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    No Work Allowed

    4.0 (43 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

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    kaprow moo kai dao
    Hillary P.

    So happy I stumbled into No Work Allowed while initially looking for another establishment! It is an ABSOLUTE GEM of a space and menu! Very cozy atmosphere and very good bites

    Erick S.

    Recommend: Thai Teani (martini), Ume Yuzu (plum wine) The experience here does not compare to Tomi Jazz, but if you don't want to wait in a long line, or simply want to experience another of Midtown's Japanese-inspired jazz bars, then give this place a try. I went on a Friday night, live jazz starts around 7:30p. I ordered a few drinks, including the ones I recommended above. Food is okay, but pricey for the portion size. When the place gets packed, it gets very loud and service is noticeably slower for everyone. The jazz band was good, but when they took a break they went up to every table to ask for tips/donations. I usually tip on my own accord, but would have appreciated not having my meal/conversations interrupted. Overall not the worst experience, but not a first choice considering the other jazz bars in the area.

    Mary L.

    Great spot for a cocktail and live music. The group we saw were freaking amazing! Get there early it gets packed!

    Crying tiger
    Joyce Y.

    The ambience is great, the jazz is great, the lychee beer and tako wasabi is great...but the crying tiger steak is terrible. I ordered a medium rare and received a rare steak, the nam jim jeaw was straight-up just too sweet, the steak was filled with so many inedible fatty parts, and the kicker is that the website lists it as $32 but the QR code menu lists it as $45. I assumed the QR code would just lead to the website so I ended up thinking it was $13 less than it actually was and overpaid for a very disappointing meal. No Work Allowed needs to fix this admin issue to refrain from misleading customers.

    Rina D.

    Food is just ok but the vibes are definitely here! Given that the space is pretty tight/small, make sure to go early so you can decide how close to the performers you want to be. Service is definitely slow as they cater to many tables and get really busy. Took multiple asks to just get some napkins. It does get pretty loud so it will be hard to talk here. Just come here to enjoy the vibes!

    George C.

    Right on East 53rd St, this place is a great addition to "restaurant row" here. It's a Thai-Japanese fusion Izakaya and the food is solid. How it works - we came on a Friday and it seemed like people ate in waves. That's because they have live jazz (there was a saxophonist, bassist and pianist when we went), and they play in 45-60 minute sets. There's a minimum spend of $15 per person for each set. But that includes food or drinks. So you can spend the whole night here if you want by getting one drink per set. Not bad at all. Food is solid as well. We really enjoyed the flavors of everything, especially the scallops and the noodles. Some dishes have a nice southeast Asian flare to them, like the noodles which were slightly spicy. The only thing that was a little too salty was the grilled mackerel (or whatever fish it was). We left after 1 set but will come back again

    Inside jazz
    Emily H.

    New basement jazz bar in Midtown East. Very cute and cozy vibes inside. Perfect for our girls night. Loved the music too. There was basically no line when we went at 7:30pm on a Friday night (unlike its neighbor Tomi Jazz). We were let in to the bar immediately and then got seated shortly after, within 15-20 minutes I'd say. Honestly felt like I got the Tomi Jazz experience from here lol. Their drinks were sooo good. We got the Ume Yuzu and Thai Teani, and both drinks were delicious. We also got the bone-in Karage, truffle fries, crying tiger, and mentaiko pasta. Food was good, a little pricey and small portions. I liked the crying tiger the most. Definitely better for their drinks. However, their service is horribly slow. We asked 3 times for ketchup and they still didn't give it to us, until I had to very aggressively requested the waitress to get us ketchup the last 4th time. They also took forever to give us our check, we had to ask for the check 3 times too. The inside is small and cute, but it's freezing. They definitely need more heaters. Overall, food & drinks & vibes & music were great! We all had a great time. But service definitely needs improvement.

    Kelsey A.

    What an adorable, charming, intimate jazz bar. There are a few tables and bar seats, then the band. It's dimly lit and perfect for a date night or a fun girls night. The band was wonderful, and the Japanese menu was a charming contrast.

    Cool interior ambiance
    Sophie C.

    Got lost and stumbled across here-- very glad we found it! You have to walk down a flight of stairs, so it can be easy to miss from the street. We did not have a reservation, but we came early on a Monday night. They have an interesting menu and I definitely would like to come back to try more. They have a $15/person minimum and a ~75 min maximum on Fridays and Saturdays. Their fried squid with salted egg dip was absolutely delicious. Their salmon curry pasta was also scrumptious, and a little spicy. They are very attentive with their service, but respectful to not interrupt the jazz trio. Super cool spot and go to the restroom for a surprise...

