I never write reviews, but when you visit a place that hits all of the marks it has to be done. My partner and I came to Evanston for a show last night and wanted to grab dinner beforehand. After narrowing down our choices, we landed on NaKorn. When we walked in we were greeted by super friendly staff and a gorgeous low-light ambiance, complete with a unique attention to detail that I'll let you notice when you come to visit. Drinks: My partner stuck with a gin martini and I had the White Tail. Both were well portioned and delicious! Dinner: We shared four of their bites: the vegetarian scallops (out of this world. I am weary about mushrooms sometimes but they were my favorite of the night), fried tofu (the attention to detail in plating these was amazing, and the dressing delicious), the ginger bourbon popcorn chicken (a last minute add on for us but delicious and balanced the meal out), and the poached tiger prawns (I don't eat shrimp, but my partner raved about them. I ate the broth over some sticky rice and was impressed). Dessert: we had the "you asked for it", a vegan chocolate cake with Turkish cotton candy and a coconut cream sauce. I'm probably forgetting something here, but it was divine. For their pastry chef to work so hard on a vegan dessert was sweet to hear , and they certainly deserve all the praise on this one. We also finished the night with a digestif, which was neat to see on a dessert menu. I wasn't expecting it, but love that addition. Service: Okay, you don't get better service anywhere else. We met Rush, Marc, and one of the owners (I am so sorry that I didn't catch your name!!) We didn't wait long at all for our food, there was plenty of fun conversation with everyone, and we felt taken care of the entire time. My partner and I are former/current service industry folks so we're understanding if something goes wrong, isn't perfect, etc, but genuinely we were blown away by the entire experience from every turn. Living over an hour away, I want to make a special trip out here and take others to experience this level of dining because it was just that amazing. Spots like this deserve recognition far beyond a positive yelp review and I hope they continue to crank out some of the most delicious food and hospitality I've ever experienced. I hope you'll give this spot a chance if you haven't because it won't take long before you're planning your next night out to NaKorn.
Grace R.
Lovely restaurant. Impeccable attention to detail. The presentation of everything is top notch. The food is amazing as well. The desserts were above and beyond. Every corner of the dining room beholds something beautiful and either hand-made or curated and imported from Thailand. Every detail has a story that the owners are happy to tell. The sights aren't the only thing to behold here - the food is fantastic as well. Our favorites were the fall-off-the-bone braised pork shank and jumbo lump crab meat with noodles. Also good enough to order a second round - Coriander Crispy Shredded Beef Brisket, yum! Fantastic! We highly recommend and we will be back! The desert was worth dying for!
Heather Clancy
3rd time here and might have been the best. Friday night and it was buzzing. We were able to get bar seats and ate there, which was perfect. Live music, food was delish (braised chicken is just so delicious), and everyone on the service team is happy and helpful. This is a fav and we're thankful Evanston is the home of Nakorn!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Curry
Larissa Buchholz
Dear NaKorn Owners and Team, Thank you for making this such a special place. There are very few culinary spaces that are created with true love and dedication in the Chicago area, and when I see them, I am always so appreciative that people don't go with the mainstream but seek to set new standards, because I understand that this is not easy. But that is what your restaurant does so successfully. Impeccable attention to detail in everything - from interior design, to the plates, to the very way the food is arranged.The food itself is so intricate and special in its range of flavors and allows to re-discover Thai food beyond generic American Pad Thai in many facets. A place like yours just feeds the soul. Thank you. I enthusiastically recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ankit Chainani
10 on 10So goad i picked this place for some innovative thai food.Best part is family run and they dont compromise on qualityzDelicious food with some great serviceBe it cocktails or beers both were fantasticNow coming to food: pop corn chicken, papaya saladFor mains: we got coconut curry with chickenAbsolutely loved itI domt remember the dessert but it was something like vegan cake and it was so goodAsk server about that
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rebecca Fyffe
Why hasn’t NaKorn Thai restaurant won awards for the whimsy and beauty of its interior design? It deserves them. Pass through the cerulean curtains into the dining room and you’re greeted by a portrait of Thailand’s King Rama IX rendered in the style of Mao-era propaganda posters. It’s stunning.The bar is made of antique abacuses, yes, the calculating instrument that uses beads on rods to represent decimal places. And abacuses appear elsewhere in the dining room, too. The table bases are the legs and treadles of vintage sewing machines. A flock of bird cages turned into chandeliers lights the dining room. If you’re a design buff, this is a destination restaurant just to take in the decor.Our meal was delicious. The whole fried branzino was so fresh that I ate every part of it, the eyes, the cheeks, the tongue, reducing the head to a pile of splinters. My favorite dish was the turmeric-coconut blue crab curry noodles.Each team member who visited our table shared stories about the origin of each dish and the inspiration behind the decor. Service was extraordinary.NaKorn Thai restaurant1622 Orrington Avenue in Evanston
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rebecca F.
