By Far My Favorite Fried Fish - Thai Nakorn Garden Grove

My first visit to Thai Nakorn was the one in Stanton. The restaurant was packed with locals, especially Thai people on a Saturday night, which gave me a confidence boost venturing out this unfamiliar neighborhood. Every single dish ordered that night was packed with flavors - chilies, Kaffir lime leaves, tamarind, lemon grass, you name it and we tasted it all. With such satisfaction, we've decided to give another Thai Nakorn located in Garden Grove a try.

Not sure about the relations between the one in Stanton and the one here in Garden Grove. The dishes on the menu look almost identical but some food presentations and tastes come with slight variations. 

Most popular dishes also have pictures on the side so you won't get too confused by the Thai scripts and not so descriptive English translation -

*Click to enlarge images

Only took a few pictures of the menu but should provide enough information on Thai Nakorn's price range and selections - 

Looking at the menu now, I can't believe I missed the coconut custard, must give it a try next time! -

Lunch specials are available during weekdays - 

Both the Stanton and Garden Grove locations are pretty spacious. The Stanton one was fully packed during my visit on a weekend night and the Garden Grove was about 70% occupancy. 

Singha lager beer and Thai ice tea - 

Unlimited rice -

The long grain Thai rice generally contains less water compared to short grain types, which makes the Thai rice a perfect match with Thai cuisine. Thai food is often cooked in sauce or soup base, otherwise serve in some kind of dressings. The dryer rice works well with juicy dishes. In addition, Thai rice's stronger texture can withstand soaking in the sauce and remains slightly chewy without turning into a mush.

Garlic and black pepper shrimps -

Fried garlic pieces work like a magic with the shrimps. The black pepper also gives a fragrant kick in the end. I can't call it a spicy kick especially most of the dishes here are way more spicy than these tiny bits of black pepper. Highly recommended.

Chicken green curry $9.95 - 

Deep fried fish with mango sauce/Pla dad deaw $16.95 - 

Must order this!! 

I'm never a big fan of fish dishes in Asian restaurants, but this one totally blew my mind. Absolutely no weird fishy or chemical tastes. All I got was crunchy skin with very moist fish meat inside. The crunchiness stays till the very last bite. It seems like Thai Nakorn also seasoned the coating so the even without the mango condiment, the fish can totally stand on its own. 

Almost every table ordered the fried fish that night. To make it even better, no single bones, not even the big ones present. My have-to-order dish from now on. Thai people really know how to treat seafood well.

B.B.Q. tongue on bed of mixed green sour dressing/Lin namtok $9.75 - 

I ordered this out of curiosity. The tongue is on a chewier side but the flavors were packed with sour and spicy seasonings then brighten up by fresh mint leaves.

Beef Penang $9.45 - 

Spicy! However, the heat just can't stop us from eating it. Instead, we fought the spiciness with even more rice!

Lao's chicken soup with coconut milk/Tom kah gai $15.95 - 

The restaurant also offers smaller portion, one big bowl for $9.75. It's similar to green curry but of course more diluted and sourish. 

Both of my visits to different locations of Thai Nakorn were truly satisfying. Servers were very friendly and the price is reasonable. I would definitely come back for more. In fact, I would love to come back every other week if this place is not so far away from my place.


Cindy's rating: 8


Thai Nakorn - Garden Grove
12532 Garden Grove Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 583-8938

*Monday to Friday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. and then 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
*Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
*Situated on Garden Grove Blvd between Harbor Blvd and the 22 freeway

Thai Nakorn - Stanton
11951 Beach Blvd,
Stanton, CA 90680
(714) 799 - 2031