Jack London Square’s food scene has been heating up as of late, with a variety of new restaurants recently opened on the picturesque waterfront. Farmhouse Thai was one of the more colorful openings with rainbow pennant flags flanking the entrance, huge palm fronds, and palapa umbrellas shading the heated outdoor seating area.
The energetic vibes continue inside the restaurant hitting every sense – fun Thai pop music fills your ears, coconut and spice perfumes the air, and bold floral chairs, shirts, and plates bloom in front of your eyes. While this wasn’t the first Farmhouse Thai to hit the Bay Area, it certainly made a splash when it opened last August.
The party atmosphere at Farmhouse Thai extends to the plate, with dishes like the herbal rice salad, a Thai version of tea leaf salad, that literally looks like a delicious bowl of confetti (pictured above). And just like every successful party, there are gifts. Farmhouse Thai’s samosas are like festive little pastry presents, that when dipped in the red curry sauce perfectly warm up your stomach for the main course.
A trip to Farmhouse is not complete without an order of the Hat Yai Fried Chicken. Fried southern-style, and mixed with turmeric and herbs, the chicken is tender and juicy under a crackling crust. It comes paired with buttery roti bread, a bowl of yellow curry with potatoes for dipping, and the famous blue rice (pictured right).
A trip to Farmhouse is not complete without an order of the Hat Yai Fried Chicken. Fried southern-style, and mixed with turmeric and herbs, the chicken is tender and juicy under a crackling crust. It comes paired with buttery roti bread, a bowl of yellow curry with potatoes for dipping, and the famous blue rice (pictured left).
After watching a Youtube video from Kasem, the chef-owner at Farmhouse, I learned the secret to this funky side dish, the blue pea flower. Infusing the rice with this native Thai plant gives it the delightful blue hue along with a faint floral flavor, which makes it taste a lot like jasmine rice.
Of course the menu offers classics like pad thai and curry, but it’s easy to step out of your ordering comfort zone because the friendly servers are there to guide you along the way.
Next time, I will try the crab fried rice, with lots of real Dungeness crab meat and a side of bone broth to complement the slightly sweet rice. Yum!
When compared to other Thai restaurants in the Bay Area, the minor downsides of Farmhouse Thai are the large portions and the high prices, at least for a single diner. To combat this issue, my advice is to bring as many friends as possible to fill up the table so you’ll be able to enjoy every dish on the menu!
Ollie Ramsey loves to eat. Her passion for food extends into her career as a marketing professional in the packaged food industry. For more of the best food in the East Bay follow @eastbayeats on Instagram.