Why hasn't NaKorn Thai restaurant won awards for the whimsy and beauty of its interior design? It deserves them. Pass through the cerulean curtains into the dining room and you're greeted by a portrait of Thailand's King Rama IX rendered in the style of Mao-era propaganda posters. It's stunning. The bar is made of antique abacuses, yes, the calculating instrument that uses beads on rods to represent decimal places. And abacuses appear elsewhere in the dining room, too. The table bases are the legs and treadles of vintage sewing machines. A flock of bird cages turned into chandeliers lights the dining room. If you're a design buff, this is a destination restaurant just to take in the decor. Our meal was delicious. The whole fried branzino was so fresh that I ate every part of it, the eyes, the cheeks, the tongue, reducing the head to a pile of splinters. My favorite dish was the turmeric-coconut blue crab curry noodles. Each team member who visited our table shared stories about the origin of each dish and the inspiration behind the decor. Service was extraordinary. NaKorn Thai restaurant 1622 Orrington Avenue in Evanston
Leaht F.
Yes, please! My husband and I looove this place! The owners are so sweet and the food is amazing! The popcorn chicken is delicious, and the atmosphere is super cute. In the summer they have live music in front; can't wait to go back when the weather warms up.
Anne Marie H.
I went here for the first time for dinner because I was drawn to the vegan options. Although there are only a few, what I ordered was delicious! They had an appetizer special of sweet potato croquettes. The order arrived with 4 small pieces, but since they had the perfect combination of texture and flavor, I felt like I wasn't missing out. For the main entrée, I ordered their tofu and chard curry, which came with a small serving of jasmine rice. Everything tasted amazing! I truly appreciated the flavor and texture combinations. The curry had a tiny bit of spice, which enhanced the dish. The service was also excellent. The staff was professional and courteous. They made us feel welcomed and well taken care of tonight! They kept an eye on filling our water for us, even though the carafe was on our table. Meals were brought out with perfect timing. The atmosphere was trendy and traditional at the same time. The restaurant was warm and cozy and the music was at a comfortable level. Will be back!!!
CB429
Had a very nice lunch with a friend. Tried the bits and a lunch plate. The shallots were cooked perfectly with a wonderful chili sauce. The chicken with mushrooms and small potatoes were in a wonderful sauce. Service was terrific.
One of the best restaurant we have been to. Manager, Rush, was so kind. Food was extraordinary and service impeccable. Worth the long drive from Aurora. Will visit again with friends soon.
Carolina Polo
At Nakorn Thai, the Tapioca Pearl Crackers and Chicken Lettuce Wrap were interesting but lacked flavor, needing more sauce to enhance their taste. The quiet ambiance didn’t help the atmosphere, though the host’s warmth and the spotless bathrooms stood out positively. Service was quick and friendly. Despite these pluses, the food’s lack of flavor makes me cautious about reordering these dishes.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Lisa DiCola
If you love delicious food, friendly staff and a sophisticated, yet calming ambience, look no further. The flavor of the banh mi noodles will keep me coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ezra Getzler
This is the first Thai restaurant I have ever been to that charges ($4} for extra lettuce leaves for their larb. If the dish was amazing, maybe I'd understand, but it had only homeopathic quantities of fish sauce. Save your time and money for Siam Noodle and Rice in Uptown.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Shen Y.
