portions are huge, so we had more than enough to bring home for leftovers. It’s a little pricey for dinner, running between 9 and 10 bucks per entrée, but the quality of the food is so worth it. Titaya’s offers lunch specials and at $6.50 per lunch entree, it won’t break the bank. In addition to the eats, Titaya’s also offers a fairly extensive wine and beer list. Finally, if you really don’t want to dine in, but need to satisfy your Pad Thai craving, Titaya’s does take out.

To sum it up: high quality food, outstanding service and a great atmosphere can be found each and every time at Titaya’s Thai Cuisine.

Details:
Titaya’s is located at 5501 N. Lamar, in front of the Half Price Books, just before Koenig Lane.

Call 512-458-1792 or visit their website at: www.titayasthaicuisine.com.