Cilantro Thai & Sushi Restaurant
- 326 S. Main St., downtown
- Phone: 330-434-2876
- Open: (Lunch) Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., (Dinner) Monday through Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m., Friday 5 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.
- Website: https://www.cilantrothai.com/
Charlie Somtrakool leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on a white-linen table tucked in the rear of Cilantro’s dining room, pondering why his Thai and sushi restaurant has thrived while so many others in downtown Akron have served and shuttered.
The engineer-turned-restaurateur was surrounded by jigsaw-style lighting, a partially open kitchen concept, wood tables and chairs and glassware filled with orange napkins — positioned upright like elegant flames. After more thought, Somtrakool narrowed his success down to a delightful paradox of consistency and change.
Doesn’t matter if you first tried the Cilantro Special Roll ($18) here back in 2009 or last week. Sushi chef Souvilom Ratanaboud is still in the back of the house, crafting the same recipe.
“I think that that helped us a lot for maintaining the returning customers,” Somtrakool said. “Some of them, we’ve known them since we opened. They still keep coming and supporting us.”
Cilantro has for years sourced many of its Asian cuisine ingredients from Far East Oriental Market, a local grocery store on Archwood Avenue in the Firestone Park neighborhood.
Conversely, the restaurant continues to shift how it serves consumers as eating habits change. Nearly 75% of all restaurant traffic now occurs off‑premises via takeout, delivery or drive-thru, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2025 Off-Premises Restaurant Trends report. So Somtrakool added two ghost kitchens (Cilantro Thai Express) in the Cleveland area and a third in Columbus.
Somtrakool said DoorDash orders now account for nearly half (45%) of his company’s sales year over year.
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What are Cilantro customers eating?
The restaurant recently added more soups to its menu, including Chiang Mai Chicken Curry Noodle Soup – Khao Soi ($16.95). It’s a coconut curry noodle soup paired with a tender-braised chicken quarter and topped with crispy noodles and traditional garnishes.
From the poké bar, chef-crafted bowls range from $16 to $18.
“A couple years ago, we introduced poke bowls to our menu, and it’s a big hit,” Somtrakool said. “You know, we utilize the same quality, fresh product from the sushi bar and in order to create the Poke bowls. And people recognize that, they love it.”
From the bar, a collection of cocktails and mocktails, the Thai Tamarind Margarita ($12) is a spin off from the traditional drink — Tajín, a Mexican spice, rims around the margarita glass. And the Tokyo mule ($12) relies on Cilantro’s extensive selection of Japanese whiskey; blueberry puree adds a jammy fruit note, softening the sharpness of a lime and the spice of ginger beer.
As rising food costs continue to impact restaurant profits across the U.S., Somtrakool long ago decided how to approach these unpredictable challenges. He’d rather raise prices and maintain the quality guests have come to expect than cut cost corners with the curry.
“Because people are people,” he said, “there’s an expectation when they come here: They can always get the same taste, same quality of food.”
On sunny days, natural light from the restaurant’s front windows facing South Main Street adds brightness and warmth.
Walk-ins are accepted, but on weekends reservations are recommended.
2nd place:
Diamond Grille
77 W. Market St., West Hill
330-376-1216 or 330-253-0041
Website: https://www.diamondgrille.com/
3rd place (tie):
Edgar’s
530 Nome Ave., West Akron
330-869-3000
Website: https://edgarsrestaurant.com/
The Lockview
207 S. Main St., downtown
330-252-5128
Website: https://www.thelockview.com/
