Lanna Thai Cuisine

Thai and other Asian-based restaurant are scattered all around the coast of California. A visit to Lanna Thai Cuisine makes it easy to appreciate that fact. This small restaurant on Mission Bay Drive in San Diego does a fantastic job serving authentic and absolutely delicious food. Prices are reasonable, the menu is inventive and extensive, and the atmosphere is welcoming. Inside there are plenty of decorations, a small seating area, and take-out counter.

You can’t go wrong with any of the appetizers. Curry Cups come as bite-sized fried cups filled with curry-seasoned shredded chicken and potato chunks. The chicken is juicy and oh-so tasty: a light and flavorful start to any meal. We ordered another chicken option: Chicken Satay. Each skewer comes with tender white meat, made yellow from the Thai spices used to amp up the flavor. Dip these sticks of goodness into house-made peanut sauce and you’ll be in Thai-cuisine heaven. Seeking a lighter taste, we crunched into humongous Fresh Rolls filled with shrimp, tofu, glass noodles and crisp lettuce. Again, they are accompanied by creamy peanut sauce.

This establishment offers Woks, Curry, Noodles, and more. It was recommended we order the East Eggplant Wok to be as spicy as possible. But fair warning: On a scale of 1 to 10, we scored our spice to be a 10. This dish has tender eggplant, a meat of choice, peppers, onions ,and other veggies sautéed into a soy based sauce with so much flavor that we barely noticed how much our mouths were burning.

In an attempt to cool down and indulge in a Thai treat, we ordered Mango Sticky Rice. This is a Thai delicacy that we frequently enjoyed while in Southeast Asia, so it is always a gamble when we order it in the States. We were not disappointed this time. It is excellent! The condensed milk-based sauce is mixed into the sticky rice and topped with poppy and sesame seeds for an interesting crunch. When paired with a fresh piece of juicy mango, it makes for a marvelous combination of sweetness and delight. Definitely don’t miss out on trying this traditional dessert.

Lanna Thai Cuisine is one of the best places in San Diego to get a Thailand dish fix. We recommend it if you’re looking for a variety of appetizers, remarkable stir-fry meals, and great dessert to finish it off.