Koo Thai

Thai restaurant · Upper East Side

Koo Thai

Thai restaurant · Upper East Side

1

1758 1st Ave., New York, NY 10128

Photos

Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null
Koo Thai by null

Highlights

This cozy spot serves up delicious and flavorful Thai dishes along with refreshing bubble teas, making it a perfect choice for a casual meal.  

Featured in Eater
Placeholder

1758 1st Ave., New York, NY 10128 Get directions

koothainy.com
@koothainy

$10–20 · Menu

Information

Static Map

1758 1st Ave., New York, NY 10128 Get directions

+1 646 490 4608
koothainy.com
@koothainy

$10–20 · Menu

Features

payment credit card
Tap to pay
reservations
wifi

Last updated

Mar 7, 2025

Powered By

You might also like

Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy
 © 2025 Postcard Technologies, Inc.
@eater

"Krok Thai, known for its Isan street food from Northeastern Thailand, appears to be shuttered. It is listed as permanently closed on Google, and its website is no longer working." - Caroline Shin

NYC Restaurant Closings, July 2022 - Eater NY
View Postcard for Koo Thai

Trevor S

Google
The food was absolutely incredible! You can tell that the chef has taken traditional Thai dishes and simultaneously blended the craft of the originals with their own artistic talent. It may appear to be another fast casual restaurant in NYC, but this food has soul. Highly recommend!

Bradley C

Google
I came here because of their amazing 4.9 rating on Google Maps, however, I was not amazed by their food. I got curry puffs to start my dinner. The puffs were nice and flavorful. The outside was light and flaky, and the insides were well seasoned with nice texture. The sauce came with was too sweet to my liking. Personally I prefer eating it as it is. I pad see ew with shrimp and added beef($5). The flavor was nice and the shrimp was fresh and clean. However, the beef wasn’t so good especially when I paid $5 extra for them. It was too dry and chewy. Overall, it’s a standard Thai restaurant. The food was nice but nothing special about it.

Olga Egorova

Google
Nice little spot with very tasty food (both Tom Yum and Tom Kha were delicious and not very spicy; kale with crispy pork was very flavorful), great bubble teas and friendly service. The only downside is that in the winter because of the door being opened all the time it gets pretty chilly

Vidya Shankar

Google
Super hosts. Genuinely warm and friendly service. Excellent food. Fresh high quality ingredients. Flavorful. Perfect for repeat orders. Generous portions.

Rylan Gordon

Google
This place surprised me, in a good way! I expected the classic hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant but this was a definite step up. It’s got a chill, modern atmosphere with incredibly friendly service. My favorite items were the curry puffs and the pink milk. The curry puffs were savory and juicy with the most perfect, flakey outside. The pink milk blew me away — it’s like a sweet strawberry milk. I added in crystal boba for some extra chewiness. It was the perfect ending to the meal. The yellow curry had a very strong flavor while the green curry was pretty spicy, but I probably should’ve asked for mild instead of medium. Overall great experience!

Ethan Shaw

Google
Recently moved to the neighborhood and found this really nice restaurant!! It’s best suited for groups of two or three if you want a dine-in since the space isn’t very large, but the cozy vibe more than makes up for it. The portion sizes are generous considering the price, and the flavors are fantastic. I highly recommend their Pad Kee Mao (aka Drunken Noodles)—it’s a bit spicy, but incredibly tasty! Don’t forget to order their drink menu as well. They offer a wide variety of bubble teas and fruit teas. My personal favorite is their brown sugar boba tea, which has a strong tea flavor paired with perfectly chewy boba. It is absolutely delicious!

Sydney Brown

Google
This is the best Thai place on the upper east side! Always quick and helpful with helping order and answering questions about the menu. I get the boba and the drunken noodles and they are good every time. Crab wantons are also great! Reasonably priced and portion sizes are big enough for me to get two meals out of it.

Martina

Google
Really surprised at high reviews, so far it’s my least favorite Thai place on UES. Biggest disappointment was a side of rice, which was extra money and was a bland, mushy sticky ball. Not sure if that was done on purpose or a bad night. As other people mentioned, main dishes tend to be too spicy so be mindful when ordering.

Elizabeth Y.

