Spicy Sugar Thai - Long Beach

LOVE this place! My girlfriend is Thai and she gives this place her seal of approval! We heard about Spicy Sugar from a friend and we went to try a few days later. Easy drive up from The OC (where there are a lot of "TINO" restaurants (Thai in Name Only) lol.

When we arrived we were greeted warmly and given the "Thai menu" which had some GREAT options from the Isan region of Thailand. When the owner heard my girlfreind and the server speaking Thai, she immediately came out and greeted us and I just sat back and listened!

The dining room is very comfortable and nicely decorated with vintage Thai movie posters and advertisements. Service was great and everything we had was delish! Girlfriend approved Som Tum (spicy papaya salad) as well as delicious "Blood Clams" (something few Thai restaurants offer). Can't wait to cone back and try some of the other menu items!

My sister and I had dinner here on December 19th - we had eaten here in the past, but I read the yelp reviews and learned that they are under new management - plus the responses to the negative yelp reviews by the owner cracked me up. Is this the best Thai food in Long Beach? Maybe. I plan to come here every time I visit my sister in the future, as I really want to try more menu items and be able to better compare. (I have tried many Thai restaurants in Long Beach at this point). This visit she had the drunken noodles, I had the ramen noodles and we shared the pineapple fried rice. They were all excellent! The restaurant is tastefully decorated, is clean and the menu is extensive. The owner (or co-owner to be more precise) is a hoot - he was very helpful with our decisions - especially in the spice levels that they offer. The server working with him was very sweet and also helpful. The chef / co-owner knows her way around a kitchen, for sure.

I highly recommend this establishment!

Delicious!

Tried the tom yum soup with shrimp. It was just the right amount spicy,sour, salty and sweet. You get about 5 shrimp, plenty of mushrooms and tomatoes.
Also tried the pad kee mao with beef. I was sesoned well with plenty of beef and onions.
Lastly was a chicken dish with veggies.

None of the dishes were greasy and came out pretty quickly.

Got to try sime fried wontons with some mint sauce, sweet and sour and tamarind. soicy but delicious!

The staff was very nice and efficient.

There is plenty of street parking.
I will definitely be back to this location again. yum yum!

Amazing food, amazing service!!! our server was so sweet, accommodating & made great suggestions which made the experience that much better‍ I seriously can't wait for our next visit

First time trying blood clams - I did not like them, they also had a foul smell. Not sure if the clams were bad. They gave me food poisoning, literally been throwing up every 5 mins, fever, and in and out of the toilet. Haven't ate in two days. Never again.

I just love this restaurant! The food is so mouth watering delicious. And what makes them even more extra special is they are open later into the evening. Also, you must try the Melon Balled drink...oh wow...Sooo good for a hot day. If you like melon, you will absolutely love this drink. Just chill and relax. They take their time and I love it because it reminds me to just slow down
And they take care in making your food and drinks. You won't be disappointed with the quality.

$21.44 (pad kee mao and thai iced tea) Spicy Sugar Thai - Long Beach monologue:

I ordered Pad Kee Mao, mild on the spicy level chart. This meal was absolutely delicious! It was by my 4th bite that I realized there was no false advertisement about this place. "Spicy" is in the name of the restaurant, and yup, it's in the food. But at that mild level, it was that kind of spice where it hurts so good and you can still taste all the seasonings and natural flavors of the items. That hint of spice will get you by the time you blink twice and look out the window. You'll smile and ask for an extra napkin so you can discreetly wipe your nose. Im going to order mild again, lol. Oh and the food was so attractively hot. I did have to wait a few minutes to dig in but that was perfectly fine by me. It was confirmation that it just came off the stove, like 8 seconds ago.

And as always, I order a Thai Iced Tea. To my surprise, and it wasn't even my birthday, it came with a whip cream topping. That was a first. But as it melted and mixed in with my tea, it gave my drink a satisfying creamy texture.

I enjoyed my food. I enjoyed watching people come in and grab their to go orders. And I enjoyed seeing some folks in there that were obvious regulars. That's a good sign.

