Payakk

Food here was delicious, although priced for the neighborhood for sure. Really enjoyed the pork jowl fried rice, Pad Thai, and Nam Tok in particular. Great vibe inside with some really cool art on the walls, and love the circular windows on the side of the building as well. Would have been 5 stars but we were very abruptly told we essentially had 5 minutes to wrap up our meal, pay, and leave the table less than 1.5 hours after our reservation time, for another party's upcoming reservation. For a table of 6 with 2 small kids that we were managing throughout the meal, this was quite unexpected and we didn't even get a chance to try dessert, which we'd been excited for. The reservation confirmation specifically mentions that the table is reserved for 2.5 hours for parties of 6, and we weren't told of the upcoming reservation when we arrived, so this was a really unpleasant end to what was otherwise a great meal.

The most thoughtful Thai dishes I have ever had! Even for a Thai person like me, sometimes I forget what’s it supposed to be like having Thai food since I have been living in the US for so long, this place brought me back home to the real deal. It is very different from other Thai place for a good reason.

I really want to love this spot because I’ve loved this local persimmon design space for years and imagined it could be a great bar space in an otherwise lifeless residential neighborhood. The design is cozy, plant-filled and eclectic. TLDR: At this price point ($250 for 3 ppl - 4 cocktails, 2 entrees, 1 veggie & 2 small plates), I expect a good service experience. Restaurant 101: hire dining professionals. The kitchen closes when every guest is fed. The restaurant dining area closes when your last table exits. For this price, let the guests linger. Try Popoca or Mama to experience what this is. We made a reservation well in advance for 730p and arrived on time. College-age (or younger) server took a bit (?10-15 min) to prepare our table, profusely apologized and mentioned the party before us wouldn’t leave (we said no problem, we’re not in a rush). Server couldn’t hear us during ordering - probably need more sound insulation. Small cocktail menu (tried 2 of 3 options) was delicious. Small plates fried chicken wings (but no wet wipe provided after) and green bean/mushroom were perfectly cooked. I was happy to see a Chiang Mai favorite (khao soi) on menu and will try if I return. My friend had to ask for change plates before entrees and was initially met with eyes of confusion. Entrees: Sea bass was lovely and fresh. Crab/prawn/shrimp pad thai was special (and a large portion) and not too sweet. We hadn’t even received our entrees yet when we were told ~830p that the kitchen is closing in 10 min and if we want dessert we needed to order now. So we skipped dessert. 🤷🏽‍♀️ At 9p (while still finishing the 2nd entree), we were asked to pay the check. At 9:15p (while my friend is still finishing cocktail), we were told they’re closed and to basically prepare to leave (there were 3 other active tables).

My partner and I had a terrific meal at Payakk. The interior space is inviting and charming, the service was attentive and the dishes creative and delicious. We started with four sea scallops in a yummy sauce, then moved on to flank steak with grilled baby bok choy and glass noodles, and the restaurant's signature dish, Pad Thai Chiya, billed as the first southern Thailand-style pad thai in the U.S. The flavors were amazing and the noodles really outstanding. No room for dessert! We will be back. Note that we found the wine by the glass serving sizes to be small (minor quibble).