May Kitchen & Bar

I’ve only been in for a girls night of drinks. I was so happy. My husband and I plan to come for a meal soon.

I’m not planning to go back through all my reviews of Thai places that I’ve given five stars, but after visiting May Kitchen, it seems like there just aren’t any other Thai places that even deserve five stars any more. Unless they can match what May is doing, they’re all playing for second place. And we have some AWESOME Thai food in this town, too. But these guys are just completely serious about every single aspect of their operation in ways that not too many other restaurants (let alone just Thai places) can match.
First: Make SURE you have a reservation.
Not that they lose reservations, that’s not what I mean – just don’t space on making them. They really do get that busy. You might be able to walk in and score a table on a weeknight, or in the off-​season. But if it’s the weekend and the weather is nice, yeah, you will only get a table if you reserve in advance. You won’t even sit down early if you do have a reservation – they are just that packed. It’s not even that small a place, either.
They curtain off the windows, and you walk in to a small host station foyer with heavy blackout curtains around it. Not a lot of room to wait, but it allows them to pack as many tables into the room as possible without making people feel crowded while they eat. The staff are nice, but they do seem to operate on the assumption that the fact that they have no tables available is something of a foregone conclusion. They’re super friendly and nice about it, but don’t feel like they’re being condescending if they act like they’re explaining the obvious when they say there’s no place to put you. Evidently, out here on the island, that’s just a given. I tried to get in here without reservations and didn’t get close, then hurried back in with reservations, and immediately made plans to hurry back in again with family. It’s so good.
Once you head through the blackout curtains, you enter a peaceful, relatively quiet (despite being quite packed) sanctuary of a dining room. Rich wood all over every wall and the bar. Tasteful little tables and sturdy little chairs; a few booths in the other room. The cutlery and plates have a nice vintage feel to them, and seem like they must be from Thailand. The wood appears to have been reclaimed from a building somewhere over there as well. There’s a bit of tasteful art here and there, and a large historic black and white photo of the owner’s father. You definitely get the sense of a genuine proud Thai heritage here, and certainly an intense pride in the quality of the establishment too.
The staff come bustling out quickly, and stay on point through the evening. Even the ones who clearly aren’t Thai (most of them) know the menu cold – every dish, every pronunciation, every ingredient, every technique. And they can certainly answer questions quickly and helpfully.
Squid
The spicy tender squid appetizer is a small portion, served cold. This might momentarily disappoint lovers of American-​style calamari, but it will quickly turn everyone right back around. Covered with fresh herbs, coarsely chopped red peppers, and swimming in a sour salty sweet sauce. The ringlets of squid are chewy without being too chewy, and the whole combination of flavors is amazing.
Green curry
Beautiful chunks of chicken and vegetables in an amazing house-​made green curry sauce that was sweet but never got too sweet by any means. Believe me, I scooped out every drop, and it was never the least cloying. I’ve often had a bit more heat to green curries, even though they’re usually the sweetest color in the curry rainbow. This one had a long strand of chewy white peppercorns in the sauce, giving it a bit of balance – I ate a mouthful of them, and they were more tart than peppery, since they had not been dried out to turn into grindable corns. Wonderful dish.
Red jasmine rice
Even the steamed rice here is rad.
Whole trout (special)
Pan-​fried whole trout, served cleaned but otherwise intact. The server patiently explained how the rib bones were fully edible; they definitely added a rad crunch without seeming bony. They were cooked to the point of tenderness. She removed the spine upon serving though, along with the head and tail. Every bite of this was fantastic, and it came with enough papaya salad to have some with every bite of fish (she made a point of saying the dish is best when eaten that way). The next table didn’t even touch their papaya salad, just ate the trout. I almost asked for their leftovers.
Fried plantains
Dessert. Crisply battered and fried plantains served with two scoops of very creamy (not icy) Thai coconut ice cream. So good. So, so, so good.
Crème brûlée
Perfectly executed bowl of crème brûlée with a porcelain-​like top, tough but crunchy. Spicy, sweet, interesting crunchy accompaniments on the rest of the serving dish. Such a wonderful twist on a familiar dish.
Everything else on the menu sounded good, and everything else the servers carried to neighboring tables looked and sounded good.

My husband and I were in Thailand in November 2015 and this meal was the most authentic Thai food we’ve had in Washington. The food was amazing! The watercress appetizer and dipping sauce was so good and the green curry with chicken was incredibly delicious! We loved that we could drink Thai beers and the service was fantastic! What a treat on Vashon Island, thank you for the great meal! FYI — reservations are a good idea.

