Shiny, golden Chada is a West Village date night win - Review - New York - The Infatuation

"Not all good restaurants are beautiful. Not all beautiful restaurants are good. But Chada, a West Village Thai spot that’s perfect for date nights, sits right in the middle of that Venn diagram. With design details that wouldn’t feel out of place in either a Buddhist temple or a club, the restaurant is gorgeous—all gold accents and dark wood. Expect equally beautiful presentations on your plate. The delicately folded pandan dumplings look like green tissue paper. They’re very good, and the beef tartare is even better. Ribboned with shallots and generously sprinkled with toasted rice powder, it’s like a wonderful, raw preparation of larb. These starters are a little more exciting than the mains we’ve tried (a couple of which were overcooked), though every bite of the spicy pork krapow starts crisp and finishes juicy. Soothe your palate with the Lost in Chada, a clarified punch of Thai tea and Suntory whiskey finished with a hit of grapefruit smoke. photo credit: Atiwat Mondee photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick photo credit: Gene Aquino photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick Pause Unmute" - Molly Fitzpatrick