Royal Oak, MI — When it comes to Thai food, I usually order from Pi Thai’s right up the street from my house in Hazel Park. It’s hard to branch out sometimes when such a wonderful establishment is within walking distance, but then where’s the sense of adventure?! Plus, it’s suitable for a foodie to have at least a few restaurants on deck when in the mood for a particular cuisine.

After hearing my friend Chef Josie Clemens high praise for Saab Sis Thai in Royal Oak and reading through some of the glowing reviews online, this establishment was fast-tracked to the top of my foodie adventure list! It’s also not far from where I live, nestled in the southwest corner of Downtown Royal Oak near the intersection of Sixth Street and Lafayette Avenue. It’s an easy place to adventure to or have takeout delivered from when the time calls for it.

Recent wintry weather and a developing head cold kept me cooped up this past weekend. Still reeling from a significant winter storm that blew through Michigan last Wednesday night, Saturday’s weather blanketed Metro Detroit with a few more inches of evil snow. Between the cold, snowy weather and the nagging sense I was at the starting point of a head cold, I decided to stay in and order takeout for the night—despite being in desperate need of groceries.

While playing video games with friends, one of my friends in Colorado mentioned that his Thai food had arrived, so he was about to hop off for the night. A bolt of lightning went off in my head (and a rumble of thunder from my stomach), and my takeout decision was made; I was finally going to order from Saab Sis Thai. And yes, I am quick to be inspired and/or interpret things like that as signs. Besides, it had been quite a few months since I had last enjoyed Thai cuisine.

I placed a DoorDash order for dumplings and drunken noodles (mild spice). As mentioned in earlier posts, I usually keep my first-time orders simple when sampling a new eatery before venturing to more exotic, specialty dishes in follow-up visits. I was excited to try some dishes from such a highly-praised family-owned restaurant. While waiting for my food, I clicked around on the Saab Sis Thai website and looked through more of the menu. Even before trying the food I had just ordered, I already knew Saab Sis Thai would demand at least two to three more dedicated foodie adventures. I noted the popularity of the Green Curry and Chicken Satay dishes in the reviews, so I’ll definitely have to circle back to try these dishes as soon as possible.

My order arrived about 20 minutes later. I eagerly ripped open the delivery bag to gain access to the food containers within. As I write this amid a now fully developed head cold, I will say that I’m honored that one of the last true things I could smell (before waking up totes sick the following morning) was my drunken noodles order from Saab Sis Thai. The noodles were wide rice noodles with a spicy Thai garlic sauce whose aroma emanated heavenly from within the sealed container. I ripped off the lid, freeing an eruption of steam that had built up from within the confines of the stir-fried dish.

As you can see from the photo above, Saab Sis Thai PACKED that container very well! I was thrilled with the serving size and large portions of peppers, onions, and carrots. All the veggies were nice and thick, coated with the sticky garlic sauce, which was reminiscent of a spicy peanut essence. The thick noodles were assorted and mixed well throughout the dish, as well as copious chunks of tender chicken. The chicken was cooked perfectly and absorbed a good amount of the sauce, so every chicken bite packed a saucy punch.

Without a doubt, the flavors were top-tier! The ingredients’ size and individual flavor contributions were well received. The well-mixed dish made it easy to get a little bit of everything in every bite, with every bite accompanied by that zesty garlic sauce. It may have been because I ordered the dish mild or I was at the earliest stages of slightly losing some sense of taste and smell, but I would say the dish could have been spicier. But that’s okay because I’d rather go on the safer side of mild than hot when trying a new restaurant’s cuisine for the first time. Plus, it allows me to be braver for the next visit spice-wise!

The noodles were perfect, soft, and even a bit chewy in the proper sense. There were occasional clumps of noodles throughout the dish, which were easy to attach to any bite via fork, alongside some veggies for the ultimate thrill-ride coaster through Taste Township when all of the flavor profiles were conjoined into one bite. This dish was rock solid, and I’d love to order it again someday at the actual restaurant to enjoy it at its freshest and steamiest. A few more dishes lie in wait ahead, though, for the next time I adventure to Saab Sis Thai!

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The only thing I regret about my order is that I got takeout versus physically being at Saab Sis Thai to truly enjoy this dish in the element. The dumplings were also good and did their job as a quick and easy appetizer. I enjoyed the homemade soy sauce, which seemed more robust in flavor than your typical store-bought soy sauce. After seeing some of the other featured appetizers in photos taken by other patrons, I’m inspired to check out the fried chicken wings, fried wontons, or Coco Calamari next time. Aside from wanting to try the Green Curry and Chicken Satay for entrees, I also really want to experience the Khao Soi, a noodle soup dish featuring a bone-in chicken that hails from northern Thailand.

Whether you’ve already been or have yet to try, Saab Sis Thai is a gem smackdab in downtown Royal Oak that should be on any Metro Detroit foodie’s radar or rotation for places to eat. From what I’ve gathered parsing through reviews, the owners/family seem like very kind and welcoming folks as well, which is always warming to see mentioned by guests. It certainly encourages me to make another visit in the coming weeks when my sense of taste and smell are fully back to normal so that I can enjoy every aspect of my follow-up foodie adventure to Saab Sis Thai.

For more information about Saab Sis Thai in Royal Oak, click here.