Difficult to imagine a more «sleeper» establishment than this. Would swear it was an abandoned building. But. two if not three of our friends (in one week) hearing of our joy of Vashon recommended our visiting May’s. Just look for those lions on either side on the top of the building… I was still amazed the door opened and what a delight it turned out to be. There is a bit of a zen purring meditational vibe present and some tantalizing food & drink to boot.
Thomas regaled us w /​his deft of hand magic tricks & I have the highest hopes that my son meets up with Roksha one day.
We cannot get back too soon. Thank you May’s

First time I’ve ever had a curry that was not too spicy for me to eat. I loved the richness and some of the surprise ingredients. The service was fast and gracious. All the dishes we ordered were delicious. And the drinks are great too. All d good is beautifully presented.

Having lived two years in Thailand I can say that I’ve honestly not had food this good since I was in Thailand itself.
The staff is incredible, the atmosphere authentically Thai, and the whole experience was inviting and magical.
May is amazing.

We really enjoyed our meal tonight. Everything was so tasty — the green curry was excellent. We look forward to returning for another great dinner.

This restaurant is the best on the island! Good portions and delicious food with nice atmosphere. Awesome waiters! You should definitely come and eat!

Had a wonderful meal here last night. We didn’t plan ahead but we’re lucky to only wait about 30mins for a table.
Our server was knowledgable and pleasant and really looked after us from start to finish, one of the many reasons we will come back!
Green curry with tofu was unbelievable! Phad thai and pork larb were both great too. Finished off with a delicious and light fried banana with coconut ice-​cream; what a treat!

The food was delicious and the service was great! Hands down, the best pad Thai I’ve ever had!

I am dumbfounded. Are we on the same planet? Is there a special entrance portal that I missed? Parallel universe at play? Secret handshake I don’t know about? My experience was so different than that of the majority of folks here.
I made a reservation for my parents and I a couple weeks out for Friday night (Feb 12^th). We arrived and were taken to our corner/​window seat. Hostess was sweet and lovely. Was immediately in awe of the décor and felt transplanted to a different time and space by the wood carvings, candles, and little Thai touches everywhere.
Was greeted by a very smiley and enthusiastic server that everyone else seemed to know (and love). She did a good job explaining the specials and highlighted some «standout» dishes.
We order satay and fried watercress as appetizers, a pumpkin curry, chicken pad thai, and the whole trout as entrees. Conclusion: they are very heavy handed with both the sugar and the salt. Very. It felt like an insult to my taste buds and to Thai cuisine. Though, I have no way of verifying whether this was «authentic» seasoning principles.
The peanut sauce, tamarind sauce, curry, all too sweet. Fried watercress boasted coconut milk drizzled on top but it was so little you could barely taste it. It was too much fried batter, and too sweet a dipping sauce. Nothing that gave it more pizazz as watercress is mild and frying it zaps all the flavor out of it. Instant regret.
The curry was one mushy sweet mess, an unfortunate use of their beautiful soft tofu. Very «one-​note». Needed more spices to bring out the complexities of a curry dish.
Table-​side pad thai, while fun, made us realize that they do indeed like their cane sugar. (It was put in before we could stop the gal.) The noodles were so salty, I drank an entire glass of water to get through a small mound of it that I had plated. My parents steered clear of it after their first bite.
The trout was the only redeeming dish. Fresh, tender white meat. Thank gosh it’s fried whole, so it was completely unseasoned on the inside. And we could use as much or as little of the mango salsa to accompany and flavor the fish as we wanted. Picking out the little bones was annoying but I was so happy to eat food that was not saturated in sugar and salt!
Overall a disappointing experience as I had heard great things about May’s and it was suppose to be a special meal with my parents who were visiting from out of town. My parents are too polite to say anything at the time and I was resigned that they serve «Americanized thai food». Plus, it would have been awkward to send back everything but the trout… for my table and for the restaurant. So, there you have it. Maybe it was an anomaly of a night, but I’m too scared to go back and try.

