Ruby Thai Kitchen

Mango chicken! It tastes even better than panda’s Orange chicken.
And on a combo, you can replace the rice/​noodles with steamed veggies

Great, could use more sauce on the mango chicken. I definitely enjoyed this meal. Very friendly.

Disclaimer: I worked in malls for almost ten years and food court food was a way of life. This particular day, I was feeling nostalgic and headed to my (very) local mall food court and made my decision. As it turned out, it was a bad decision. Service wise, for food court service, I was pretty happy. The staff seemed to care about the business and its offerings. That is were the good times stopped rolling. I ordered two different types of chicken along with some fried rice. Unfortunately, I could not finish my dish as the chicken in each dish was rubbery, dry and slick with grease. On the plus side, the fired rice was not too shabby. In all fairness, my food court tastebuds have long since diminished. Maybe my pal has become too much of a snob to consume such culinary offerings. I feel it I should go back and give a noodle or cry dish a go. Hopefully, I can update this review with a little more positive information.

This place is fast food. If you need to grab a quick lunch and you don’t mind Thai, go here. If you want a nice sit-​down quality Thai restaurant, don’t go here. I recommend the mango chicken and the Thai curry chicken. Again, they’re not great, but they’re cheap and will fill you up.

They place is alright. I like it most because you get a lot of bang for your buck.
Always generous portions, always a few different chicken options.
Fried rice is okay here. Love the mango chicken. And the lemon chicken.
My tip for here though is if you want an asain cuisine, skip Panda Express and come here.

This is my second time eating here. Great price! Entrees are fresh and they give you good portions! I’ll be back.

It’s definitely not what you want to get if you’re craving legit thai food. But for their prices, its a pretty sweet deal. I recommend the mango chicken and the thai grilled chicken! Their pad thai is all right. Two meat combo is around $ 7.50 so its not bad at all.

This place was strange… We walked into the food court and there was a girl handing out samples. My boyfriend said it was good and I’m always craving Thai so we decided to try it. I was craving Thai and my boyfriend agreed to try It. It was buffet style. My boyfriend got a combo plate and I got chicken pad Thai. The weird part… A crowd quickly formed and the girl handing out samples decided to go behind the counter and help. She smiled at the customers behind us in line and asked what they would like. The owner/​manager (it seemed) got upset and snapped at her. He yelled «no! You’re sample girl only!» She looked scared but not surprised and quickly went back to handing out samples. I didn’t like the behavior I witnessed and kept an eye on the manager/​owner while I waited to pay. He shared that attitude with the rest of the staff. So strange especially in front of customers! We left and sat to eat. I’m addicted to pad Thai so I’ve had a lot from many places. This was better than I expected from a food court although a bit greasy. It’s the manager/​owner that made me not enjoy my visit.

Ruby Thai used to be my favorite at the UTC mall. I go there once in a while and every time I go there it keeps getting worse. The noodle was over cooked and Mango chicken had almost no mango sauce on it. It was like having a very greasy, wok fried chicken nuggets plate. I was too hungry and I ate the whole thing. I wish, I did not.

The man handing out the samples was friendly, and the morsel he gave me was delicious so I thought, why not? Well, the people serving seemed annoyed that I existed, and the food I got was not what I was expecting. Ruby Thai is a Canadian company, so the best way I can describe this place is if I bunch of white Canadian business men got together and made Thai for profit, this would be the result. Said another way: if Panda Express and Rob Ford made a baby, they would name it Ruby Thai.

Try the mango chicken! They always have samples of the mango chicken as you walk by trying to decide what you want from the food court.
They even have a stamp card but I have yet to go here enough times.
The line always goes by quickly.

For a food court meal, it’s not too bad in taste. I got noodles, mango chicken, and eggplant. The noodles and chicken were dry, but the quantity was enough to fill me up and leave some left over.
Unfortunately, I got food poisoning for their mango chicken, so I am giving them a 1 and never returning to eat there again.

