Nemesis

"This Flatiron restaurant is one of the few upscale Southeast Asian restaurants in Manhattan where you can bring a group and share crispy sambal skate and seafood pad cha without having to wait or squeeze into a table for two. Nemesis leans Thai, with the same enthusiasm for sharp, pungent flavors as their sister restaurant, the excellent Sichuan spot Antidote. Some standout dishes here, like grilled beef tongue and a tingly shisho aguachile, rival similar versions served at restaurants that get more attention. Aside from the good food, Nemesis doesn’t have enough action going on for us to get excited about planning a night here. The three-room space is sleek but simple, with lotus flower screen prints and bamboo fans, and baby showers and team dinners often occupying the roomier tables in the bar room. So remember this place for a last-minute walk-in dinner. If you're more interested in heaps of crab fried rice than having a big night out, come here to avoid the scene downtown." - Neha Talreja

"At 30 E. 20th, near Broadway, Nemesis is the challenging name of a new Flatiron restaurant that opened in late September. It’s a follow-up to Williamsburg’s excellent Antidote, which caused a stir when it opened last year by rendering the pungent and incendiary flavors of Sichuan cuisine without pulling punches (also throwing some Shanghai dishes into the mix). The setting is a minimalist space on a side street, and despite an emphasis on cocktails, it was impossible to treat the place merely as another opportunity to booze it up with friends." - Robert Sietsema