Laughing Monk Cafe

Very cute Thai eatery. They were playing Christmas music when we walked in and had a whole projector installation for the holiday season. We ordered the yuzu lager beer they had and it was freaking AMAZING. Such a good beer, albeit an expensive beer ($12) The food itself was also well done. The red curry was spicy and well made. The gyoza was delicious. The sushi tasted fresh and had a lot of nice flavors and finally the tom yum soup was yummy. Honestly loved everything about this place, no complaints at all!

Laughing Monk is pretty spacious, so it is good for a group meal. I've been here twice and have never had issues with the service. Food: - Thai Iced Tea: A classic drink at any Thai place. It was very creamy and did not taste powdery. I would get this again. - Shrimp Thai Fried Rice: This dish was a bit oily, but the wok flavor is very nice. Lots of umami. - Chicken Mango Curry: The chicken was pretty dry, but the curry was well balanced. However, it is not the best mango curry that I've had. - Beef Pad See Ew: This dish was very salty. I am not sure if it was an off day or if it is usually this salty. - Flan and Sticky Rice: This dessert felt like a scam to be honest. You are pretty much paying for the presentation because the flan and sticky rice were each about the size of a quarter. This was recommended by our server, but we were very disappointed because we could not taste anything given the size. This was my second time here. I enjoyed my first time more, especially since prices have increased quite a bit without the same increase in quality or variety, but I would come a third time for the omakase, as that seems to be a good experience based on reviews.

We arrived 30 min before closing, and they wore very nice about it. We ordered penang curry, shrimp drunken noddles, and chicken red curry And blanked shrim. Every tasted as expected, and we wore not disappointed even though we arrived last min.

I would recommend this place if you're looking for higher quality food of what they have on the menu, but I'm not sure if it would be recommended because they have a special item. I'd also like to note that this place is $10-20 because they have dishes like the Thai noodles that can fill you up, but can also get expensive if you decide to add other dishes. When you enter you'll see another door and a window. The window is for pick up and the door is to enter for dining in. It says don't enter, but unless it's packed it seems like it's okay to just walk in. For my dine-in I ordered the crab rangoon, chicken drunken noodle, and 2 orders of 2 piece amaebi nigiri. I received my crab rangoon about 5 minutes after ordering. The shell had a nice crunch! Thickness of it and temperature of the filling is warm which made it easy to bite into. The filling also is seasoned well, plus has a nice cheesy pull and creaminess when I bit into it. The shreds of crab is sizable and gives the filling a nice texture as well. The size and the shape of the rangoon allows for a full and more filling than something like Panda's, which I appreciate. The only negative note I'd like to mention is that the dish with the sauce isn't big enough for the rangoon to be dipped in, but I appreciate that they have the small spoon for the sauce to be scooped for people to pour. The chicken drunken noodle came out right as I finished the app. All the veggies and the noodle were cooked well and had the sauce incorporated very well. The basil was fresh and added generously enough to give the dish a nice flavor! Chicken is a little on the drier side but still absorbed the sauce flavor very well. The flavor overall was strong and well seasoned, though it could be a little salty for some. The amaebi had a nice sweetness and 말랑말랑 texture! The first order I had, the wasabi taste was too overwhelming as someone who is sensitive to it. The rice was a good amount but typical slightly vinegar'ed flavor. The amaebi alone could give a little 텁텁함, and the topped roe was helping to reduce that but did add a bit more fishiness as a result, but this is where the wasabi would balance it out. The server that helped me today is superb. The server let me know that the drunken noodle could be spicy and asked if I was okay with that. They also checked in to make sure everything was okay, plus fill my water when they noticed it half empty. I also appreciated that they remembered that I didn't want my water refilled, but also asked me several times whether I was okay on the water in case I might want some. They also took the time to follow up with the chef to ask where my order is. Also something that I didn't realize is that the staff in the front isn't a server so I had to wait for the waitress to come take my 2nd order. They also apologized that I received my order later.

This restaurant remains one of the best dollar-for-dollar values on sushi in Boston. Some amazing looking pieces come out of that kitchen. The Thai food selection is also extensive and delicious. The Omakase experience is well worth a visit on a special occasion.