Sea Thai: The King of Orlando’s Thai Scene
A selection of chef’s specials at Sea Thai, including braised beef and prawns (Photo Credit: Andrew Langford)
August 4 • By Andrew Langford
There’s something unique about Thai food in Orlando and America, in general. Up there with the likes of Mexican and Italian cooking, it’s one of the most crowd-pleasing cuisines and can be found in almost every city and town. And at almost every Thai restaurant, you will find that same carbon copied pad Thai or drunken noodles that satiate your hunger, but disappear from memory by the time you’ve gone home or finished that movie that you paired with your carry-out. The takeaway is that we’ve all probably had good Thai food - the cuisine itself offers such a high baseline - but truly great Thai restaurants are a rare find worth celebrating.
In Central Florida, the only spot that can make this claim is Sea Thai - forget what the Michelin Guide may tell you. Located in a nondescript strip mall on East Colonial, Chef Jack Tawa Chavitranurak - simply known as Tawa to the regulars - and family have been quietly serving up the city’s best Thai food since 2007. Some COVID-era awards meant a boost in recognition when they experimented with their pop-up venture, Tuun, but by and large this is one of the most criminally underrated restaurants in Orlando.
For starters, the inside is a fairly cozy restaurant space that makes a great venue for a casual date night or meeting family and friends. The staff is also very friendly and after only a few visits, you can build up a nice rapport. To sum up the ambiance, this is a spot where you can get comfortable. Even on busier nights, meals can stretch for hours at your own discretion. Whether you’re looking for a meal where you can have a great conversation or just cool down after a long week of work, order a beer and prepare for what has already been teased in this review - the best Thai in Orlando.
Off the main menu alone, Sea Thai would probably be the best Thai spot in town. All ingredients taste fresh, the portions are generous, and the classic Thai fare is well-executed. This extends from appetizers like shrimp summer rolls and the nam sod salad all the way to main entrees like massaman curry and pad see u. These plates should mark Sea Thai as one of your more memorable Thai meals, but even these dishes are only just flirting with true greatness.
See where Sea Thai truly stands out and becomes a destination is with their off-menu items. Vaguely categorized under “chef’s specials,” the handful of different selections Tawa has been working on each week are an introduction to true Thai cooking and many regional varieties that are difficult to find in the US. These holdovers from the days of Tuun leave you yearning for more, but with some degree of patience, you can usually get them on any visit. Certain items like the fantastic prawns and chef’s special braised beef noodles haven’t been on the “specials” menu for months, but can usually be accommodated on any walk-in visit or guaranteed with an advanced call to the restaurant.
Sea Thai represents a unique window into an assortment of Thai recipes that would otherwise require having a Thai grandmother or a flight to southeast Asia or LA. Chef Tawa takes great pride in churning out dishes that go beyond the run-of-the-mill pad Thai or drunken noodles and it shows in the quality of the output.
Really what is missing is the return of a pop-up or addition of a prix fixe option. This may not be out of the question, but be warned, it’s best to visit soon if that’s the case. Try Sea Thai when you can still walk in and order the chef’s specials for less than $20 before one of these options gets added and the crowds and prices start to rightfully recognize this as one of the best restaurants in Orlando.
Main entrees typically run between $15 and $20, with ample amounts for leftovers. Reservations are not required, however crowds can be sporadic.
Between main and off-menu selections, these are just a few of the many dishes to pick from. Just be sure with some of the chef’s specials to call before and confirm if they can cook it on the night of your visit.
Shrimp Summer Rolls
Summer rolls are about as classic as Thai appetizers get. Sea Thai’s rolls play it safe, sticking to the traditional recipe, but are made with the freshest ingredients. Large chunks of shrimp and a fantastic peanut sauce make this a crowd pleasing starter.
Nam Sod Salad
A slightly more adventurous - though still well known - appetizer, nam sod salad is a terrific toss of pork in a refreshing dressing with hints of lime, ginger, and just a touch of fish sauce. Particularly with the heavier curry mains, this is a nice appetizer for starting off the meal without being full by the time the entrees arrive.
Pad Thai
It doesn’t get more standard than pad Thai. The story with this dish is much the same as the summer rolls. It’s made of familiar flavors and ingredients, but it’s a very well-executed version of this Thai classic. This is a good dish for those that aren’t that adventurous, but if you’re going to Sea Thai for unique Thai fare, it’s probably best to skip this one and save some space for the plates below.
Pineapple Duck Curry
As far as main menu dishes go, this is one of their strongest and arguably their best curry plate - though the massaman curry is a better option for vegetarians. Cooked in a rich, slightly sweet curry sauce, the duck is tender and has a far more complex flavor than chicken alternatives. If you need a saucy dish to spoon over rice, this is the one to order.
Smokey Pot
If there’s any entree on the main menu that hints at the true greatness of the chef’s specials, it’s the smokey pot. Mixing shrimp and chicken with glass noodles and a variety of herbs and spices - if the recipe is secret, you can at least tell there’s a cinnamon stick in the mix - it combines savory flavors with a smoky aftertaste.
Chef’s Special - Braised Beef
Photo Credit: Andrew Langford
This dish doesn’t exactly have a formal title, but use these keywords and the staff should know what you’re talking about. Essentially it’s a drunken noodles base with extra spices and slices of pepper, savory chunks of braised beef lobbed around the place, and an egg of top for good measure. The flavor is much richer than drunken noodles and highlights chef Tawa’s mastery of cooking meats.
Pork Belly in Curry Sauce
Photo Credit: Andrew Langford
One of the newest chef’s specials, this northern Thai recipe is maybe the heaviest of the curry plates. It’s a good dish that will please fans of pork belly, but the braised beef and prawns below are arguably better and more unique.
Prawns
Photo Credit: Andrew Langford
This is another new entry in the chef’s special category, but it is easily one of the most impressive dishes to come out of their kitchen. First, the prawns are massive. Sea Thai and Kaya must be buying their prawns from the same fishmonger injecting PEDs into their crustaceans because these don’t look like any that you can find in the grocery store. Beyond size, they are also delicious. The peppery breading that coats the prawns is almost great enough to eat on its own, but in keeping with good manners we suppose you should stick to only eating in when it’s on these gigantic, succulent prawns.
