RIP Urban Hawker…read more Though if you wanted to recreate that part in movie plots where the protagonist we all thought had veered into untimely demise surprises everyone by miraculously making a comeback--I'm down for that too! Though on a serious note--kinda bummed bc I wanted to make one last visit before they closed July 17, though unfortunately I didn't make it back to town in time :( What a loss of a cultural connection point for the city! Food is a gateway to experiencing and understanding other cultures and this location was front and center in midtown, blocks from Times Square. In a sea of other cuisines, this part of Southeast Asia didn't/doesn't have much representation in general in Manhattan, and even less so now. Scouring articles and comments online I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they're able to find a different space in the near future! Was it the best food court? I'll admit this was easily debatable for many reasons. But each stall had their own standouts. Tradsiyon was a later addition though had really solid braised meat and veggie bowls; Hainan Jones stepped into a midtown scene several years ago with no other similar Hainanese chicken spots in midtown (a few others thankfully are around today); Kopifellas brought uniquely Singaporean/Malasian tea and coffee options; I still remember the first bite of Prawnaholic's signature shrimp and rib noodles tasting that savory goodness for the first time; and most of all I will dearly miss this location of Lady Wong, where I rarely walked away empty handed. Thank you for the memories (and think about that movie plot twist I mentioned above)!

I think I grieved more for Urban Hawker closing than when my dad died…read more Urban Hawker wasn't successful in the way you'd expect any food hall to be successful-- their food wasn't spectacular. I rarely went home invoking a strong enthusiastic response to come back to eat something again. Their strong suite was location, space, and variety. What I loved most--besides having a reliable bathroom in Midtown--was what it became for the people around it. It was a place where office workers could decompress after work, grab a beer with coworkers, or catch up with friends they hadn't seen in a while. There was something refreshing about the atmosphere. People seemed relaxed and unguarded, shedding the polished professional persona they'd worn all day. It felt like watching the city exhale for a little while. And another thing I appreciated was their attempt to represent different nationalities under one roof. The more common items performed the worse and that's probably when you come to a space dedicated to hawker style cuisine, you expect to try some of their more novel stuff like Coffee Pork Fried Rice (from a stall that specialized in fried rice) or Noodles in Bechamel. I also frequently enjoyed their only drinks provider for the best Yuen Yang I've ever had. The method for making them seems theatrical at first but when you've had one that wasn't properly aerated, you truly taste the chalky bitter tannins. It was a good thing there was an experience worker there (possibly the owner). Who you got to make your drink was hit or miss because at varying times, my gf would be lucky enough to run into the one guy who could do it with oatmilk (she's lactose intolerant). It's sad to see this place go and there'll be many times ahead of us where we point out that that's where the Urban Hawker used to be.

The food here was delicious! Stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner. Service was friendly and…read morefast. Glad to have found this place!

love this spot…read more first the prices are amazing it's fairly priced , coming from la , this was a pleasure the service was great, quick, and efficient. i appreciate them the food was delicious, especially the sizzling steak and beef pad see ew. the noodles we're some of the yummiest i've ever had we got seated quickly, and it's a super cute casual spot. the ambiance is warm and loud but comforting

Was looking for something new and yummy to try and we were close to rasa so decided to give it a…read moretry. So glad we did! Rasa was amazing! The vibe inside is dark and intimate with plenty of seating. The waitress was so friendly and offered to run down the menu with us and help us decide what to get. For apps (forgot to capture a pic :( ) we got the Roti Canai, Crispy Calamari and Chicken lettuce wraps. The calamari was literally the best calamari ive ever had.. The batter and seasoning that was dusted on top made it sooo delish! The chicken wrap was also a fan fav. We couldn't get enough. For the mains we ordered the malaysian curry, massaman curry and the Sambal.. Alll the dishes were seasoned so well and you get plenty for the price. I would absolutely go back to Rasa, anytime. Soooo good!

Rasa has been on my list for over a decade so I am glad I was able to try it. Upon entering, there…read morewere no tables but the staff moved a group to the bar and we were seated right away. The staff is so kind and attentive. The menu has so many appetizers, noodles, curries, rice dishes etc. Portions are phenomenal and they are halal! Grilled Chicken - was surprised to see how big the chicken piece was, if you're looking for a cleaner option, try this! Pineapple Fried Rice - was missing acidity from lime and was missing texture, perhaps nuts or bean sprouts would have elevated the dish Chicken Pad Thai - perfect, there were a lot of chicken pieces in it too Nasi Lemak (curried chicken) - great as well, loved the anchovies Would love to try the Malay wings, roti canai and egg noodles next time. I also had to wash my hands and the staff was cleaning the bathroom. The individual cleaning was so nice and accommodated me instead of having me wait.

This quick lunch left something to be desired. While it was quick, and well priced the samosas were…read morejust ok. They seemed as though maybe they had been ready and sitting a while, leaving them a bit dry. With so many other places to try at Urban Hawker I would try something else next time.

This stall is located inside Urban Hawker. I ordered Mee goreng mamak and the food was prepared…read morefresh. The mee goreng was delicious with lots of toppings. I could smell the char from the wok. The sauce was very bold and flavorful. The fried egg was perfectly cooked with a crispy edge - just like I had back in SE Asia. The portion was quite generous too. The only thing that took me back was the price which was quite pricey.

