NYC Thai Food

January 15, 2020

One of my absolute favorite things to eat is Thai Curry. I eat it every chance I get. Thai food is flavorful, rich and soulful. I can’t get enough. Here in New York there is no shortage of Thai restaurants, so let me be the one to bring you some ideas on where to go! These three restaurants are top notch in my opinion!

Wayla

Wayla is located on the Lower Eastside bordering on Chinatown, and it is fairly new. I’ve been hearing its name all over, so I had to try. I ended up going to “Little Wayla”, which is the lunch version on the ground floor of the building, as opposed to Wayla, which is on a lower floor. “Little Wayla” is only open for lunch and sells lunch boxes! Choose à la carte or pick your own plate! When I went, I chose two lunch boxes, one for myself, one for my coworker. One had Crispy Chicken with Eggplant and Onions, and Sticky Rice. The rice was purple! The whole dish was bursting with flavor. The second dish was Salmon with Brussels Sprouts and White Rice. This lunch was spicy and delicious, you just really got an authentic flavor. The (very nice) counter girl gave me some additional curry sauce, so needless to say: there were no leftovers.

For more info on Wayla click here

Fish Cheeks

Deep in the Village, you will find Fish Cheeks, probably one of the most authentic Thai restaurants here in NYC. This is another restaurant that I have heard about more and more lately, so with my camera in tow, I was on my way there. It was a cold day, but no worries, the spicy food warmed me right up. It’s a pretty little spot on Bond Street, and even though I went for lunch (my new favorite meal), it was packed and lively. I guess word got around!

I saw oysters on the menu, and was immediately game. It came with fried shallots and Nam Jim Seafood sauce. So good and so different from the usual condiments. The Zabb Wings are made with chili, lime and mint. They’re spicy and addictive. They’re an absolute must on any visit in my opinion. Of course I couldn’t leave without trying their curry, so I chose the Coconut Crab Curry, which is simply to die for. It is made southern style with house made curry paste and seabeans, and it is packing heat!! It was outstanding. I love this place.

For more info on Fish Cheeks click here

Bua Thai Ramen & Robata Grill

This restaurant is on the Upper Eastside. I ate there a while back, and even though they serve some Japanese and other asian dishes, my friend and I stuck to mainly the Thai dishes, which were somewhat americanized, which I have ZERO problem with. I love when two cultures hold on to the best of what each other have to offer and create a meal that is nothing but delicious.

Our choices for appetizers were Thai Country Dumplings, which were stuffed with shrimp, chicken, carrot, mushroom, and water chestnuts with a soy vinaigrette dipping sauce; and Fried Calamari with a spicy mayo. The main dishes were (of course) Green Curry with bamboo shoot, basil eggplant and bell peppers; and my friend had Pad Kee Mao Noodles, which was a little spicy with noodles, onion, basil, tomato, bell peppers, peppercorn and wild ginger. We closed out the meal by sharing frozen ice cream. Not only did we have a great time, but we shared a truly delicious meal!