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Pon Proem Thai Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
3039 78th Ave SE(between 30th St & 32nd St)
Mercer Island, WA 98040
(206) 236-8424
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
33 reviews for Pon Proem Thai Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"I eat Pon Proem food, but always order to go." In 6 reviews -
"...appetizer and entree, chicken satay and green curry." In 3 reviews -
"It works great for take-out and there are menus to carry..." In 5 reviews
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33 reviews in English
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Review from Jeanette R.
Mercer Island, WA
2/13/2012
I go to this Thai restaurant often, as there are very few choices for a quick meal or take out on Mercer Island. It is really good....not the best thai food I've ever had, but it is consistently delicious. I always order the green chicken curry with 3 stars, and I eat the jalapenos they throw in there! I like it spicy. I tried a new soup this evening, chicken coconut lemongrass mushroom soup - really tasty! It had big fresh chunks of ginger, that were really good and lots of fresh small tender mushrooms. The pineapple fried rice and pad thai are also good choices if you are feeding kids...always a hit and order it with one star, the kids can take it, not so spicy at all. Portions are huge - you'll have leftovers, this place a good value. Try it, it's good!
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Review from Thomas J.
Gig Harbor, WA
4/4/2012
It is decent and affordable. I usually get the Pha kee mao and my girlfriend gets the red curry with pineapple. Both are good, not the greatest, but good and keeps me coming back for its convenience.
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Review from Shert B.
Mercer Island, WA
11/14/2011
WIsh I could give a better review, but I really was embarrased to have a friend from Seattle meet me here for lunch.
Atmosphere is okay.. walls need painting! You can see where the former tenants had pictures hung on the wall and removed them! Possiblyl they have painted since I was there, as I see in photos that have been posted that they may have.
Food was all bland and awful... lots of filler veggies and little meat. The meal started with some "soup"-- which was like bland dishwater broth with a few way overcooked, mushy cabbage leaves.
Not a good meal. Prices were okay, but since the food was so bad, any price is overpriced. Sorry... it is convenient, but not a good place. -
Review from Warren C.
Renton, WA
1/14/2012
I really love the Phad Siew here! It tastes as great as the one I had in Thailand! This place spicy level is spicier than other places, a 3 star is very spicy! The staff are very friendly and check in with you very often. The prices here are very good and inexpensive. Very flavorful and large portions!
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Review from Stacy Y.
Seattle, WA
9/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The restaurant used to have more friendly prices on their menu and tasty food, now they are expensive and flavors are either hit or miss.
First I thought about getting a curry that's average at $9.50, but it's an additional $1.50 for rice that kind of threw me off, because you have to eat curry with rice. So I ordered a Lad Na, which is wide rice noodles smothered in thick gravy over. I used to like this dish a lot from Pon Proem, but it was bland and 4 stars spicy tasted like like a 2 from my recent visit.
The restaurant used to seem more packed, but my last few visits they seem to have die down on the crowd. I don't know if it's because of their updated menu or the food. But I'm still willing to give it a try, but I probably would only settle on lunch because it's more affordable when you want to eat by yourself. -
Review from Miranda L.
Kirkland, WA
2/21/2011
I really enjoy the food here. However, they always ask me if I am serious when I order 4-star. "Are you sure? It is really spicy!"
Some of the delicious meals I have had here:
Sweet and Sour Chicken - This one surprised me with the huge chunks of tomatoes! It is uber delicious, whether it is super spicy or not at all. This is great for veggie lovers, bad idea for veggie haters. Don't be thinking typical Chinese Family Restaurant Sweet and Sour with the neon orange goop. This is a light sauce soaking into every piece of chicken, carrot, and onion. Yum!
Phad Thai - Both the tofu and chicken are quite delicious. The veggies are on the side, so that is nice for people that like or don't like the bean sprouts and cabbage. I can never stop eating until it's all gone with this one!
Curry - I have had two different red curries here. One had little chunks of peanuts in it. Yum! The other had chicken, potato, and shoots in it. Both were delightful. I wish I could remember what they were called!
