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Good pho! The flavor was nice. Lotssss of noodles and not enough beef in my opinion. Also a good portion of my noodles were just in one clump stuck together. Not sure what happened there. The server was very nice.
Don't let the size of this place fool you. It's small, unassuming, and narrow, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in quality. The food was absolutely delicious full of flavor and clearly prepared with care. Every dish we had was well-seasoned and satisfying. The service was right on point, from taking our order to pacing the meal perfectly. Nothing felt rushed, and nothing took too long. The atmosphere is simple and comfortable, and every time I've visited, the place has been busy which says a lot. Great food, great service, and a consistently enjoyable experience. I'll definitely be back
Very disappointing delivery experience. I ordered the Thai basil eggplant dish with tofu - it was appropriately spiced but the portion size was not great. There was no easy way to replace it with brown rice and chopsticks didnt come included. The dish was cold by the time it arrived to me (approx 2 hours later on Uber Eats). Then I ordered the vegetarian summer rolls that came with peanut sauce. The peanut sauce tasted expired even though the rolls themselves were decent. I was disappointed by the food temperature, time to arrival (although some blame is deserved by Uber Eats) and the expired condiment. I'd like to try Obao again with hopefully better results.
Beautiful food! And flavorful too. Lovely atmosphere for a great add to the experience. The crispy spring rolls was a unique presentation. The spare ribs with honey tamarind glaze were super tender & PHENOM. Big thumbs up. Nice happy hour specials!
I went out for dinner with family visiting from out of town and this was the perfect spot for eating family style. They have a good array of appetizers and I like that their menu isn't strictly Thai cuisine (see: bánh xèo, phở). Our server was busy but actively checked in on us. I loved the pork belly (we basically inhaled it). Their green curry and pad thai were still so good when I had them for lunch the day after. I'll be coming back for cocktails and more pork belly.
Stumbled upon this place while looking for a place to have a quick lunch. They had happy hour on a Sunday and we ordered a couple Singha beers for $8. I really loved my drunken noodles, the noodles were very soft, basil was super fresh, overall 10/10. We also ordered the spring rolls as appetizers which were good. Service was very good as well, I would recommend it.
A solid dinner spot! I really loved the ambiance of this place: peaceful, cozy, and elegant. The interior of the restaurant was gorgeous, with flowers draping from the ceiling. The service was a bit slow, which was unexpected as there were not too many customers on a weekday evening. We did have to ask for refills of water a couple of times and checked in on our dishes a few times as well due to a long waiting period. The food itself was decent! I appreciated how the restaurant offered both Thai and Vietnamese dishes. For an appetizer, we tried the Vietnamese Crispy Pork Belly. The pork belly itself was delectable, with perfectly cooked crispy skin. To our surprise, however, the pork belly was only accompanied by two pieces of lettuce. I do think this lettuce amount was a fluke, as I saw other tables with far more than two lettuce pieces. For our main dishes, we had the Pho Bò and the Pad Thai. The Pho Bò was savory and comforting, featuring slices of beef and brisket. The Pad Thai was packed with flavor, and the noodles were cooked to perfection. Our meal ended with mango sticky rice and coconut ice cream. The mango sticky rice featured sweet mangos and paired perfectly with the refreshing coconut ice cream. This was a solid restaurant, but I'm not sure if I would visit again given the differing portion sizes between customers and the delays in service.
We had three picky generations to feed while in NY. Obao hit the mark! We enjoyed our food, kiddie and adult cocktails as well the environment. Everyone was pleased with service and vowed to return. We picked up carry out on our way back to Chicago. We ordered the berry mojito, chicken wings, drunken noodles, shrimp fried rice, chicken fried rice, some sort of yellow curry with rice noodles.
The cuisine at Obao was delicious. Located midtown it was easy to locate. Jennifer had hankered for Vietnamese food and I had created a list for her. Recently we had eaten at La Dong. Would Obao measure up? We began with two appetizers of honey tamarind glazed rib and crispy pork belly. Vietnamese cuisine thankfully has lots of greens so wrapping each piece of the fried pork belly made it far tastier than just being rich. For our main course, Jen chose Pho Ga with chicken. I chose the pork chops with rice. The pho was delicious and Jen mi enjoyed it. My pork chops were fine but I prefer the tastier ones at Nha Trang. Dessert was mango sticky rice. The rice here had a blue hue. This was toothsome. Once again we wanted to run away with the beautiful washbasin. Two restrooms are on the ground floor. One had the exquisite blue and white washbasin and the other had Aesop hand wash. Apparently Bear who works here likes Aesop products. An Australian line, Aesop is expensive and I always note the toiletries in a restaurant. I was impressed. We both enjoyed lunch and I had enough left over for another meal.
