Rin Thai

My initial thought upon ordering: extremely rude service.
My second thought upon eating: extremely bland food.
My final thought? Never again.
Just a disclaimer that this is a review for an online order/​delivery, but I think the issues I encountered with Rin Thai are relevant regardless. I had a little get-​together at my apartment with some friends, and we decided to order take out. We ordered three items to share and indicated that they do not use MSG and use little oil when cooking. Upon submitting the order, I received a call from Rin Thai, and the first thing the caller said was, «Hey, you ordered food with little oil. How do you expect us to cook the food? We are just going to prepare as normal.» It’s not so much the fact that they would drench our food in oil (which is also annoying…), but the tone and attitude in his voice. He could have been much nicer in rejecting our requests.
The food arrived about an hour after submitting the order. We chose Steamd Dumplings as our complimentary appetizer for the lunch special, but they must have ran out because we got lukewarm lettuce and stale tofu salad instead. The three of us got the Pad See Ew with Beef, Curry Noodle with Shrimp, and Eggplant Basil with Chicken.
I liked the thickness of the rice noodles in Pad See Ew, but that was the only redeeming quality of this dish. It had absolutely NO flavor and tasted so bland. On the other hand, the angel hair noodles in the curry noodle was so overcooked that it tasted like mush. It was really salty too. Finally, the Eggplant Basil was in a pool of oil that it was essentially inedible. The rice tasted undercooked.

I’ve been coming to Rin since I was 18 which means about 7 years. This establishment is beautiful. It’s very low key, quiet, and very intimate. The food is great and their Thai iced tea is to die for! I usually always get either a curry or pad Thai but occasionally I’ll try their specials. I would recommend this palace to anyone who loves Thai cuisine.

Thai restaurant of choice in the area. Been here a couple times on Sunday nights and was seated immediately. Good atmosphere. Lots of friend groups.
The pad see ew is pretty good. The noodles are notably thick and there’s a good bit of chicken and baby bok choy in the mix.
Side note, they don’t have mango sticky rice in the winter. It’s seasonal, bruh.

The drinks here were awesome, especially the tall size and the price. We also loved that this restaurant was right across the Chelsea Bow Tie theatre, which is a main reason why we dined here (it was too cold to walk around). The tables were close together and we were able to hear Star Wars conversations from other tables (we were all watching the same movie later that night).
I enjoyed the soup, but not the coconut shrimp or duck rolls that much. I could barely taste the shrimp or duck and the fried batter was all I could taste. However, the broth of the soup was great (they only have three soups available on the menu; I chose the least spicy one). The ambience of the restaurant was soothing and I appreciate the dim lighting and waterfall by the entrance.
We would come back here for the drinks and the soup and possibly try the curry dishes.

Good Thai food. Great service. I only order the duck so i can’t speak on much of the menu but the duck is amazing

I used to eat here regularly but despite my frequent patronage I frequently feel rushed or like a burden, from the waiter with the glasses. I also noticed that the food quality is consistently waning from great to good to bad and now worse. The pad Thai noodles are now wet with runny sauce and its a sharp contrast to their previously tasty and solid pad Thai. Also yesterday upon taking my last bite I was presented with a bill. No one asked if I wanted desert or anything to go. Once I paid, the waiter said goodbye three times– so I took that as an invitation that I could not finish my water.
Rin, you’ve lost a loyal and frequent costumer. Cheers to the upcoming new year and a better Thai dining experience at a more appreciative restaurant!

A Thai restaurant locate in Chelsea, went with a couple of friends to have a nice lunch, all lunch special are between 8 – 10 dollars and are available from 11:30am — 3:30pm (except holidays). This includes complimentary starter and served with rice and dumplings or spring roll. Although we told the server we were 4 people and in the end another of my friends join us they were able to make the table that we had for 4 convert it to 5. I think was a nice gesture of them to do this. Even that the server did a good job was a bit slow that day.
I order some rice and chicken with dumplings. The rice was a little bland and the chicken a little dry, I didn’t like the taste of them, the dumplings had a good taste although a little hot, I almost burned my mouth with them.
One of my friends order the bbq chicken this was amazing, had a great taste, I wish I had ordered this dish and no the one I ordered.

