Fun Thai fusion and a table tonight: BKK is a Midtown treasure - Review - New York - The Infatuation
"Columbus Circle has its fair share of viral pepperoni cups and lackluster $500 tasting menus, but finding a restaurant where you can just walk in—in gym shorts or a button-down, or with three of your colleagues—for great food, good drinks, and a non-stressful final bill is a little more challenging. That’s where BKK comes in. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute Just a couple blocks south of Columbus Circle, the Thai restaurant could easily slide into a neighborhood further downtown. Its dark, cool design elements remind us of a futuristic train car, and the soundtrack of Thai pop plus the more upbeat section of Khruangbin’s catalogue keeps energy high. For anyone who works in the area—or who just spent a sweaty day tanning in Sheep’s Meadow—BKK’s punchy dishes and cocktails are the answer to the question of “where should we get dinner?” A couple of BKK’s head-turning fusion dishes are also worth a trek from much further away. The brisket sandwich tastes like a french dip that spent time picking fruit in a makrut lime orchard. And a chiang mai pork sausage in a brioche hot dog bun bursts with herby basil and the roasted pepper heat of nam phrik num. Cocktails like the “Central Park To Lumphini” successfully blend together ingredients like mezcal, fig, corn, bay leaf and apple cider in one elegantly garnished glass. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute Even though the spring roll comes crusted with everything bagel seasoning, none of the fusion at BKK feels shoehorned. And the traditional Thai dishes more than justify their real estate on your table too. Their papaya salad is saturated with chile and lime, without one single wilted shred. You might need a second napkin for their grilled jumbo prawns, because you’ll want to suck the juice and bright red Southern Thai curry right out of the heads. And BKK's standout wagyu krapow comes sizzling from the kitchen, ready to be mixed with rice tableside—just a bit of razzmatazz to remind you that you’re too not far from the Theater District. Food Rundown Papaya Pok Pok The best way to start a meal here—just a classic papaya salad done really well, with super crunchy and fresh papaya, and plenty of heat and acid to wake you up. photo credit: Kate Previte Shrimp Donut The only thing sweet about this donut-shaped shrimp and pork fritter is the sauce it comes with. Not an essential appetizer, but good savory, salty supplementary reading material. photo credit: Heather Willensky Brisket Sandwich Dip If a french dip sandwich had an affair with a sour Thai soup, the resulting lovechild would be this sandwich. Tender brisket and gooey american cheese meld perfectly with fried shallots and a spicy mayo all stacked on a Balthazar baguette. But it’s the savory jus—zippy with tons of lime juice and chilis—that makes this sandwich really sing. photo credit: Kate Previte Wagyu Kra Pow If you’re one of those people who claims not to like tableside service, you probably just haven’t had this dish yet. A fish sauce-infused wagyu patty comes to your table juicy, dripping with fat and cooked to a bloody rare. Your server chops it up with a spoon in a hot stone bowl, mixing it with rice and the basil and chili flavors you’d expect in a krapow. It’s a fun dish to share. photo credit: Kate Previte Mushroom Garlic Rice For the vegetarians in the room, this dish gets the same hot stone pot, tableside mixing treatment as the wagyu krapow. Sweet, confit garlic takes center stage on these squeaky roasted mushrooms. BKK Hot Dog Oozing with makrut lime and Thai basil, this grilled sausage would fit in just as well at a Thai breakfast as it would at a pool party alongside several Singhas. We also love BKK’s fries—a mix of potato plus some thin-cut Thai chive cakes. photo credit: Heather Willensky Kao Pad Pu A sweeter rice dish, topped with a tender and thin omelet and lump crab meat, this dish is good if you’re sharing, but we wouldn’t recommend it if you're the kind of person who needs their own thing. It’s a little one-note. photo credit: Kate Previte Goong Koe Rae Jumbo prawns are grilled and are served head on, soaking in a sweet Southern Thai curry that’s almost as creamy as massaman, but fruitier. photo credit: Kate Previte Branzino Tod Num Pla A showstopping presentation of fried branzino. Fried cubes of fish are placed in and around its former skeleton, and coated in a sweet chili sauce. If you’re here with a few people it should definitely be on your table. photo credit: Kate Previte Spicy Chicken Sandwich There’s too much bun and not enough chicken on this sandwich, and it wasn’t spicy or crunchy enough for us. Stick to the menu’s bigger hits. photo credit: Kate Previte" - Will Hartman