Surprisingly good. Love the cozy ambiance. The cocktails are so-so, it's so overpriced for the size of them. But the food is amazing. Love the mushroom tacos, they got vegan options! We had crab fried rice and tofu pho which are both delicious. The service is pretty attentive and nice. Will be back!
This is our absolute favorite Thai spot in NYC. We started going here close to 15 years ago but moved to Raleigh 10 years ago. We came back today after eight years and we continue to be wowed. Not only is the food delicious but they are the nicest staff and just pure kindness. We always loved their pork skewars on sugarcane but they stopped making them recently on the main menu. Lo and behold they brought us out two orders because we mentioned how much we missed them. Just wonderful and clean restaurant with excellent food and drinks!
Today I walked by and saw that it was a Thai Vietnamese restaurant. I ordered chicken wing and Pho to try it, everything was very ok. The food is delicious. The overall atmosphere for me was very good. I'll be back soon. Pim and Jana is a good server too.
We came for lunch on a Wednesday and they had great lunch specials as well as delicious mocktails. I always appreciate a place with mocktail menus! Their food was so delicious. Their ingredients were very fresh and the food was the perfect amount of sweet and spicy. Deliciously paired with white rice.
3 months ago
Everything was yummy: crispy pork belly, the pho, Bo luc lac, and pad Thai. The mango sticky rice looks a little funny, but was fantastic. Easy to walk in on a Sunday for lunch for four. read more
After just one bite of the Vietnamese salad, I nearly threw up! It was extremely salty!! The waitstaff noticed my facial expression and quickly offered to replace the dish, however, the damage was done. The tofu dish was edible, but I couldn't help noticing a strong MSG-like taste. I was hungry, so I finished it, but once I got home, I had to drink two more glasses of water! The takeout calamari was equally salty and far too chewy. In the end, we threw everything away. Definitely not a meal I'd want to repeat. read more
4 months ago
Solid dinner spot in Midtown East! We came as a party of 6 as a walk in and were luckily seated right away. Wide variety of Thai and Viet spots on the menu, from pho to stir fried noodles to rice dishes. Everything tastes great! We got the Mango Sticky Rice for dessert and the mangoes were ripe, sweet, and in season. One critique is the inconsistency of portion sizes. My portion of Shrimp Pad Thai was smaller than another person in my group who got the Chicken Pad Thai, which seemed a bit weird. Even another patron at a different table had a larger portion, so I was a bit deflated. Otherwise, still a reliable spot for great Thai/Viet food. Same vibes and great taste as their Hells Kitchen location, YUM!! read more
22 days ago
Good pho! The flavor was nice. Lotssss of noodles and not enough beef in my opinion. Also a good portion of my noodles were just in one clump stuck together. Not sure what happened there. The server was very nice. read more
3 months ago
Don't let the size of this place fool you. It's small, unassuming, and narrow, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in quality. The food was absolutely delicious full of flavor and clearly prepared with care. Every dish we had was well-seasoned and satisfying. The service was right on point, from taking our order to pacing the meal perfectly. Nothing felt rushed, and nothing took too long. The atmosphere is simple and comfortable, and every time I've visited, the place has been busy which says a lot. Great food, great service, and a consistently enjoyable experience. I'll definitely be back read more
Very disappointing delivery experience. I ordered the Thai basil eggplant dish with tofu - it was appropriately spiced but the portion size was not great. There was no easy way to replace it with brown rice and chopsticks didnt come included. The dish was cold by the time it arrived to me (approx 2 hours later on Uber Eats). Then I ordered the vegetarian summer rolls that came with peanut sauce. The peanut sauce tasted expired even though the rolls themselves were decent. I was disappointed by the food temperature, time to arrival (although some blame is deserved by Uber Eats) and the expired condiment. I'd like to try Obao again with hopefully better results. read more
4 months ago
Beautiful food! And flavorful too. Lovely atmosphere for a great add to the experience. The crispy spring rolls was a unique presentation. The spare ribs with honey tamarind glaze were super tender & PHENOM. Big thumbs up. Nice happy hour specials! read more
I went out for dinner with family visiting from out of town and this was the perfect spot for eating family style. They have a good array of appetizers and I like that their menu isn't strictly Thai cuisine (see: bánh xèo, phở). Our server was busy but actively checked in on us. I loved the pork belly (we basically inhaled it). Their green curry and pad thai were still so good when I had them for lunch the day after. I'll be coming back for cocktails and more pork belly. read more
