Manao

Meeting up with friends, we decided to eat «family style». I thought each dish was delicious and pretty much exactly as expected. No big surprises in décor or menu choices. Pretty much an a-​okay experience until what I assumed was the owners’ child squealed from the kitchen area.
Seriously, I thought someone was hurt. It wasn’t until the child came rolling out on his scooter (and proceeded to ride around the tables inside the restaurant) that I realized it had been a squeal of frustration, not of pain.
Now I understand why the place is closing. And it’s too bad.

I’ve been back twice in the last few months. Things are very different from my first visit nearly 2 years ago!
The Menu has grown to include more items you might find at any Thai restaurant but they still have many Signature dishes that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
I’ve heard mixed reviews about their wings, some say they are better than Pok Pok, I completely disagree. I would go out of my way for the wings at PP, and never need to order them again at Manao.
The Green Curry Chicken I ordered a few months ago was quite tasty, finely prepared, not over salted as so many other places tend to do. My friend really enjoyed the Deep Fried Pork Knuckle that was on the special board both times I’ve been back.
This most recent visit I tried Pad Pet with Chicken. I asked for medium spicy which is my norm. Wow! It was hot. Not too hot to eat, but too hot to really enjoy the other spices. Everything was cooked perfectly, so many other places over cook their Thai food.
My friends were much more adventurous and seemed to enjoy the Haw Mok Kai (Panseared chicken thighs) and the Phlaa Saam Klur (Lemon grass salad with shrimp, squid, and chicken) from the Signature Dishes section of the menu. They also ordered from the Specials Board, a special curry with Pork. They ate family style and each thought their own dish was the best. I stuck with the wings and the Pad Pet.
I do have a friend whose wife loves this place, and they drive quite a distance because she says it is very authentic. I trust her since she is from Thailand and only recently came to the US.
I suggest that you go and try it yourself (unless you are looking for ordinary, every day, Americanized Thai food, because you won’t find it here.)
* During part of our most recent dinner a young boy was riding his scooter around the dining room for nearly 10 minutes, that was a bit off putting — just fyi.

Manao Thai was started by Ekkachai «Chef Chew» Sakkayasukkalawon, an alum from Andy Ricker’s empire including Pok Pok and Ping about a year and a half ago. Manao means lime by the way in Thai. Chef Chew has some staple Thai offerings, but also quite a few more unique Thai dishes that you won’t find as commonly on most Thai menus. Inside, you can tell this is a small family owned business who has kept the décor very minimal and functional.
I enjoyed both my dishes of the decent Kao Pad Kun Chiang, a dish of fried rice with egg, Chinese sausage, onion, tomato and Chinese broccoli, and then a more unique offering of Thai Chicken Wings, deepfried marinated chicken wings caramelized with sweet fish sauce. Are they as good as the Ike Vietnamese Chicken Wings at Pok Pok? Well, they are not as spicy, but still enjoyable and without the wait you would have otherwise had. This seems like a more casual, homey version that is more Thai than Vietnamese, and as noted is more sweet than spicy and good crispyness.
I was also excited to see a Thai dessert you don’t always see on menus here: Sweet Roti, an Indianstyle flat bread top with sweetened condensed milk and chocolate syrup. This is a very sweet dessert.
I will probably be back again, as there are other special Thai dishes that caught my eye, such as Kaa Muu Tod, a stewed pork leg dish stew with mustard greens; Kaeng hung lay, a funky Northern Thai pork shoulder curry; the labor intensive spicy Som Tum or papaya salad (get it with sticky rice); and Pad Wuun Sen Kai Kem dish with stir-​fried salted duck egg with glass noodles and ground pork. There is a lot right in front of the restaurant for convenient parking. If you visit, please, take the opportunity to try out some dishes that are not the standard fare you will normally see. Make sure to check out the specials board too for more authentic flavors.

So, I live in Sellwood and I’ve never given this place a chance. Wanted Thai and wanted to try something new. WRONG DECISION. Disclaimer on this: I generally eat at Jade 6 – 8 times a month, so really that’s what Manao is being compared to here.
I called at around 8pm on a Friday to order takeout. At first the phone wouldn’t connect so I had to hang up and dial again. When I did get through the women let me know that it would take around an hour for my takeout to be ready. One would think this is because they are crazy busy on Friday… but when I got there to pick up the food there were two people in the restaurant. Not a good sign considering Jade is packed at this time. Anyways, I got home again and they had forgotten to include my salad rolls. So I called to check and now their phone was busy. So I wait, finally get through, and go back to get my rolls. The woman was apologetic but didn’t offer anything extra for my inconvenience. I really shouldn’t have wasted the gas.
I order the salad rolls, chicken Phad Thai, and Pad Ka Prow. The salad rolls were made from shredded lettuce and came with peanut sauce, which was okay but the portion was smaller than Jade and Jade’s were SO MUCH BETTER. I’m pretty sure was Phad Thai was made in a big batch and reheated in the microwave. GROSS. When I opened it just after I got home the noodles were all sticky and clumped together. I only had a few bites and got rid of the rest. The Pad Ka Prow was the best of them but it was decent at best. And it cost almost $ 10 for ground pork and chopped up beans. I ordered it mild/​medium and it was quite spicy, but nothing too bad.
Anyways, it was pretty terrible and not worth the price. I won’t ever be back. Bottom line: Go to Jade instead.

