Daughter Thai

At long last, towards the end of October, Whitney and I ventured to have our first sit-down restaurant experience since this whole shelter in place thing started.

Located in the Montclair district of Oakland, Daughter Thai has been one of our favorite spots for a while, always delivering fantastic meals in a wildly fun atmosphere. When it was possible to sit inside, the space drew eaters in with its bright colors, spinning lights, and Thai fare that was always enticing and artistic in itself.

Now with social distancing, Daughter Thai has set up tent-enclosed dining areas on the street and in the parking lot just in front of the restaurant.

We made a reservation in advance and when we arrived we were happy to see that the restaurant is taking the pandemic seriously: all the staff not only wore masks but also plastic shields that protected their entire faces. Before we entered into the tented area, the staff asked us to both sanitize our hands and get our temperature checked by one of those new-fangled thermometers (is that what those are called?) that scans your forehead to get your temperature. Wow, the future!

We entered the tented area to find the tables spaced widely apart, and, rather than pass out menus, the staff directed us to a QR code that we could scan with our phones to pull up the menu. Again – wow, the future!

Daughter Thai has gone the extra mile to create as inviting and fun an atmosphere in the tent as they had done in their indoor space. The perimeter is lined with flowers, lights are strung across the tent ceiling, all the staff wear brightly colored shirts, and, because it was Halloween weekend, many also wore spooky face masks.

Ok, all this talk about the space; let’s get to the food!

Daughter Thai offers fantastic Thai cuisine. Their menu includes plenty of the familiar dishes (e.g. Pad Thai, Tom Kha soup, etc), but what sets them apart are their specials. It’s the type of experience where you’re sitting at your table, minding your own business, and then a server will walk by with something that looks absolutely extraordinary. “I wonder what that is?” You may ask yourself longingly. The food adds to the visual delights that Daughter Thai feeds its customers, along with tasting amazing.

You are guaranteed a fun and absolutely delicious meal when you go to Daughter Thai. They have done a great job in setting up the space to feel both inviting and safe. And if you prefer, they do also offer take-out.

So, there is every reason to try Daughter Thai :) Go for it and let us know what you think!