Ayada Thai

Elmhurst has incredible Thai food: kee mao noodles with Vicks levels of basil flavor, grilled skewers perfect with 10,000 beers, and Esan-style laab that makes your brain sweat. And while Ayada may not rock with a signature dish or style that makes it as memorable as some of the other spots in the neighborhood, it's Elmhurst's best jack-of-all-trades Thai restaurant if you're looking to feed a group.

The optimal way to order here is to get a little bit of everything. (Actually, get a lot of everything.) But there are a few dishes that would be unfortunate to skip, like a raw shrimp salad that tastes like a refreshing Thai ceviche. And because you're inevitably going to run into some rich meat on the menu, go for Ayada’s sour, fruity massaman curry. It’s a perfect companion to the crispy pork belly or some beautifully roasted duck—and just another example of Ayada being able to do it all.

The more people you come with, the more noodles, curries, and whole-fried fish you can try. Ayada's space makes things easy for a group, with its casual twin dining rooms, quiet indie rock, and $42 bottles of malbec. We usually order enough food for twice the amount of people sitting at the table so everyone gets leftovers. Your friends, cousins, and cousins' friends will thank you. It's not every day a restaurant makes everyone this happy.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Teddy Wolff

Raw Shrimp Salad

Spicy and punchy, this raw shrimp ringed with slivers of bitter melon tastes like Thai mariscos and should be on every table.

photo credit: Teddy Wolff

Crispy Catfish Salad

You should absolutely order Ayada’s crispy catfish salad, but make sure you eat it fast. The flossy, crunchy pieces of catfish get soggy after sopping up the juices from a mango salad.

photo credit: Will Hartman

Massaman Curry

Massaman curry rarely tastes this bright and sour. It's just as good in the winter as it is in July, especially with fatty duck or crispy pork that do wonders for the warm spices and fruity acidity.

photo credit: Teddy Wolff

Drunken Noodles

Great for takeout. Not as great in the restaurant. There are more exciting dishes here that don’t travel as well, so save this one for delivery.

photo credit: Teddy Wolff

Crispy Whole Fish

You can choose which salad you want on top of your bone-in, head-on whole snapper, fried light and crispy. If you haven’t gotten a papaya salad yet, get it on top of this fish. But if you have, then go for basil. It brightens up everything.