The Linden Hills spot that began its run in Grand Marais in 2004 serves dishes celebrating only Thai family recipes but also Burmese, Chinese and Cambodian influences with a focus on plying complex flavor out of roasted vegetables and proteins prepared in a classic French style.   Naviya’s uses meats free of hormones and antibiotics when possible, as well as high-quality ingredients like wild coho salmon.

The suburban restaurant’s differentiator is its sushi menu, along with a couple other nods to Japanese cuisine like the octopus salad and tuna tataki appetizer. But, the Thai dishes are what chef Ann Ahmed built her robust reputation upon with layers of complex flavor. When life returns to normal, don’t skip the beautiful cocktails, until then, kits arrive November 25th. 

Across the street from Mill City Museum and Guthrie Theater, Kindee Thai serves a unique twist on classic Thai dishes. The Son In Law Egg appetizer, a deep fried hard boiled egg topped with tamarind sauce sounds like a State Fair treat waiting to happen. Let’s start a petition. 

Soberfish is one of a couple of Thai restaurants that also serve sushi, beautifully presented in a sunny corner eatery in Minneapolis. Soberfish now has its own app for pick up orders, so that hankering for sriracha fried rice and spider rolls can be more easily satisfied.

Karta is known for an extensive menu of curries, from soft shell crab yellow curry to Khao Soi, a creamy curry served over fried noodles and every traditional curry in between. In the fall, don’t miss the pumpkin curry served in a hollowed pumpkin, as beautiful as it is delicious. 

Lisu’s now has three locations, with slight changes between menus. The Como Avenue location in St. Paul is the most robust, with a small selection of Chinese classics and a concise list of boba teas. 

Don’t let the simplicity of this modest café fool you. Their dishes pack big flavors from the fried fish laab to the sweet Massaman curry to the tangy Tom Yum seafood soup, teaming with squid, mussels, crab and shrimp. 

Housed in a former Burger King, Bangkok Thai Deli’s lengthy menu features an elaborate labeling scheme of numbers and letters.  Try the 20B, a spicy basil-forward stir fry with a choice of protein and a fried egg on the side.  The red curry (28) has a particularly nuanced flavor, with a hint of acid to temper the richness of the coconut milk.

It’s unfortunate that the beautiful sit-down space is currently inaccessible at the moment, but the vast menu makes Krungthep a worthwhile stop regardless. Grab any of the curries to go, and save the whole fish dishes and comforting hot pots for when the dining room opens again. 

Serving Thai and Lao food in downtown St. Paul, the family owned café hits all the traditional notes one would expect, and a few you might not. Try the Lao style papaya salad, a more pungent version of its Thai cousin using fermented fish sauce.

This St. Paul café serves classic, well executed Thai dishes, but what sets it apart is the tricolor tapioca pearl dessert not commonly found around the Twin Cities, so save some room.