Isarn Thai Soul Kitchen

Price is a little high for the portion you get. Expect $ 25 at least per person to get filled. Taste does not stand out from other place with much lower price point.

The worse situation I have been in for a restaurant. I had a 6:30pm reservation, showed up at 6:00pm and checked in. Came back and was told that the couple was done and would be just a minute. 7:00pm. Went back again. Was told that they can’t do anything about the family that are still at the table. Complained to the manager who said «this is a great problem to have. We are so busy». Never offered to get a drink or an app while we continue to wait. Horrible service, horrible horrible management. I would stay away from this place at all costs!!!

If you’re not looking hard you’ll definitely miss this little gem! But since you’re using Unilocal you really have no good excuse… right?! This isn’t the typical Thai you might be used to. It’s their take on «Thai Soul» food. I’m definitely a big fan from the food to the cocktails!
Parking can be a challenge since this is one of the busiest street in Kirkland… so if you can’t get parking on the street there’s more spots near the back of the building behind Hector’s. This lot fills up fast though because it’s shared by a few restaurants and it’s not that big.
We decided to check out the happy hour so we got there about 4:30, and we sat in the bar. I was a little concerned because there was only one guy working and he told us that he was the hostess, waiter & bartender! He was actually really great and a full staff was there by the time we left.
Happy hour was great. Definitely plan on going back to try some more things. This is what we had:
Isaran Pork Sausage $ 3.95
Thai Green Papaya Salad $ 4.95
Larb Chicken $ 5.95
Everything was delicious… the sausage was paired with great accompaniments. The Green Papaya was refreshing and flavorful and the Larb Chicken was packed with flavor.
I opted for the Thaicoon Martini & that was delicious too. Highly recommend that signature cocktail!
I was pretty content with the appetizers but my dining companion wanted to try some dishes off the dinner menu. We opted for:
Crying Tiger (Flat Iron Steak) $ 13.95
Massaman Lamb (curry) $ 17.95
Fried Rice w/​crab $ 14.95
I had to take a star off for two of these dishes. The steak was so rare that it was too tough to eat. I absolutely don’t mind rare meat but this was more raw then rare. The fried rice had a egg that was under cooked and that made that dish a little hard to eat. The lamb was great and had some really nice, fresh flavors. It didn’t come with rice so make sure to order some to accompany that dish.
Almost forgot… if you have a Passport Dining card that’s good for a 20% savings. We saved almost $ 16.

Really love the vibe and food! Service was great. Happy hour menu is a great deal and the food good. I’m an out of towner but will be back to try some of the other dishes! Crying Tiger was delicious — steak cooked perfectly. Wings sweet and salty. Papaya salad had that perfect tang and heat!

They’ve improved so much since opening, which is not something you hear very often. Their Isarn coconut milk noodles are AMAZING, and they make such amazing curry. They have kept some of their more unusual dishes, which is nice. The staff is always really friendly. Parking is pretty bad, but it’s worth the walk.

Great vegetarian options as well as other entrees for those who prefer meat. Pad See Eww with veggies or tofu is a go-​to. Great cocktails too, the Goldeneye is one of Kirkland’s best.

A very unique spin on Thai cuisine! I’m not the best judge for what good thai food should taste like, but this place has absolutely blown me away compared to most other run-​of-​the-​mill thai places.
Granted, my wife is still a fan of the standard chicken phad thai, but some of the other dishes served here are just great. I had the isarn fried rice, which was filling, and we were both out of the restaurant for under $ 40.
With the fried rice, the deep fried beef has a wonderful smoky flavor, but I wasn’t overly impressed with the rice sauce that comes on the side. I made the mistake of putting the sauce all over my plate, even though it wasn’t very appetizing. The sweet curry here was also amazing, although you have to order rice separately. With that, I would say this place is a bit on the pricier side, as we came here with a group of 5 and our bill ran almost $ 100.

This place is so fun (say yes to the coconut water that comes in a coconut) and has a great vibe. Food is super unique– pick something and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Highly recommend the Isarn Noodle with coconut milk rice and noodles. Steamed veggies are also a great pair– includes: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and kale.