If the cheerful environment made me happy, the awesome food really made my day. We ordered a fried fish, shrimp noodles and fried tofu. The shrimp noodles instantly recalled my pleasant memories of Phuket island! Definitely I will go there again
I never write reviews, but when you visit a place that hits all of the marks it has to be done. My partner and I came to Evanston for a show last night and wanted to grab dinner beforehand. After narrowing down our choices, we landed on NaKorn. When we walked in we were greeted by super friendly staff and a gorgeous low-light ambiance, complete with a unique attention to detail that I'll let you notice when you come to visit. Drinks: My partner stuck with a gin martini and I had the White Tail. Both were well portioned and delicious! Dinner: We shared four of their bites: the vegetarian scallops (out of this world. I am weary about mushrooms sometimes but they were my favorite of the night), fried tofu (the attention to detail in plating these was amazing, and the dressing delicious), the ginger bourbon popcorn chicken (a last minute add on for us but delicious and balanced the meal out), and the poached tiger prawns (I don't eat shrimp, but my partner raved about them. I ate the broth over some sticky rice and was impressed). Dessert: we had the "you asked for it", a vegan chocolate cake with Turkish cotton candy and a coconut cream sauce. I'm probably forgetting something here, but it was divine. For their pastry chef to work so hard on a vegan dessert was sweet to hear , and they certainly deserve all the praise on this one. We also finished the night with a digestif, which was neat to see on a dessert menu. I wasn't expecting it, but love that addition. Service: Okay, you don't get better service anywhere else. We met Rush, Marc, and one of the owners (I am so sorry that I didn't catch your name!!) We didn't wait long at all for our food, there was plenty of fun conversation with everyone, and we felt taken care of the entire time. My partner and I are former/current service industry folks so we're understanding if something goes wrong, isn't perfect, etc, but genuinely we were blown away by the entire experience from every turn. Living over an hour away, I want to make a special trip out here and take others to experience this level of dining because it was just that amazing. Spots like this deserve recognition far beyond a positive yelp review and I hope they continue to crank out some of the most delicious food and hospitality I've ever experienced. I hope you'll give this spot a chance if you haven't because it won't take long before you're planning your next night out to NaKorn.
Lovely restaurant. Impeccable attention to detail. The presentation of everything is top notch. The food is amazing as well. The desserts were above and beyond. Every corner of the dining room beholds something beautiful and either hand-made or curated and imported from Thailand. Every detail has a story that the owners are happy to tell. The sights aren't the only thing to behold here - the food is fantastic as well. Our favorites were the fall-off-the-bone braised pork shank and jumbo lump crab meat with noodles. Also good enough to order a second round - Coriander Crispy Shredded Beef Brisket, yum! Fantastic! We highly recommend and we will be back! The desert was worth dying for!
3rd time here and might have been the best. Friday night and it was buzzing. We were able to get bar seats and ate there, which was perfect. Live music, food was delish (braised chicken is just so delicious), and everyone on the service team is happy and helpful. This is a fav and we're thankful Evanston is the home of Nakorn!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Curry
Dear NaKorn Owners and Team, Thank you for making this such a special place. There are very few culinary spaces that are created with true love and dedication in the Chicago area, and when I see them, I am always so appreciative that people don't go with the mainstream but seek to set new standards, because I understand that this is not easy. But that is what your restaurant does so successfully. Impeccable attention to detail in everything - from interior design, to the plates, to the very way the food is arranged.The food itself is so intricate and special in its range of flavors and allows to re-discover Thai food beyond generic American Pad Thai in many facets. A place like yours just feeds the soul. Thank you. I enthusiastically recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
10 on 10So goad i picked this place for some innovative thai food.Best part is family run and they dont compromise on qualityzDelicious food with some great serviceBe it cocktails or beers both were fantasticNow coming to food: pop corn chicken, papaya saladFor mains: we got coconut curry with chickenAbsolutely loved itI domt remember the dessert but it was something like vegan cake and it was so goodAsk server about that
