Chef Nattaporn Pinpech, also known as Chef Tobb, is celebrated for their authentic Thai street food. They have built a strong fanbase for their restaurant, Secrets of Tiger, and are also associated with Payakk.
Secrets of Tiger is a charming Asian bistro located in Emeryville, California, offering both lunch and dinner. It's described as a "hole in the wall spot with an IYKYK feel," suggesting a hidden gem quality.
Customer Perception
Customers seem to appreciate the restaurant's offerings, with mentions of a "new menu" and positive reviews highlighting its impressive food, even when using unconventional ingredients like instant noodles in some dishes. It's considered a "worst-kept secret" in Emeryville.
Additional Details
The restaurant opened in August 2023. It is noted for its charming ambiance and its blend of Thai, Japanese, and Asian fusion cuisine.
Vegetarian options available (based on Google Maps listing hint)
Best Times to Visit
The restaurant serves lunch from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and dinner from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, with the exception of Wednesdays when it is closed. Lunch is served from 11 am to 2 pm.
Fun energy, cool staff. Mushroom dish was easily the best - light on batter, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, very good veggies and the eggplants and carrots were the perfect size - unique film your typical Thai place. Fried steak is a lot of fun given the options of sides to eat with: sauce, fried garlic, picked veggies, cabbage. Also big portion.
Pineapple fried rice very good. Tons of onions, egg, chicken, and pineapple. Light on shrimp but I'm not offended.
Thai iced tea - I'd personally skip
Crossing the bridge for food is always worth it when you find a spot like this.
I found this place on Xiaohongshu and decided to give it a try — and it ended up being such a pleasant surprise!
We got there right around opening time, but the restaurant already had quite a few tables occupied, which says a lot. The space felt warm and cozy, with lots of plants inside, and you can even see the mural across the street from your seat. I feel like the atmosphere here would be especially nice at night.
We ordered the red curry, which was pretty good, though I do think it could have come with a bit more ingredients. Also, the curry doesn’t come with rice, so you have to order that separately. The rice that day was a little on the firm side.
The real standout on the savory side was definitely the Pad See Ew — super flavorful with amazing wok hei. Absolutely worth ordering. It also came with a good amount of ingredients, not just noodles, which I appreciated.
But the real star was honestly the dessert. It looked extra and tasted amazing too.
The honey toast was baked perfectly, the ice cream wasn’t too sweet, and the mango was super ripe and sweet. Paired with the sticky rice, it was such a good combo.
If you’re ever passing through Emeryville, this place is definitely worth checking out.
5
Very authentic Thai food. Ate lunch here on a Monday and place wasnt crowded but restaurant is small. Everything tasted great and food came out at okay pace. Mango Sticky Rice was different than other places, rice was blue/purple and had a toasty flavor.
5
A feast for the senses. The decor is vibrant and fun, the food is beautiful and delicious. Service was attentive and warm. Great experience, highly recommend.
There is a small parking lot but also street parking. It's a small place though so make a reservation if you don't want to wait.
4
The restaurant gets really busy during rush meal hours so making reservations is highly recommended. Limited large tables so groups larger than 4 would be difficult to fit unless you make reservation in advance so that tables could be put together.
A nice restaurant with lots of live plants - some are expensive tropical plants if you know them - that means the owner takes pride in the plants and does well to take care of them.
Pad see eew was alright. Tasty is flavorful but I like it when there’s some “wok hei” / smokiness when noodles are fried from a well seasoned wok.
Beef fat fried rice was delicious with a good piece of beef. We had it mild medium spicy and even then it was spicy for us. Not sure if they could do it mild. But it was a stellar entree that I would recommend especially with the tender flavorful beef and the sauce that goes with it.
Roast duck lychee curry was delicious! The winner of the night. The lychee imparts natural sweetness and a floral flavor to the curry that was just outstanding. I could eat this and be totally satisfied for a meal instead of all the other dishes.
Hat yai fried chicken was ok. Chicken was tender and crispy, going well with the sauce but the sticky rice was too dry and hard that it didn’t add well to the overall entree.
Would definitely return for the roast duck lychee curry and perhaps try their version of khao soi next time
