Phoenix Thai restaurant named one of the best in US. Everything to try on the menu
Glai Baan opened in Phoenix in 2017 and has been packed ever since. The beloved Thai restaurant made national news this week: Along with 46 other restaurants, Glai Baan was included in the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list.
Chef and owner Pornsupak “Cat” Bunnag was totally taken by surprise. "Oh really? Thank you!" she said, reacting to the news.
Her restaurant serves Isan and Bangkok-style Thai street food. Since opening, Glai Baan has been lauded locally. It landed on numerous “Best of” lists as well as The Republic’s 100 Essential Restaurants of 2024. OpenTable recommended it on its list of "12 romantic restaurants for a date night in Phoenix."
How many have you been to? Check out USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year
What makes Glai Baan stand out
When Bunnag moved to Phoenix, she felt a long way from her home, Bangkok. Missing the flavors of home, she decided to open Glai Baan. She and her partner, Dan Robinson, took over a space that formerly was home to an upscale Mexican restaurant at the corner of 24th Street and Osborn Road and transformed it into a cozy restaurant with a name that translates into "far from home."
Inside, the walls are adorned with family photos and Thai advertisements. String lights hung inside and out add to the charm of the intimate dining room and patio. The space transports, as does the food, which is served by friendly, knowledgeable staff.
Though the patio is walk-in only, to assure yourself a table, reservations are a must, especially on weekends, when waits can be two hours or more.
One taste of the classic dishes and inventive cocktails, and you'll see why.
Our criteria for USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year for 2024
What to order at Glai Baan
The cocktails at Glai Baan are infused with traditional ingredients. Laab Sided, for example, is prepared with cucumber vodka, mint, cilantro, green onion, toasted rice and fish sauce. Grub Ma is made with pandan, gin, butterfly pea flower, rosemary and lime.
As far as food, Glai Baan's pad Thai never disappoints. But for something different, try the following dishes:
Kanom jeeb. Perfectly juicy, cup-shaped steamed pork dumplings, made using locally-raised pigs, are perfect dipped in the bright scallion and ginger soy sauce.
Kapro gai kai dao. An intensely flavored stir fry of minced chicken with onions, garlic, chili, Thai basil and a fried egg on top, the classic dish is served over steamed white rice.
Salted crab papaya salad. Thinly sliced unripe papaya is muddled with briny crab and topped with crunchy pork rinds for this extra funky take on the classic Thai salad.
Did you know?
Glai Baan's was a 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program.
Details: Glai Baan, 2333 E. Osborn Road, Phoenix, Ariz.; 602-595-5881, glaibaanaz.com.
Essential metro Phoenix restaurants: 100 great spots to try in 2024
Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @banooshahr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Glai Baan review: Best dishes to order at top Phoenix restaurant
