Ayara Thai

We came here as a group of 6 on a Friday night and the wait for a table wasn't too long. We sat outside and there was an outdoor heater lamp to keep us warm. The service was warm and friendly, and pretty attentive. They checked on us multiple times throughout our meal. I got the pad se ew and the calamari and my partner got the pad Thai. The pad se ew was pretty basic, tasted good. The calamari was my favorite, I think - crispy with flavorful sauce. My partner's pad Thai tasted a bit off. It wasn't bad but just different from what we're used to tasting at other Thai restaurants. My friend's chicken wings were small pieces, but were pretty crispy and yummy.

Since we were a "large" group, they automatically charged a 20% gratuity on our receipt, so make sure you check the receipt when asked for additional tip to the bill on their electronic screen. There is also a free parking lot near the restaurant.

I joined three friends there on a crowded Sunday night. I had eaten at Ayara before Covid.

Unfortunately, the food was really subpar. I ordered Pad Thai. Service was decent, but the meal left me absolutely cold. There was almost no sauce and zero flavor. There were a few, tiny little rubbery tasteless cubes of chicken with some rather dry noodles. The waiter forgot the peanuts, then brought them later. He gave me an itty-bitty cup of bland, raw nuts that did nothing for the dish.

I just loathe spending my hard earned $ on bad food! That was the first time I decided to finally go out to eat in a public restaurant with others after Covid. I was so disappointed.

This placed used to be amazing. These last few times it's just gotten worse and worse. We came in and we had to wait in the waiting area for 30 min, all for them to seat us at a 4 seater table when we were a party of 5. Then they ask us go get up and go back to the waiting room first another 10-15 minutes for a bigger table. There was an empty small table right next to us they could have merged over to accommodate but I guess they just didn't care to accommodate. Left to pacos across the parking lot and got seated in 2 minutes.

Shame cause I really used to like coming here.

At Ayara "Thai Spicy" means spicy!

My hat comes off to this place. They're family owned and have been in business over 20 years! The family works here.
This spot is a stones throw from LAX.

The tam yum soup family style was amazing and perfect level of spice.
Great presentation served on a burner

The drunken noodles were "Thai spicy" and you get what you ask for here. A generous portion, we had plenty of food left over.

(I'm used to receiving mild when I ask for spicy)

I am glad to have found this gem, it will save me a drive into the valley

Serendipitously discovered this restaurant by seeing it mentioned the week before my LA trip on the @yelpla Instagram. Thought it looked good, looked it up, and was stoked to find out it was close to my hotel! I am bummed that I wasn't around for the weekend to take advantage of their special February dessert tasting menu, because it looked divine. Still, was excited to dine at such a reputable Thai restaurant.

When I rocked up in my Uber at peak dinner time, the restaurant was full and there were a few parties waiting outside. I was a little nervous I wouldn't be able to nab a table, but when the host greeted me they confirmed there was room for one and sat me immediately. I started with a Thai iced tea with lime, which tasted really refreshing and vibrant and reaffirmed that my tastebuds were in for a treat.

I went for the Chu-Chee salmon because I wanted a curry and that seemed like the most unique one, opposed to staples like massaman or panang. Full disclosure, I do regret my choice a bit. The fish was underwhelming. It wasn't bad, it just tasted like standard salmon - all of the other seafood I had in Cali was super fresh, this just tasted like common salmon you'd get anywhere. Probably shoulda gone for shrimp, or maybe sprung for crab or lobster. Vegetables were a bit al dente - just carrots and broccoli, would have been ace with peppers and onions too.

This is probably like a 4.5 but I'm going to round up to a 5 because this was the best darn curry I've ever had in my life. Flavor was a 10/10. Amazingly creamy, perfectly seasoned. I'd definitely come back and try other options if I was in LA again. A great Thai place!

Nice location near a bunch of shops. The parking lot is nearby with plenty of space. One downfall that I noticed is that the restaurant is open with very limited outdoor seating and the indoor seating is only open at certain hours. So, the bathroom is not available until indoor seating is open. If you do want to sit inside, you have to get on the waitlist as they get EXTREMELY busy, with lines outside before the dining area is even opened. However, that didn't affect us too much since the food compensated for everything. The food was very flavorful and packaged to-go well. The staff was also very friendly.

The service and atmosphere was really exceptional here. From the moment I walked in I was impressed that they had won a Michelin award. The friend tofu was so different than I have ever had, lightly battered in tofu and soft on the inside with delicious sauce. Our hostess Jade was really bubbly and very helpful with deciding on the many options through the menu.
Mike was also very attentive and asked us how our food was and was very friendly. The Radna was a large portion and chicken pad Thai my boyfriend ordered looked so good I ordered a vegan version to go. Wonderful time.

Location /
It's on a strip with other restaurant and businesses. Fortunately, this is one of the few places in LA that has a huge parking lot that you can park at for free (I think up to 2 hours). Or you can also do street parking. They offer outdoor seating if you're here for lunch. You'll just pick up your food at their pick up windows.

Food /
I got their lunch special which consisted of one small plate, an entree and a non-alcoholic drink for $20. I got their Tom khá soup with mushroom and chicken, kha soi noodle soup with chicken, and a bottle of their homemade Thai tea. Everything came out super hot and fresh. Their Tom khá soup was super tart and sour which I personally loved. Plenty of mushroom and chicken in there. The khá soi was stellar and had a great savory coconut broth with their Thai spices. Chicken was super tender and well seasoned. Thai tea was sooo good! Not super sweet (like Asian sweet) and it's house made at their restaurant. I just wished they served it with a cup of ice so I can fully enjoy my cold drink.

Service /
Since we came here for lunch, it was take out only. If I came here back for dinner, I would say something about the service. So not much to say here.

Overall a solid Thai place. Very authentic flavors and I can see why it's awarded a Thai select recognition. I'll recommend it to others and it's nearby LAX! Recommend to others if they want good food before saying goodbye to LA!

Lunch special for $20 included a small plate (I got the chicken wings) and a large entree (I got pad see ew) and a drink (I got thai tea).

Take out only for lunch but you can eat inside.
Dinner full service after 5 PM.

Wings were a bit small but flavorful with the sauce. Pad see ew was mediocre was lacking some flavor in my opinion. Thai tea was amazing and made fresh in house daily with non dairy.

I gave this place a 4 star because the lunch combo price and value for what you get, food was decent. I may have ordered dishes that aren't their best as I've noticed pad see ew has been different across thai restaurants.

This is a great Thai restaurant located close to LAX, it's very authentic! There can be a wait and the outside seating isn't great, so I recommend coming early or seeing if you can make a reservation or get on the wait-list ahead of time. We were so hungry I didn't take any pictures after looking at the menu, but the food is really good! The ambiance is pretty standard for a Thai place, and the service is pretty fast. Also, the spice level here is real, be warned if you can't handle spicy, don't order it at that spice level since the medium has a nice kick to it too.

Food: 4.5/5 (apps are not bad, but main dishes are really good)
Service: 4/5
Value: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Overall: 4/5