Stopped in for lunch, and it was a cute little spot near Union Square, just off the subway…read more We ordered off the lunch menu and the regular menu, and enjoyed the chicken satay, beef Rendang and Hakka crispy chicken. There was so much food! There were lots of people in for a Monday, so service was slow but steady. No issues on our end. Absolutely enjoyed and would recommend!

This place was overall very delicious and I would definitely come again. It's a fusion restaurant…read morewith many options. One thing though, would definitely make a reservation. We made a reservation and it was very crowded. We arrived early and it still took us 20 minutes to be seated. The curry roti and mi goreng were flavorful with layered spices. I would recommend these dishes and would get it again. The curry laksa wasn't really what I expected and the noodles got soggy quickly. That might've been my mistake getting the wrong noodles. Vibes of the restaurant were nice, dark and dim lit. I did feel that it was a bit cramped and people sitting next to us kept knocking into us and almost knocked over our dish.

Wow, every dish so good. Thought it would be less specialized bc they serve both Thai and…read moreVietnamese dishes but flavors were very clean and strong. - Drunken noodles: not too greasy, might be the best drunken noodles I've had. Medium spice was not spicy at all for us. - Duck curry: a bit small on the portions but the curry is magical. Was scraping this plate clean. - Bo luc lac: star dish for sure. Beef melts on your tongue and the marinade is slightly sweet and smoky. - Summer rolls: small portions but the flavor is there. Super refreshing and special bc they pickle the vegetables inside. - Crispy pork belly: reminds me of the crispy pork I had in Vietnam. Really well done, pairs well with the lettuce and herbs. That green sauce is so addicting. - Papaya salad: super refreshing, nice fish sauce. - Crab fried rice: reminds me of the din tai fung fried rice bc of how clean the flavor is. Great dim ambiance for a date or dinner out. Definitely coming back soon.

Came here on a thursday evening around 7:30 PM with a reservation for 2, but it wasn't too busy, so…read moreI would say a reservation isn't super necessary. It was a quiet and nice spot to catch up with a friend. The service was also great, as the food came out quickly and they were very attentive with refilling our waters. We each got the pho bo, which was about $28 after tip and tax. I liked the meats in the soup a lot, and the broth was tasty. The noodles did clump together quite a bit though, so it felt like they weren't the most fresh.

Lush and delicious, a must try Thai spot in LES. The lychee martini was insanely good not too sweet…read moreand so refreshing and well balanced with two juicy fresh lychees hanging off the glass. The eggplant salad is a bit like a thai babaganoush and a little on the small side. The pork salad was good. Stand out dishes- the khao soi tofu was insane, the tofu is so silky and soaks up the flavor of the khao soi so well, I liked it way more than chicken. The broth was so warm and savory and perfect. The lychee duck curry was super succulent and delicious, I used the broth to flavor my rice and it was so so good. The duck rolls were delicious! So crisp and hot and filled with great spice and texture. The one thing I would not come back to order again was the fried branzino, topped with tangy mango and flavorful herbs but it was so overfried and there was barely any fish meat on the bones.

Hot take, I thought Soothr was...good…read more We arrived here in the evening on a Friday night, and by mere luck of the draw were able to sit down without a reservation, pretty much immediately! Wonderful! We ordered a few of the classics, a Beef Pad Si-Iw, Pla Tod, Roasted Masamum Vegatable Curry. We also got a few of the drinks, which are selected from a rather interesting, colorful menu. And oh do the drinks come out rather strikingly resembling that menu, for better or for worse. The restaurant itself is nice. It's decorated to theme, it's delicious to the nose, and the food is yes, fine. Even the takeaway bag for leftover food was super cute. But in particular I thought the drinks were mediocre, really falling short of what rival Fish Cheeks had to offer. They felt a bit more focused on color, and what I might expect at a 'Rainforest Cafe' type of establishment than a New York City cocktail bar. I don't know. As they said, comparison is the thief of joy. But when you're in a competition and your patrons pay money? I say compare away.

Loved this spot! I ended up coming here twice during my trip to NYC. The location is super…read moreconvenient in Midtown, just steps from Rockefeller Center, and I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to get a table for three both times without much wait. The portions are generous and the prices are very reasonable for Midtown Manhattan. Over the two visits, I tried both versions of the Hainanese chicken rice, and both were delicious. The food came out incredibly fast, and I especially appreciated that the meals included Chinese broccoli. I also tried the stir-fried noodles from Hainan Jones and that was excellent. Overall, everything we ordered was flavorful, satisfying, and served quickly. Definitely a great spot for a casual and tasty meal in Midtown!

Heard that Anthony Bourdain loved this spot for hainan chicken and rice, which is a comfort dish…read morefor me and I really understand why. The chicken was very tender, well prepared, and so were the veggies. I think it has stiff competition by way of Lou Yau Kee but is definitely up there as top 5 southeast chicken rices in the city! I would def come back here and what's great is that you can feel healthy bc it's steamed/poached chicken, rice and veggies :) It's inside Urban Hawker, so you can get a variety of other things to go with your meal - might I recommend Kopi (malaysian coffee) at the nearby stand? The flavors were bold, authentic, and the chicken skin was silky smooth. The cucumbers had a nice crunch and the veggies as well. They give you two sauces, one of them is spicy and might be hotter than you expect so try it first.