Stumbled upon this place while looking for a place to have a quick lunch. They had happy hour on a Sunday and we ordered a couple Singha beers for $8. I really loved my drunken noodles, the noodles were very soft, basil was super fresh, overall 10/10. We also ordered the spring rolls as appetizers which were good. Service was very good as well, I would recommend it. read more
A solid dinner spot! I really loved the ambiance of this place: peaceful, cozy, and elegant. The interior of the restaurant was gorgeous, with flowers draping from the ceiling. The service was a bit slow, which was unexpected as there were not too many customers on a weekday evening. We did have to ask for refills of water a couple of times and checked in on our dishes a few times as well due to a long waiting period. The food itself was decent! I appreciated how the restaurant offered both Thai and Vietnamese dishes. For an appetizer, we tried the Vietnamese Crispy Pork Belly. The pork belly itself was delectable, with perfectly cooked crispy skin. To our surprise, however, the pork belly was only accompanied by two pieces of lettuce. I do think this lettuce amount was a fluke, as I saw other tables with far more than two lettuce pieces. For our main dishes, we had the Pho Bò and the Pad Thai. The Pho Bò was savory and comforting, featuring slices of beef and brisket. The Pad Thai was packed with flavor, and the noodles were cooked to perfection. Our meal ended with mango sticky rice and coconut ice cream. The mango sticky rice featured sweet mangos and paired perfectly with the refreshing coconut ice cream. This was a solid restaurant, but I'm not sure if I would visit again given the differing portion sizes between customers and the delays in service. read more
4 months ago
We had three picky generations to feed while in NY. Obao hit the mark! We enjoyed our food, kiddie and adult cocktails as well the environment. Everyone was pleased with service and vowed to return. We picked up carry out on our way back to Chicago. We ordered the berry mojito, chicken wings, drunken noodles, shrimp fried rice, chicken fried rice, some sort of yellow curry with rice noodles. read more
The cuisine at Obao was delicious. Located midtown it was easy to locate. Jennifer had hankered for Vietnamese food and I had created a list for her. Recently we had eaten at La Dong. Would Obao measure up? We began with two appetizers of honey tamarind glazed rib and crispy pork belly. Vietnamese cuisine thankfully has lots of greens so wrapping each piece of the fried pork belly made it far tastier than just being rich. For our main course, Jen chose Pho Ga with chicken. I chose the pork chops with rice. The pho was delicious and Jen mi enjoyed it. My pork chops were fine but I prefer the tastier ones at Nha Trang. Dessert was mango sticky rice. The rice here had a blue hue. This was toothsome. Once again we wanted to run away with the beautiful washbasin. Two restrooms are on the ground floor. One had the exquisite blue and white washbasin and the other had Aesop hand wash. Apparently Bear who works here likes Aesop products. An Australian line, Aesop is expensive and I always note the toiletries in a restaurant. I was impressed. We both enjoyed lunch and I had enough left over for another meal. read more
7 months ago
Surprisingly good. Love the cozy ambiance. The cocktails are so-so, it's so overpriced for the size of them. But the food is amazing. Love the mushroom tacos, they got vegan options! We had crab fried rice and tofu pho which are both delicious. The service is pretty attentive and nice. Will be back! read more
This is our absolute favorite Thai spot in NYC. We started going here close to 15 years ago but moved to Raleigh 10 years ago. We came back today after eight years and we continue to be wowed. Not only is the food delicious but they are the nicest staff and just pure kindness. We always loved their pork skewars on sugarcane but they stopped making them recently on the main menu. Lo and behold they brought us out two orders because we mentioned how much we missed them. Just wonderful and clean restaurant with excellent food and drinks! read more
3 months ago
Today I walked by and saw that it was a Thai Vietnamese restaurant. I ordered chicken wing and Pho to try it, everything was very ok. The food is delicious. The overall atmosphere for me was very good. I'll be back soon. Pim and Jana is a good server too. read more
11 months ago
We came for lunch on a Wednesday and they had great lunch specials as well as delicious mocktails. I always appreciate a place with mocktail menus! Their food was so delicious. Their ingredients were very fresh and the food was the perfect amount of sweet and spicy. Deliciously paired with white rice. read more
9 months ago
Was in the Area and saw this cute little Restaurant OBao. Very cute traditional Thai Decor restaurant. The staff were super friendly and kind. We started with the fried calamari It was delicious. Then for entree Shrimp Fried Rice. Pho Rib both were very delicious. Even though we were very full we ordered the coconut ice cream. Which was enough for both of us to share. Great place. Try if you are in the area. read more
2 years ago