Yelp
Got a pickup order of pad see ew and jasmine milk bubble tea. The noodles were cooked well and had nice flavor, and even though the tofu was normal tofu wasn't the pre-fried kind with the starchy layer on the outside, it had great texture and was nicely fried. I also enjoyed the vegetables and egg. Good ingredient ratios! The jasmine tea had a strong jasmine flavor which was great! It was also not too sweet with the lower sugar setting I requested. The bubbles were a bit on the hard side but not docking a star because it was quite cold out and that's just what happens when cooked tapioca get chilled. :)

Amanda W.

Yelp
We ordered take out from Koo through their website and got a discount for pickup. The food was quick and hot when it arrived home. We ordered several dishes to share, such as the green curry beef, red curry chicken and the basil eggplant (which was also a full size entree). I was impressed with the amount of protein that was in each of the curries, chicken and beef. The flavor was also good. Overall, I enjoyed the dish and would likely order again.

Deb G.

Yelp
Delicious, cute as hell, and excellent service! We stopped in with a hankering for Thai and were greeted with awesome Halloween displays - cute tablecloths, dinnerware, and all things pumpkin and spooky! We knew right then we had made a good choice, and that before the food! Our server was excellent and super friendly, with a great big smile. She also handled the mix of people coming in for food pickup/delivery, ordering to go, and those of us eating in really smoothly. My friend had the spicy tofu kha prow and loved it. My other friend and I didn't try it, as mouthburningly spicy is not our jam. We shared the crispy pork larb salad and chicken pad see ew. GET THE CRISPY PORK! so good. So, so good. Loved the dressing on the larb - it complemented the crunchy crispy pork so well. The pad see ew was great too, with tons of chicken. I wish there had been more Chinese broccoli in it, but it had a really nice flavor and was a great big portion. Definitely go here and get great Thai! We were so hungry and the food was so good that I didn't take any pictures - my bad.

Christopher W.

Yelp
A friend of mine from work told me about this place, Since I worked around the area I wanted to know what the commotion was about; I was amazed by the ambiance, for a small yet hidden restaurant it carried the vibe of any regular large spot around the way; The service was excellent, and I have to admit, I never had pineapple fried rice before but that with Crispy pork was the AMAZING. Not to mention boba Thai tea which was nicely chilled and made the way I like it; If it's not busy the person working behind the counter will go above and beyond to help when she can. If you are ever around 1st Avenue and need a nice small yet out-of-the-way Thai spot for good food, sweet drinks, and something nice and simple, check this place out; places like this are a diamond dozen and should get a lot of credit for providing for the customers.

Erik B.

Yelp
Hidden gem on the upper east side. I didn't expect to find such an amazing take-out spot after stumbling upon this place purely by chance. The outside appearance is very unassuming and at first glance, the place seem to be only well-suited for bubble tea. But order any of their dishes and you'll be quite satisfied. Their selection is it large, but there's plenty of space and good flavor to remember this spot in a pretty competitive neighborhood for Asian food. I ordered the spicy eggplant Gra Pow and it was delicious! Came with plenty of vegetables and good spices. HIGHLY recommended.

Rebecca S.

Yelp
Can't give this place more than 1 star due to their customer service (see the owner's reply to my intitial review) The pineapple fried rice was void of pineapple- 5 small pieces. The owner replied you can add more for $2 extra. Shouldn't pineapple fried rice come w say, pineapple? Without an extra charge The spring rolls were SO BLAND they tasted worse than the frozen ones you get at the grocery store. The tea I ordered tasted ARTIFICIALLY sweetened. Like they used a non sugar sweetner.

Diana Y.

Yelp
It's a really nice simple place to get yummy Thai food. Their boba's one of the best ones I've tried here in NYC and I've tried a bunch! I also like their lunch specials. It's $11 dollars only from Monday to Friday! Get their sweet sausage fried rice ! I also get their pad Krapow for dinner or weekends

Ryan H.

Yelp
Try: Chicken Wings, Shrimp Dumplings, and Duck Wrap. Why: Tasty appetizers, which I ordered as a dinner meal! I liked the Pad Thai flavored Chicken Wings. I also thought the Shrimp Dumplings and Duck Wrap were good. Notes: The Thai Iced Tea with Boba was ok. I didn't taste the rich, creamy, and sweetness I'd hope for. I still finished the entire cup to wash down the yummy food. I ordered via delivery, which seemed to have less items than the menu on their website. I look forward to trying their other Boba flavors. Nice to have a place on UES!

