By Dominique Sabins, special to the Blog.
Taking the place of longtime PhinneyWood staple Satay Bar, Ray’s Rice & Noodle Bar serves up classic Thai staples – with some embellishments – in a cozy diner on the corner of 84th and Greenwood. Owners Levi and Fern opened this spot in spring 2025 and have quickly made an impact on the neighborhood food scene. This joint is great for weeknight take out, a low key date night, or a family-style meal with friends. After enjoying both takeout and dining in, here are some dishes worth stopping by Ray’s for.
Ray’s checked all the boxes for my favorite takeout order: pineapple fried rice and yellow curry. The pineapple fried rice was impossible to step away from. Both salty and sweet thanks to the bursts of pineapple, this dish was everything you want for an uncomplicated weeknight dinner, with plenty for lunch the next day. The yellow curry was another Thai classic that didn’t disappoint. Packed with softly sautéed onion, carrots, and potatoes, this curry was hearty and indulgent.
While dining in, I wandered outside of my usual Thai order to explore more of Ray’s unique offerings. Instead of getting classic Thai appetizers like spring rolls and crab wontons (which they both have) we opted for the pork belly dippers. This unusual appetizer contained small pork belly slices, deep fried to a crisp with a sweet chili oil dipping sauce. Despite being fried, the pork belly remained juicy with thick layers of fat and meat. It was a fun deviation from the basic Thai appetizers you can find anywhere. The star of this dish was the dipping sauce. It was sweet, tangy, and perfectly complimented the savory crunch of fried pork belly.
For mains, I sprang for the house special, Ray’s Curry Noodles. This dish featured soft Miki noodles in a creamy curry sauce that burst with aromatics like lemongrass, jalapeño, and basil. The curry noodle dish was equal parts noodle and stir fry since it contained a medley of vegetables like onion, broccoli, and bell peppers. As with most Thai restaurants, you get your choice of protein. I chose beef for this noodle dish and was pleasantly surprised with a large portion of tender beef slices.
Alongside Ray’s Curry Noodle, we tried the Crispy Garlic Chicken. This dish delivered a massive tower of crunchy chicken, piled with charred garlic and basil. The chicken was tossed in a slightly sweet sauce and sprinkled everywhere with the crunchy garlic. If you love garlic like I do, don’t skip this dish when you visit Ray’s.
Since there’s always room for dessert, I rounded out dinner with Ray’s fried banana with coconut ice cream. Four pieces of banana were rolled in phyllo pastry and sat atop maple syrup. Alongside was a bowl of sorbet-like coconut ice cream. It was the perfect way to end our meal with something sweet that wasn’t too heavy.
Ray’s huge dishes don’t sacrifice flavor and they come at a very reasonable price. With a menu that showcases both Thai classics and creative dishes unique to Ray’s, this establishment adds huge value to our bustling dining scene in PhinneyWood.
