Hanuman Thai Eatery

On our first visit years ago to Hanuman Thai Eatery – a thoughtfully cozy, semi-upscale restaurant with two Costa Mesa locations – we made the mistake of ordering the same ‘must try’ items recommended in online reviews, and weren’t blown away. Sure, we were wowed by the presentation: Hanuman’s “elevated Thai” dishes practically burst with colors and textures that scream “try me.” But each item we ordered was only OK to good in flavor, with none rating great and too many feeling like poor values for their prices. Thankfully, we decided to give the restaurant another try 10 months later, and everything we ordered was excellent; no matter how Americanized their specialties (fried chicken, ceviche) sounded, their appeal went beyond presentation, and we were pleased with the portion sizes for almost everything.

(Note: As of 2026, Hanuman’s owners have announced plans to open a third location in Orange, and in January opened a new Japanese-Thai fusion restaurant called Etc Bar x Thai-zakaya in a neighboring space to the first Costa Mesa Hanuman. Etc Bar x Thai-zakaya replaces the Japanese-only Etcetera Sushi and Izakaya with a new and legitimately interesting menu.)

Originally, Hanuman’s Gai Todd Hat Yai fried chicken with sticky rice struck us as no more than the sum of those parts – though the chicken was nicely crispy – yet when we returned and tried it again, it was much stronger in flavor. On the other hand, a yellowtail ceviche priced at $20 was gorgeously presented but barely enough for three people to have more than a couple of bites each, while other items (pork larb salad, beef crying tiger, and khao soi curry) were essentially identical to versions served elsewhere with less fancy plating and larger portions.