Christine M.

Yelp
I love this place great tea great food great staff! My go to place in the neighborhood for Thai

Anita S.

Yelp
I did take-out for the first time. The portion was just fine but the taste of my pad Thai was disappointing. Service was very good.

Bryant H.

Yelp
One of the closer boba places to where I live, so I had to try it eventually. The restaurant is pretty small, with maybe seating for 10 people in groups of 2. Seems like its mostly a pickup/takeout place, since we also saw many delivery drivers come in and pick up food, but there were also a couple people eating there. We got the normal Jasmine Milk Tea with boba. The boba was good and bouncy, and the tea had a very strong jasmine taste. I don't get boba very often, but this place is on the better side, especially for the upper east side. Walking past the people that had food, it seemed pretty good with large portions. I need to go back and try their actual food sometime. They also had a sign that if you check in on Yelp you get the large boba for the price of a medium. Pretty cool promo!

Willow L.

Yelp
Love this place. Their bubble tea is so addictive! The atmosphere is much cleaner and nicer after the renovation.

Cheryl W.

Yelp
Absolutely love how they serve Thai and boba. I always crave boba whenever I'm eating and this spot hits in both. The portions were huge. They serve their appetizers and entrees in these containers that are super easy to take to go if you don't finish. The pad thai was delicious and fulfilling. The thai fried rice was just as good. The appetizers were amazing. I loved the curry puffs and the sweet dipping sauce provided with it. Thai tea absolutely hit the spot and tasted authentic. The taro was delicious and the boba was perfectly cooked. Can't wait to come back and try other things on the menu!

Olivia Q.

Yelp
I got the gra pow over rice and loved it! Spicy and flavorful which I appreciated. The service was fast for dining in. I would come back!

Nick W.

Yelp
Check out Koo Thai if you're in the mood for some Thai food as well as boba drinks! They serve a variety of classic Thai dishes as well as a ton of tasty appetizers and drinks as well. It's in a bit of a lowkey location in the UES but they had a lot of delivery orders while I was there. The ambiance is really chill and they do have a few tables to eat inside. We ordered: - Sweet sausage fried rice - Chicken pad see ew - Gra pow with crispy pork - Appetizer trio - Thai spring rolls, curry puffs, and fried calamari - Papaya salad - Thai milk green tea - Thai tea - Thai iced coffee My favorite was definitely the sweet sausage fried rice; so many good flavors in that dish! The curry puffs and crispy pork were also standout dishes as well. Don't sleep on their boba drinks - they were pleasantly good with strong tea bases. This is a classic comfort Thai food spot that I'll be sure to come back to in the near future!

Mrs.Mike B.

Yelp
They have a new menu, Duck Salad. I thought, why not and I don't disappointed. The salad is savory and fulfilled with rice on the side. I also got Lychee fruit with Lychee jelly tastes, so good. They don't joke with their bubble tea, trust me. Cute, quick service spot. Highly recommend. PS. If u check in on Yelp, you will get 10% off as well.

PK B.

Yelp
I ordered a drink for delivery but received the wrong item. I called the restaurant to address the issue, and the server said she would issue a refund due to the incorrect order, but I never received it. Additionally, the server was impolite during the phone conversation.

Maria K.

Yelp
Bubble tea was delicious! So many options and non dairy milk options. The restaurant had great ambience.

Christopher W.

Yelp
I order from this place often and love their Thai teas. The service is great and love the location which near by a bus stop and not far from mount sinai; if you're looking for a place with the best drinks and good staff then Koo Thai is the place to go to! Also they have food service here as well. And it's great too!!

Austin S.

Yelp
This appears to me to be the same great food from Krua Thai. I usually order takeout and have had drunken noodles, pineapple fried rice, and pad thai. All are phenomenal and best I've been able to get in the area. I've tried a few appetizers and the Thai Iced Tea - it's all stellar. Service is prompt. I recommend Koo Thai.

Bayan H.

