Everybody knows COVID sucks, but there have been a few silver linings. Way back in September of 2021 when the Delta got me, I was fortunate to discover Chai Yo Thai vegetarian as a result of many, many DoorDashed evenings. For this reason, I've tried quite a few of the items on their menu, which is not 100% vegan--but everything can be made vegan (hooray!) with a simple request.
In addition to tofu, the restaurant offers a couple of mock meats, including chicken, duck, beef, and shrimp. The chicken and beef are pretty similar, very resonant of thick, meaty seitan, and I have to say, I am not hugely a fan. In fact, the first time I ordered Pad See Ew, I got it with "chicken" and was positive they had accidentally included mock beef instead. But no, their "chicken" is a very dark meat-like substance, which wasn't my thing. I haven't tried the duck or the shrimp, because the authentic versions of those things don't appeal to me, so I imagine the mock versions won't either.
That said, Chai Yo Thai delivers up great vegan Thai from their San Mateo location. The Wing Bomb is something that is common in various vegetarian or vegan Thai restaurants--it's the kind with a sort of skin on the outside and a bamboo (I think?) stick in the middle to emulate the bone. Their Thai samosas are smaller than the Indian kind, and shaped a little differently, but still serve up a sweet curry flavor on the inside. The crispy spring rolls are pretty standard--you know what you're going to get. The chicken satay is made from that dark seitan, and while my husband loves it, it's not my style. I prefer the crispy tofu, which comes with sweet and sour but would also be great with peanut sauce.
Honestly, everything I've had on their menu has been good (other than not liking the kind of vegan chicken they use, but everything can be made with tofu anyway), but I especially love the garlic noodles and their curries. They offer a bigger array of curries, which is great, including pumpkin and Massaman, which are my favorites.
5/5 fruit bats!
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