Thai food in NJ/NY is in a sad state. The best Thai food in NYC doesn't hold a candle to an old lady making some gai gap tiam on the street of Chiang Mai.
Nowhere else (and I've looked), comes close.
"Better" here means: the largest number of good options, the highest mean among the better-than-average, and (somewhat aggregate of the previous) the most likely that any not-obviously-bad choice will be good.
The Japanese food in San Francisco proper is resoundingly mediocre - I can't think of one good ramen place.
If you want good ramen, go to San Mateo or San Jose. Same thing with sushi.