Pleasant service, not so great food.
If you love authentic Thai, this may be too much fusion and fuss for you.
Our table of 4 ordered varying degrees of spicy foods — and when the order came it was as if none of the food had any spice or heat whatsoever. Twice we were going to send it back, but we could not get the attention of the server.
The prices seems exceptionally high for what is being served.
Trendy décor and large wooden menus made me feel like I was in a theme restaurant, Not an authentic Thai kitchen.

Love the food here!
Lettuce Wraps
Thai Green Papaya Salad
Wings
Isarn Pork Sausage (my favorite)
Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage (my favorite)
Sweet Young Coconut Cream (my favorite)
Are all the dishes I have tried all enjoyed.
Also tried the Isarn Noodles with Coconut, but wasn’t a fan.
Can’t wait to try other dishes. :)

You can taste the passion put into each dish as you are transferred into a northern Thai village with the décor. Each dish is rich with flavor and you will leave in a food coma. However, portion sizes are hit or miss, so be sure to inquire with your waitress how many dishes you may need if you’re planning to eat family style.
Start with the Northern Thai Leaf Cup Nibbles — it’s a make-​your-​own leaf wrap activity. Then try the Chiang Mai Curry Noodles and the Isarn Noodles with Coconut Milk too! While the Northern Style Sweet Curry is on the dinner menu, think of it as an appetizer because the portion size is small, so pair it with something hearty.
PRO TIP: make a reservation, or else find seating at the bar — on the right, and discretely four seats by the chefs!

Great place — only qualm is dim lighting, but I guess most places tend to do that for mood lighting
Happy hour is a steal and delicious !!
From 3−6pm and 9pm to close
Highly recommend the crispy mussel omelette and lemongrass wings ! The papaya salad is bomb as well.
For a fun and sweet treat try getting the young coconut it tastes divine :)
The décor and service is superb as well– got my water refilled consistently and menus have a nice rustic wood feel

Wow… this place blew me away. Been meaning to check this place out for a while and stopped in for lunch on a Saturday. The bartender explained that Isarn is a home style North Eastern Thai restaurant that focuses more on slow cooked dishes rather than stir fried Thai dishes that most of us are used to. The restaurant is beautifully decorated in a Thai style that gives it an authentic feel, right down to the drink coasters.
I ordered a the Pork Lunch special, only available during lunch. Crispy pork belly, bbq pork (Char Siu) and Chinese sausage with rice, hard boiled egg and cucumber. If you’re the type of person like me, who enjoys several different animals on a plate, this dish is for you. Simply put, it’s amazing. The pork belly and Chinese sausage were definite winners. The pork belly was so crispy and mixed with the chili dipping sauce, the flavors were explosive. Washed it down with an excellent Thai Iced Tea.
While I’m a huge Thai food fan, I’m not that familiar with this style of Thai cooking. My experience at Isarn makes me want to come back again and again to work my way through the menu. Highly Recommended!

So glad this gem opened in Kirkland! It’s hard to eat anywhere else when I’m in the area because I love this restaurant sooo much. The food is unique, comfort, and amazing! There has never been an item here that I’ve ordered and didn’t like. Also, since it’s street Thai food, it has many dishes that wouldn’t necessarily be at other Thai restaurants, which I really like at any restaurant — that way you can try different food items you’ve never had before. That’s what’s great about this restaurant — you’ll find something to fall in love with. A few recommendations are the Isarn Thai Noodles, which are rice noodles that come with a yellow curry, the fried chicken, and anything with crab.
The place can get really busy in the evenings, but the wait isn’t ever too long. In the summer, they open the large windows so that the tables are by the sidewalk outside. This is where dogs are allowed to sit, and they’ve always been accommodating by getting my dog a water bowl. There’s a full bar served, and they do have a designated private parking lot which is shared with a few neighboring businesses behind the building. Street parking is easy to find though.

