Esan Classic

Reviews

• Kitikhun V.

  star star star star star 10 June 2026

  They have  changed so much. I hope you will have nice experiences as I did.
  
  The food is always awesome. The service is always much better than the same range of the same type of restaurants. I highly recommend people to try it.

• Lydia Z.

  star star star star star_border 26 May 2026

  Not bad but also not my fave place. The interior is nice and service was great. Food's spicy is spicy so you better have a high tolerance if you are to get even a mild! Hit or miss for some dishes! Don't get memed by the fried cuttle fish crumbles--it's literally a dish of fried cuttle fish smashed into bits--it was almost like eating a dish of flavored bread crumbs. Curry was alright--very spicy and had a lot going on. The pad see ew and pad kee mao were not bad; pretty flavorful but also oilier than you'd expect. Pork shoulder also really well made but the sauce was more on the salty side and not as dank as I like it (i.e. not as dank and stinky as sai jai thai's) but it's reasonable!
  
  Overall a decent and pleasant experience but also nothing too stellar.

• Jasmine S.

  star star star star star 21 May 2026

  Service was very friendly!!! I learned Esan also owns Lers Ros which is another Thai place across the street but this location focuses and specializes in Northern Thai food.
  
  I went for the lunch special and got garlic stir fry with tofu. Portions are good, enough for 2 meals which is what I always want :)
  
  I do wish the Tom yum soup was more because it was so good.
  
  Usually we have to ask for more rice but that wasn't a problem here :) !

• Mark F.

  star star star star star_border 19 May 2026

  So I was a little skeptical when I came in. The decor has this modern look, even a little fancy compared to the typical Northern Thai places I go to. And like many reviewers, the choices are too many, especially if you're coming in a small group.
  
  We were actually not that hungry when we came which was too bad because it would've been nice to order more but what we got was fantastic.
  
  We got their grilled top sirloin beef, sturgeon with peppercorn, and the stir fried morning glory. The beef was perfectly cooked with some nice char to add a delicious textural contrast. The flavors on the beef were good enough not to need the sauce. But, I strongly recommend the sauce which added some nice sourness and spiciness to the meat.
  
  The sturgeon was tender and the peppercorn sauce added some needed heat and flavor that absorbs well into the fish.
  
  The morning glory was good to have so as to not make it a purely meat meal. Not anything extraordinary but solidly done.
  
  I've read that there are some definite misses in their menu which is no surprise with over 100 dishes but everything we had was great. I'll definitely be back and with my appetite.

• Ken H.

  star star star star star 15 May 2026

  Esan Classic is a perfect pre-concert dinner before a show at Great American Music Hall - we were so impressed that I'd even consider traveling to the Tenderloin just to have them again. Also: it's easy to nab a seat there (at least on weekdays), and upper TL isn't as sketchy as lower TL, so don't hesitate.
  
  While each of the dishes we got (the larb, crying tiger grilled beef, and pan fried noodles) are also available at other Thai restaurants (+ Esan's sister restaurant Lers Ros), I thought they made everything just better than their competitors. The larb was authentically spicy and lime-y and more strongly flavored than the usual American Southern Thai treatment. The meats were smokily grilled. Everything was very affordable and just better than other places like Basil or Farmhouse or Saap Ver.