Delivery… not so good.
cold noodles, clumpy…
spicy chicken and rice was super mild

Really liked the food here. We’ve only had it once for takeout so my review may change. But for right now, this is probably our go-​to Thai place (sorry Go Go Thai). We had two noodle dishes, the larb, chicken wings, and a regrettable BBQ chicken dish. Everything except for the last dish was tasty and well done.
We tried going to the restaurant a few days before ordering takeout but they were closed when they should have been open (maybe hinting at the uneven service). But I look forward to eating here again in the near future.

I absolutely love this place! I come here sometimes after class to get the lunch special. It’s such an amazing deal & not to mention the waiters are THE BEST! The most friendly people you’ll ever find in customer service lol
& let me not forget, the drinks are amazing!

UPDATE!!! FOOD POISONING! DO NOT EAT HERE.
I believe it was probably the Chicken… It seemed funky, and it was.
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Faux Thai!
Pad Kee Mao made with Japanese Udon Noodles? What!!!
Also, the peanut sauce was not authentic, and the Thai Chicken was very funky.
I really miss Pong Sri for authentic Thai food… This is not the substitute.

I was skeptical about some of the bad reviews, but they all seem like one of two things:
1)They had a sketchy waiter
2)They didn’t specify what level of spiciness they wanted their food to be
We tried the fried dumplings, the seafood fried rice, the crispy basil duck and the beef with peanut sauce. Everything was absolutely amazing! The beef with peanut sauce (beef rama) was the star of the show. I’ve never had anything like it and it was spiced perfectly. My wife and I both enjoy a decent amount of heat in our food and Rin thai delivered exactly what we were looking for.
I’d come back here in a heartbeat! Pricing was excellent too.

Excellent place. Nice ambience. Friendly staff. Don’t order a dry martini. But very nice people. Duck roll was awesome. Had the seewu beef and enjoyed very much. Chicken curry was excellent. Looks like it’s all good.

Rin Thai has, to a great extent, restored my faith in Manhattan’s Thai offerings, especially given my prior, unsatisfactory encounters with this city’s take on the cuisine.
Around 6:30 on a weeknight, a friend and I entered the nearly empty restaurant and were immediately greeted and seated at a tiny table for two in the back. I mention the barren state of the place upon our arrival because an hour later, Rin Thai had transformed into a loud & crowded (but still enjoyable) scene.
There’s a beautiful waterfall-​esque structure on the wall at the restaurant’s entrance, worth noting because it adds a welcoming, serene element to the otherwise dark and mysterious vibe. In general, the ambience is most suitable for a date or a small group of friends, as opposed to a family-​friendly dinner or large outing.
After checking out the list of options, we decided to start with the spring rolls ($ 5), which were sliced in half and tasted particularly crispy (aka super-​fried). For the main course, I settled on the vegetable garlic entrée ($ 10), sautéed mixed vegetables in garlic sauce, served with rice. My friend chose the crab meat fried rice ($ 14), consisting of egg, onion, fresh crab meat, and crab stick.
Service was quick and efficient, yet not intrusive. There was a solid mix of vegetables in my entrée, and all were crunchy and fresh; from what I recall, broccoli, carrots, bok choy, celery, and (possibly) scallions were included. The garlic sauce tasted authentic and complemented the rest of the ingredients. The crab meat fried rice, according to my friend, was filling, but so good that she couldn’t stop eating it!
Rin Thai is, without a doubt, a wonderful selection for those craving Thai in the city. Don’t pass this place up!

