My family and I love Thai food! In fact, we probably eat it once per week on average.
We were pretty bummed a couple of weeks ago to find The Great Thai BBQ in National City had closed. We knew it was coming, but we’d had a void to fill.
Trying New Thai
Thankfully, a couple of days later we were up in the Convoy area. We needed to grab lunch, so a quick search brought us here to Mekong Cuisine Lao and Thai.
Apparently, it used to be another Thai restaurant but was taken over a year ago by the current family.
Inside was quaint but large enough to accommodate several tables. It was empty when we arrived because it was early afternoon (~2:30pm), but actually filled up by the time we left.
Their menu was actually quite extensive. I didn’t catch all the pages, but you can find it here.
We were excited to find some Northern Thai cuisine items, like “boat noodles” and Sai Ou (sausage).
Since we had to meet up for dinner with Darren in a few hours, we decided to only order a couple of things.
The Food
We started with a bowl of the Tom Kah soup (mild for the kids). It was super delicious and flavorful. In addition to chicken, there were straw mushrooms, green onion, and lemon grass.
We’d definitely order this again.
This was their marinated steak salad (forgot the exact name). The salad was refreshing and the meat was super tender and flavorful. It had a perfectly balanced tang and sweetness.
Here are the boat noodles (Spicy rice noodle soup with meatballs, sliced beef, bean sprouts, green onions, and broccoli). The broth had a deep rich flavor which put a smile on my face. The veggies gave it a nice balance and the noodles were cooked perfectly.
Here is their chicken Pad Thai. It was awesome!
I don’t say that lightly because I eat A LOT of pad thai. So, I’m pretty particular with what I’m looking for.
First of all the noodles were a perfect al dente. The mix of sweet and sour was excellent and even the chicken pieces were tender and flavorful.
My kids loved it.
Finally, we ordered their signature Mango Sticky Rice dessert. We were all about to burst at the seams, but I had to try it!
The green coconut rice was slightly sweet and sticky. This was the perfect compliment to the sliced mangos precisely garnished around the perimeter. A little condensed milk on top and we had another winner.
Thoughts
Well, so much for ordering only a couple of things!
There were too many delicious options and we can’t wait to go back and try some other items like the Khao Poon Num Pla and the Crab Fried Rice.
We could tell that the chef took special pride in his/her food. Fresh, hot, and balanced perfectly. It was a nice way to fill our void of great Thai food.
I do wish that it was closer to us, but we’re up in the Convoy area often enough. It’s definitely going into our regular rotation.
Mekong Cuisine Lao and Thai
3904 Convoy St, Ste 112
San Diego, CA 92111
