Uncle Boons

"When Thai restaurant Uncle Boons opened in April 2013, it didn’t receive quite the fanfare or buzz one might expect for a new outing led by two Per Se alums. However, Ann Redding and Matt Danzer’s first solo venture garnered a solid following among Nolita residents, and critical acclaim followed shortly thereafter, with many comparing it to chef Andy Ricker’s seminal Portland Thai restaurant Pok Pok. But Redding and Danzer were going in a direction of their own. The two weren’t short on experience. Redding, who was born in Udon, Thailand, and grew up working in her mother’s Thai restaurant, had cooked at Amuse, Jewel Bako, and La Esquina before landing at Per Se. Meanwhile, Danzer was raised in Long Island’s North Fork before working at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry in California. But instead of the formalities and hyper-intensity of past restaurant experiences, they wanted this endeavor to be fun for them and their customers. The couple decided they would focus on highlighting traditional Thai food that the couple had encountered and enjoyed over several trips to Thailand prior to opening the restaurant. In a 2015 review, Eater critic Ryan Sutton commended the restaurant for continually serving “affordable and electrically charged Thai fare.” Later that same year, it received its very first Michelin star, a distinction it maintained until its closure in August 2020. The restaurant’s prolonged success was continually notable considering the fact that Redding and Danzer eschewed some of the more traditional outlets of recognition, choosing to largely avoid social media and the press. Dishes like creamy green curry snails, rich khao soi, mildly spicy short rib massaman, and crunchy coconut sundaes did all the talking and brought in throngs of visitors over the years — it was nearly impossible to walk by Uncle Boons and not see it packed, even on a weeknight. Groups of people lingered in the cozy, dimly lit dining room long after their meals were over, enjoying the welcoming vibe. Uncle Boons’ success also propelled Redding and Danzer to establish themselves among the top restaurateurs in NYC, going on to open the short-lived diner Mr. Donahue, takeout operation Uncle Boons Sister, and most recently Thai Diner, where the memory of Uncle Boons lives on." - Eater Staff