Expected so much but was only average. it's not the best Thai I ever had. I tried the lemongrass beef soup and the chicken dish with the crispy onions. It does not live up to the hype it builds around itself
Emily K.
This is probably my favorite restaurant in San Diego. I love Thai food and have never had any this good! Definitely worth the price. My favorites are the Hat Yai Fried Chicken and the Grilled Angus New York Steak (over beef tallow fried rice). The ambiance is great, though it gets busy on weekends (so you probably want a reservation).
Momo R.
Food is excellent. I recommend the ribs. I have a unique flavor and fall off. The bone service was OK. They were very busy that night, but they were very friendly and accommodating. I saw this on Guy's show and wanted to try it.
Marc S.
Sovereign Modern Thai is a winner. I was in town for a conference and checked them out based on their eater.com rating and I wasn't disappointed. Sovereign was a tale of managing all of the different aspects of the Western/modern restaurant with that of the classic Asian restaurant. Sometimes it was disorienting to have your expectations and biases get turned upside down: -somehow a great Asian restaurant full of Asians can have modern and Western ambiance (and clean bathrooms hahaha) -somehow non-Asian waiters can ignore you and provide sub-par service that you'd expect only from native Asians -somehow a "modern" Asian cuisine can blow you out of the water I ordered the Hat Yai, steamed chicken, and mango sticky rice. The Hat Yai was fantastic--it had a crispy outside with tender meat. The flavor was so great that you didn't need the tamarind jam at all. The steamed chicken was good and elevated with the ginger sauce. The rice was outstanding by virtue of being cooked with fatty chicken broth and ginger. Their mango sticky rice with the toasted coconut garnish was so fresh and sweet and hit me on many levels of texture. The experience and food was worth it and this was a great value! Highly recommended!
Kira P.
Loved the atmosphere and the food. We had a wonderful waitress whose dog is named Luna. She was delightful throughout the whole meal. I ordered avocado spring rolls. They were so yummy with two dipping sauces. I thoroughly enjoyed my vegetarian choice. My husband ordered shrimp pad Thai. He loved his choice as well. Great service all around,couldn't have asked for anything better. If we lived in SD we would be regulars.
Gabrielle Sun
Fish of the day and scrispy pork belly are top-noch! If you have a larger party, be aware that they charge a cancellation fee $20 per person.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Tina Klein
This was great — particularly the duck curry and mango sticky rice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lucy Willder
Featured in the Michelin Guide for the past 3 years, we couldn’t not try Sovereign. On our first day we walked to the East Village in San Diego where Sovereign is located to check it out. I’m glad we did as it tuned out to be in a not very nice area in San Diego. Armed with this knowledge when visited we did so by Uber.When we arrived and we were sat in a booth, which I always like.We ordered….Thai cracking sticks.Northern Thai Spicy Sausage. I know the clue is in the name but these were extremely spicy.They had run out of the Golden Crispy Pork Belly so we had Hat Yai Fried Chicken with Tomato Chili Jam.It had the most amazing crispy skin like Peking duck but even better. The chicken was so tender.We also had Dry Turmeric Curry, which had a deliciously mild spice on the minced meat.All in all we enjoyed the food here, particularly the mains which were fantastic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeff S.
This restaurant is mentioned in the Michelin Guide, and rightly so. Everything about this place was a positive experience. We arrived before noon and waited for them to open. We weren't the only ones. This place is a known spot, so make a reservation or get there early. Within the first 30 minutes of seating, I would say the place was at least 60% filled up-and there are not a lot of tables. By the time we left an hour and 20 minutes later, there were at least half a dozen or more people waiting out the front door. For lunch service, they only had one server/bartender for all the tables. That was probably ok, but she was busy the whole time and while service was great, it was relaxed and not at all rushed. But if you wanted things to move faster, you might be hard pressed to get in and out fast. If the place was really busy, it might get slow if they don't have another server on board.That being said, they do ask on the menu that parties do not stay more than 90 minutes in order to allow more guests in. So they know they can move diners in and out because the demand is there. Every dish was amazing. We started with the avocado spring rolls. Meticulously made and carefully wrapped, they had shredded carrot, cucumber, avocado, lettuce, and glass noodles in a rice wrapper. Served with a side of sweet chile sauce (not really hot) and a side of peanut dipping sauce. Both were good, I liked the sweet chile sauce. Additionally, we had the Thai taco appetizer. Two soft street tacos, with a slow cooked pulled pork but with thai seasonings, slices of jalapeño, on a corn tortilla. These were amazingly good. For our mains we had the Red Chicken Curry and Broccoli with garlic. The curry came with a side of rice. Curry with a nice amount of heat, the broccoli just erring on the side of tender yet crunchy, with a delicous garlicky broth. For dessert we had fried bananas, which were basically a banana wrapped up like a tube in a phyllo-like dough, the deep fried and served with a few drops of a sweet maybe simple syrup on the plate. A generous portion and just right. Ambience here is quiet and casual, and they have a few outdoor seats. They allowed us to bring our dog inside and sit in the booth with us, which was very cool. We ordered just about right for 2-3 people, appetizers are good for 1-2 people, and mains about the same. So 2 apps and 2 mains for two people is about right, if you're really hungry order another main dish. I would return without hesitation, it's a good value for food this good, service is on point, and it's a win-win all around.