At the mall yesterday, wasn’t really sure what I was in the mood for. I thought I’d give this a try, after trying the sample. About $ 5 for mango chicken and fried rice. Its more like an upgrade of a chicken nugget but less meat than orang chicken from P express. The chicken was crispy and the mango flavor was sweet but not too sweet. .
However, the chicken pieces weren’t that big in comparison. What part of the chicken is a nugget? Also the fried rice had carrots & pees in it. The food upset my stomach the next day so it might have been fried. For the price I paid it was okay

This is solid food court quality food and I’d even go as high as a 3.5 if I could.
I stopped in while babysitting three boys on our way to the movies. After pacing the food court several times, the mango chicken won them over and we ended up ordering four plates, all with the mango chicken as one of the items. I know people have compared it to orange chicken but I think it’s much better. I’m not a fan of the sauce on orange chicken and I liked that the flavor was much lighter on the mango chicken. They were almost like little chicken nuggets. In hindsight, I could have just had the mango chicken instead of getting a second side of the teriyaki-​like chicken, which was okay but not as good. I also had the thai fried rice and it was pretty good.
For me, the two item combo was way too much food for one meal and since we were going to a movie after, I had to throw away over half of my meal. I’ll have to look for a lighter option next time or plan to bring the leftovers home.
I noticed that they have made to order noodle dishes as well, which I was curious about but skeptical. They also have thai teas, which I love, but skipped this time.

Better than Panda Express! I love how you can order the Fired rice FRESH. It may take a little longer but its fresh as can be. You have them add chicken, beef or shrimp in it. Gotta have it spicy as well. This is always a nice pit-​stop for lunch.
You get Quantity and Quality here for your buck!

Eh, I’m not too critical about posting a review on some food court spot.
Cleo McDowell: «Look, me and the McDonald’s people got this little misunderstanding. See, they’re McDonald’s…I’m McDowell’s. They got the Golden Arches, mine is the Golden Arcs. They got the Big Mac, I got the Big Mick. We both got two all-​beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, but their buns have sesame seeds. My buns have no seeds.»
(Coming to America — 1988)
The comparisons of Ruby Thai Kitchen and Panda Express (and other steam table cafeterias) are similar: start with rice and/​or noodles then one or more main dish items. Lunch was a 2-​item combo of eggplant-​tofu and grilled chicken with a side of both fried rice and chow mein noodles. I’ve had the same dish from Panda as well and while one can debate the menu and recipes, little can be disputed that both are Americanized Asian shopping mall fare for the masses.
Over at McDonald’s they’d call it Orange Chicken, but at McDowell’s it would be called Mango Chicken.
The biggest McLaugh I got recently was catching a No Reservations tv segment. It was about everyone’s favorite Ukrainian fast food joint, McFoxy, doing business next door to a McDonalds, similar to food court neighbors Ruby Thai and Panda Express. Subtle or blatant, you gotta love American capitalism at it’s finest, copyright infringements notwithstanding.

Woo-​hoo Ruby’s Thai has the best food in the food court at Westfield UTC mall! It can’t compete with a Thai restaurant, but it’s good. The boneless BBQ chicken is marinated, then baked without any added oils, then grilled. It’s sweet and flavorful. Then there’s the fried chicken nuggets, which surprised me as they are better than the fried chicken I had recently at a Japanese Ramen restaurant. The veggies with broccoli and cabbage are light and crunchy.
I like the 3-​item combo so I can try more items, even though I couldn’t finish it. Am thinking of sending my leftovers to the starving children in India via Instagram. Can’t take ‘me with me due to shopping. Children shouldn’t have to go hungry, seriously.
The rice noodles in my combo at Ruby’s Thai are tastier and more fun than the 2 pasta dishes I’ve tried at the Noodles & Company right outside this food court.
Confusingly, there are 2 Unilocal listings for Ruby’s Thai, but the other listing says Ruby’s Thai kitchen, same address, but Unilocal won’t let you check into the other listing if you’re standing right here in the food court!
My only complaint is that my food didn’t seem to stay hot long enough, but that might be because I took it outside on a cool gloomy day today. So I won’t deduct any stars for food temp.
I had an early lunch, and the food seemed freshly made. If you must eat in the food court, check out Ruby’s Thai (also known as Ruby’s Thai kitchen). Just remember it’s a food court, not a restaurant, so this is good for fast food Thai.

