Hungry Thirsty

"Few restaurant closings hit us like Ugly Baby. The Carroll Gardens Thai spot made us cry, sweat, and burn our tongues—and we loved every minute of it. Some alums have taken over the space, and will serve mainly Southern Thai street food. Dishes include spicy preserved sardine salad, kang som with crisp fried fish, and more." - will hartman, bryan kim

"Our favorite thing on the menu at the Carroll Gardens successor to Ugly Baby is this panang, which has just enough heat in the curry to make us sit up, but not to enter a full body sweat. And the tender beef shanks have just the right amount of chew." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, will hartman, willa moore, sonal shah, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpat

"Ugly Baby was one of our top-rated restaurants—and a rite of passage for anyone searching for their spice tolerance ceiling—until it closed last year. Almost overnight, a few former employees turned the Carroll Gardens spot into Hungry Thirsty, and if you really miss Ugly Baby, this restaurant will get you a good percentage of the way there, with beloved dishes like shrimp and squid stir-fried in rich egg yolk sauce making an appearance. But it also carves out its own path, with Southern Thai-style fried branzino in a sour, chili-studded sauce, and leng zaab, a spare rib soup, prettily topped with herbs. It’s not Ugly Baby, but Hungry Thirsty is still a great place to catch up over some excellent Thai food." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah, bryan kim, bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, sonal shah, bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman, will hartman, bryan kim, willa moore, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah, w

"There’s an elephant in the room at Hungry Thirsty. The Carroll Gardens restaurant lives in the former home of Ugly Baby—for years our top-rated Thai spot, which earned its place as one of NYC's best restaurants with food so good (and so spicy) it could make you cry. When the owner decided to take a break and former employees took over, they had some big shoes to fill. And despite a revamped menu and a few new touches—like slushies served in Care Bears mugs—the comparisons are inevitable. While Hungry Thirsty doesn't quite hit the same highs, it's still a great restaurant for fiery, flavor-packed Thai food. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte The heat here is no joke. A juicy shrimp and mushroom-filled kang khoong, and the “brutally spicy” kua kling short rib in Southern curry paste will set your mouth aflame. Our favorite dishes though are the ones that are a little more restrained. The panang curry and khoong muk kai kem with shrimp, squid and salted egg yolk—both tributes to Ugly Baby’s menu—are standouts: spicy but not over the top. Cool off with the extensive craft beer list, and get comfortable with your neighbor because the tables here force you to get up close and personal. One great thing about Hungry Thirsty is that they take reservations, which opens the space up to situations that weren’t really doable at walk-in-only Ugly Baby. A laid-back date night for example, or a casual weeknight meal. But rest assured, the food will still feel special. Food Rundown photo credit: Kate Previte Leng Zabb This pork bone soup hits all four corners of the Thai flavor spectrum. It’s sour, sweet, salty, and if you get a bite of a fresh bird’s eye chili, it’ll send a shockwave of spice through your system as well. This is an excellent bowl of soup, as long as you’re willing to eat around pork neck bones to get at the meat. photo credit: Kate Previte Khoong Muk Kai Kem We loved this stir-fried mix of squid and shrimp in a slightly spicy sauce that gets enriched by a salted duck egg yolk. It’s the star of the menu. photo credit: Kate Previte Panang Beef shanks in a warm, rich panang curry? Sign us up. This also needs to be on your table. photo credit: Kate Previte Kang Hed In case you don’t eat beef, these mushrooms in red curry are a great replacement. The mushrooms themselves are nice and chewy while still maintaining some crisp. photo credit: Kate Previte Kang Khoong An angry yellow curry with big juicy shrimp. This might hurt. Get it if you’re looking to locate your spice ceiling. photo credit: Kate Previte Kai Jeow Khoong Sub For a break from the spice, this Thai-style omelet is a great choice. It’s crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and stuffed with shrimp. Not essential, but if you’re with a larger group, add this on. photo credit: Kate Previte Pla Kra Pong Tod Nam Pla A question we ask ourselves at almost every Thai restaurant: to get the whole fish, or not to get the whole fish? Hungry Thirsty answers that question with authority. Their branzino is fried to golden perfection, and served with a fish-sauce based nom pla that makes everything even better." - Will Hartman

"When news circulated that Ugly Baby was closing in Carroll Gardens, fans — including Eater — rushed for a final taste. But good news followed: the keys were passed onto former employees. They’ve since opened Hungry Thirsty, a new restaurant with an entirely distinct menu, save for a few homages to Ugly Baby like the beef shank curry. While Ugly Baby was known for its extreme spice warnings on the menu, Hungry Thirsty is ever so slightly toned down. Dishes include items like a shrimp-and-mushroom curry or fried snapper with Thai tea slushies served in cartoon mugs." - Emma Orlow