Hello everyone and welcome to The Log’s newest food review column, brought to you in collaboration with Culinary Review TX at Tabor Academy. Our first review is of Cilantro, a local Thai restaurant right here in Marion, Massachusetts.
Cilantro is a small but thriving restaurant – its bright, cozy, and clean interior exudes warmth. The friendly staff serve you with a smile and provide efficient service; they are more than happy to adjust to your needs. The menu is thoughtfully laid out, with a plethora of options and detailed descriptions of ingredients and spice level. They even offer alterations to spice levels per the customers’ requests. For our party of ten, the five dishes we ordered were more than enough food for everyone.
To start, Thai Iced Tea was the drink of choice for Jihan Al Maki ’25 and Sue Zhao ’26. Fresh cream swirled into the amber tea created a harmonious blend of floral and creamy notes, evoking a mellow feeling after one sip. It was the perfect companion for the spicy dishes that were offered, soothing the fiery heat and leaving the palate delighted.
The first featured dish is the Sweet and Sour Tempura, ordered by Hammy Al Zaabi ’26. Served with the sauce on the bottom, white rice on the side, and a choice of chicken and shrimp, the dish blends the contrasting flavors expertly. The added toppings — pineapple chunks, bell peppers, and other veggies — helped complement the protein options and add flavor to the white rice.
Following the Tempura is the Crispy Chicken Pad Thai, ordered by Scarlett McGlashan ’26. The dish is made up of long, delicate rice noodles mixed with egg and grounded peanuts on the side. Like all their entrees, this one is generous in portion size, easily sharable with friends or to take home for leftovers.
The Pad Thai had the right amount of flavor without much spice, perfect for those who enjoy a milder dish. The crispy chicken within the dish brought a unique texture and a nostalgic flavor.
“The first bite took me back to making Pad Thai with my dad before moving to Tabor,” said Scarlett.
Next up is the Green Curry, ordered by Jack Nguyen ’27 and Ella O’Brien ’27. The dish is made up of curry with toppings such as bell pepper, snow peas, basil, and coconut milk. To accompany the dish, rice is served on the side.
The curry comes in large portions; others tried the delicious and filling meal. The rice soaked up the curry easily and paired perfectly. The curry was a nice consistency to it and the blend of spice, herbs, and toppings made the dish memorable for the two reviewers.
Finally, we have the Crazy Noodle, ordered by Tutu Hu ’26. The Crazy Noodle is made up of stir fried rice noodles and a choice of protein. For this dish, Tutu chose chicken. To accompany the noodles, a spicy sauce and an array of stir-fried vegetables balanced the meal out.
The rice noodles were wide, soft, and chewy, and the amount of spicy sauce on top was just right: not too much to overpower the dish but enough to provide a slight kick. With savory chicken balancing fresh vegetables, this was a tasty and must-try dish.
Whether you’re visiting town or taking a break from dining hall food, Cilantro is a local and tasty restaurant that will fill you up. It is well worth the visit.