Twin Tails
Thai restaurant · Upper West Side ·
Creative Southeast Asian dishes, creative cocktails, Central Park views
Creative Southeast Asian dishes, creative cocktails, Central Park views
"At the new maximalist Southeast Asian restaurant Twin Tails in New York, Lucy Blanche, director of pastry operations, says that when they decided to have four soufflés on the menu, passionfruit was one of the first flavors that came to mind because it pairs well with almost anything—from chocolate to herbs and spices, white chocolate, and vanilla beans." - Flora Tsapovsky
"Chef Craig Koketsu presents Southeast Asian cuisine with Thai and Vietnamese influences. The menu includes unique dishes like banh khot and Thai iced coffee affogato." - Kevin Chau
"Chef Craig Koketsu — who with partner Michael Stillman has opened all manner of restaurants for the Quality Branded group, from straightforward Italian and “unhinged” Italian to steakhouses, Eastern Mediterranean and modern American — has for the first time created a Southeast Asian restaurant. The 300-seat space is unapologetically big and bold: a massive menu (including three-tiered trays of roast duck), a private dining room with a six-foot-tall Mirabelle panther made from disco ball tiles, a speakeasy shaped like a genie’s bottle tucked in the entry hall, and big brass doors that create a Narnia-like entrance and an escape from the mall’s fluorescent-lit corridors. Around 6:30–7 p.m. the room reads like a fancy supper club, with smoked mirror-paneled walls, a breezy rattan ceiling, glossy rosewood tables, dining chairs wrapped in green leather, deep velvet banquettes in crushed gold, and amber glass chandeliers that lend a bewitched vibe. The cuisine is a fusion of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos that emphasizes acidity and spice, freshness and fragrance; the vast menu (raw, satays, rolls, fish, steak, pork, fowl) is meant for a crowd and matches the high-end address — expect about $400 for two, with dishes from $22 for an appetizer-sized hamachi to $48 for a steamed sea bass and $175 for a beef shank. Salads like the tart, textured Emerald Goddess — a mix of jicama, honeydew, cucumber, apple, taro root, chrysanthemum, and watercress dressed in tamarind on an avocado purée punched up with cilantro, Thai basil, and chiles — are described as an interplay of sweet and sour: "It is everything, everywhere, all at once." The hamachi is praised as spot-on, though the fluke with watermelon radish is the standout; among rolls, the Netted Chicken ones are wrapped in a tempura crepe lattice for crunch. Larger plates impress: a garlic shrimp, presented as an ode to the dish made famous by Lotus of Siam off the Strip in Vegas, arrives plump, crispy and flash-fried — "so good you’ll be plucking them off the plate and eating them with your hands." A cured pork shank is bathed in chile vinegar and soy, deep-fried to a crust while the meat falls off in big pieces into aromatic turmeric-and-garlic rice. The Cho Lon Duck is a showstopper that "takes nearly three days to get the whole duck ready," with air-drying and roasting yielding tiers of thinly sliced duck breast, crispy-skinned legs and thighs, atypical sauces (Mekong salsa verde, hoisin, red curry) and add-ins like cucumber, pineapple, scallions and cilantro. Desserts by pastry chef Lucy Blanche "deserve their own column": she does four different soufflés a night (you’re encouraged to lock one in before dessert), and the red curry soufflé — despite sounding unconventional — is likened to "Weird Barbie: It’s the best." The rainbow sherbet cake (guava, makrut lime, and pineapple sherbet layered Carvel-style with chile-cashew-graham-cracker crunchies) is also singled out — the reviewer notes, "I ate an entire slice of her rainbow sherbet cake... after protesting several times that I could not eat another thing." Practical tips: Bryan Schneider’s salted lychee martini — served in a fluted coup and taking a cue from a margarita — is "tart and sweet and a little salty," the passion-fruit hot sauce is a standout condiment worth asking about, and if reservations are full the genie-in-the-bottle speakeasy in the entry hall accepts walk-ins and serves the full menu." - Andrea Strong