Another great meal but this time for dinner. new stuff we tried: khao soi, northern beef sweet curry, crying tiger, phad see ew, crab fried rice, grilled pork dish that came with leaf wrap, and HH wings. Everything was really good, but a few of us definitely thought the Khao soi was our favorite of the night. Really good portion with a lot of chicken and noodles. For a group of 8 of us, we all got a few good bites of the khao soi. We also got some of the standards: pineapple ribs, papaya salad, chiang mai sausage. Pineapple ribs are always sooooo tender, sweet, and tangy. the meat literally falls right off the bone. I was hoping the chiagmai sausage would be a little more moist this time around but i maybe that is there style. idk i guess that was my least favorite dish. Service is always very friendly.
Prices are very reasonable. We all left full and happy. The only thai spot on the eastside that i’ll eat at.

Isarn is hands down my favorite Thai restaurant. I love the décor, the friendly staff, and the delicious food. I’ve visited during every possible dining time frame now and have yet to be disappointed. Yes, even during the heat of this past summer with no air conditioning and their fans laboring just to blow hot air around…
I love that each dish has its own unique flavor concocted from fresh herbs and spices. Some of my favorites are the Hat Yai Fried Chicken (tender chicken and garlic chips, anyone?), Isarn Noodles With Coconut Milk (softest, most delicate vermicelli and great tasting curry), Isarn Mini Wings, Isarn Fried Rice – heck, even their brown rice is delicious and gets more fragrant as you chew.
These people make great Thai food. Go. There. Now.

The atmosphere is very relaxing and food is also amazing! Our local friends took us here and it was one of the most amazing meals of our trip!
We ordered deep fried fish with tamarind sauce. Delish. Papaya salad, curry and pad see yew were cooked perfectly. The grilled beef was full of flavor. This place makes their food with exquisite flavors and great presentation. We enjoyed it to the max

Very cool Lake St spot by Moss Bay after spending most of the morning in Mulilteo and riding the ferry. The vibe on the places around here is sooo relaxed and friendly. This place had great outside seating far enough away from the busy street, even a bench you can sit if you bring your dog (water bowl provided) lol. Staff very sweet and attentive. I love our dishes not swimming in sauce. The crab meat curry was perfect and the cabbage black pepper ONLY for those that love ALOT of black pepper & garlic, & slightly too salty.
Reviews were right about the Chinese sausage fried rice (not a lunch menu item but they accommodated) and mango pandan sticky rice dessert, yummy yummy!
The Asian summer cocktail light and refreshing. Every part of the experience was fantastic. Waiter forgot my 10% off Unilocal checkin but he was a different waiter from the first and I didn’t remind him. No biggie since I will def be back visiting my sis who moved to Kirkland! Who needs Seattle?!? This is a way better phenomenal place to chill!

I feel like it’s rare to find a thai place with exquisite flavors and fantastic presentation at the same time. Isarn, definitely covers both. It feels very authentic and the flavors are subtle with spices. I love the atmosphere here! You could dine near the counter but there is also a bar in the interior. Isarn is classy!
I felt hesitant to give this place 5 stars, because although the food was wonderful, I felt like I was paying for presentation. However, we had a terrific waitress (although one of the servers/​cashier dude was prompt and uncourteous unlike her). When the sun was setting, it was blinding one of our friends and she helped move the umbrella outside to help give him some shade. Now that is a genuinely nice person.
I would definitely come back to hangout and try the drinks and desserts next time.
Pork shoulder is tender, juicy, and amazing balance of sweet and salty, soft and crusty. This is one of the best grilled pork I’ve had in a while. My friend got a soup (in a coconut?) and it tasted wonderful as well. The tom kha (i think he got as well) was creamy smooth and delicious. These guys know their flavors well.

I’m thai, and this is my favorite thai place as of now. The servers here are friendly and attentive every time I come here. I also love the unique décor inside the restaurant.
We ordered the grilled pork shoulder, Chiang mai curry noodles, hat yai fried chicken, northern style sweet curry, and spicy everything salad. My two favorites were the curry noodles and pork shoulder. Although the curry noodles were a little too sweet, the condiments that come with it totally toned it down and reminded me of home. Grilled pork shoulder was delicious! The meat was juicy and tender, and the dipping sauce tasted like ones in Thailand. The curry was perfect, and meant to be eaten with rice. I didn’t really like the salad and chicken. The chicken needed a little more topping on it, and was a little too dry on the inside.
There’s more to thai food than stir fried noodles :)