Review: Irvine and Cypress are no longer Thai food deserts

It’s getting easier to find a decent pad Thai in Orange County. A memorable yum woon sen, too. In a surprising twist of good news, Thai restaurants have been opening at almost the same clip lately as Japanese ramen shops. I’ve already written about Plern, Siam Central, TukTuk and Hanuman. And here are two more newcomers of note: Siam Station in Irvine (not to be confused with Siam Central in Mission Viejo) and Chaba in Cypress (not to be confused with perennial Garden Grove favorite Chada).

Pad Thai with crispy pork belly at Siam Station in Irvine (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fried Thai sausage at Siam Station in Irvine (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Pad woon sen at Siam Station in Irvine (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Khao Soi noodles at Siam Station in Irvine (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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It’s been a while since I’ve tasted pad Thai as delicious as what’s served at Siam Station. The 20-seat restaurant quietly opened just over a year ago at the corner of Barranca and Jamboree and has since become one of the hottest restaurants in Irvine. Their signature noodles, not overly sweet, are studded with big chunks of crispy pork belly. The kitchen also makes excellent khao soi (noodles with yellow curry) and wonderfully spicy yum woon sen (glass noodle salad).

Meanwhile in Cypress, the yum woon sen at Chaba is even better. The glass noodles here are tossed with an impressive handful of ground pork and perfectly cooked shrimp, all of which is tossed with lime dressing, red onion and bird’s eye chili.

Pad woon sen at Chaba, a Thai restaurant in Cypress (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Barbecue pork at Chaba, a Thai restaurant in Cypress (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Basil stir-fry with crispy pork at Chaba, a Thai restaurant in Cypress (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The dining room at Chaba, a Thai restaurant in Cypress (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Condiments at Chaba, a Thai restaurant in Cypress (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Chaba opened last year in a space that had long been occupied by a restaurant called Thai Place. The elegant decor remains essentially unchanged, minus the previous owner’s fish tank and some new art on the vintage wood-paneled walls. The kitchen has been completely transformed, though. The new barbecue pork appetizer is a leaner take on kor moo yang, made with what appears to be pork tenderloin rather than fatty pork neck, and it is undeniably delicious. So, too the basil stir-fry with crispy pork.

In related news, one of the county’s oldest Thai restaurants, Thai Nakorn in Garden Grove, recently finished a slow-motion interior makeover that began more than two years ago. I almost didn’t recognize it. With its new mid-century inspired tables and chairs, new hardwood floors, modern wallpaper and completely revamped bar, this looks like a totally different restaurant. Thankfully the kitchen is business as usual. The crying tiger is still one of the best around.

Thai Nakorn in Garden Grove (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Crying tiger ribeye at Thai Nakorn in Garden Grove (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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