    Ume Yuzu
    Ellie Z.

    No Work Allowed is a "Japanese izakaya with a Northeastern Thai twist" that offers dinner, live jazz music, small plates, cocktails, and a great time. Live jazz starts at 7pm (Tuesdays through Fridays) and 5:30pm on Saturdays. I highly recommend the Ume Yuzu (8.9/10): This is a shochu based cocktail (Japanese distilled spirit) with plum wine, yuzu liquor, yuzu puree, lime juice, and seltzer. I LOVED this drink. Honestly one of my favorite cocktails that I have had in NYC. If I had to describe this drink in one word, it would be "refreshing." The plum wine adds a nice sweetness to the bright tangy flavor of the lime juice and yuzu. It also is a great sweetness level (especially since I like my cocktails on the fruitier/sweeter side). Highly recommend!! This place is located right next to the very popular Tomi Jazz so if the line for Tomi is looking a little too long, I promise you won't regret popping into here!

    Valerie R.

    This hidden gem was absolutely amazing! Everything was SO fresh and flavorful! Their menu is very unique- we went when they were also collaborating with Public Village. Highly recommend checking them out! They also have live jazz music Tues-Sat! Service was top tier!

    Stephanie D.

    Came around 6:30 on a thursday and it was pretty empty but filled up later. The drinks were good but not great but the food was better. The scallop ceviche was very fresh and light. And the chili garlic pasta was the most flavorful. The crab fried rice and pad thai were good too. Service was a little on the slower side but ambiance and vibe were good with the jazz and decor

    chili garlic pasta
    Fiona O.

    This place would be 4 stars, but the portion was very underwhelming. I got an entree with an app split amongst others, and I was still hungry after. I would say my dish was very good (slightly saltier than I would have liked, but it grew on me the more I ate). Service was good, and it was a cool place to be with jazz playing nearby. Don't come here if you want to talk very much! Come if you want to just enjoy some music! Order lots too.

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    Photo of A Z.
    0
    10
    6

    1 year ago

    Really mid food and cocktails for the price... felt sad on the inside in a way... jazz was good

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    2 years ago

    Adorable place with little to no wait time for a table!! The staff were friendly and the live music was excellent!

    Helpful 1
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    Photo of Linda L.
    88
    89
    21

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
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    Mitr Thai

    Mitr Thai

    4.6
    (899 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    Celebrated my birthday here and no regrets! Mitr Thai absolutely lived up to the hype! The…read morerestaurant has a beautiful, modern atmosphere that's perfect for dinner with friends and family or even just because you want to eat. The service was friendly, attentive, and the food arrived quickly even they were a full house and rush lunch hour. Very quick and our server was amazing! We started with mango salad and chicken satay as these were the most popular. Their salad was purely mango with cashews and cherry tomatoes. Their chicken satay was also to die for! It was very flavorful and was perfect and went well with the salad. Their pad thai was so perfect it brought me back to when we visited Thailand few years ago. The crispy pork belly was a standout for me perfectly crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside, with just the right amount of richness. (Reminds me of Filipino Lechon Kawali) The fresh bean sprouts, scallions, and squeeze of lime balanced everything out beautifully. The soft shell crab in creamy curry egg sauce was also a must try! And lastly, we tried their mango sticky rice!! Absolutely no words... IT WAS DIVINE!!! If you're looking for authentic Thai food with elevated presentation, generous portions, and excellent service, Mitr Thai is definitely worth the visit. I'll absolutely be coming back to try more dishes!

    Came here to eat before watching Broadway. We booked 5:00pm. When we arrived ~4:50pm there was…read morealready a line out the door waiting for them to open. I'm surprised people queued and surprised they actually lock people out. They have a policy of only seating whole parties. My friends were literally stuck amongst the world cup crowds in Times Square such that they struggled to get through and had to detour when they did. They have a 10 minute grace period, but my friends wouldn't make it in time, so I asked if they'll let us sit first as long as we start ordering immediately. They said ok as long as we returned the table by 6:30pm. I thought the 1.5 hour seating time was based on when we actually get seated which considers the grace period. Anyways the timing ended up being sufficient. I think this spot is good for pre-theatre dining due to the large storefront and quick service, but I wouldn't necessarily choose to come here for the sake of coming. Their menu is extensive and slightly confusing given the way they organize by regions in Thailand. I'm uncultured so I won't know what's the difference between each region. It's easier for me to comprehend if the menu was categorized by the ingredients used or size of the dish. Most dishes do not have a photo/drawing included so it was hard to skim through all the options. Their online ordering was way more helpful since it had photos. It was so hard to look for the corresponding line item in the printed version. We ordered: green curry, kao soy kua neur, khao mok neua, curry puff, kaeng hung lay, gai gor lae, and mango sticky rice. Most of the stuff tasted alright without much standout. We requested mild/little spicy for everything and it was true to request. The spiciest dish was probably the green curry, but I think it's tolerable if you eat it with rice. Crowd favorite was the kao soy kua neur which is braised beef with egg noodles. I like how tender the beef is and how chewy the noodles were. My friends didn't like the khao mok neua biryani because of its dryness, but I think it's meant to be like that. I appreciate the spices in it, not too strong but still sufficient. I don't like how they don't have a printed menu for desserts and relied on the servers to recite out what's available. We couldn't hear everything properly and resorted to referencing the online ordering menu for the dessert options. Glad they're the same. Mango sticky rice was the highlight of the night for me. The mango size could be slightly bigger, because right now it's much smaller than the rice. However, I enjoyed the rice a lot. It was hot, fragrant, and not too soft. It definitely felt comforting. The coconut milk on the side had rice puffs (?) in it which gave additional texture.