Beef/Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce - Can't remember the actual name for this one, either. However, sooooo yummy!!! They are not shy about adding lots of veggies and mushrooms when they say it's in the dish!
Shrimp Fried Rice - I like this as a side, not as a complete meal. It was only a one star, so I would like to try it with some spice sometime. Quite tasty!
I highly recommend Pon Proem if you're looking for a bite to eat on Mercer Island. They are very friendly, and the food has not disappointed me yet! -
Review from Burt S.
Seattle, WA
3/5/2011
Pon Proem is a very clean styled thai restaurant that offers decent flavors and enormous portions. I loved the beef pad see eew. (i'm not that adventurous when it comes to thai food.) I got the 3 star, because the 4 star supposedly will kill you and eat your children. Unless your taste buds are already numb and you have a rare addiction to food from hell.
The service is always friendly here and I always leave mad at myself for being entirely too full. (that's a good thing....i keep telling myself) -
Review from Don S.
Mercer Island, WA
Always one of my favorites. Lovely people and the food is wonderful. I like spice and they have that
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Review from Lauren F.
Mercer Island, WA
3/15/2011
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!!! My fiance and I are frequent eaters here :) I highly recommend the Ginger beef-AAAAMMMAAAZING :)
The curry and phad thai are huge favorites of my bf! GREAT Service and a fun place with great food, great atmosphere. -
Review from shannon a.
San Francisco, CA
2/16/2012
Great Phad Siew! That's about all there is to share.
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Review from Jens J.
4/23/2009
The Panang Beef with basil was so delicious that I will not dock Pon Proem a star for the presence of green pepper in this dish.
Since I already snarked earlier this week on the wrongful usage of green pepper in the fish & prawns stew at Kaaawa, HI's Crouching Lion Inn, I'll let it go at that.
For an appetizer, I ordered the chicken wings appetizer (which actually also contains drummettes). They were prepared well with an excellent black pepper seasoning. The orangish-pineappleish dipping sauce was divine - flavorable, a bit tart, and not too sweet.
Always colorful characters, it seems, in Mercer Island restaurants.
Shortly after I placed my takeout order, this brassy woman rolled in and began dictating her takeout order, specifying lots and lots of substitutions. And I remember her requesting, quite loudly, "Give me lots and lots and lots and lots of broccoli".
After the courteous young man up at the counter took her order, she yelped out, "I forgot my credit card, gotta go!" And in a flash she flew out. -
Review from pisit c.
Seattle, WA
12/19/2007
I bet with native Thai tongues of mine and my friend's that their Pad-see-ew is the best in town. Although they're using american broccoli instead of chinese kai-lan, the rest is just perfect -- not too greasy, not too sweet.
If anyone knows any other place and wants to take the bet, just private message me and I'll go try. -
Review from Chris T.
Seattle, WA
4/13/2010
Let's start off with the good: the service here is always fast and friendly. Although because it is on Mercer Island, be forewarned that if you like super spicy food, they will second guess your order if you say you want five stars. Second guessing customers is usually an iffy move but there are probably enough snobby, picky eaters on Mercer Island (having lived here for 20 years of my life) to warrant their second guessing.
The food? The food is all right. If I wanted to eat Thai food in a nicer atmosphere (ie: not Thai Tom), Pon Proem would be on my list of possibilities but the food has never wowed me or been particularly memorable. The phad thai and panang curry (my go-to orders in thai restaurants) are all right and always hit the spot when I am starving for food on the island. Otherwise? Meh. Someone else in these reviews mentioned a Mercer Island curve and certainly, this place deserves at least 4 stars on the Mercer Island curve. Alas, a truly delicious restaurant wouldn't settle for being mediocre just because it was operating in a sea of mediocrity. The two star review stands as is. -
Review from Mimi P.
