Ayada
Thai restaurant · Elmhurst ·
Spicy curries, noodles, raw shrimp salad & crispy catfish
Spicy curries, noodles, raw shrimp salad & crispy catfish
"One of the several reasons we love Ayada is its sprawling menu. Eat the drunken noodles and panang curry here, and it’ll make you question all the other drunken noodles and panang curry you’ve had elsewhere. Their raw shrimp salad is another one of the dishes we think about constantly, and if you want a different kind of raw shellfish, they make an excellent som tum with chunks of shell-on blue crab mixed in. Bring a group, and try to eat in the slightly more charming dining room on the right." - bryan kim, arden shore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore
"It’s important that you bring a group to Ayada, due to the fact that you’re going to order an unreasonable amount of food. We can say this with 100% certainty, because it’s what happens to us every time we come to this soft-lit restaurant with two rooms and a menu that’s several pages long. Get the drunken noodles, the whole fried fish, the panang curry with a large mound of crispy duck, and be sure to start your meal with the raw shrimp salad." - will hartman, bryan kim, hannah albertine, neha talreja, willa moore
"Picking one or two dishes at Ayada is nearly impossible. The menu at this Elmhurst Thai spot is massive—there are eight whole fried red snapper options—and the portions can all be shared by multiple people. In other words, the bigger the group, the better. The good news is that no matter what you order, like raw shrimp salad or phenomenal drunken noodles, you’re going to get some of the best Thai food in NYC." - willa moore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah
"Ayada is one of our top-five Thai restaurants in the city - and you could easily plan a last-minute big group dinner here. There are two big dining rooms side by side (we prefer the one on the right), and you can call ahead for a reservation. Once you get here, focus on the seafood, like the raw shrimp, crispy catfish salad, and a whole fried fish on your table. The panang curry with duck is also outstanding, and they might have our favorite drunken noodles in the city. It’s hard to pick favorites, which is why it’s good that you’re going with a group." - bryan kim
"Ayada is our favorite Thai spot in Elmhurst. Considering the quality and variety of Thai food in this neighborhood, that’s a very big deal. Eat the drunken noodles and panang curry on Ayada’s sidewalk patio and allow yourself to forget about phrases like “frozen dinner” and “microwave meal” for just a moment. Their raw shrimp salad is another one of their dishes we think about constantly, and if you want a different kind of raw shellfish, they make an excellent som tum with chunks of shell-on blue crab mixed in." - hannah albertine, nikko duren
