Finding decent Asian food in The Netherlands (actually, in the whole of Europe) can be quite difficult. Most of the places are "adapted" for local tastes, which means that they can be quite strange for someone who has had food from either the country in question, or from more multicultural places like Australia where migrants bring along their food culture intact.

Ruen Thai is a nice little hole in the wall restaurant that we found a number of years ago. Family run (mostly having just a single person working!), it is good Thai food for a decent price. The hole in the wall setting means that it can be quite tricky to find... We've been here many times (both to sit and eat, and for takeaway), but we still have trouble finding it!

The Space

Like I said, it is really a hole in the wall sort of eatery! There is nothing fancy at all about the place, it really reminds you of someone's kitchen!

Seating area is quite limited, but normally that isn't a problem as people tend to eat and leave rather than spending a long time at a table. There is an upstairs area that doubles the available space, but when I was here, it wasn't open to the public.

The decor is also pretty spartan, and more in keeping with the local eateries that you might find in Asia. It is cute though!

The Menu

Ruen Thai is a Thai restaurant, and so the menu thankfully doesn't try and mix all sorts of Asian food together! In Europe, there are many restaurants that serve generic "Asian" food, as if Japan, Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese food were all the same...

It's not great when they do this!

Ruen Thai sticks to Thai food... and is much better for that. If I want Japanese food, I would rather go to a Japanese restaurant! The only concession to local tastes is the default spiciness is lower than normal. If you want more of a spicy taste, then you do need to ask for it... but in Europe, the tastes tend towards the less spicy.

On the menu are all my Thai favourites! Every time I come, I really try to try something different... but when you are dining along (as I was on this day), you can only take one dish! In which case, I tend to stick to the old favourites!

The Food

... and my favourite dish is Pad Thai Kai! Noodles and Chicken! The dish is cooked fresh by the the person who serves you (there was only one person working when I came this time...), so there is a very short wait time as it is cooked. On the order of 5 to 10 minutes at most.

I really love this dish, in different places I have it served up with lemon, sugar and nuts.... but in this place, they do without the extras. For me that isn't such a big deal, but it is a different experience!

For some of the curries or dishes with much longer (for some dishes, overnight for the best taste) preperation times, there is a selction that will need to be reheated, but in general anything that can be prepared freshly is done so.

The Experience

This is really a nice place to eat at. The food is not so expensive (Western Europe prices...) and the quality is pretty decent. The place does end up smelling of cooking, as it is a bit of a confined space with the kitchen very close by, but in the colder months, that is a quite nice experience (and quite warm!).

This is the sort of place that you come to for food, the decor and general ambience is pretty spartan. The service is friendly, but don't be surprised if the person who serves you is just watching TV if there is nothing to do!

It's a great little place to get takeaway or to drop in to eat. We've found ourselves coming back quite often, and it is one of our staple places to visit for a quick bite to eat if we are in Den Haag.

Opening Times

Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 12–9pm
Thursday 12–9pm
Friday 12–9pm
Saturday 12–9pm
Sunday 1:30–9pm

Contact Details

Address: Nobelstraat 19, 2513 BC Den Haag, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)70 365 2255

Website: http://www.ruenthai.nl/

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