Samsaen Thai

This Midtown Thai spot looks unassuming from the outside, but the food is impressively refined and exceeded expectations in several dishes. The Jellyfish & Squid Ink Soup was a standout. It was my first time trying jellyfish, and its clean, crisp, bouncy texture worked beautifully with the naturally balanced sour-spicy broth. The lightly cured flavor profile made it one of the most memorable dishes of the night. The Roasted Bone Marrow was rich and aromatic, especially when paired with shrimp chips and sweet chili sauce. The flavor was great, though the sauce could feel heavy after a few bites, and one piece looked large but contained less marrow than expected. The Roasted Duck with Curry leaned classic, with fragrant red curry that balanced heat, spice, and coconut nicely. The duck seemed lightly fried before simmering, keeping the skin slightly crisp while the meat stayed tender. The Royal Stir-fried Prawns with Prawn Fat had impressive presentation with two huge prawns. The spicy garlic sauce coating the shells was flavorful but salty if eaten whole; the prawn meat alone was much better. The decorative prawn legs underneath were not edible, which caused a bit of confusion. For dessert, the Coconut Pudding was a simple but satisfying finish—creamy, fragrant, and reminiscent of mango sticky rice without the mango. Cocktails were light and refreshing. Lychee Lady offered a citrus-forward, gin-tonic profile, though the overfilled foam made the glass messy to handle. Pok Pok on the Rock delivered bold Thai flavors—shrimp paste, fish sauce, papaya, and passion fruit blended surprisingly well, with gentle heat and great balance. Overall, a pleasantly surprising Thai meal with a few exceptional dishes, thoughtful flavors, and a cozy Midtown setting.

I must say it was well worth the six-NYC block walk from our filming location today! Upon entering Saman Thai, I was greeted by a friendly staff member who promptly guided me to my seat. I started off with a fresh salad, followed by an appetizer, then my entrée — and of course, I couldn’t forget the Thai iced tea. Everything was absolutely delicious! Overall, it was a great dining experience — the food was flavorful, the service was warm, and the atmosphere was welcoming. If you’re in the Midtown area and craving some good Thai food, definitely check out Saman Thai!

The food was amazing. The server was incredibly nice and attentive. And the atmosphere was beautiful and the music wasn’t too loud lol. My favorite was the prawn salad! But the eggplant salad and crab meat fried rice was just as good :)

It was a unique experience! This isn’t your typical Thai restaurant — the food has its own distinct style. We tried the beef stew, which was quite salty, so if you don’t like very salty dishes, I wouldn’t recommend it. However, I really enjoyed the bone appetizer! Overall, it was an interesting and different dining experience.

Food, service, and vibe were all fantastic. So many wonderful flavors! We had the puff curry, Royal Thai prawn salad, special fried rice, and Khao Soil. All were delicious. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. We'll definitely return here.

Absolutely amazing experience! While strolling up and down the street trying to decide where to eat, I’m so glad I chose Samsaen Thai. From the moment I walked in, I was warmly greeted by a friendly hostess and seated right away. Their menu stands out from your typical Thai restaurant — creative, vibrant, and full of surprises. I ordered the Grilled Prawn dish, and it was phenomenal — easily one of the best dishes I’ve ever had! Every bite was bursting with flavor, perfectly balanced and beautifully presented. If you’re in the area, don’t think twice — eat here! You’ll love it.

Stumbled upon this place and was pleasantly surprised by the everything. From the decor, music, food, service, plate ware, and general energy from my visit. I tried the Shiitake Spring Rolls, Roasted Bone Marrow, and the Thai Eggplant Salad. Everything was so yummy and delightful! Big shoutout to Toto and Kanya for taking care of me today!

Update. I visited again a few months after the opening, and the quality had gone up and this is a great find. The khao soi was delicious, authentic. The prawns a bit light, but perfectly cooked, soft and flavorful. My original review follows. I visited during the soft opening, and I think this restaurant has potential to be a favorite. The appetizers were really good, and I particularly liked the squid and jellyfish soup made with fresh jellyfish. It has a unique flavor and perfect texture. On the other hand, the Thai tartlets didn't work at all, they were greasy and the meat was overdone, plus they were tiny and expensive. The staff was very friendly, but still seemed very list on their third day since opening. The staff asked for feedback and I think they really wanted it, so I'm sure things will improve quickly. It's great having good (Thai) food near the theater. I enjoyed my meal and I'm looking forward to visiting again.

Came by Samsen shortly after it opened recently -- our party of 2 walked in around 6:30 and there were still plenty of tables to seat us immediately. The restaurant is pretty nicely decorated -- there's a "train station" theme with lots of ornate golden finishings -- and since it's new everything felt very clean and spacious. They were offering a happy hour special at the time (I'm not sure what times/days it's generally available), so we opted to do the combo of two appetisers and two entrées for $42. For our appetisers, we had the tom yum soup and the pork meatballs. Tom yum soup had a decent flavour but was too watery, and the pork meatballs were pretty meh -- not the most tender/juicy but had an OK flavour. For mains, we had the pad see ew with chicken and pad thai with chicken. The pad thai was pretty good, although the tomato/ketchup-y flavour was quite strong, and it tended to be a bit on the oilier/saltier saide. The chicken and shrimp tasted very yummy. Pad see ew was also not bad. The flat noodles were a very nice chewy-ness, and the light soy sauce flavour went well with the chicken and gai lan veggies. Service was prompt, although I have to say, our server was a bit too eager/in-our-face about it to the point of mild discomfort. Price point was great (portion sizes big enough to have leftovers), and it seems the regular menu is pretty fairly priced too -- not just the happy hour deal.

