Thai Villa

"This Thai restaurant is impressive and a little bit dreamlike, with a bunch of lamps and candles and a full tree’s worth of gold leaves hanging from the ceiling. It’s always nice to stare at shiny gold things, but the real reason you come to Thai Villa is for the food. Start your meal with the fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaves, and then get some of the steamed dumplings filled with ground pork, shrimp, and crab. This is an ideal spot for a weeknight meal, and it’s perfect for when you’re in the area and have some in-laws to feed." - willa moore, bryan kim, matt tervooren

"“Thai Villa is probably my favorite restaurant in New York. I just love Thai food so much, and theirs is the best. And I love that the inside of the bathrooms is just as detailed as the inside of the restaurant. The bathrooms are single stalls, and they have sinks inside and outside the bathroom. I also love that if you’re finishing up dinner and you just want to wash your hands without going into the actual bathroom, you can just pop over to the sink outside.”" - will hartman

"“I randomly needed to get a quick lunch before a meeting, so I went into Thai Villa. I was blown away by it. I ordered the curry, ate it all, and was so amazed by it that I ordered curry again and then ate it all, again. I love red curry, a spicy red curry, especially in New York City in the winter. It's heavenly. It warms you up. I like when my nose starts to drip a little bit ‘cause it's so spicy. That's when you know it's hitting.”" - brennan carley

"Thai Villa is just above Union Square, and it’s pretty inconspicuous from the outside. But once you get inside, you’ll find a two-story dining room with big booths and giant golden light fixtures. There’s also a huge menu of reasonably-priced Thai food that happens to be delicious. Get the chicken wrapped in pandan leaves, and at least one order of tapioca dumplings." - bryan kim, chris stang

"Thai Villa is the best Thai restaurant near Union Square. The space is impressive and a little bit dreamlike, with a bunch of lamps and candles and a full tree’s worth of gold leaves hanging from the ceiling. And while it’s always nice to stare at shiny gold things, the real reason you come here is for the food. Start your meal with the fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaves, and then get some of the tapioca dumplings filled with minced pork (you’ll probably want several orders). This is an ideal spot for a weeknight meal, and it’s perfect for when you have some in-laws to feed. But it does get busy, so call ahead for a reservation." - Bryan Kim