Order: - Kimchi Fries (5/5) - Pad See Ew (5/5) Pros: - Great tasting food with large menu of Thai and Vietnamese food - Great cocktails and list of beer/wine/spirits - Quick and kind servers Cons: - Gets very busy and loud. I suggest making a reservation for dinner - Tight seating with little space between each table Overall: I've been to Obao numerous times. Its a consistent restaurant with great tasting food. read more
2 years ago
Had somewhat of a mixed experience here. I ordered online, but when I went to pick it up they said they didn't see the order. So I had to wait an extra 15 min to get my food. I got the drunken noodles with beef which was pretty good, but I thought the portion size was kind of small for $19. I was still a bit hungry after I finished it. read more
1 year ago
For being Michelin-recognized, I had high hopes for their pho. It was without a doubt delicious and the meat in their pho bò was TENDER. What was missing for me was that wow factor. The broth was flavorful, but was not the best I've ever tried. The portions were also a bit smaller than other pho restaurants. I do understand they most likely have to compensate for the quality of their ingredients, because everything did taste fresh as can be. Overall delicious pho and I finished the entire thing and was left satiated and not overly full. It was challenging to find a highly rated pho joint in midtown so I would say it is worth a try if you're in the area! They also offer plenty of gluten and dairy free options which is a plus read more
2 months ago
5 months ago
The good was good enough- shrimp in green sea was my favorite - their comfort with this clear health code violation means I'll never go back. The dog sat in her lap in clear view the entire meal and was even eating from her plate. Staff didn't blink an eye. Not ok. read more
1 year ago
Flavorful and fast. This place offers the perfect blend of asian cuisine in Midtown East. I visited Obao for the first time last year, and made my way back for an impromptu dinner Saturday. Yum. read more
2 years ago
Looking for a spot that perfectly blends the bold, vibrant flavors of Thai and Vietnamese cuisines? Obao is where it's at! This place serves up creative, flavor-packed dishes that showcase the best of both culinary traditions. Every bite is a journey of bold spices and aromatic herbs that will blow your mind! Modern, chic, and cozy with dim lighting, Obao's atmosphere makes it perfect for date night, dinner with friends, or just treating yourself to an amazing meal. And the food? Absolutely amazing and reasonably priced! Must-Try Dishes: * Crispy Pork Belly: A crispy, melt-in-your-mouth delight. * Pho Short Rib: Comfort food taken to the next level. * Lobster Pad Thai: A luxurious twist on a classic favorite. Add Obao to your must-visit list ASAP--you won't regret it! Tag your foodie crew and start planning your visit now. Featuring Mushroom Dumplings Crispy Pork Belly Pho Short Rib Pad See Eew Lobster Pad Thai Bruiseberry Thai Ice Tea read more
Really good food here, I got the udon noodles (sub shrimp for tofu) and it was incredibly delicious with a great portion size! Service is super friendly and on top of it! I never ran out of water and felt very catered for thought out my dinner. Has a fun ambiance and great for dinner with friends before a night out! Would definitely come back again soon! read more
2 months ago
2 years ago
So so good!! We went on a rainy Sunday and the restaurant only had a few people there for lunch. We went with the basil noodles and the pad see ew. Both were so delicious and very fairly priced for the portions. I was impressed with the amount of shrimp and beef in both dishes. The udon was cooked perfectly and the peppers added a lot of flavor. Do not miss out on trying this place!! read more
10 months ago
Great place to go when the weather is chilly. Didn't have a reservation on a Saturday and was able to get seated quickly. Food came out fast and was super delicious. read more
My daughter and I were touring the new East Midtown Greenway Extension and decided to and walked over to 2nd Ave to find a place to lunch. I asked a local walking her dog what places she'd recommend and she raved about this place so it was an easy decision. The space has front curbside seating that leads right into the from bar area and then the main dining which is beautifully decorated with running ants alongside wooden tables. There is back garden with seating for no more than about (5) that the workers seem to use for their lunch hour. We arrived around 1 and there was starting to get packed for the lunch hour. Within about a half an hour, just about except table inside was occupied. For appetizers we ordered from hr Vietnamese chicken wings, chicken and shrimp dumplings. We ordered (2) other small dishes: the Cashew Chilli chicken and shrimp basil fried rice. Everything was full of flavor and delicious. The portions were well sized and that allowed us to eat family style just pulling from the table to sample. We had so much leftovers to go. The next day we were more than happy to dive in again. Overall, this was a great find. The service was attentive without being intrusive or abrasive. We got a quality dining experience for the cost and the food was delicious. I will def revisit. Decor:9/10 Service: 10/10 Food: 10/10 read more