In a literal sea of Thai restaurants (including the sound you cross to get to Vashon) May Kitchen & Bar will stand out in my mind as the benchmark for all others to beat. And in a city that boasts 1 Thai restaurant for every 7 Thai residents, it’s a high mark to beat. Even more impressive when you consider I’ve spent years scouring curry and noodles from the bottom of many a bowl.
The front of the restaurant is very unassuming. It reminds me of an old smoking parlor and prohibition era backroom tavern. However, when you step inside, you’re transported to Southeast Asian oasis with a central bar featuring craft cocktails, cozy booths and a smattering of tables, full of nooks and crannies that make for a great romantic date night.
Now to the food and drink. While I’ve sampled one or two craft cocktails in my time, I’ve never had anything quite like Garuda’s Perch. Fresh basil and lemon, muddled with citrus vodka and topped with whipped egg whites and a leaf of basil. So fresh and so clean it prepares your tastebuds for the adventure to come.
With each cuisine, I have a go-​to entrée that I like to use for comparison purposes. With Thai food, it’s green curry. I have it on good authority that green curry is supposed to be spicy, thick and full of complex flavor. Without a doubt, May knows what she’s doing. The curry was thicker than broth but not so thick that it resists settling in the bottom of the bowl after a good scrape with a spoon. The balance of coconut, peppercorn and spices is sublime. When considering a protein, I lean toward chicken but order tofu when I want a clean comparison. With most places you get typical hard tofu, usually fried and added at the end to bulk up the product. Not here. Here you get silky, light, fluffy tofu that has obviously been simmered in the sauce along with the galangal and lemongrass. So beautiful and delicious on the tongue until it dissolves into bliss and leaves just a thin coating of happy.
We also sampled the crispy, clean and light vegetable fresh rolls that were accompanied by a tangy and sweet dipping sauce as well as some chicken satay, served with a peanut sauce unlike any other I’ve ever had. Bits of crunchy peanut still floating in a rich and slightly sweet liquid. My companions each had their own adventures they allowed me to taste. From the savory and umami-​packed broth of phad normai farang goong to the delicate noodles of the pra ram loang soang bathed in that amazing peanut sauce.
The setting, cocktails, food and service (always with a smile) make May’s Kitchen & Bar a worthwhile destination for any special occasion or stop on your island adventure. One thing to remember, a meal like this is something to be savored and appreciated. Also, it takes time to create amazing food, so when the entrees don’t come flying out 10 minutes after you ordered them, remember this. Order a drink and snack on an appetizer, you won’t regret it. Do not miss this place. In fact, go out of your way to make it there.

Oh my goodness what a place. This is a must go and wish I could eat all the time. The only problem is I can’t order everything on the menu because my stomach isn’t big enough. Everything is amazing and staff is great. Even when busy which is all the time they check in with you and make sure your drinks are full and your belly is happy.
EAT HERE!!!

I travel to Vashon every year and on my last day there this summer, I went to May Kitchen. It was a huge mistake, that is the first place you need to go if you find yourself there. The food is absolutely delicious and I could not believe I had only went there on the last day. You will want to eat there every single night. I would travel across the continent to go back there again. Best Thai food I’ve ever had. Ever.
It gets very busy though, make an appointment (or 5) but even though I was a walk-​in and sat at the bar, I was looked after well and got the same show (get the pad Thai at some point).

Loved my kombocha curry! It was smooth sweet and savory at the same time! Loved the red rice!

You neeeeed a reservation here. Once you pass that hurdle, you are in for one of the finest meals you’ve had in a while! Get the fresh spring rolls!!! Yummy. And the fried water crests were bizarre but so yummy! The beef pod Sui was awesome. All up, make a trip from Seattle but get a reservation.

My husband and I ran away to Vashon Island to celebrate our anniversary and to disconnect a bit. After looking around for dinner places and places to go to, we knew that May Kitchen & Bar would have to be at the top of our list.
We took the advice of Unilocalers and made reservations. (Thanks guys!) This is a small, nondescript restaurant on the outside, but is ornate and just beautiful on the inside. There is so much thought put into the décor. From the chairs, tables, silverware, mirrors, light fixtures, down to the beautiful silverware.
When you first walk in, you’re boxed into the hostess stand with these hanging curtains. As soon as you walk through the curtains though it opens up into a large room that is split off with a dividing wall with a large wraparound bar in front of you. It is rather dark though, lending itself to a dimmer, more intimate dining experience.
We took the recommendations of our waiter and ordered the Fried Watercress and the Short ribs as our appetizer. Both of them were astounding. The Watercress was so crispy and bright, it was unlike anything that I had ever had before. The Short Ribs were fatty, and fried, and absolutely indulgent.
We then ordered the whole fried fish. Our waiter that delivered it told us how it was good luck to consume the eyeballs, but we didn’t have enough nerve for that (yet!). The meat was tender and juicy, the mango salsa was so bright and CRAZY spicy. It was a nice change to our normal Thai choices. We topped off our delightful dinner with a Thai Iced tea, to cool our palettes and to give us a delicious extra jolt.
In hindsight, everything we ordered was fried and we felt pretty awful afterwards. But then again it was our fault for ordering all of it and not realizing it at the time. The service was pretty absent while we were there. Our waiter was incredibly friendly and knowledgable, but it seemed like he was taking care of the whole restaurant as well as helping out at the bar. That translates to him being a no-​show for most of our meal. There was a girl that was there whose sole job seemed to be filling water glasses. Which is great, in theory, but she seemingly kept on forgetting ours.
If you’re in town, you should absolutely stop by and try this place for yourself. It’s a great experience, and delicious food. Try something new, original, and you will not be disappointed.