Seattle, WA
9/13/2006
I just went to lunch for Thai food at Pon Proem. I was REALLY looking forward to Thai. Well, I ordered and it was supposed to be noodles, chicken, and broccoli (unfortunately, I can't remember the Thai name for the dish). Okay, fine. The soup comes before the meal and it's wonderful - chicken broth, cabbage, carrots, onions. Yum! Then my entre comes out. DISASTER. I'm really trying not to be melodramatic but it was a disaster. Oh, it had the noodles, chicken, and broccoli but it was positively swimming in sauce. I mean, so much so that it should have been in a bowl and not on a plate. YUCK. It tasted burnt to me on top of this. I took about 5 bites and asked for the check from the very nice server. I can say with all confidence that this was the worst Thai food I have ever tasted.
This wouldn't be so bad except I've never really had great or even good food at this restaurant. I've had merely adequate Thai food here at Pon Proem and I go here because my favorite Thai place on Mercer Island (Thai Kitchen, R.I.P.) closed due to construction and is not reopening. I seem to always have good hopes for this place but always come away feeling sad and disappointed. After today's experience, though, I can safely say that Pon Proem is dead to me. -
Review from Amanda K.
Mercer Island, WA
Updated - 8/27/2010
I came here with my mother for an earlier lunch than usual (I usually don't eat until 1) after registration at school.
The place wasn't busy at all because it was only 11:30 am. There were only two waitresses running the place, and two tables were filled with customers.
I rarely come here for lunch, I've only come here one other time for the middle meal with my mother. I usually come here to eat dinner with my family and friends.
The lunch menu is short & sweet, but you can ask for things that are not listed on the menu. Before arrival, I had already decided what to order. My favorite appetizer and entree, chicken satay and green curry.
After ordering from one of the waitresses, we waited a moment, then were brought hot and sour soup. I remember they used to give clear soup with macaroni pasta carrots, and cabbage. The hot and sour soup is a much better choice. I remember that unfortunately, the other soup I had received in the past was LUKEWARM. Anyway, the hot and sour soup has wonderful flavor, with bamboo shoots, streams of egg, mushrooms, and fungus through out it. Yum!
The appetizer and entree didn't take long to arrive, besides there were only two tables full and some take out orders being prepared in the kitchen.
The chicken satay comes with five skewers of coconut milk and curry marinated chicken breast, a piece of toasted white bread, peanut sauce (my favorite!), and cucumber relish. The marinade for the chicken breast is delightful! The perfect amount of spice and saltiness in every bite. I like the hint of coconut milk, as well as curry in the marinade as well. Pair it with a dollop of peanut sauce, and it's quite the combination. Put some sauce on your rice and bread, heaven!
Green curry was presented with chicken, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, and basil. My mother and I decided on two stars for spiciness, then chose brown rice. The curry itself has a nice deep, rich, and creamy flavor to it. Just the right amount of spice, sweetness, and savoriness throughout the sauce. The chicken is cooked to perfection, with a little crunch from the bell peppers and crisp from the bamboo shoots. The basil makes it over the top with its naturally fresh flavor. Even better, the brown rice is cooked till soft and fluffy, which is not often thought of for brown rice.
Before we paid, my mother ordered Thai iced tea (one of my favorite drinks!), and we received fortune cookies. My fortune was 'your financial situation will improve'. Funny, because my mother and I had just stopped by the bank to start a cash card for me!
The reason why I didn't give this place a 5 star rating like last time is because I don't feel like I enjoyed the food as much as I used to. Don't get me wrong, it was all very tasty. It's just, not what I'm usually used to tasting. Maybe it was just an off day, or I've eaten it too often. It's possible that I wasn't in the mood for Thai. I'll still be coming back, maybe to try more dishes! (=Listed in: THE BEST OF THE BEST, Feeling Asian?
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/13/2010
Thai food is one of my favorite foods out there and this place does it right. I suggest coming here… Read more »
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Review from Brian F.
Issaquah, WA
8/26/2008
Good thai food for decent prices is what I found here. There are not many options on Mercer Island and this seems to be one of the better ones for any type of food.
We had pad kee mow (sp?) but they make it with spaghetti noodles, so I asked for the wide noodles instead, some panang curry and ginger/chicken/mushroom soup I forgot the name of.
I ordered the noodles "6 stars" because I like things that are actually spicy (usually they discount you a few stars for being white). It had a good punch of spice and was overall very flavorful, especially the veggies in it which were very fresh. The panang curry was decent and I would get it again, but it was nothing remarkable. The ginger soup was also pretty good, loaded with lots of veggies and chicken in a great gingery broth.
Overall I will definitely be going back here for thai on the island. -
Review from Christine R.
Bremerton, WA
3/25/2009
I work on Mercer Island and am lucky enough to have the opportunity to eat here at least once a month. The staff is efficient and courteous. I always order either beef or chicken pad se ew no stars. The food is served quickly and it's the price is just right.
No too greasy and not the least bit spicy (if that's what you request).
Overall a great staple for the lunch crowd. -
Review from Beau R.
Sammamish, WA
3/27/2008
There don't seem to be a lot of restaurants on Mercer Island, but they are just tucked away in strange corners. Nestled by the Rite Aide and a park, there is a small thai restaurant.
For our party of 6, they had to readjust some tables, but they were quick to do that and took good care of us. We were trying to get some dinner before an event in the park and they said that they could get us fed in the 40 minutes we had. They kept to their word.
We chose a couple curries and some noodles from their robust menu and ordered everything mild - not because of me, but because of the others in our party. Surprisingly, there was a little lip tingle from the "mild" food. I'd like to try something that measures 3 or 4 on their scale!
The restaurant must be an old standby of the high school kids, because thats who was sitting at the majority of the tables.
It was pretty good food and even better when you compare to your other options on Mercer Island. -
Review from Crystal D.
Seattle, WA
2/16/2011
Best upsale thai food EVER. Great service, very fresh and well decorated. I dream of their bread pudding all the time and if I've eaten dinner but my friends want to grab a bite, I suggest this place just so I can eat the dessert. Hehehe.
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Review from Ashley T.
Seattle, WA
1/3/2011
I really wanted to like this place. The rest smelled aromatic of spices. The staff was friendly. And then the food...I really enjoyed their fried rolls. They're tiny compared to other Thai rest but they give you more of them. Personally, I love the smaller size b/ c you get more fried goodness and crunch. But here are my huge problems.
We ordered the pad kee mao. I always, always order this and know what it should taste like. Their dish is way too sweet, it should have some sweetness to it but not overly sweet as their are prepared. I tried it a few times and they were all sweet. Next, we had panang curry. I had read previous reviews that they run spicy, so we ordered it w/ a 2 star and we usually eat 3 or 4 stars. Well, the dish was so spicy, I seriously could not eat it. To make it worse, I grabbed what I thought was green pepper and bit into and almost had a coronary. It was raw jalapenos. Ok, when do Thai rest throw in jap peppers in curry? That's a first and sorry to say may last time going there. And lastly, we ordered some other dish that I can't remember the name but def remembered that it was too salty. I wonder if the chefs are getting too old in the kitchen and lost some of their taste buds. Seriously, the food has so much potential but food is delicate and it's ruined when it too salty, sweet and/or spicy. And we got all three...:( -
Review from Doug R.
Mercer Island, WA
6/13/2011
We have eaten at Pon Proem many times, even dozens and had take-out as many times. The food has been pretty good most of the time, but this take-out was exceptionally poor. Not only did they give us food that we didn't order, but it was way to salty from some unknown ingredient, almost inedible. We called to ask for an explanation and they said bring it back or forget it.
I won't be back, EVER! -
Review from Kilmer P.
Savannah, GA
2/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
The restaurant and staff were great and the food and service was equally as great! I am definitely coming back and strongly recommend this to others!
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Review from Anastasia W.
New York, NY
10/8/2010
The bf got some takeout curry from here the other day. I didn't pick it up so I can't vouch for the interior or in restaurant experience but the food we got was REALLY good!!! Really spicy but still had a really fresh good flavor. Would order from them again!
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Review from S K.