Delicious Thai food! The food quality and price are on par with other well-known Thai spots in the city. Ideal for a dinner date (2-3). There are 2 menus: one for "street food" and another for the fine dining/ Chef Oak's (elevated) creations. The pad thai with jumbo river prawn is a showstopper (see pic) in terms of looks and taste.

I went to Samsaen this past Thursday and ordered myself a Pad See Ew (stir fried broad noodles, Chinese broccoli, egg with sweet soy sauce).It was so so good! Packed with flavor and the service was attentive. I was in a bit of a hurry to get somewhere afterwards and the restaurant was able to accommodate me and bring me my dinner quickly which I greatly appreciated. It's such a cute restaurant, perfect for date night, solo dining, dining with friends. 10/10 Thai restaurant recommendation.

Wow!! This place was outstanding, and it is really hard to stand out amongst all the amazing Thai restaurants in the area. The restaurant is pretty spacious once you enter it. We went with the recommendation - fried crispy fish and the eggplant salad (don't be fooled by the name...ask about this one). Both portions were generous..and the flavors were spot on. Medium spice was the level we enjoyed both dishes at. Hopefully, they will start serving cocktails soon!

The food wasn't bad but nothing to write home about, and the ambiance needed a little work. People were swatting at flies left and right and overall it felt a little cramped inside. The bathroom was a sauna as it had no AC and was similarly very cramped. Service needed a little work also - our water glasses were empty all night and even when I tried to flag people down for water, they forgot to come back (which was tough since some of the dishes we ordered were spicy). No liquor license yet but it looked like it was BYOB. The pad see ew with shrimp was good but we didn't have much luck with the other dishes. The cabbage was overcooked and wilted, and we were disappointed with the jumbo prawns which although good and giant, was basically just 2 shrimp with nothing else for $42 or something in that ballpark. I also wasn't a huge fan of the crispy pork. We may have just ordered the wrong dishes so may have to come back again to try some other offerings on the menu.

Delicious Thai food in a cute cozy atmosphere. Lighting is dim with romantic decor and its the perfect spot for a date night or catch up with a friend. The staff here were all incredibly friendly and attentive! I ordered the Pad See Ew, and it was deliciously full of flavor and beautifully plated. Shared the Shitake spring rolls appetizer with my friend which came out hot. The sauce that it comes with paired perfectly well.

Interesting concept, but unfortunately much better Thai food in the area. The service and atmosphere are very good so I'm disappointed that the quality and taste of the food are not as good.

Truly, so delicious. I had the bone marrow and pad sew ew. First, the food presentation is GORGEOUS. The ambience is romantic and wholesome. I love the history around why they designed this place. The food... was perfect. A place I stumbled across but a place I will be back over and over again. The service from Oreoh & Mr. AOF was everything I want from New York. There's a magic and I love the community that works hard at what they do but invites people into WHY they do it. Big fan

Would give this place a 3.5. Cute place, dimmed lighting give it a romantic vibe with the decor and cute plating. Food was just ok, best tasting dish would be the seafood pad kee mao for us. Very flavorful with a spicy kick. Giant river prawns looked delicious but just tasted ok. They should crack the little fingers on the prawns for you so it'll be easier to eat. There was meat in there but hard to get to as it was prickly so I tried one and didn't bother with the rest. Wish the crispy pork was a bit crispier, enjoyed the morning glory. Mango sticky rice needed more coconut sauce. There was no drizzle on the mango and needed that extra coconut taste. Cool spot. I think maybe new so may need a little more time for adjustments.

The food was delicious and the service was amazing. The staff really goes out of their way to make sure you enjoy your time there.

Service -- servers were always busy and not much attention whatsoever. More tailored like fast food Restaurants Food-- hit and miss. 'Must try' crispy fried fish and jumbo prawns were total miss. Wouldn't recommend . Fried crispy fish came out cold. Took back and brought back out 'warmed up'. Definitely not fresh made. Was told from waitress that this restaurant was open a couple of months ago and don't have alcohol license. Not sure why it already has that many positive reviews for the short time since they opened. Would recommend for common quick eats but definitely not worth th $$$.

The food is super delicious. Try the crispy, fried fish. It's heavenly! The seafood soup is likewise topnotch. The servers are also very nice and attentive. I fly to NY often and I visit this place when I'm in town. Worth taking guests here, too.

This was our first visit, encouraged by the positive reviews. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere pleasant, but the food was disappointing. We ordered the crispy whole fish, which arrived cold and stale, as if it had been sitting for a while. After we complained, the server promptly replaced it with what seemed like a fresh one--only for us to notice the same pieces missing. It was obvious the kitchen had simply reheated the original fish, in a microwave. Serving reheated food in this way felt dishonest and left a very poor impression.