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Short review: Stick with the Larb. Mieng Pla Pow is fine also. I went to this restaurant with a bit of hesitation as I didn't have the best experience at their original location. I honestly think it's a bit better here partially because there aren't better northern Thai/Isan style food around here but it's not that good either. Anyway, I went here with a group a while back and the space here is nice and much larger than their other location. Service was friendly. It has a nice seafood motif on the walls. I don't remember the drink I had outside of I think it having Thai rum, cucumber, and a few other things and it was refreshing. The best dish here as per the other spot is the Larb Ped U-don for $24.95. Listed as, "a specialty of chef Aniwat's hometown. Duck breast with charred galangal, fried liver, and fried duck skin. An Isan classic of minced meat seasoned with roasted rice, fried kaffir lime leaves, roasted chili, mint, fish sauce, fried garlic, and lime juice. Served with house greens," this is a flavor bomb with plenty of heat, sourness, and fishiness which I associate heavily with food from that region. There was I think a bit less of the duck skin so there was a bit less crunch here but it was probably just that portion or something that I got. Another larb we got but fish based was the Larb Pla Duk Yang for $22. Listed as, "a house specialty roasted charcoal grilled cat fish. An Isan classic of minced meat seasoned with roasted rice, fried kaffir lime leaves, roasted chili, mint, fish sauce, fried garlic, and lime juice. Served with house greens," this was also good though I would say less texturally complex compared to the duck version. I preferred the latter for this reasoning but this is solid also. The Som Tum Thai for $17.95 listed as, "Classic Thai-style with roasted peanuts, snake beans, tomato, and dried shrimp. A sour spicy specialty of shredded green papaya lime juice and bird's eye chilies hand pound in our clay krok," this was fine. It was a bit less fishy then some of the other Isan spots I've been to but the flavors were still there with plenty of heat. I'd recommend the larb in general much more. Small and alright was the Catfish Hor Mok for $19.95 listed as a steam curry custard in banana leaf. The catfish had a very lightly flavored curry outside of some nice earthiness and the portion size was tiny for the price. Wouldn't really recommend much and there's plenty of better hor mok/amok both better priced and better flavored. Slightly bigger and just fine was the Khoa Pad Poo or Crab Fried Rice for $28. Not enough crab for my liking and slightly oily. Just not worth it and not a particularly good fried rice either. The last was the Mieng Pla Pow for $42. Listed as, "Chef Aniwat's salt-encrusted signature. Marinated in cumin garlic and white pepper, stuffed with pandan and lemongrass then charcoal roasted served with kanom jeen noodle, tamarind peanut sauce, and nam jim," this was good. The fish was very tender and came off the large bone nicely though you can't have the skin of course as it's salt encrusted. The sauce added some sweetness and a bit of heat. Pretty solid dish and a lot better than the stuffed catfish we had at their other location. If the rest of the food here was as good as the larb, I would recommend this spot. However, the rest was overpriced and not that tasty outside of the Mieng Pla Pow to an extent. OK as per the other one. Low 3
A venue sporting a giant blue lobster hanging from the ceiling might not immediately appeal to most vegetarians. Indeed, this is one of the few Thai establishments I've been to where they refuse to make most of the noodle offerings with tofu or without meat/fish, which was somewhat disappointing. That being said, we loved the vegan kra pao, which appeared to be made with seitan or some similar soy product. Vegan versions of the dish, which is prepared with a heavy dose of tulsi, are quickly appearing on more dishes and becoming my go to order at Thai restaurants in the city. It had an excellent crunchy texture, and the red chilis gave the dish just the right amount of heat.
I was excited to finally try Zaab Zaab after hearing about their well rated Elmhurst location. Fortunately, their success allowed them to open a Brooklyn outpost, saving me a trip to Queens. Getting a table for two on a Saturday night was easy as a walk-in. Right off the bat, our server's aggressive upselling was annoying. I know restaurants need to make money, but constantly pushing extra dishes and drinks when I'm confident in my order is a turn off. A good server should ensure I don't over-order, not pressure me into it. Being seated next to the door, we were blasted with cold air in every time it opened which also dampened the experience. On to the food - it really delivered on the promise of intense spice. I loved that they offer catfish as a larb protein option. The larb packed a good amount of heat and I even popped extra peppers into my mouth for even more of a kick. The charcoal chicken, however, was disappointing - dry and difficult to cut. The pad thai was better in flavor, but like all the dishes, the portion felt small for the price point. Our modest three savory plates, plus a wine and beer, still ran us $140. Zaab Zaab's food brings the heat and I'd totally go back for more of that catfish larb!