Yelp
Love all their drinks! Mango fruit tea is definitely my favorite. Can't go wrong with this place!

M M.

Yelp
Love it!!! The bubble tea taste delicious and the food is awesome just a little expensive.

Vishnu G.

Yelp
I love the unique Thai flavors brought to milk tea here. I tried the milk with grass jelly, which was absolutely delicious! There's no other shop like this one around.

Dominique G.

Yelp
Boba tea in this charming local establishment. Highly recommended, friendly, warm service.

Prerana D.

Yelp
love this thai place so much!!! the food is always so addicting and it's a good portion size. i love the drunken noodles the most and have only tried the food through uber eats but i've loved it every time. would def recommend and can't wait to go in person to see the restaurant itself.

Judy M.

Yelp
Doesn't even deserve 1 star. It wouldnt let me leave 0. Just awful. Nearly burnt dumplings They were deep fried. Yuk. Penang curry watery and no flavor.

Dmitriy K.

Yelp
Amazing place! Great teas and food. Super friendly service. Best in the area. Highly recommend

Paula K.

Yelp
Cute boba cafe in UES! A lot of different flavors along with good customization options - love that you can choose non dairy milk for your drink. I got the taro milk tea with oat milk and sago and it was perfect!

Lisvette P.

Yelp
food is always amazing!!!!! please come here! you wont regret it!!! best thai food ever!!!!!

Rijoota G.

Yelp
A great location, yummy teas, and quick service! Love koo Thai. There are many flavors to pick from, and the inside is nice and clean.

deborah s.

Yelp
The best thing about this place is the 10% off for checking in on Yelp. The positive attributes end here Do not recommend. Bad customer service as you can see in the owner's behavior on Yelp

Stefanie G.

Yelp
Amazing service! The lychee fruit tea was super refreshing and the thai green tea was unique. All the way from Florida, definitely recommend!

PhechPloy Patt P.

Yelp
Neww Bubble Tea spot popped up in the neighborhood . Im so glad that I don't need to go downtown for Bubble tea anymore. They also carry Thai Foods as well. If u r new at Boba Craving. U should try Brown sugar milk tea with boba, rich with brown sugar, but not too sweet. Their boba is chewy, just right. Definitely come back another time for more.

Cole C.

Yelp
Yellow curry & Crab Rangoons were so good! Tom Kha Soup was my favorite part. Also that you could get boba without the caffeine

Fiona F.

Yelp
I didn't get a chance to try the food yet but the bubble tea was good. The inside and decor was very nice. I tried the pink tea not really knowing what it was but it was an interesting flavor (sweet kind of bubble gum like) and my friend got the milk tea which she said was pretty good. The tapioca was a good texture. Overall would try again.

Paul M.

Yelp
While dining in is not the focus of this establishment, we were given great personal service while enjoying some exceptional vegetable rolls and Tom yum soup. A salmon dish and chicken kra prow were also delicious, complemented by vegetable Thai fried rice. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality, value and taste of all we ordered. We will return, or at least order delivery.

Su S.

Yelp
Very good food! We ordered the Drunken noodles, pad Thai, green and red curry. All were delicious (green was spicy!) and good portions.

Aj C.

Yelp
Love this place for bubble tea and dinner! Have been ordering for years, and they never dissapoint!

Angie V.

Yelp
Loving this new discovery esp for my son who is a fan of matcha and taro milk teas! Calming place and quiet with a nice ambiance!

Stefanie Z.

Yelp
The Tarro is amazing. This is the best bubble tea the upper east side has to offer. This is my happy place

Joey F.

Yelp
To go order: the noodles were sub par and one my chickens was rubbery, had to not eat it. Also there was not enough basil in the basil fried rice.

Jayeno I.

Yelp
Better Thai in area. JMO but we're talking Michelin star better. Nothing more to add at this point.

Lucy S.

Yelp
Amazing boba tea and service! Highly recommend, the store is really cute too. Got the mango fruit tea and it was really good

Jiratchaya K.

Yelp
Recently found this gem by my place. Best boba place on the upper east side so far! A bunch of interesting add ons to choose + great service. Will def come back again.

Jehan A.

Yelp
Great Service! Great Drinks! Super convenient and Amazing staff. I love the inside seating area as well it's super cute!!