5 days ago
Photograph: Alex Muccilli
While Little Italy might be an unlikely neighborhood for a Thai diner, Thai Diner makes the case for swapping out your morning cannoli and cappuccino for congee, coconut pancakes, and Thai iced tea. From the folks who brought you the late, great Uncle Boons, the menu brings back that restaurant's best hits—like their crab fried rice with spicy seafood nam prik and a gooey, gigantic coconut sundae—while introducing new dishes that loom just as large in our imaginations.
The space is cozy and welcoming, with hanging lanterns above and the plates at the next table close enough that you might be tempted to reach out and grab a steaming Thai disco fry from your neighbor's plate while you wait for your order to come out of the kitchen. We wouldn't blame you if you did: the dish, one of Thai Diner's knockouts, comes hot and salty, dripping with massaman curry and coconut cream and piled with peanuts and pickled peppercorns.
Stop by for an early-bird breakfast from 8:30am to 11am, which features sweet-and-salty dishes like Thai tea, Babka French toast, and soy-anise eggs, or soak up a Saturday night on the town with tapioca dumplings in a spicy dipping sauce and a standout phat see ew served with vinegared chilies. Whenever you come, make sure to save room for dessert—the eminently photographable strawberry chrysanthemum 'monster cake' comes with scary-cute eyes, a mouth and a surprising layer of bright green jelly, and the Uncle Boon's coconut sundae is packed with coconut gelato, coconut caramel and a salty, sticky mess of toasted coconut and candied peanuts.
The drink: Pitchers of tamarind margaritas and guava sours, plus a kicked-up punch bowl made with rum and Thai tea.
