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February 23, 2007

Best Thai in Brooklyn?

Now, as most local Thai food lovers know, you've got to trek over to Sripraphai in Queens if you want the real deal. We haven't had found any restaurants in Brooklyn that compare, though we do like Em Thai at 278 Smith Street — where they serve a few dishes that venture beyond the basics. Their crispy and spicy Duck Basil is always a winner; another house specialty involves panang curry is poured over grilled shrimp and buttery avocado slices; and the Pad Kee Mao (super spicy noodles) never disappoints. The delivery is almost instantaneous — we once received a meal in seven minutes flat (no joke) — but the restaurant's mod decor and friendly servers make it worth stopping in now and then. Of course, that's just one neighborhood spot. The photo above was shot at Nana (155 5th Avenue in Park Slope), which we've also heard good things about. Any other recommendations for neighborhood Thai joints? Or perhaps somebody can point out a few dishes at local spots that will help us Sripraphai fans stave off another journey to Queens?
Photo by Brooklyn Hilary

Comments

Song in Park Slope on 5th and 2nd-ish is the best Thai I think I've ever had. There's a new place on Smith that took over where Tuk Tuk was that is also very very good, but I think Song still wins out. Plus, as my friend Seth exclaimed upon looking at the menu, "This place is cheaper than Denny's!"

Posted by: Doug at February 23, 2007 11:31 AM

joya all the way!

Posted by: at at February 23, 2007 12:29 PM

nine d

Posted by: billy the k at February 23, 2007 12:44 PM

Nine-D and Joya are okay, and Song is a Joya spin-off, but I think Em Thai is far superior to all three of them.

Posted by: spicy girl at February 23, 2007 12:48 PM

i agree about em thai
also - we once ordered from them and - this is not an a joke - our food showed up within SEVEN minutes of getting off the phone. thats a thai miracle people.

Posted by: pete at February 23, 2007 2:10 PM

Song's cheap allright, but the quality is on par with the price. Lemongrass (on 7th) makes better Pad Thai.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 2:13 PM

I beg to disagree. Nana is slop, served with gooey extra sweet sauces. If you this it passes for great Thai good, then you don't know Thai food. I've tried most of the places recommended here, and IMO for better tasting food at just as cheap prices, you need to go to Spice on University or Galanga in the WV in Manhattan. Or, make that trek out to Queens.

Posted by: North Sleeper at February 23, 2007 2:26 PM

Thai Sesame on Smith makes consistantly delicious Thai food and they are super nice! Super fast delivery too...

Posted by: monty at February 23, 2007 2:32 PM

Nine-D. Ingredients are always fresh and the service is good. Place has nice decor too.

Posted by: red at February 23, 2007 2:44 PM

I second (third) the opinion about Em. It may not be ultra-authentic (who knows, really), but it's the best Thai food in Cobble/Carrol and it's service is incredible. We've probably ordered from there ten times and it's never taken more than like 15-20 minutes.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 2:45 PM

Thai Rice Kitchen (7th ave/9th st., Tha Slope)

Recommended dishes...

*Crab Fried Rice
*Chicken Spices
*Pad Thai

Thai tea's good too.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 2:51 PM

mango thai in park slope is good at food.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 2:57 PM

I'm not an expert on Thai, I just like eating it. I live in East Williamsburg, and we love Lily Thai. We've only eaten in their restaurant once, but we order delivery once a week, sometimes more. We like their Gai Kana or winter soup. Yum.

Posted by: zeebah at February 23, 2007 4:13 PM

Joya!

Posted by: Joya-lovah at February 23, 2007 4:43 PM

You all crazy, Fulton Chinese/Thai is what its all about...Panang isn't right if it doesn't taste like beef broth with a pinch of rooster sauce. I don't understand you fancy other side of Atlantic and Flatbush people.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 6:39 PM

Thai Seasame is an awesome alternative to the always crowded joya.

The moo sam ros (fried pork) dish is awesome.

Posted by: dan at February 23, 2007 6:40 PM

Thai Sesame!!!!!

I think Joya's food is boring, and I hate the douchey crowd

Em is pretty good. I also used to like the place that was there before it: 3 Bow Thais. Maybe it's the same owner.

Posted by: a at February 23, 2007 7:08 PM

Thai Sesame is horrid! I've been twice, and both times, all our dishes were bland and the texture of meats/tofu was rubbery.

Em is totally the way to go!!!