Haylie Chu
It's my 5th time to visit here today. The foods were great and the service made me feel so disappointing this time. ??Maybe there is not enough waiters.
One of the best, probably the best Thai food place in San Diego! Only been here twice but leaving the place always satisfied and full. Their signature rockfish is spectacular!! Lots of flavors. This place is also Michelin recommended!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mango Sticky Rice
Brandon G.
This is the second time I've been here. The food is insane so much flavor my brain cannot comprehend. Cocktail menu is insane. We had Santi twice in a row and answered every question we had and had phenomenal recommendations. Beef Panang curry is 10/10 we will be back for a 3rd time!
Amelea J.
Reservations are a must here. We were lucky enough to get seated without it. This place is always crowded. The food was delish. The stir fried pork belly was on the salty side. The restaurant is a little small. I would say it would fit about 50-60 people max. Service is nice and friendly.
Skye S D.
love this place stumbled upon it on YELP yrs ago while vacationin inda gaslamp district of SD ~ it was within quite a walking distance from INDIGO, which was where i was stayin during that particular trip im kinda a creature of habit so i tend 2 order da same things repeatedly & im usually da 1 in my group doin most of da ordering grilled thai pork neck: 10/10 yumz but they no longer come w bamboo wrapped rice, tho i was given 1 after askin 4 it NY steak beef tallow fried rice: 8/10 ~ it was bit overcooked my last visit even tho i requested it 2b medium rare spicy thai basil beef: 9/10 ~ i pref it 2b minced chicken like other places but da flavors were amazing chefs signature whole fried fish (market price): def worth tryin but price is kinda steep this place is def a must-have every time im inda area
Expected so much but was only average. it's not the best Thai I ever had. I tried the lemongrass beef soup and the chicken dish with the crispy onions. It does not live up to the hype it builds around itself
This is probably my favorite restaurant in San Diego. I love Thai food and have never had any this good! Definitely worth the price. My favorites are the Hat Yai Fried Chicken and the Grilled Angus New York Steak (over beef tallow fried rice). The ambiance is great, though it gets busy on weekends (so you probably want a reservation).
Food is excellent. I recommend the ribs. I have a unique flavor and fall off. The bone service was OK. They were very busy that night, but they were very friendly and accommodating. I saw this on Guy's show and wanted to try it.
Sovereign Modern Thai is a winner. I was in town for a conference and checked them out based on their eater.com rating and I wasn't disappointed. Sovereign was a tale of managing all of the different aspects of the Western/modern restaurant with that of the classic Asian restaurant. Sometimes it was disorienting to have your expectations and biases get turned upside down: -somehow a great Asian restaurant full of Asians can have modern and Western ambiance (and clean bathrooms hahaha) -somehow non-Asian waiters can ignore you and provide sub-par service that you'd expect only from native Asians -somehow a "modern" Asian cuisine can blow you out of the water I ordered the Hat Yai, steamed chicken, and mango sticky rice. The Hat Yai was fantastic--it had a crispy outside with tender meat. The flavor was so great that you didn't need the tamarind jam at all. The steamed chicken was good and elevated with the ginger sauce. The rice was outstanding by virtue of being cooked with fatty chicken broth and ginger. Their mango sticky rice with the toasted coconut garnish was so fresh and sweet and hit me on many levels of texture. The experience and food was worth it and this was a great value! Highly recommended!
Loved the atmosphere and the food. We had a wonderful waitress whose dog is named Luna. She was delightful throughout the whole meal. I ordered avocado spring rolls. They were so yummy with two dipping sauces. I thoroughly enjoyed my vegetarian choice. My husband ordered shrimp pad Thai. He loved his choice as well. Great service all around,couldn't have asked for anything better. If we lived in SD we would be regulars.
