Thai food is known for being spicy, sweet, sour, and satisfying. In NYC, you have plenty of great options for world-class Thai cuisine. From delicious steamed buns to savory soups, salads, and noodle and rice dishes, Thai food will bring an unforgettable sensory experience to your next event.
If you’re looking for a place to start, we’ve carefully compiled this list of the top ten Thai restaurants based on ratings on Yelp and Tripadvisor. If you’re looking for Thai catering for your next party, business event, or wedding, you’ll want to check out this list of the ten best in NYC, in no particular order. Then, complete this form for Thai catering quotes in NYC.
1. LoveMama
LoveMama, which started as a food cart and turned into a restaurant due to the popularity and demand for its Southeastern Asian cuisine, offers a number of Thai classics as well as a fusion of other kinds of Asian fare. Try their Thai fried chicken wings and five-spice crispy calamari to see if they’re right for your next event. Take a look at their long list of soups, with Thai classics like coconut curry chicken soup and Chinese–Thai fusion dishes like their curry wonton soup.
If you’re looking for a great, non-spicy seafood dish to serve to your guests, you may want to offer some crispy, fried tamarind fish with basil, onions, scallions, peppers, and pineapple. You’ll want to order some of their crowd-pleasing dishes, too, like their dumplings, fried rice, or noodle dishes, including drunken noodles, mee goreng (Southeast Asian fried noodles), and grilled chicken vermicelli noodle.
Top Thai Greenwich crafts each dish with authentic, unique tastes and fresh ingredients. They’ve learned how to harmonize the sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy tastes for the perfect bite. Having incorporated Jewish Halal and vegetarian dishes into their cooking, they’ve made their food accessible and enjoyable to a wide range of people from different backgrounds.
For starters at your event, you can roll out platters of their flaky spring rolls and some of their steamed vegetable dumplings. Your guests will want to dive into their scrumptious main courses and curries, such as their vegetarian golden cashew nut dish, made with mushrooms, baby corn, carrots, scallions, onions, pineapples, bell peppers, and celery, or their green curry, carefully crafted with coconut milk, bamboo shoots, eggplant, bell peppers, string beans, and basil.
With a farm-to-kitchen model and food made from organic produce and ingredients from Thailand, Thai Farm Kitchen’s unique model has brought it great acclaim from such publications as The New York Times and Hungry City. Their fare is perfect for your next special occasion, with savory vegan options such as their dumpling phak and poh pia thod (deep-fried vegan spring rolls). You may also want to order a platter of their tasty gai satay (spiced chicken skewers).
If you want a dinner with multiple courses, they’ve got a great selection of soups and salads to cater to your needs. Finish off your event with a bang with their mhuk khai khem (shrimp and squid with a salty egg) or their koong ob woonsen (glass noodles with prawn in hot pot).
4. Fish Cheeks
If you’re looking for quality Thai cuisine, look no further than the aptly named Fish Cheeks. Representing different parts of Thailand, this restaurant offers a variety of different types of dishes that include unique ingredients such as dried bird’s eye chili and tamarind. You may want to try their crab fried rice or their tiger prawn karee (stir-fried with curry powder, scrambled eggs, scallions, onions, micro celery, and roasted chili jam).
Run by brothers from Thailand, Fish Cheeks allows you and your guests to experience traditional, authentic Thai dishes with a modern twist. Their combination of skill and nostalgia has earned them some great reviews in The New York Times and the New York Magazine, as well as a feature in Eater.
5. MAKIINNY
Anyone who’s eaten at MAKIINNY will tell you that their food is simply the best. From tasty appetizers like crisp chive cakes, finger rolls, and keaw tod (crispy dumplings) to rice and noodle dishes such as khao panang moo (stewed pork panang curry over rice) and pad se-ew (stir-fried flat rice noodles with scrambled egg, Chinese broccoli, and black soy sauce), what’s not to love? If you’re looking for an assortment of dishes, they have plenty of soups as well. MAKIINNY is sure to keep your guests satisfied and coming back for more!
At the Bua Thai Ramen & Robata Grill, you’ll find some seafood favorites, including spicy ceviche, tuna tartar, and shrimp and vegetable tempura. You may want to order from their list of chef-recommended dishes, such as their ba mee gyo moo dang and crab, which comes with a heap of Thai spinach noodles, organic barbeque pork, and blue crab meat, or their flavorful chiang mai curry ramen noodles.
You’ll have some great options no matter what you’re looking for, as they have house-made soups and salads and an assortment of buns. They have a long list of noodle, grilled, seafood, curry, and wok-made dishes, too. If you have guests who need gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian options, they also have plenty to pick from to meet those needs.
Your guests are in for a treat with cuisine from THEP, with dishes rooted in Bangkok. Some favorites from the menu include their own special THEP pad Thai with a bed of sautéed vermicelli noodles covered in giant Madagascar shrimp, squid, bean sprouts, Chinese chives, crushed peanuts, and egg in savory and sweet tamarind sauce, served in an egg crepe, or their hung lay, which is a tender pork belly covered in northern-style curry. If you’re wanting to serve something else that's tasty, you may want to provide some crispy duck tamarind for your guests to enjoy.
8. Taladwat
With an eye for elegance, Taladwat has proven a successful collaboration of two great restaurants, with chef David Bank from Pure Thai Cookhouse and chef Brian Ghaw from Feast. The result of this collaboration has resulted in some wonderful Thai favorites you’ll want to serve at your next event, including curry beef puffs (with potatoes, parsnips, cilantro, and chili cucumber relish), steamed beef buns, spicy basil beef, and a steaming platter of turmeric curry chicken.
Given the restaurant’s long list of rice and noodle dishes to choose from, we’re sure you’ll be able to find something at Taladwat that all your guests will love!
9. Kitchen 79
Having been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the Michelin Guide to NYC three years in a row, Kitchen 79 has proven that they have outstanding food. You’ll want to browse their long menu and sample some of their appetizers, salads, and noodle dishes, such as their khao soi northern-style curry noodle soup. You might consider serving some of their crowd-pleasing curries, sautéed dishes, or specialties, such as some salmon chu chee (grilled salmon fillet with chu chee curry) or crispy frog legs.
10. Thai Holic
Using local products and seasonings, Thai Holic seeks to bring you flavor in every bite. Their menu changes with the season, as they try to keep up with what is locally available and fresh. Some of their dishes are available year-round, such as their roti canai, loaded with potatoes, chicken, and onions, and their chicken curry puffs.
After your guests have enjoyed some appetizers, you may want to offer them some of Thai Holic’s salads, main dishes, street-style dishes, or signature dishes, such as their crab meat tom yum fried rice or their white fish green curry. You don’t have to worry about the food being too spicy for your guests, as they have plenty of mildly spicy dishes to choose from, too.
Did any of these restaurants get your mouth watering for some great Thai cuisine at your next event? Take the next step and check out Thai catering prices in NYC.