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Why hasn’t NaKorn Thai restaurant won awards for the whimsy and beauty of its interior design? It deserves them. Pass through the cerulean curtains into the dining room and you’re greeted by a portrait of Thailand’s King Rama IX rendered in the style of Mao-era propaganda posters. It’s stunning.The bar is made of antique abacuses, yes, the calculating instrument that uses beads on rods to represent decimal places. And abacuses appear elsewhere in the dining room, too. The table bases are the legs and treadles of vintage sewing machines. A flock of bird cages turned into chandeliers lights the dining room. If you’re a design buff, this is a destination restaurant just to take in the decor.Our meal was delicious. The whole fried branzino was so fresh that I ate every part of it, the eyes, the cheeks, the tongue, reducing the head to a pile of splinters. My favorite dish was the turmeric-coconut blue crab curry noodles.Each team member who visited our table shared stories about the origin of each dish and the inspiration behind the decor. Service was extraordinary.NaKorn Thai restaurant1622 Orrington Avenue in Evanston
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Why hasn't NaKorn Thai restaurant won awards for the whimsy and beauty of its interior design? It deserves them. Pass through the cerulean curtains into the dining room and you're greeted by a portrait of Thailand's King Rama IX rendered in the style of Mao-era propaganda posters. It's stunning. The bar is made of antique abacuses, yes, the calculating instrument that uses beads on rods to represent decimal places. And abacuses appear elsewhere in the dining room, too. The table bases are the legs and treadles of vintage sewing machines. A flock of bird cages turned into chandeliers lights the dining room. If you're a design buff, this is a destination restaurant just to take in the decor. Our meal was delicious. The whole fried branzino was so fresh that I ate every part of it, the eyes, the cheeks, the tongue, reducing the head to a pile of splinters. My favorite dish was the turmeric-coconut blue crab curry noodles. Each team member who visited our table shared stories about the origin of each dish and the inspiration behind the decor. Service was extraordinary. NaKorn Thai restaurant 1622 Orrington Avenue in Evanston
Yes, please! My husband and I looove this place! The owners are so sweet and the food is amazing! The popcorn chicken is delicious, and the atmosphere is super cute. In the summer they have live music in front; can't wait to go back when the weather warms up.
I went here for the first time for dinner because I was drawn to the vegan options. Although there are only a few, what I ordered was delicious! They had an appetizer special of sweet potato croquettes. The order arrived with 4 small pieces, but since they had the perfect combination of texture and flavor, I felt like I wasn't missing out. For the main entrée, I ordered their tofu and chard curry, which came with a small serving of jasmine rice. Everything tasted amazing! I truly appreciated the flavor and texture combinations. The curry had a tiny bit of spice, which enhanced the dish. The service was also excellent. The staff was professional and courteous. They made us feel welcomed and well taken care of tonight! They kept an eye on filling our water for us, even though the carafe was on our table. Meals were brought out with perfect timing. The atmosphere was trendy and traditional at the same time. The restaurant was warm and cozy and the music was at a comfortable level. Will be back!!!
Had a very nice lunch with a friend. Tried the bits and a lunch plate. The shallots were cooked perfectly with a wonderful chili sauce. The chicken with mushrooms and small potatoes were in a wonderful sauce. Service was terrific.
Restaurantji Recommends
One of the best restaurant we have been to. Manager, Rush, was so kind. Food was extraordinary and service impeccable. Worth the long drive from Aurora. Will visit again with friends soon.
At Nakorn Thai, the Tapioca Pearl Crackers and Chicken Lettuce Wrap were interesting but lacked flavor, needing more sauce to enhance their taste. The quiet ambiance didn’t help the atmosphere, though the host’s warmth and the spotless bathrooms stood out positively. Service was quick and friendly. Despite these pluses, the food’s lack of flavor makes me cautious about reordering these dishes.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
If you love delicious food, friendly staff and a sophisticated, yet calming ambience, look no further. The flavor of the banh mi noodles will keep me coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is the first Thai restaurant I have ever been to that charges ($4} for extra lettuce leaves for their larb. If the dish was amazing, maybe I'd understand, but it had only homeopathic quantities of fish sauce. Save your time and money for Siam Noodle and Rice in Uptown.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
If the cheerful environment made me happy, the awesome food really made my day. We ordered a fried fish, shrimp noodles and fried tofu. The shrimp noodles instantly recalled my pleasant memories of Phuket island! Definitely I will go there again