Seattle, WA
2/26/2011
I'm not sure if this is my favorite, but it sure is up there especially if I am on MI. The chicken/tofu Pad siew is so delis that at times my family has had to order 2 orders even though the portion size is giant. Great for left overs the next day. Great chicken green curry and the pineapple curry fried rice is kind of addictive.
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Review from eliza b.
5/5/2007
As a weekly order out ritual, I always order the same dish (#54, 3 stars). Its SPECTACULAR! Four months in a row, perhaps the chef just has this dish down to a tee. I've never eaten in the restaurant, but the chefs are fairly down pat to a 15 minute wait on carry-out food. There seems to be a bit of chef inconsistency when it comes to spiciness, as sometimes a 4 isn't hot enough and at other times a 3 is more than sufficient (on a one to five scale). It works great for take-out and there are menus to carry out. The only thing I wish they had was an online menu. Otherwise, it makes for a great quick dinner.
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Review from Rebecca S.
Seattle, WA
7/25/2008
Just popped in for lunch today with my sweetie. We both dig spicy and I heart Thai food. He had some kind of chicken and veggie thing on brown rice that was pretty tasty. I had Pad Thai, cause I figure if they can't make that, I won't enjoy anything else. SOOOOOO yummmmm... Just enough sauce, medium spicy got our noses twitching but not running, and the Pad Thai wasn't over sweet. Extra bonus for me, they didn't put a huge chunk of cilantro on top (I find that stuff tastes like soap). The service was fast, and we never ran out of water. Totally solid experience.
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Review from Jessica E.
Mercer Island, WA
3/20/2011
The chicken Pad Siew is delicious; I order it with extra broccoli. They give you a lot of food and the price is decent. The service is very fast and the wait staff is always very polite.
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Review from Jeff N.
Mercer Island, WA
1/31/2011
We order take-out from Pon Proem fairly often as we live on the rock and are big fans. Cuisine-wise, it's the best ethnic food on Mercer Island (with Han's Chinese food coning in a close second).
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Review from Rachel T.
Mercer Island, WA
7/27/2010
This is some of the best Thai food I have ever eaten!
We always order an orange chicken dish, chicken thai fried rice and chicken pad sai eww, and they are consistently good. They are quick for take out and relatively inexpensive. The mango sticky rice is the best we have ever eaten!
The spice is pretty inconsistent. On any given day, three stars will either burn my mouth (and be inedible to my husband) or be fairly bland. The restaurant itself is a little ghetto-y and I prefer to eat it at home. -
Review from Arthur K.
Seattle, WA
12/7/2009
By far the best of the Thai places on the Rock. The phad thai is good and the panag curry has good flavor. The service is quick and attentive.
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Review from Eliana M.
Mercer Island, WA
12/4/2009
Ok, it's good food - I particularly like the Tofu Pad Seewou (I can't spell in Thai) and the coconut lemongrass soup with mushrooms is one the best anti-cold concoctions in existence... but..... what't the funky smell in the restaurant? My theory? The ancient, grimy, unwashed carpeting and the undusted plastic flowers.
So.... I eat Pon Proem food, but always order to go. I'll sit in the lovely fragrance of my own home to eat, thank you very much. -
Review from Angie M.
Mercer Island, WA
4/19/2010
I absolutely LOVE Thai food and Pon Proem is not only very convenient to where I live but the food is excellent. I always order pad see ew (not sure if that is the correct spelling) and it is so tasty! The service here is also pretty good, I always have a full cup of water and an attentive waitress with a smile. I do have to agree with many others that atmosphere is a little ghetto which is odd considering the location. It could definetly use a renovation, updated decor, and probably a good cleaning. But overall service, food, and value is great! I will continue to get my Thai fixes at Pon Proem.
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Review from Ben W.
Mercer Island, WA
12/19/2009
The food at Pom Proem is good, but not stand-out. I would give them an extra star if I were grading with a "Mercer Island curve" -- it's definitely one of the better places on the Island. The place is cozy, but a bit out of date, and the staff are generally friendly.