Really delicious yellow curry, great sticky rice, & wonderful specials (we loved the chicken special) at reasonable prices, make Manao pretty awesome. That, and it’s close to our house.
Sweet!

Décor and atmosphere are a little lacking, but the food was pretty delicious. I heard rumors about the owner/​chef working at Pok Pok previously. Not sure if it is true, but wouldn’t surprise me.

This was touted by a friend of mine, so I told her let’s not just talk about it let’s go. So, the following week we went to check it out.
This is on Milwaukie Avenue in Sellwood next to the Plaid Pantry and across from the Boys and Girls Club and what I noticed while we were dining early on this day is that everyone uses that small lot in front of the restaurant to park and go somewhere else. So, like a lot of places, parking is a premium but they do have their own small lot up front.
Good service. We went early and were the only ones in the building for a while. They have a couple of daily specials each day and one of the things I was told to be sure and try is the wings. It seems that the former chef from Pok Pok now works here and while he has his own flair on how things are executed he brought his skills and know how to this fine establishment.
I had a ginger stirfry which was excellent and enough to take home for the following day, which I always appreciate.
All in all a good experience. I will be back again.

Love this place. The ingredients are fresh and cooked perfectly. The staff was beyond friendly and courteous. Everything we had was great. If you like Pok Pok… this is even better. Far from your run of the mill Thai restaurant. You won’t find Pad Thai here. The prices are extremely fair (menu tops out at $ 12! with the exception of specials). Order spicy and you’ll get it… they don’t play! I will be back for sure. No waiting behind lines of hipsters here and no hipster «you’re lucky I’m here serving you» attitude from the staff. The Staff is as genuine and authentic as the food. If you don’t like it, you must not get it.
Atmosphere isn’t their strong point but the food makes up for it. Support these guys. They have a good thing going.

My boyfriend and I tried Manao and loved it. I give it four stars instead of 5 because of the lack of ambiance. The place is in a strip mall and it looks like they haven’t given the décor much thought. Also, they were out of a dish I wanted to try so I had to select something else from the menu.
We had the Som Tam, a green papaya salad with green beans and dried shrimp. I liked the flavor but my boyfiend wasn’t a huge fan. We also had the Pad Ka Prow pork stir fry and the Kaeng Kiao Waan Kai chicken curry with egg plant. Both were excellent.
I really hope more people give this restaruant a chance. It’s not your average Americanized Pad Thai. It really is much better!

Had read a few reviews, so was optimistic. Had been here when it was green papaya a few years ago. what ugly table cloths. several interesting things on the menu, went for the daily special pork curry while M opted for sprig rolls & cucumber salad. For the price, I expected more, though what I had was very tasty – sweet, hot, greasy. Service was okay.

I almost always order the same thing, Pad Ka Prow. OMGoodness it is heaven. I ask them to use chicken instead of pork, but both are divine. They know be by name and are lovely people. I have tried a total of 4 dishes. Two are amazing, 1 very poor, and 1 was decent. I think sometimes the consistency is off… However, they have never failed me in the Pad Ka Prow. So, if you want to be assured of an amazing dish, that’s the one to have.

I’m shocked! I tried this restaurant on a friends recommendation but otherwise would not have based on the reviews. The restaurant is owned by a young couple who were friendly and attentive. My friend and I ordered three dishes, the coconut soup, Tom Kha (which is what I always order even when I travel to Thailand) a pork and basil and a curry chicken noodle soup. Our hostess/​owner was telling us that the curry chicken noodle soup was made from scratch and was a Northern Thai dish. So we had to try it. Everything was delicious, fresh and made to order. My friend and I literally sat there stunned and debated about the reviews for a good 15 min. I even took out my iPad to show her the comments here. Thus, I decided to write a review as well.
The prices seem average but when you take into account how the dishes are made, we were saying how we couldn’t reproduce the same curry dish at home for under $ 10 if we were to go out and buy all the spices, the chicken leg and take the time to make the chicken stock. I couldn’t do it. All the flavors in each dish were complex and subtle. The dishes were not overpowered by a ton of sodium or sugar. It really reminded me of the quality Asian restaurants one might find overseas. My only criticism is that I like my Tom Kha a little more tart and spicy. But my friend thought it was the best Tom Kha she’s had in Portland. Regardless, the flavor was excellent.
I love to eat and have lived/​traveled all over the world. I have eaten anything from street food in China to Michelin star restaurants with prices so extravagant that I feel embarrassed telling people. In any case, give this place a try. If I’m wrong, then you can call me an ignorant idiot who doesn’t know what he’s talking about. But if you love food, as I do, I truly believe you’ll enjoy the food and appreciate the value.