Unfortunately, not the biggest fan. The appetizer (nam khoa tod) had sausages and rice croquettes. Sausages were wildly salty. I did enjoy the rice croquettes, but the rest of the dish was just underwhelming in my opinion. And the price was a bit much for what it is. Stripe bass dish was ok. It had a nice light crunchy exterior, but I just felt like it did not have much flavor. Pad see ewe broad noodles were a bit hard/dry than ones I've had before, so I did not like it that much, but the flavor was fine. Chicken lemongrass dish was a bit too dry for my liking. I think my favorite was the pad thai. Solid dish with good flavor throughout. Overall, I thought this place was overpriced for dishes you can get at many regular Thai places and it did not exactly fit my taste palette either.
Have you ever tried a Khao Jee burger?! Me either till now and when I tell you it was sooooo freaking good. Very flavorful. The rice bun wasn't dry at all, the meat was made like. Smash burger. I'm honestly not even sure what all was on it, but I know it was good. The wasn't much service to be had since it was a food hall, but the guys behind the counter were nice. The food hall had a lot of different food options. Most of the stuff seemed fresh from the garden or butcher.
The food took a pretty long time to arrive and every dish came with fifteen minutes at least in between. The crab curry was great and I liked that it came with rice noodles and a bunch of toppings! The som tum Thai is solid, but the Tom yum noodle soup was really sour in an odd way (and didn't really taste like Tom yum).
Great and unique food! The hot pot was crazyyy. Lots of lime taste to it but it was great I've never had something like that. The green curry was phenomenal as well. Great spice to it and not too sweet as some other green curry is. Also, thai tea's we're suuuper good. The drunken noodles were my least favorite - i thought not enough flavor in them, but still okay. Overall, with solid service & really unique tastes from the green curry & hot pot, id come back here. The inside is super cool too, with a lot of colors, fun hanging decorations, great service who helped us order and decent amount of room. Come try it!
I've heard this is one of the most authentic Thai spots in New York. Overall I enjoyed the flavors, but it was way too pricey for what it was ($110 for 3 dishes + tip). The tables are cramped, but the ambiance is great for a date night. There was a performer playing acoustic covers -- he was really good! Service is also very attentive here. The larb ped udon medium spicy was VERY SPICY. I was dying and immediately had to order a thai iced tea. It was good until my tongue couldn't bear it anymore. The soft shell crab curry noodles didn't have enough flavor to my liking, but definitely reminded me of a home-cooked meal my parents would make. The hor mok with pork belly had really home-y flavor as well. It's pretty similar to a Chinese steamed pickled veggies dish. However, I would have liked the pork belly to be more fall-apart tender. It's also monotonous throughout so I got a little tired of the flavor towards the end.
definitely agree that this place deserves more business as it was empty when i visited. i havent tried the elmhurst location despite that being much closer to me but this place tasted as authentic as i can imagine. the duck larb was amazing as was their som tum. only other comment is everything is spicy af so be prepared.
There was so much buzz around Zaab Zaab last year that I was quite surprised that I could walk in with a party of 6 on a Saturday night without a reservation or even a wait. Either way I'm not complaining, as we were seated immediately and brought menus that I sadly forgot to take a picture of. The restaurant was so pretty and colorful inside, with hanging crustacean sculptures and seafoody murals. We ordered so much food that we barely had any room on our table. Dishes came out at a rapid pace so for a while it felt like we were playing Tetris with the table's available surface area. We started with two orders of their pork skewers ($15 each) which were juicy and delectable and came with 3 skewers per plate and their Som Tom Talay ($36) which was a hand-pounded Isaan-style papaya salad recommended by our server. It had a special fermented fish sauce called pla ra and a medley of all the seafood including shrimp, black crab, and oysters-- truly a textural overload. The crab did smell a little funky and the shrimp was raw which I did not expect (but cooked due to all the lime juice in the salad, much like ceviche). For the entrées, we ordered the two big classics that came highly recommended by the staff and Yelpers: the Mieng Pla Plow ($36) which was a salt-encrusted tilapia that was stuffed with pandan and lemongrass and roasted with charcoal and the Larb Ped Udon ($25) which was a duck laab that featured duck breast, crunchy fried duck skin, and chewy fried liver tossed in a sweet and smoky medley of charred galangal, toasted rice powder, and fried kaffir lime leaves. We also had the chicken Pad See Ewe ($25) which was quite sweet and tart, heavy with the tamarind and not at all spicy, and the beef Kra Pow ($23) that came with a fried egg on the side and a healthy heap of Thai chili peppers. Some of the highlights from this delicious feast included the tilapia that was so soft and tender. I loved spooning some of the flesh into a lettuce wrap filled with rice noodles and various herbs like Thai basil and cilantro and dipping it all into their spicy nam jin jaew dipping sauce. The sauce was so delicious and everyone was trying to figure out what was in it because it was the perfect balance of sweet and sour and spicy. The krapow was also fantastic and so so spicy. It was delicious with both regular jasmine and sticky rice. The ribeye steak is chopped, not ground which I thought was an interesting choice. Overall, it was a fantastic dinner at Zaab Zaab which is aptly named. I loved the introduction to Isaan flavors, some of which I didn't realize I was already well acquainted with. My only complaint is that I wish the accompanying greens/herbs plates were larger as we had to flag our waiter down a few times to ask for a refill. We also had a few extra orders of their sticky rice ($3 each) and some Thai Iced Tea ($6 each).
