thaiku

The food at Thaiku is delicious with a flair which is hard to beat. With regard to the food I feel Thaiku takes Thai cuisine to a new level. I highly recommend. I have ordered about 1/2 the dishes on their menu during my many visits and while some dishes are much more flavorful and original than others, I have yet to be disappointed. Another reviewer mentions the fascinating appetizer with coconut, lime, peanuts, ginger, garlic and chilies which come in little bowls, you take dashes and bits of each and roll them in a giant basil leaf. I know this sounds random, but if you either like intense flavors, or enjoy any two of the spices in this dish you will be blown away. I also wonder how they get basil leaves so healthy and as large as the palm of my hand. This appetizer is one of my favorites, but you really need at least 2 (for most people 3+) people to enjoy this properly. In part because the flavors are intense and eating the entire thing yourself could very well be a bad idea. The food is consistently delicious and while the kitchen isn't fast it is worth the wait. The decor of Thaiku is really amazing too. High ceilings, wooden rustic feel with lots of interesting touches. Candles on the table and the back bar is quite interesting. Sometimes they have live jazz in the bar which is fun, but crampt. The atmosphere is a bit loud if you are in the main room because it's large and seats many large groups. It can be a bit noisy. If you are on a quiet date, the smaller room is preferable. The only thing about Thaiku which bothers me is the service is inconsistent and hasty. It seems like the wait staff are continually stressed out and sometimes even upset. If you are trying to get more water, or order another drink or even get the bill, you will see your wait staff rush by many times before you can get their attention. Usually one of us will have to ask the water boys to get our wait staff. It's not that the wait staff seems lazy, just extremely overworked. Many times we have had to wait 15+ minutes actively flagging our wait staff to get a drink or our check. Which needless to say is a pain. Also to be mentioned is between 6-9 in the evening, there is almost always a wait. It can be as long as 1 hour, though the most we've waited is 20 minutes and it usually goes much quicker than estimated. Overall, I LOVE Thaiku's delicious menu and drinks and it is one of my top 3 favorite Thai places! However, this is NOT the place to go if you need to finish by a certain time or if you are looking for quality service. If you can bother with that, the food IS Worth It! more

Well, you hallucinate, not the drinks. And only if you're prone to hallucinogenics. But the idea is intriguing. I love the unique drink concoctions and I also love the appetizer with the leaves, peanuts, lime, and various other items (I forgot the name!). It's tasty. I like this place because it has eclectic ambiance. There are a lot of good Thai restaurants in Seattle, which is great, but this place is actually cool inside too. Decor is important sometimes. Big groups fit in there too. more

Thaiku is one of the best Thai restaurants in Seattle. First of all, their dishes are great and really unique…each one is a slight departure from the standard Thai fare that seems to be available every strip mall in America these days. The atmosphere is terrific, particularly in the little bar area in the back which is also known as “Fu Kun Wu,” has a separate entrance, and is decorated to resemble an Asian apothecary shop. The premise is a bit dicey, I realize, but the drinks are great. A few of them contain “ancient medicinal herbs” and the bar will only serve one per customer, due to their mood enhancing effect! Thiaku definitely enhances my mood, every time! more

i'm not much of a martini drinker, but Thaiku in Ballard has a great bar that serves some of the best drinks in the city. Their Oolong-tini is a martini, but with sweet black tea and a little bit of crushed ice. i know it sounds funky, but try 3 in an hour's timespan and you'll be happy. A great cheap-eats place too---awesome thai food, but I ofcourse recommend the bar with it's great service and thai/tiki moitf....i think that's what it is... more