"Velvet banquets. Marble floors. Mirrored walls. Sipping a Sambal margarita while savoring green curry escargot one might forget that this glitzy restaurant is… inside of a mall? Twin Tails recently opened on the third floor of The Shops at Columbus Circle from the team behind Zou Zou’s and Bad Roman (the latter also located at The Shops.) However, unlike Bad Roman, this restaurant’s menu doesn’t feel like TikTok bait. Instead, you’ll find a large variety of delicious Southeast Asian-inspired dishes. The menu truly has something for everyone, with an array of options per protein preference for larger dishes (fish, shellfish, steak, pork/fowl) and such a wide selection of small plates—raw items, salads, spring and summer rolls, satay—that you’ll actually have a hard time choosing. To help you tackle the menu, I suggest these standouts: decadent little King crab and uni buns served on a tiny silver cake platter ($29), cured Atlantic fluke with limey grapefruit and thai chili ($19) and, apparently, the crispy garlic shrimp ($39) which had already run out by the time I arrived. The restaurant is pricey (we opted out of the $175 beef shank khao soi, but will absolutely be revisiting to split the whole royal dorade sashimi for $55) and, unlike others you’ll find on this list, isn’t what I would necessarily describe as “cool”—but it does feel fabulous. Consider it the perfect place to wow your out-of-town friends after a day strolling Central Park. Plan to grab a drink in The Speakeasy bar before or after your meal: an intimate circular space with wall-to-wall mirrors and red lighting, just sexy enough to distract you from the fact that you will pass a Lululemon on your way out. —Mercedes Bleth, global associate director of social" - CNT Editors
"Twin Tails is someone’s idea of a great time, and that someone is ahead on their mortgage. From the people behind Zou Zou’s and Bad Roman, the place is massive and glitzy, with a $175 beef shank khao soi on the menu. It appears to be a clear-cut case of Midtown executive bait, but if you’re willing to pay, you can eat well here. photo credit: Christian Harder photo credit: Christian Harder photo credit: Christian Harder Pause Unmute The restaurant is on the third floor of The Shops at Columbus Circle, and it serves a Southeast Asian-inspired menu perfectly tailored to its upscale mall setting. We’re talking tiger prawn pad thai, lobster summer rolls, and filet mignon in the form of shaking beef. Some dishes, like the crab-and-uni buns, lean gimmicky, but a few transcend their corporate setting. Thick-cut salmon crudo takes a new, peppy personality when paired with coconut and tart green apple, and a mammoth pork shank provides bite after bite of crackly skin and melty fat. If you’re planning a meal with clients or out-of-towners, and you need a Midtown-adjacent venue with wow factor, keep this place in mind. It’s so dark your eyes will struggle to adjust, but once they do, they’ll take in mirrored walls, checkered marble floors, and servers in off-white coats lined up like they’re attending roll call. It’s all very glam in an ’80s way, and it’s worth the price of admission, as long as you don’t really care about prices. Food Rundown Peanut-Ginger Chicken Satay So incredibly fine. If you’re in the market for a few flaps of grilled chicken with a sweet satay sauce, have at it. Bánh Khọt A necessary order. Top one of the hot, greasy pancakes with a heap of peekytoe crab, and watch a cloud of steam escape when you bite in. Salmon Crudo Another great starter option, the salmon crudo comes layered over slices of crisp green apple, which add some satisfying crunch and acidity. photo credit: Bryan Kim Crispy Rice & Pomelo Salad As advertised, there’s plenty of rice and pomelo. Unfortunately, that rice is chewy instead of crispy. Pork Shank It’s $50, although you should know that this crispy, football-sized pork shank can feed at least two. The heavily dressed rice underneath gets a little exhausting, but this dish is worth it for the crunchy skin alone. photo credit: Bryan Kim" - Bryan Kim