Fish of the day and scrispy pork belly are top-noch! If you have a larger party, be aware that they charge a cancellation fee $20 per person.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
This was great — particularly the duck curry and mango sticky rice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Featured in the Michelin Guide for the past 3 years, we couldn’t not try Sovereign. On our first day we walked to the East Village in San Diego where Sovereign is located to check it out. I’m glad we did as it tuned out to be in a not very nice area in San Diego. Armed with this knowledge when visited we did so by Uber.When we arrived and we were sat in a booth, which I always like.We ordered….Thai cracking sticks.Northern Thai Spicy Sausage. I know the clue is in the name but these were extremely spicy.They had run out of the Golden Crispy Pork Belly so we had Hat Yai Fried Chicken with Tomato Chili Jam.It had the most amazing crispy skin like Peking duck but even better. The chicken was so tender.We also had Dry Turmeric Curry, which had a deliciously mild spice on the minced meat.All in all we enjoyed the food here, particularly the mains which were fantastic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This restaurant is mentioned in the Michelin Guide, and rightly so. Everything about this place was a positive experience. We arrived before noon and waited for them to open. We weren't the only ones. This place is a known spot, so make a reservation or get there early. Within the first 30 minutes of seating, I would say the place was at least 60% filled up-and there are not a lot of tables. By the time we left an hour and 20 minutes later, there were at least half a dozen or more people waiting out the front door. For lunch service, they only had one server/bartender for all the tables. That was probably ok, but she was busy the whole time and while service was great, it was relaxed and not at all rushed. But if you wanted things to move faster, you might be hard pressed to get in and out fast. If the place was really busy, it might get slow if they don't have another server on board.That being said, they do ask on the menu that parties do not stay more than 90 minutes in order to allow more guests in. So they know they can move diners in and out because the demand is there. Every dish was amazing. We started with the avocado spring rolls. Meticulously made and carefully wrapped, they had shredded carrot, cucumber, avocado, lettuce, and glass noodles in a rice wrapper. Served with a side of sweet chile sauce (not really hot) and a side of peanut dipping sauce. Both were good, I liked the sweet chile sauce. Additionally, we had the Thai taco appetizer. Two soft street tacos, with a slow cooked pulled pork but with thai seasonings, slices of jalapeño, on a corn tortilla. These were amazingly good. For our mains we had the Red Chicken Curry and Broccoli with garlic. The curry came with a side of rice. Curry with a nice amount of heat, the broccoli just erring on the side of tender yet crunchy, with a delicous garlicky broth. For dessert we had fried bananas, which were basically a banana wrapped up like a tube in a phyllo-like dough, the deep fried and served with a few drops of a sweet maybe simple syrup on the plate. A generous portion and just right. Ambience here is quiet and casual, and they have a few outdoor seats. They allowed us to bring our dog inside and sit in the booth with us, which was very cool. We ordered just about right for 2-3 people, appetizers are good for 1-2 people, and mains about the same. So 2 apps and 2 mains for two people is about right, if you're really hungry order another main dish. I would return without hesitation, it's a good value for food this good, service is on point, and it's a win-win all around.
It's my 5th time to visit here today. The foods were great and the service made me feel so disappointing this time. ??Maybe there is not enough waiters.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
Best Thai in San Diego, not even close.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best, probably the best Thai food place in San Diego! Only been here twice but leaving the place always satisfied and full. Their signature rockfish is spectacular!! Lots of flavors. This place is also Michelin recommended!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mango Sticky Rice
This is the second time I've been here. The food is insane so much flavor my brain cannot comprehend. Cocktail menu is insane. We had Santi twice in a row and answered every question we had and had phenomenal recommendations. Beef Panang curry is 10/10 we will be back for a 3rd time!
Reservations are a must here. We were lucky enough to get seated without it. This place is always crowded. The food was delish. The stir fried pork belly was on the salty side. The restaurant is a little small. I would say it would fit about 50-60 people max. Service is nice and friendly.
love this place stumbled upon it on YELP yrs ago while vacationin inda gaslamp district of SD ~ it was within quite a walking distance from INDIGO, which was where i was stayin during that particular trip im kinda a creature of habit so i tend 2 order da same things repeatedly & im usually da 1 in my group doin most of da ordering grilled thai pork neck: 10/10 yumz but they no longer come w bamboo wrapped rice, tho i was given 1 after askin 4 it NY steak beef tallow fried rice: 8/10 ~ it was bit overcooked my last visit even tho i requested it 2b medium rare spicy thai basil beef: 9/10 ~ i pref it 2b minced chicken like other places but da flavors were amazing chefs signature whole fried fish (market price): def worth tryin but price is kinda steep this place is def a must-have every time im inda area