I’m eager to return to Thailand for two of the same reasons why I’ll soon return to Manao Thai Restaurant: great food and endearing, gentle people.
I feel good when I support hardworking young people who pursue their dreams. Ekkachai Sakkayasukkalawong (a.k.a Chef Chew) recently started his new Sellwood Neighborhood restaurant in a city that is crowded with many Thai restaurants, some of which are very good. We struggled with the menu because there were many items we wanted to try. Would the khao soi taste like the khao soi we loved during our visits to Chiang Mai and other places in Thailand? But we wanted som tam and sticky rice. And we wanted the pork dish on the specials menu, and the seared chicken thighs marinated in Thai herbs with the sweet chili sauce. Because nothing on the menu costs more than $ 11.00 we decided to get three dishes, but not the khao soi. Not this time.
Unlike the chain restaurants, the menu does not rate the hotness or spiciness of the dishes. That’s a good thing, because the food is seasoned to order, so we could wimp out with «mild +.»
So the verdict? The chicken was fall-​off-​the-​bone tender, very flavorful, and the sweet chili sauce was more sweet than spicy. The pork and som tam, also, were terrific. And the rice? I love rice. Both the sticky rice and jasmine rice hit the spot.
On the way out, I nodded a «kap-​kun-​krap,» to the sweet woman who said good bye, and she responded with a huge smile and an enthusiastic «kap-​kun-​kaaa.»
We wish them well. Better still, we’ll return soon.
December, 2011

It’s not Pok Pok but it’s still pretty good. I don’t think it was that greasy, like what some reviewers said. But maybe it’s because of what we ordered?
The place was pretty dead when we got there about 6pm but it picked up after that.
The food was decent. The service was good. The prices were fairly low.
My only complaint: the table cloths MUST be changed. The black and white pattern was dizzying and we both felt nauseated by the pattern. It was awful. Change it!

This place likes 2 things: pork & grease. You can order anything on the menu with pork or tofu and grease is for free. We went because we had a Living Social and I think that was not worth the money either. The Tom Kha soup was tasteless and the tofu was greasy. There are other Thai restaurants in Sellwood that are much better.

With the closing of Papaya Thai, my wife and I were curious what would take its place. We finally decided to try it. They are not up to par with Papaya Thai, we discovered they use inferior quality food sources and try to cover it up by adding ridiculous amounts of hot peppers — even if you ask for mild.
It was sad to see a young boy burst out in tears at the level of spice in his pad thai. The mother was both mad at the waiter for not thinking about what a child could tolerate and at herself for not asking ahead of time.
I suggest to avoid this place and head over to Jade Tea House (
), which is just down the street and 1000x better.

I really wanted to like Manao, but the huge hunks of chilis in my soup had me crying tears of regret, not joy.
I mean, really. It was one of the worst soups I’ve had and I’m a fan spicy Thai food and adventurous Phở. It didn’t taste flavorful, just full of big chunks of thickly cut chilis. It was so bad I have to wonder if it was a prep mistake.
I had heard some buzz about Manao and, living close by the restaurant, wanted to give it a try. The hostess at the counter was very friendly and helpful but the restaurant was bare on a Friday night. Spooky.
There are a lot of really great Thai and Vietnamese restaurants in Sellwood and I think I will continue to support the restaurants in the area I love.

Bland and overpriced.
The two salads we received (green salad with tofu and egg in peanut dressing, and green papaya salad with long beans and dried shrimp in fish sauce lime dressing) were good, but nothing special.
Despite what the menu said, the chicken wings tasted like they were simply fried and garnished with a small simple cucumber salad that would accompany any old chicken satay plate, at any old Thai food joint.
The chicken thighs were nicely seasoned and seared, but served with generic sweet chili sauce. To charge ten bucks for two chicken thighs is a total rip-​off.
The chicken leg and noodle dish came with a single small chicken leg. The noodles were a step above Top Ramen and would have benefited from some vegetables other than a couple onions and bean sprouts to accompany them. The price for this dish also seemed extravagant, considering the ingredients and portion size, at $ 10.50.
In the neighborhood paper the owners compared the style of food at Manao to Pok Pok. After eating there, I would call that statement slanderous.

Welcome Manao!
What a fantastic surprise. Wonderful flavor — spices, herbs, sauces. Light and delicious. Helpful, friendly people. This will be a staple in my takeout line-​up. Thank you for coming to Sellwood (and thank you to the lovely lady that spent 10 minutes on the phone helping me pick out my dinner).

So excited to have this blocks away from home!
So fresh and delicious with perfect portion sizes for sharing and great prices.
Not as spicy as I expected, but nothing lacked in flavor.
I heard a rumor about a cocktail program in the future– definitely something I look forward to– red diamond merlot and chardonnay just don’t excite me OR give me the good good feelings my friends whiskey and gin do. However, I think I will pay the low $ 10 cork fee next time and bring my own bottle… or a lot of friends and a lot of bottles– I really want to try the whole menu as soon as possible!