    Photos
    Main Dining Room
    Main Dining Room
    Short Rib Prik Kang
    Short Rib Prik Kang
    Crab Fried Rice (~$32)

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    Crab Fried Rice (~$32)
    SaiTong Thai

    SaiTong Thai

    4.5
    (446 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    Delicious noodles! Came after a broadway show. Really great service and amazing Pad See Ew!read more

    I'm a Thai foodie from California and I really loved SaiTong! The restaurant was busy and I was by…read moremyself so I was happy to sit at the bar, and was attended to by the most sweet bartender ever. Very polite, professional and attentive. I first ordered the crispy spring rolls, which were very good. For my main I had the Massaman Curry. Now folks, this is my favorite curry of all time -- actually one of my favorite foods of all time -- and while it's common in LA where I used to live, it's not as common where I live now, in the Bay Area. And the restaurants that do carry it usually do not make it right and it's not very good. I am used to Massaman in the traditional preparation where it's more like a beef stew made with chunks of beef and needs to cook overnight. When done right it is the most aromatic curry ever -- it's almost like an aphrodisiac! -- and the beef comes out oh so tender. Usually if places have this curry but then offer a choice of protein, then it generally is not cooked properly, and that is actually how they prepare it at SaiTong. But because of such great reviews I decided to take a chance and try it. Well, let me tell you, it was definitely not the norm...it was absolutely delicious! I had it with chicken (they serve breast as default), and the chicken soaked up the curry really nicely. I also asked for there to be no onions, which I think alters the flavor of a curry too much. It does include the traditional potatoes and peanuts, and the potatoes were fine and cut into nice little chunks, the peanuts actually were thrown in raw.. what I think is the more traditional way which is to actually burn the peanuts a little bit, but that's okay, it didn't take down the dish any. Their brown rice is of the very dark kind, which I like, and goes so well with the curry. Service was wonderful from the bartender but was also provided by the rest of the staff and everyone was so nice. I left there feeling so satisfied, and cannot wait to go back and try some other dishes.

    Photos
    Bar area
    Bar area
    Green Curry with tofu
    Green Curry with tofu
    Parang Curry

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    Parang Curry
    Sabai Thai

    Sabai Thai

    4.3
    (623 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$$

    The first thing you'll notice is how beautiful the space is. Gorgeous interiors, a warm atmosphere,…read moreand genuinely friendly hosts made for a great first impression. We started with the curry puffs and satay buns, both of which were easy wins. No complaints, I would happily order them again. The Khao Soi was the highlight of my meal. Rich, comforting, and packed with flavor. I love when restaurants get this right. They also do super thin noodles in the khao soi which is a plus for me. I also tried a little bit of the crab fried rice which was also incredible. I also ordered the lychee mocktail. The drink itself was fairly average, but it came with a lychee mochi that completely stole the show. I honestly enjoyed the mochi more than the drink itself. Overall, this is just good, no-nonsense Thai food. Nothing feels overly gimmicky. The restaurant focuses on solid flavors, a beautiful space, and warm hospitality. I'd happily come back to work my way through more of the menu.

    It was very easy to make a reservation. The ambiance and decor were so romantic and cozy. We…read morestarted off with the drinks. I ordered a delicious lychee Martini. For appetizers, we ordered the Sate, curry puff, chicken dumpling and shrimps. Everything was on point. The main course was the shrimp dish, chicken and tofu panang was our favorite. The fried rice and pad tai were just about okay. We ended the night with free celebration dessert my loved ones birthday celebration

    Photos
    Sabai Thai
    $16: curry puff
    $16: curry puff
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