About Us

Proprietors Val, a native of Thailand, and Art Habbestad deserve much of the credit for the emergence of the Hillcrest restaurant scene. It was 1988 when they opened their marvelous Taste of Thai restaurant right in the heart of the vibrant community. It was a time when Thai food was coming into its own. Taste of Thai started a unique trend of Thai food and the first vegetarian cuisine in the San Diego area. The location was perfect and the locals embraced the hip and trendy restaurant. To this day, the restaurant still remains among the most popular, despite the fact that a number of other Thai spots have opened up nearby.

In 1997, Art and Val opened up a second, even more, beautiful restaurant at Flower Hill Mall in Del Mar and experienced instant success.   Unfortunately, Taste of Thai Del Mar caught an accidental fire on 08/08/2019 that resulted in a total loss. After searching for a new relocation spot, we chose 4S Ranch which has been the customer’s base for the former Del Mar location.

The factors that contribute to the continuing success are light food, fresh-made dishes at reasonable prices with traditional seasoning that has a daily consistency at both locations. The use of fragrant herbs and spices and the delicate specialties on the menu will ensure a memorable dining experience.

Throughout the years, Taste of Thai has won most of the critically acclaimed awards in this industry including Gold Medallion and ZAGAT Survey.