Haven’t had Thai food in awhile so decided to come here. Their lunch special wasn’t half bad either (you get a free starter with your entrée) so thought to myself, «What have I got to lose?»
Everything.
When I knew what I wanted, I smiled at the waiter to let him know I was ready. He bursts out laughing. Okay, a little weird, but nothing wrong with being lighthearted. He comes over, takes my order, shows me to the bathroom, and leaves. Cool.
I come back, and he approaches me. And I kid you not, this is how our conversation went verbatim:
Senseless Male Waiter: Hi
Me: Hi
SMW: So, you have really small eyes
Me: (I stare at him, just in case I might’ve heard incorrectly) What?
SMW: (bursts out laughing like a maniac again) You have really small eyes! Like me!
Me: And? What’s your point?
SMW: It’s cute (laughs nervously). A lot of girls in China and Thailand have small eyes
Me: I’m neither of those
It only got worse from there. I kind of lost my appetite after that, and no longer enjoyed being there. I’m halfway done with my drunk man’s noodle (which wasn’t even that good, to be honest) and he comes by with the check.
SMW: So you need to pay now, because the lunch special is ending. But you can take your time finishing your food.
That made no sense to me, but I didn’t even bother arguing at that point. I paid, and got my change back. And while I’m finishing up, one of the busboys comes over and puts his hand over my change and asks if he could take it. UM, NO.
I left them zero tip and walked out. My first time ever doing that. I’m never coming back.
How does this place stay in business?
Furthermore, how do I give negative stars?

Pros: (1) Fantastic service! The waiter is charismatic and charming.
(2) The restaurant is beautifully decorated.
Cons: (1) Bacteria filled forks because the handle is a hollow pipe where food goes in during wash but never gets washed out. Good residue build up for God knows how long! I was so repulsed by the forks that I ate my pork chop with chopsticks and knife.
(2) The $ 14 pork chop dish was not very good. The Pad See Ew was typical. Nothing outstanding.
Can’t say I would return until the forks are changed.

I come here from time to time.
Clean place. Have nice cocktails if I ever get that urge.
Like the food. It’s consistent. I do like to say yum.

The evening was coming to an end. And some nights, you wish could just last forever. Enter Rin Thai as we debated calling it an early night. However, sometimes one has to feed an insatiable hunger before calling it quits.
Walking in 15 minutes just before the kitchen close was of no consequence. Our waiter was courteous, friendly and attentive without being intrusive. We enjoyed the comforts of the Talay fried rice and the Tamarind chicken. Not being a huge fan of Thai food, I must admit that I was actually shocked at how well both dishes were executed along with their presentation.
The Talay fried rice contained a delicate balance of seafood which was tender, well seasoned and only slightly spicy. I quite gladly bypassed their drinks to savor all of the complex flavors. With hesitation I contemplated trying my company’s Tamarind chicken. I was afraid to throw off the wonderful balance from my palate. But I am glad I didn’t pass up the chance to sneak a bite of that crispy, savory-​sweet tamarind chicken.
The bathroom was spotless and beautifully decorated, along with the rest of the space with a serene Zen theme. I would recommend Rin Thai for small groups or an intimate date.

I’m always looking for new Thai spots since it’s one of my favorite cuisines. I also LOVE a good lunch deal, and ‘voila’ this place had one! $ 8 for an appetizer and entrée? SOLD!
Unfortunately, it was extremely mediocre food. The place was crowded midweek during peak lunch hours, so I had high hopes! I know pad thai is extremely americanized thai food, however, I think you can tell a lot by how a thai place makes pad thai. The spring roll appetizer was one very small spring roll, sliced in half. I giggled when it arrived, thinking, well this is small.
The presentation and portion size were great, but the flavor was extremely bland and there was a lot of egg which seemed to act as a filler. Pad Thai does have egg, but these pieces were too big for my liking.
Service was good and the price was good, but I wouldn’t jump back.

Recent experience was takeout through delivery .com.
One order of Pad Thai Shrimp for $ 13.00 (includes tax + gratuity) was to eat my fill for lunch. It arrived within twenty five minutes after clicking «checkout» and luke warm. The noodles, certainly, did lack flavor and it was rather dry. The shrimp was small and bland. Portions were okay size though it shrank in quality but not so much in quantity. The «Buddha is the mind, the mind is Buddha» who somewhat disappointed me in Pad Thai.