Laine

Always busy especially at peak hours like Friday night when we last had dinner here. We’ve been here numerous times and it never disappoints! Get the Pad See Ew, Papaya Salad, Crispy Egg Salad, Morning Glory, Pad Thai. Big family-size portions. Quick service. Just be prepared to wait! Parking is valet, cash only. Or you can try to find street parking.

Jeffrey A Brick

June 12, 2025, 10:22 PM PDT Nestled on Hollywood Blvd., Ruen Pair, a quarter-century beacon in Thai Town, welcomed me into its snug, buzzing dining room—a true community of spice-seekers. Vegetable Egg Rolls arrived first: golden, crisp shells hiding cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and glass noodles. With a dance of sweet‑sour sauce—vegetarian if you mind to check the fish sauce—it was a lively, light opener, priced at a modest $7–$9. Then came Pad Kee Mao with Tofu (~$11–$13), the meal’s bold heart. Flat noodles, chewy and hearty, twirled with bell peppers, onions, garlic, chili, and fragrant Thai basil. Ordered “medium” spicy, it struck that ideal note—vivid, aromatic, and spirited without beating you down  . My drink, misnamed “Tom Yum Beer,” turned out to be a Thai iced tea with coconut milk (~$5). It cooled the tongue’s fire splendidly; whether it was truly inspired by Tom Yum or just happy accident, it paired just right. Service was unassuming yet attentive—no hovering, but enough care to note my lack of egg and offer to omit it. The dinner tab came to about $36.50 before tax—a fair exchange for flavors this honest and vivid. The dining room was a lively mix: Indian, Korean, white Angelenos—all tucked shoulder to shoulder, savoring the same healthy kick of spice. No frills, just authentic Thai done right. If your palate calls for chewy noodles, crisp bites, and a dash of well‑tempered fire in the heart of Los Angeles, Ruen Pair stands ready. Even a modern Twain would tip his hat.

+5

KG

This review has been a long time coming and it’s totally well deserved. I’ve been a loyal fan of Ruen Pair for over a decade now, ever since my Laotian friends from San Diego first introduced me to this gem of an authentic Thai spot. I don’t get to come here as often as I’d like since it’s kind of a trek from where I live, but best believe I make a stop every time I’m in LA. The food here is always on point, super consistent and packed with legit flavors that you just don’t get from your typical Americanized Thai restaurants. One quick way to tell it’s the real deal? Just look around at the crowd it says a lot about the kind of market this place caters to. This visit, we kept it classic. We started with the plain papaya salad you can’t go wrong with this dish. It’s super popular for a reason with generous portions and that perfect sweet-tangy-salty combo that sends me straight to Cloud 9. Next up was the Morning Glory, which is a must-have for me. It’s a simple vegetarian dish, but so flavorful and fresh. And to round it out, we got the Pad Woon Sen with shrimp balanced, tasty, and not heavy at all. It hits just right. If you’re in LA and find yourself near Thai Town, definitely make the stop. And trust me on this just pay for valet. Save yourself the parking stress. It’s worth it.

+3

Kavin Chan

A mom-and-pop Thai restaurant, with a TV outside looping a video of their menu items. The owner explained that they immigrated to the US and couldn’t find any authentic Thai restaurants, so they decided to open their own. I found this a bit amusing, as many Thai and exotic restaurants are founded, and I doubt all of them are not authentic. On my first night, I ordered the raw shrimp salad, which was good, but I think my stomach wasn’t reacting well to it. The next day, I tried something more popular and ordered the morning glory. It was good, but I wish they had added more chili to it. The pad thai was great. It was served separately with bean sprouts and peanut crumbs. The dish wasn’t as sweet as other Thai restaurants, which I prefer. My order came with tofu, and it was generous. I highly recommend it.

Eric Cruz

Legend. That’s the best word to describe this place. I’ve been coming here since 1996 when they first opened and this place has become an LA institution for Thai food. Been to Thailand over 25x and this place is bonafide legit. Love how humble they remained even with the lines. They recently opened one of the best ice cream shops in the USA. This and Sanamluang down the street are my go to’s in Thai Town.

+3

Joanne Sugiyama

This is a no frills, small place but the food is LEGIT. My husband likes very spicy food and I like mine mild. We ended up sharing 3 plates and he added the dried chili peppers on the table to every single bite. We had panang curry with chicken (spice level 1), pad see ew with beef and pad thai with beef. The food came out fast and the flavor was on point! We did have to wait a little bit at 8om on Friday night but the list went fast and we were seated, ate and walked over for gelato within 2 hours. Highly recommend - we will be back!!!

Brent Cham

Been here about 5x now and it’s one of my fave Thai places in LA. The cons: parking in the area can be hard to find, sometimes there’s a wait, it’s not a place to have a long drawn out dinner (because it’s so popular but I’ve never felt rushed). The pros: food is fantastic, lots of variety, even if there’s a wait it’s never that long, pretty standard pricing as well maybe even cheaper than some other Thai places. Fave dishes: northern Thai sausage (insanely good), any of the curries, boat noodles. Everything else is fantastic as well but those are the stand outs I’ve tried. Haven’t had one bad dish.

Tina C

We waited a long time on a weeknight and it was just okay. It wasn’t bad, but there are plenty of other really good Thai restaurants without waits.

+1

David D

Food is excellent, almost as good as my wife's cooking! This restaurant is ALWAYS busy. There is almost ALWAYS a line. So we always try to visit before 4pm, usually you can get a table quickly. After 4pm it's a wait. Food is spicy, not super salty, it's a rare treat, to have food actually prepared properly. Bravo.

Kiwi Mill

I visited on a Thursday night and the restaurant was packed—a clear sign it’s a local favorite. Parking was completely full, and there was a line outside with guests waiting to be seated. If you plan to dine in, definitely be ready to put your name down and wait. I ordered takeout instead and was honestly impressed—despite how busy they were, my order was ready in about 25 minutes. That’s efficient service considering the crowd. Here’s what I tried: - Thai Boat Noodle Soup: I had high hopes, especially being in Thai Town. However, the soup came out quite light and not the rich, bold flavor I’d expect from authentic Thai boat noodles. It might suit non-Thai diners better, but it didn’t hit the mark for me personally. - Yen Ta Fo: This was delicious! Great flavor, good texture, and tasted closer to home. -Kouy-Jub: Also well done—comforting, peppery, and flavorful. Worth ordering again. Overall, Ruen Pair is fast-paced, popular, and consistent with many dishes, though I’d say stick to other options if you’re craving deeply traditional flavors like the boat noodle soup.

+6

Osama

This place has excellent Thai food. I visited with a group of three and there was a bit of a line but it moved quickly. I had some morning glory and pad see ew with shrimps. The morning glory was pretty tasty and a good appetizer. The pad see ew was a bit too spicy, which was my fault, since that’s what I ordered - but it made it hard to discern the taste. I also had a Longan juice, which was my first time. It was very refreshing and something I’d get again.

+1

It was a little disappointing for a Thai person coming here or may be I had too high of an expectation coming to this place because I heard that this is one of the better Thai places. My stomach was bothering me after I ate the food. I had a headache and my eyes were hurting. The food was too oily. The chicken was bad quality. The only thing that was good was the Pad Prik King the green beans were pretty good. There are definitely better Thai restaurants in LA. This is just my honest opinion.

Jacky Lam

Came here 3 years ago. The food was amazing. Back again today, a little disappointed on the overall taste of the food. The crispy pork Kra Pao was very dry, tough, and not crunchy. The pork leg was very dry and not as juicy as before. Still good, but not as good as before or in Thailand. Sorry to give this place 3/5, from 5/5.

+1