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Business & Tech

Lime Leaf Thai: Exotic Flavors from the Land of Smiles

This family-owned restaurant continues to please regulars with fresh and delicious traditional Thai cuisine.

Opened five years ago in Castro Village Shopping Center, Lime Leaf Thai has become a flagship of ethnic cuisine in Castro Valley, leading the way to a plethora of other Thai, Indian, Vietnamese and Filipino restaurants, now well-appreciated and regularly patronized by residents and visitors.

About the Restaurateurs

Chef Monaput "Noon" Miner remembers the time when people asked her where Thailand was, seeming to sometimes confuse it with Taiwan. Or, they'd ask her if Lime Leaf was yet another Chinese restaurant.

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She made it a point to educate her patrons about her native country by taking time to answer their questions, which resulted in more than a few of them traveling to the Land of Smiles later on.

Her husband and restaurant co-owner Scott Miner, who has traveled to Thailand to visit his wife's family, said that some of the restaurant patrons go the other way around, becoming Lime Leaf regulars after having visited the country and getting acquainted with the cuisine.

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Traditionally, dishes are fragrant, nuanced and redolent of herbs and spices, relying on garlic, chili peppers, lemongrass and lime juice to deliver a burst of satisfying flavors.

No matter how people develop cravings for Thai food, Lime Leaf Thai is sure to satisfy.

On the Main Menu

The Tom Kah soup offers a mélange of shrimp and straw mushrooms in coconut milk. And the Crying Tiger Salad of grilled beef, seasoned with a spicy lime dressing, should sit well with meat lovers.

Their Green Papaya Salad with garlic lime dressing is tossed with ground peanuts, crispy green beans, and juicy fresh tomatoes, while the Garlic Chili Eggplant is sautéed in a black bean sauce with onions, bell peppers and basil, and garnished with fresh cilantro sprigs.

Spicy-to-mild red, green and yellow curries tempt the imagination and are simmered to perfection with ingredients such as bamboo shoots, bell peppers, eggplant, potatoes, onions, carrots and, more basil. A bowl of white or brown rice absorbs these delicious liquids, making their exotic flavors shine.

Aside from the staple fried rice and noodle dishes studded with diced meat, prawns, or tofu, and brightened with broccoli, tomatoes, and green onions, there is a long list of Lime Leaf signature creations that never fail to please.

On the Dessert Menu

Dessert plates are equally enticing. Gooey coconut fried banana is served with a choice of ice cream. Ice cream comes in flavors of  coconut, mango, green tea and vanilla, and can be fried Lime Leaf-style. But the crème de la crème of all Thai desserts is a seasonal dish of coconut-infused sticky rice, dusted with sesame seeds and neatly spooned next to a ripe and sweet melt-in-your-mouth mango. Add to it a traditional Thai iced coffee or tea, served in a tall glass with ice cubes, sugar and cream, and there's hardly anything else one might wish for.

It's no wonder that people who spend their lunch break at Lime Leaf on weekdays or bring their families here on weekends. And it's easy to understand why Lime Leaf regulars bring their out-of-towners here.

What regulars might not know is that everyday at the crack of dawn, Scott Miner goes shopping in Oakland's Chinatown district, and the Jack London Square farmers' market, among other Asian produce vendors, to deliver the freshest seafood, meat and vegetables to the Lime Leaf kitchen.

Chef Noon cooks daily, creating her favorite dishes based on her childhood memories and lessons learned in culinary school back in Thailand and in the Bay Area Thai restaurants where she chopped and diced before opening Lime Leaf.

The restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, serves beer and wine, and offers catering, parties, and banquets. Credit cards are accepted.

Call Lime Leaf Thai at (510) 881-5463. Visit them at 20634 Rustic Drive.

Photos by Yuri Krasov.

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