Dharma Garden Thai Cuisine

Kimberly D.

Joined 2 months ago

Mmmmmm Pad See Ewe!

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thinkhowsimple

Joined 7 years ago

Best Thai in the City. This is our favorite restaurant in the city. It is by far the best Thai we've found and at a good price. The atmoshere is unique and fun, but the real star is the healthy food. All dishes are vegetarian or seafood and we've yet to find a bad dish there. The stand-out appetizer is the Chive Dumplings, and the Red Curry is scrumptious. It's BYOB with no corking fee so drink up.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Health food fanatics dig into blissful, meatless Thai cuisine at this Albany Park storefront.. The Scene
Soothing green walls, upholstered bamboo chairs, and wooden ceiling create a vision of an idyllic Thai village in this cozy restaurant--cheerful servers even wear traditional brown and gold dresses. Enjoying the peaceful vibe are health fanatics and savvy locals chatting about the real estate market or "aligning internal energies."

The Food
There's no beef or chicken on the menu; instead, Dharma's kitchen focuses on seafood and veggie dishes, with tofu and faux-meat options aplenty. Start with one of the knockout apps, like crisp, delicate corn and sweet potato cake or spicy-cool papaya salad with sticky rice. Seaweed and noodle soups, fresh vegetable curries and seafood specials headline the entree selections; go for the vibrant vegetable shower, with flavorful steamed spinach and baby bok choy in peanut sauce. Salmon curry with oyster mushrooms and pineapple is worth sampling too, with a spicy, complex flavor that makes it worth the 20-minute wait.

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dancingveggie

Joined 8 years ago

casual, healthy and spicy!. This is a great place to go if you're wanting something fresh and healthy to eat. Since they've opened, they've improved their dishes [it seems they used to burn their noodles] and have some original takes on standard dishes. The pad thai is full of fresh crunchy shredded vegetables. Service isn't always great -- they'll serve one person at the table and not the other for 5 minutes -- but everyone is friendly and willing to offer suggestions.

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ikeaboy

Joined 9 years ago

A truly special Thai restaurant. This city bristles with Thai noodle shops, but Dharma Garden is very different and truly special.

The cuisine is authentic and imaginative. With her eye for fresh, seasonal produce, the chef uses such unexpected items as pumpkin and serves her curries in a coconut (which is part of the dish.)

No meat is served, only fish and seafood, and the owner has a philosophy behind the dietary choices, including all manner of fruit juices and teas.

The restaurant itself is convivial and festive, with tropical decorations and an adjacent gift shop.

But mostly, the food is great, plentiful and cheap, dished up with great friendliness and panache. Usually Ning will throw in something extra that "you must try." Every time I eat there, I learn something new. One word of caution: when the menu classifies a dish as "spicy," she really means it.

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amaya77

Joined 9 years ago

Veggie Paradise. The owner is friendly and chats with guests. Tranquil setting, and large portions of healthy, but still delicious food!