Honestly, As much I go to this place for my favority lemon pepper chicken, I am not always a 5 star giver for fast food. I am sure there are food court or mall places that could be considered 5 star but would you really give 5 stars to a place that you eat with a tray or takeout easily.
My props for Ruby Thai as being better than Panda Express. The food at the other place seems to blend together and taste the same.
Again, my favorite here is the lpc and is the only thing I get (sometimes with fried rice or sometimes with noodles, mainly with white rice).
What gives the 4 stars besides having something I like is the price. For under 6 bucks, I get a decent meal and don’t have to worry about issues later (I have a sensitive stomach).
The samples are okay depending on what they give you. They do let you taste the food if you see something and are curious on the taste.

America is a country of franchises. Those with conservative tastes tend to go with what is familiar, sticking with what they grew up with and that won’t ‘freak them out.’ Asian food can be scary … all that fish and vegetables, some of it cooked in anything other than a deep fryer … who wants to risk their stomach with that!?!
So to make such cuisine palatable to the timid masses you have to «Americanize» it; bread it and fry it, serve it with something starchy, add in a stick of butter, sprinkle it with powdered sugar, and give the Europeans another reason to shake their heads at us. Soon enough, you get corner Chinese places that serve eight kinds of fried rice and have Orange Chicken be their #1 best seller. Then comes along stores like Panda Express and Pick-​Up Stix that box it all up and send it over all 50 states.
Sorry, Hawaii … L&L is doing the same thing to you guys.
So, now most conservative tummies are used to and are not afraid of Chinese food. It was only a matter of time before this idea branched out into other styles as well. With Ruby Thai, we see that concept of applied to Thai food in all of its Panang glory. Let me be clear and note that this concept does not automatically mean the food is awful. There are quite a few franchise places that can crank out some tasty grub. Yes, the majority of them run from ‘MEH’ to «THERE’S A PARTY INSIDE MY MOUTH … AND EVERYONE IS THROWING UP!», but Ruby Thai is not one of them.
It’s good. No, its not real Thai food, but its still pretty damn tasty. I stopped by on my way home and chose this as my UTC spot for lunch. And it pretty much is just like Panda Express, get a combo and it comes with rice or chow mien and an entrée or three. I opted for the Phad Thai upgrade along with a helping of Black Pepper Chicken and some Yellow Curry Chicken.
My brother would mock the Pad Thai, missing most of the bean sprouts and coriander that would normally make the dish; essentially its just flat noodles tossed in a paste that kind of tastes like fish sauce and tamarind … but could just as easily be ketchup with a little palm sugar mixed in. Still, it borders on good and is a real nice substitute to the more common fried rice.
Next on my plate was the Yellow Curry Chicken. A nice amount of heat and lightly sweet taste to it, a good fast food version of a yellow curry. Normally I would choose to stick with tradition, but this dish could definitely be slightly more Americanized, with the sauce being a little thicker, possibly reduce it down or, better yet, cook it with a bit more coconut milk for a richer flavor. Regardless, I liked it quite a bit.
And last, it was all followed up with the Black Pepper Chicken. This dish was fried, tossed with red pepper and jalapeño slices, and served slightly burned and blackened which gives the whole of it a fantastic taste. It’s lightly dry, smoky aroma, and salty on the tongue … I liked it a whole hell of a lot.
So, all in all, this place is pretty good. Just remember, that all of this is in context of a fast food style Thai place. If I got food like over at BKK, I would arch an eyebrow and be stating that it was alright, but Pad Thai like this at a sit down place? C’mon!!! But, since you can find Ruby Thai at a mall’s Food Court … grab a styrofoam container full and enjoy the franchise, buffet-​style goodness.

I personally feel this place is like a slower version of Panda Express. Item selections are quite limited and portions are pretty small. But service is good; they are always willing to give you samples to try. I ordered a combo 2 and instead of rice or noodles, I asked for vegetables. I also ordered the spicy chicken and the Thai pepper beef. Chicken is good, beef is mediocre. I would come here again if I needed something quick to eat.