Kanlaya Thai Kitchen

Kanlaya Thai Kitchen in Allison Park is fantastic—delicious, fresh food with vibrant flavors that make every dish a treat. A wonderful spot for authentic Thai cuisine!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Satay

Without a doubt, Kanlaya has the best Thai food in the greater Pittsburgh area. Their Tom Kha soup is my favorite item on the menu and their other dishes are excellent as well. Staff are always friendly and attentive. A great place to grab something to eat in Allison Park!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Tom Kha Soup

Was delicious. I had the shrimp fried rice. Shared appetizer - spring rolls. Went on a Thursday at around 1 pm and we were the only ones in the restaurant.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Ordered Every Soup on the Menu So You Don’t Have To.

Let me cut right to it. This is Americanized Thai food. I ordered every single soup on the menu, and my wife ordered a rice dish. The flavors were muted across the board. Nothing was bad, but nothing stood out either. The salt levels were low, the seasoning was timid, and the spice level felt like it was designed for someone who thinks black pepper is bold.

For context, I always order every soup when I visit a Thai restaurant. It is the best way to compare places, since most of them serve the same core classics. This spot followed that pattern. The lemongrass flavor was strong in almost every bowl. While that is authentic, it was overdone and ended up drowning out everything else. I ordered all the soups vegetarian, and to their credit, they loaded them with vegetables. That part was well executed.

I also try rangoons and dumplings everywhere I go. They did not have dumplings here, which was disappointing. The rangoons were folded in a way I had not seen before, and I actually liked that. They tasted good, but I did not see any distinct crab meat like I do at better Thai spots. Still, they were enjoyable.

They also had Thai chicken wings. I have no idea if wings are actually traditional in Thailand or if this is just another American spin, but they were excellent. They were fried perfectly and had a flavorful sauce that hit just right. They were crispy, juicy, and not greasy. I would absolutely order them again.

The service was outstanding. The staff was friendly, fast, and very accommodating. That alone raises this review to three stars. If the service had been average, this would have landed at two stars based on the food alone.

Some of the five-star reviews calling this place authentic Thai made me laugh. This is about as authentic as your average American Chinese restaurant. If you have ever had real Thai or Chinese food, you know how bold and different the flavors can be. This was not that. This was safe and watered-down to appeal to everyone.

Also, check my review history. I have been to the majority of Thai restaurants in Pittsburgh. I do not hand out ratings blindly. I know what Thai food should taste like. This place sits firmly in the middle of the pack. Not bad, but not memorable and in a city with plenty of better Thai options, that simply is not good enough.

Three stars because the service was top-notch, the portions were generous, the vegetarian soups were packed with veggies, and the wings were genuinely well done. Everything else was just okay.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Hands down the best Thai food in/around Pittsburgh - the red curry with chicken and chicken pad Thai are unreal. They are consistent every time , can’t recommend it enough !

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great restaurant with a beautiful Thai decor with a very authentic taste. Highly recommend this place and their seasonal Mango sticky rice for dessert 🍨

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Everything is good but nothing is great

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Love the food and staff!

Very good food a little bit expensive but it's worth it, I'm vegan and I can eat alot here I would recommend the red curry :)b

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Red Curry, Green Curry

I ate here all of the Time growing up in Hampton Township.

Do You still do any Buffets?

Best Asian Food in the Pittsburgh Area.

Lemon Chicken to die for.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fried Rice

First time here and came based on the reviews. It is a very unassuming place. The outside could use some updating (painted bricks would go a long way), as could the flooring inside, BUT with that said, the food was very tasty. Portions are nice sized, prices are reasonable. Got pineapple fried rice with shrimp, very good, however would have liked more pineapple and cashews in it. 3 out of 4 spiciness was enough to make the nose run a lil and left some tingling on the tongue, but not over bearing at all. Husband and I also got crab ragoons- delish! And veggie spring rolls- also tasty! $54 for everything. Highly recommend and definitely will be back.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fried Spring Rolls, Pineapple Fried Rice

I’m very confused by the amount of 5 star reviews and people calling this “the best Thai restaurant” in the area…this was our first time trying Kanlaya and I don’t think we’ll be back. We were hoping to find a place closer to home rather than always having to drive into the city, but unfortunately this was yet another disappointment.

Had takeout and it was very delicious!!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fried Rice, Red Curry

Pretty lame.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 2

Excellent food and service! Absolutely loved it, came here with friends and it was such good Thai food! Thank you Kanlaya, will be back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Tom Yum, Crispy Spring Rolls, Red Curry