Needless to say, I'll be back.

Oh, p.s. - If you sit inside, be sure to visit when it's a wash hair and clothes day. It's great that they cook the food to order. But, you may walk out of there with your clothes and hair smelling like you worked a 30-minute shift in the kitchen. It's a very mild smell. One of those where you can tell you've been to a restaurant. But I'm not sure if that was from just eating inside or if I grabbed some freshly cooked meal ingredient scents from the air in the few moments I was in the bathroom, which is right by the kitchen. It's a tiny little thing, but enough for you to take care of business and get out.

They do have an outside eating option. That's where I'll be next time.

I've passed by this place for a year, but never got around to stopping until very recently.
Delicious and authentic Thai food - coming from someone who grew up going to Bangkok and eating at the night markets as well as a bunch of Thai folks in Southeast Asia.

What I got:
- Larb by Katt: Ground beef (my choice of meat) meat, red and green onions, and cilantro tossed in a spicy lime dressing. Spicy. $12.
I was not expecting the amount I received, but that's not a bad thing at all. I love having leftovers, so this was perfect. I ate as much as I could and took the rest home. This was delicious, light, refreshing, spicy, and crunch (thanks to the raw red onions and lettuce).

- Prik king: Green beans stir fry with chili paste.
With chicken as my choice of meat (for no extra cost) and it was delicious, flavourful, filling, juicy, crunchy, and spicy.

I asked for the food to be made extra, extra spicy and they delivered which truly makes Spicy Sugar deserve 7 stars if I'm being honest. Albeit it still wasn't spicy enough for me, my rose did run (which is a good sign for me); the food was delicious, flavourful, and spicy, a rare combination that not many restaurants are able to deliver to me.
When I received the check, the owner was kind and checked in on whether the food was too spicy. I let her know that it was delicious but not spicy enough for me, so she offered to go and get more condiments that would make it spicy. I'd have said yes except it was getting late and I had to head home - not the easiest thing to do on a scooter at night, even in bike lanes.

I learnt that this used to be the Jitlada chef's restaurant for his daughter, but new owners took it over recently - I forget when exactly, but pandemic times. The new owners are awesome and so welcoming.

The ambiance of the restaurant is dim, comfortable, and perfect for dinners with mates, date night, or solo trip for authentic Thai food. Customise your spiciness and you won't regret it.

Parking is hard and all street parking but since I came on the scooter, I was able to ask for outside seating and park my scooter behind me.

I've been ordering here for years especially due to the fact that I can order my chicken curry late at night. However, after tonight's order it's safe to say it will be my last. I got a green curry and I ordered it Thai spicy and it's wayyyyyy too sweet for my liking and lacks meat. I've ordered the same order for the past few years and the inconsistencies that have came with it each time are no longer acceptable....Which is disheartening because again, this was my late night curry fix spot.

$$
PROS:
Convenient to our B&B. That's where the pros ends.
CONS:
Food:
I wanted something easy to order and eat and selected "Spring rolls" which were four for $9.95. Almost as an afterthought, I wanted to bring an order of rice back to the B&B for my wife.
While waiting for preparation I had a chance to look around the cozy, small seating area. Unhappily the more I looked, the more this area took on the appearance of a seldom attended bathroom in a 1950's Esso gas station. Photos support my scalding opinions.
Once back at the B& B I found to my disappointment that the spring rolls I had expected to be akin to traditional fried "egg rolls" were sort of four lettuce wraps and a thimble of some red sauce. I take the responsibility for this, I may just be ignorant of what a Thai spring roll is. On the other hand, the container of rice I brought back for my wife could have easily been year old Cream of Wheat. It was that disturbing to look at. Just the look of this damp porridge made my wife shiver.
SUMMARY:
Nothing was eaten. To be generous, I must reveal there was in fact another couple in the dining area with plates in front of them, which I presume came from the same kitchen.
AMBIANCE:
1950's abandoned or forsaken diner.
I did not see them eat a single morsel. Not recommended for consumption.
Here ends the lesson.