Hands down, the best restaurant on the island IMO (and quite possibly, the best restaurant in the Puget Sound). I’m fortunate to live here now, so I can go whenever I want. Lucky me!
My favorite dish is the whole grilled trout with mango, it’s truly and spectacularly delicious. But really, you can’t go wrong with anything you order. Especially if you know, and love Thai food. If you don’t, my only counsel is to at least TRY something other than the Pad Thai (yes, that’s great too, but there’s so much more to sample!), and please for the love of Pete, have something with pork as the main ingredient (e.g. the Larb), because oh-​my-​goodness, you’ll surely die a happy and full person.
The green papaya salad is a lovely way to begin your meal, or perhaps the Fresh Roll. Definitely be sure to order a side of rice with your main dish, because it’s the most fragrant & divine Jasmine rice you’ll ever put in your mouth. They have red rice too, if you’re so inclined. I wish I could go in with a bottomless stomach, or at least 5 or 6 dining companions, because I always want to try a little of everything on the menu. But that’s impossible, so I guess I’ll just have to keep going back until I’ve done every item at least once.
Save room for dessert too if you can. Or at least another cocktail. This cozy and beautifully decorated space is packed with locals and visitors alike… *every* night. Note that they’re ONLY open for dinner (which while understandable is a shame, because I’d eat here a lot more often if they had lunch service). And whatever you do, don’t come here without a reservation, unless you’re first in line at the door at precisely 5pm. As I said, the space is small, and the chef renowned. The locals know this, and we don’t mess around crossing our fingers and toes for the chance of getting a table when we want one. In any case, consider my advice and then you won’t be forced to cross the street to a better known, more visible, but far inferior dining experience.
I can’t wait to go back. Is it Wednesday yet?

I’ve made the ferry trip from Seattle to Vashon two times, just to come dine at May Kitchen & Bar.
The five stars are really a hats off to the staff and the atmosphere they create. The furniture, wood panels, décor, etc. were all brought over from Thailand. And the resulting authenticity and craftsmanship of the interior adds just another great element to the dining experience at May’s.
I cannot say enough about the quality customer service by all of the staff members. The two times I visited were after a day’s work in Seattle, so we caught a late 8pm ferry ride over. Even with just half and hour before closing (I know, I know, I was one of those awful people that come minutes before closing), the staff at May’s still welcomed us in, brought our food out quickly, and allowed us to dine at our own pace. The full menu was not available since they were cleaning up the wok, but all the curries and appetizers were game. There are plenty of delicious options to choose from just off of those two sections! You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu (sadly there is no Panang curry offered). Warning: food here is just a bit on the expensive side compared to other Thai restaurants I’ve been too.
An example of even more above and beyond service: the very first trip to Vashon and May Kitchen was on a bike… such a rookie decision given the massive incline just after you get off the ferry. By the time we sought comfort, rest, and food at May’s it was already dark and we didn’t bring headlamps. One of the employees offered to take both myself and my friend (including our two bikes!) in her car and over to the ferry. Truly welcoming, friendly, and caring people at May’s.
Definitely worth the beautiful ferry ride over!

Upon discovering that this location is ranked 11^th, in the Nation, for Thai we had to give it a go.
Very unassuming exterior betrays a classy ambience where the focus is on cuisine and the customer sensory experience. Aromas full of Thai spices rise from the kitchen, plates are garnished table side by knowledgeable staff and the service was fantastic.
Never in my life have I ever ordered a whole fish, but the special featuring the fresh rainbow trout was not to be missed. This beautiful animal was deboned table side and once I was told everything was edible, I engaged. The meat was moist, fresh and very mild. The skin was scale free and perfectly crisp. Thai’s believe that consuming the eyeballs are good luck — down the hatch indeed!
Absolutely memorable evening, with service and cuisine to match!