Chalong Southern Thai

"This stylish newcomer is often packed with diners here for its sophisticated cocktails and its mostly southern Thai fare. Get the coconut puff stick and seared scallops, the spicy sator goong with shrimp and pork, and the garlic ribs." - Robert Sietsema, Eater Staff

"Chef Nate Limwong grew up in Surat Thani, a city in Thailand’s Southern Peninsula region, and the menu at Cha Long reflects his upbringing — while also including many of the standard dishes from Central Thailand and Isan we’ve come to expect. Start a meal with baerng golae: a shells of crispy coconut filled with single plump shrimps that are smothered in yellow curry. Many dishes are playfully conceived, and so are the cocktails, with names like Leonard On The Beach and Hidden Pearl." - Eater Staff

"Chalong is from a chef who used to work at Fish Cheeks, so it’s not so shocking that you can get an excellent crab curry here. This place focuses on Southern Thai cuisine, which means that, in addition to crab curry, expect plenty of other seafood dishes like shrimp and crab stuffed in crispy tofu skin and a spicy herb salad with raw oysters. The earth-toned room works for almost any occasion, but it’s especially useful for when you’re seeing a Broadway show and don’t want to have to eat at Dos Caminos beforehand." - bryan kim, willa moore, neha talreja, hannah albertine, will hartman

"Chalong comes from Nate Limwong, who hails from southern Thailand. The menu reflects that with plenty of curries in shades of yellow and green, and lots of seafood, too. The food tends to be spicy but not overwhelming so, and the beverage list is short on beers and wines, but long on cocktails with names like Red Forest and Leonardo on the Beach: that’s DiCaprio, not DaVinci." - Robert Sietsema, Eater Staff

"Chalong is a district in Phuket, but it’s also the name of the Thai place you should go before your show (or right after if it’s the weekend, when this place stays open later). This spot has a spacious, earth-toned dining room that works well for big groups, and their menu features a lot of seafood dishes like shrimp and crab stuffed in crispy tofu skin. Similar to the one at Fish Cheeks, the crab curry is a must-order, and you can get it without a horrendous wait because it’s relatively easy to book a table here." - neha talreja, bryan kim, hannah albertine, sonal shah, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick