"There’s a lot of good Thai food in this part of town, but the first place we send anyone who regularly utters the words “Thai spicy, please” is Zabb PuTawn. This Northern Thai restaurant is run by a chef who used to have a popular restaurant in Queens, before he gifted 82nd Street with some of the best goong chae nam pla and gaeng kio wan in Manhattan. They’ve spruced up the simple, narrow space over the years with a shiny gold ceiling and bright yellow wallpaper, but this place would still be buzzing and full of regulars without any of that. All the ambiance it needs comes from the spice-induced sniffles at every table." - willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman, sonal shah
Emily Schindler
