Nawarat

Reviews

• R. C.

  star star star star star_border 1 September 2026

  First visit, November 2017. What a pleasant surprise. The location is pretty sketchy looking from the outside, but inside is welcoming... and the food is great.  
  
  We had heard Nawarat is popular for its breakfast menu, but we went closer to 2pm so the smaller lunch menu was available. We were the only diners when we arrived, so we went up to the counter and rang the bell. A young man welcomed us, handed us three loose pages of a menu, and we seated ourselves to check it out. After a few minutes, a waitress came out to take our order.
  
  The smaller lunch menu features a few main dishes (Pad Thai, Fried Rice, Noodles) where you can choose a meat or tofu. We were told there are no soft drinks available, just water, which came to the table in a decorative water bottle with two glasses.
  
  The lunch menu doesn't list any appetizers, although a bowl of clear soup appears to be automatically included with your meal. It came without us asking and it was superb: rich flavor, fragrant broth, piping hot. Perfect on a cold day.
  
  The entrees were great too: we had Pad Thai (with chicken) and Fried Rice (with Shrimp). The fried rice was AMAZING. As in, the best shrimp fried rice I've had anywhere in Fort Wayne. It's nothing like the typical Americanized stuff with bland little carrot bits and peas; this fried rice was fresh, well seasoned, and incredibly tasty. The shrimp themselves were good sized and crisply fried on the outside, but still tender on the inside. The Pad Thai was also delicious, garnished with fresh beansprouts and lime and very satisfying, but the Shrimp Fried Rice...? I mean, it's really that good. We'll go back specifically to order it again.
  
  Side note -- while we ate, at least half a dozen people arrived and went straight to the counter to pick up carry-out. So if the ambiance isn't your thing, consider placing a carry-out order!
  
  Last but not least, on that note, be aware, there's a real 'hole-in-the-wall' vibe to the location. This is no Applebees. But the table was clean, the waitress was kind and helpful, the food was tremendous and fairly priced ($20, tip included, for two lunches) and we left satisfied. Thank you everyone at Nawarat for a delicious meal!