This place has a great diversity of Asian dishes that can serve your different tastes depending on what you're feeling that day. My Vietnamese friends have always enjoyed the pho here, and I was pleased with the khao soi's flavor. The service is also very attentive and caring, and there's usually ample seating! read more
On a packed Saturday night, definitely make a reservation! This restaurant is a good choice for the viet/thai fusion restaurant. The waiter here was extremely attentive and patient with my large party of 10. They serve food as it is done being prepared, so dishes may come in waves. The lower rating for me comes from the fact that the entrees were just not great tasting. I personally ordered the pho, and it fell a bit flat on flavor, even though the portion was quite generous for its price point. The matcha ice cream is a little overpriced, but what isn't in the city... it is truly delicious though! Their mango sticky rice is the perfect combination of tart chunks of mango, refreshing mango sorbet, and chewy sticky rice. I just wish the portion was bigger. If anything, this is a great place to grab pre-dinner drinks instead, as their signature cocktails looked spectacular! I'll be back to try them and let yall know how it goes. read more
Came for a team dinner. It's a pretty cozy joint, super lively and bustling. Food came out pretty quickly, and our server checked up on us regularly. I ordered the lobster pad thai, and it was honestly really just ok. The lobster especially fell flat, extremely bland. Portion size is definitely large, tried a good portion of the appetizers on the menus but nothing really stood out. read more
Came to this midtown east location for a Sunday dinner with a small group of friends. The vibe fits well for an after work dinner, group event or date night. Dimly lit, cozy atmosphere and while it seemed small at first glance, the back of the restaurant provides ample seating. Table started with Vietnamese spring roll order followed by a round of Pho bo or Pho ga. Personally had the Pho ga which was delicious. Noodles were cooked perfectly and the broth was light yet flavorful. Large piece of chicken included, great dish for the hungry. Service was speedy and friendly. Would definitely recommend. read more
"All of my love, all of my kissing You don't know what you've been a-missing Oh boy, when you're with me Oh boy, the world can see That you, were meant, for me" (Buddy Holly) Three of us had a fantastic lunch at OBAO. When we walked in, just a few tables were occupied, but when we walked the place was jam packed. I saw a lot of young Asians in there, so this must be a hip place for the young professionals in the neighborhood. Our lunch orders were Spare Ribs with Honey Tamarind Glaze ($12) - "6 hrs. braised pork spareribs tossed with honey tamarind glaze served with Vietnamese table salad", Pad Thai with Shrimp ($18) - " stir-fried thin rice noodles with shrimps, bean sprouts, chives, and crushed peanuts topped with a poached egg", and Vietnamese Crispy Pork Belly ($16) - "Served with lettuce wrapping, pickled carrot & daikon, sweet soy and spicy green dipping sauce." The Pork Belly was my order and I couldn't have been happier with it. First of all, it was a pretty good sized order and there was enough ingredients on the serving dish that I must have made 5 delicious lettuce wraps. The pork belly was fantastic, crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. And those dipping sauces (especially the spicy green one) really complemented everything . The food and service were great (our water glasses were refilled twice.) Overall, this was a very enjoyable visit and consumer experience. read more
2 years ago
Came here for a late lunch on a Saturday with 6 friends and we were sat immediately. The restaurant is pretty big. The food was nothing too special, I got the beef pad see ew. I tried my friend's pad Thai and thought the noodles were too sweet and soggy. read more
Some of the dishes here (especially the Thai ones) are better than any I've had in California. It's amazing. So good that my picky husband wanted to come back for a second time on our trip to NYC. We ordered the following: Bo luc lac (shaking beef) Basil fried rice with shrimp Papaya salad Pad see lew with beef (my favorite) Pho Bo (100 authentic) EVERYTHING and I mean everything was authentic and bursting with flavor. It's insane how much depth the flavors were. Multidimensional. I was very very satisfied with the meal. I kind of wish we ordered more because we finished everything. The drinks were also very delicious and not overpowering. The restaurant is narrow so it might be a little cramped if you have a group bigger than six. It's nice and dark, yet you can talk at a normal volume without disturbing others. Good for kids as well. Service was fast and food came out amazingly quick. I had Le Bernardin this week too, but I'd pick this place over it any day of the week. read more
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More info about OBAO
222 E 53rd St
New York, NY 10022
Midtown East
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(212) 308-5588
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http://www.obaony.com
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