Everything they make is delicious, the service is great, and the delivery is superhuman. On top of it all, they're BYOB. Well, they were last time I ate there, which was over the summer (I had to move to another state in September for grad school :( )

Posted by: smith st girl at February 23, 2007 10:01 PM

em thai also. We discovered it for ourselves, which is nice .. rather than being told to go there .. and now other people appear to agree which must mean that most thai places suck if its so easy for average people to tell the difference.

Not a match for that queens place maybe but that is academic unless you find yourself over there one evening.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 24, 2007 4:48 AM

My husband and I love LIly Thai in B'burg,
They have some very tasty duck dishes which we get a lot.

Posted by: keithcat at February 24, 2007 11:14 AM

KENSINGTON:
am-Thai (____ Basil on the green awning) at McDonald Ave and Abermarle is aces.

Posted by: Matt at February 24, 2007 12:14 PM

I like the relatively new Watana the best, which is on 7th ave between 14th and 15th in south slope.

Rice Thai Kitchen (on 7th ave) is pretty good, but I think watana might be a bit better. (plus the ambience is great.)

NOTHING in nyc is as good as Tommy Tang's on melrose in LA. I miss that place.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 24, 2007 12:31 PM

If Em is the best Thai in the nabe, then I might just have to cry. Happened to order some Friday night, reminded by your post that I never order from there, and couldn't find the menu (later I realized that I'd thrown it out after a previous bad experience). We ended up ordering the pad thai and a massaman curry with tofu. The massaman curry came with three teeny tiny pieces of tofu and a few sad vegetables floating in a vaguely spicy broth. Pad thai was flavorless. 9D all the way! Joya is good every day but Monday, but only if you go early or get delivery (which they don't do on weekends).

Posted by: abrooklynlife at February 25, 2007 11:08 AM

Joya is the best by far.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 25, 2007 11:12 AM

watana rocks. best thai in the slope for sure. haven't had their pad thai, but the ribs appetizer is sublime, and they make tofu and seitan sizzlingly appetizing. and great prices and quick delivery.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 25, 2007 12:02 PM

Cheer's Thai on Metropolitan in Will'burg is probably quite simply in fact some of perhaps the tastiest and most sought after thai foods around.

Posted by: Clit at February 26, 2007 9:11 AM

What about Watana Siam on 7th Avenue in Park Slope?

Posted by: smitty at February 26, 2007 10:57 AM

the green mango salad at Em Thai is delicious- better than the overpriced one at Fatty Crab. I ordered one and then had to order a second one right away!

Posted by: molly at February 26, 2007 1:36 PM

em has a fish item they make with the mango salad on top - delish. used to love tuk tuk but can't recommend the place that's there now. of course my opinion could have been shaded by longing for tuk tuk.

Posted by: mick at February 26, 2007 4:22 PM

kotobuki in carroll gardens west

Posted by: Anonymous at February 27, 2007 1:38 AM

Myrtle Thai (Myrtle & Vanderbilt) or Fulton Thai (Fulton & Vanderbilt) are both just so good. I'm addicted to their $7 tofu yum salad, extra spicy. Y'all don't even know about that. And their curries... mmm!

Posted by: Bianca at March 13, 2007 9:51 PM

Planet Thailand on N6th in Williamsburg has been the best and most authentic for us for the last 10 years since they were a small hole in the wall and we had just come back from Thailand

Posted by: Anonymous at March 31, 2007 12:02 AM

Agree that Myrtle Thai is the best I've had so far. And I am Thai-Am so I have a smidge of authority on the topic.

Posted by: ANP at April 16, 2007 7:07 PM

Yall don't know what yall talkin about. I grew up in Bangkok and I'm telling you, it's LILY THAI in Billyburg.

Posted by: naitas at May 20, 2007 1:29 AM

Watana in Park Slope is the best we've had in Brooklyn. The people who own the place are actually Thai, which makes the food a lot more authentic than any place masquerading as Thai.

By the way, a good key that a place is not authentic is when the name of the restaurant doesn't even match the cuisine. Kotobuki, by the way, is a Japanese name, and if it's serving both Japanese and Thai food, I can guarantee you that no one who is either Thai or Japanese works there. My wife is Japanese, and we run into this problem all the time with erzatz Japanese food. Just be warned: about 90% of Japanese restaurants in New York are not run by Japanese. I suspect it's the same for Thai.

Try Watana. It's great.

Posted by: JDT at July 21, 2007 6:58 PM

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February 23, 2007

Best Thai in Brooklyn?

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