Thai Gourmet is a true gem of authentic Thai cuisine in Houston.
Thai Gourmet has been a fan favorite of true Thai food lovers in Houston since 1995. If you have any interest in Thai cuisine and live nearby, Thai Gourmet will inevitably enter your radar at some point. I discovered the awesomeness of this place from multiple people back in college. My only regret was not coming here several years earlier. The menu items are authentic, diverse, numerous, and even include a variety of spice levels.
The Thai curries, noodles, fried rice, and desserts are all worth a try due to being made with authentic, well-prepared, high quality, and unbelievably delicious love. Each dish can taste vastly different from one another and even curries with similar ingredients can taste contrastingly. There are meat and tofu options for each curry as well as variations in fried rice. Personally, I adore the Pineapple Combo Fried Rice, but I also enjoy the panang, massaman, and red curry dishes, all of which I like to order with chicken. I generally do not like pad Thai because it usually tastes bitter to me, but I happen to love this restaurant’s chicken pad Thai with no fish sauce. For desserts, I sometimes get the Thai mango ice cream or mango with sticky rice. For a sweet beverage, I suggest Thai iced tea for its sweet, spiced, and slightly smoky flavor and its cold, milky texture.
When I first walked into this fine establishment back in 2016, I fell in love with the dimmed and unique interior design and the aromatic fragrance of fresh Thai food in the air. Without being overly fancy, this spot gives off a soothing, artistic atmosphere. This is a place great for families, dates, group gatherings, or individual cravings. Although it can be pricy, the portions sizes and meat amounts are plentiful.
My most recent visit was at night and I ordered a red curry dish with chicken at a medium spicy level. It was absolutely delicious, very aromatic, and quite filling. It came with jasmine rice presented in a heart shape, as are all the curries here. The meal also included a zesty, mildly sweet, and lightly creamy broth. The curry contains coconut milk, basil, chopped green peppers, bamboo shoots, red chili peppers, and chicken. Overall, it had a noticeable, natural spiciness due to the red chili peppers and although it was oily, it was not overly greasy. The chicken pieces were also very abundant and spoon-cut tender. Some people prefer curry with beef, but I feel that beef is too sharp and fatty, which can overpower the sauce.
I would highly recommend the red curry as I always see some other customers eating it whenever I am here. The spice levels here go from mild to extremely hot, however, I do not recommend anyone going past “hot.” Going past “hot” might be too extreme for those with the most advanced spice tolerances. According to the staff, most people consider “mild” to be a decent hotness level. Also, lunch portions here are a considerable size and cost about $14, while dinner portions are even larger, enough to feed two people and cost about $17. This privately owned gem in Houston is open every day, except Sunday. They are open from 11 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and then reopen again at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays. On Saturdays, they have no stop between open and close.
In terms of service, Thai Gourmet works some wonders in being well organized. The service is efficient, fast, and friendly. It is a warm welcome as soon as you walk in. The staff all seem happy interacting with each other and keeping an eye on customers’ needs. I also appreciate how well the staff treats customers who are eating or walking in just 25 minutes before closing. They do not act annoyed, rush them, or make them feel unwanted. The restaurant also sells some of its curry powder mixes near the register area. I am a loyal fan and customer of great restaurants. Thai Gourmet is certainly one of them.