Stopped here for lunch. Pretty cool vibe inside. Colorful walls and design. Service was friendly and food came out really fast. The food was really tasty got the crab curry and the catfish larb. The catfish larb was leaves and other greens you can eat it with. You only get one soft shell crab. Not really spicy, has a mild kick. Thai tea is typical. It is a bit on the pricey side for the portion size. That's pretty much my only complaint. I would eat here again.
Been wanting to get here for ages and finally did. The AC wasn't working so it was a struggle initially, but the food more than made up for it. Our server was patient and explained every dish in detail. Not your typical Thai fare, although those options exist. Isan-style Thai has more salads and meat and noodles - we had the sausage combo platter, salt crusted fish, crab curry and morning glory (+ sticky rice). Amazing flavors, every single dish was worth it. The fermented rice sausage was particularly delicious. So much more to try here, I need to come back pronto. read more
Service: 3.7/5 Food: 3.9/5 Price: $$$ ($30-50) I think this is a follow-up location to their flagship in Elmhurst. Seemingly smaller, although I didn't venture to their back area. Super slow on a Tuesday night, we were only 1 of 3 parties that dined with our reservation being at 7:45pm. Helpful waitstaff, who did his best to explain dishes to us + pick out the most mild options given that two-thirds of our party could not handle spice. Low light which makes it hard to take in the decorations + colorful walls. What I Ordered: - Thai Iced Tea: sweet, crushed ice that surprisingly did not melt much, my savior to quell the spice - Tom Kha Gai: coconut-y, sour (as most soups are), light, a little spicy - Pla Takrai: crispy + flaky, could go either way with the sauce, not worth the price in my opinion - Pad Thai: more shrimp than the rice, sweet - *Larb Ped Udon: SPICY, still very good, a little confusing to eat (too much herbs + cabbage, not enough lettuce) - Sticky Rice: indeed sticky + rice-y - Pineapple Fried Rice: classic, approachable, not enough shrimp, mostly chicken, most likely canned pineapple, not worth the price - *Pad Kana: saucy, crunchy, would be great over white rice - *Mango Sticky Rice: coconut-y, rice is actually hot vs just lukewarm, mild mango *recommended read more
2 years ago
Cute spot in Williamsburg w a blue lobster hanging from the ceiling! Came with some friends for dinner recently- such a fun spot with bright and colorful decor! Standouts include the clay pot pork belly (Moo Palo) which had tender and succulent pork belly with flavorful tofu puffs, and the dessert- Pandan Mango Sticky Rice with toasted rice puffs, juicy mangoes, and fragrant sticky rice. Service is fantastic and so friendly! read more
9 months ago
Short review: Stick with the Larb. Mieng Pla Pow is fine also. I went to this restaurant with a bit of hesitation as I didn't have the best experience at their original location. I honestly think it's a bit better here partially because there aren't better northern Thai/Isan style food around here but it's not that good either. Anyway, I went here with a group a while back and the space here is nice and much larger than their other location. Service was friendly. It has a nice seafood motif on the walls. I don't remember the drink I had outside of I think it having Thai rum, cucumber, and a few other things and it was refreshing. The best dish here as per the other spot is the Larb Ped U-don for $24.95. Listed as, "a specialty of chef Aniwat's hometown. Duck breast with charred galangal, fried liver, and fried duck skin. An Isan classic of minced meat seasoned with roasted rice, fried kaffir lime leaves, roasted chili, mint, fish sauce, fried garlic, and lime juice. Served with house greens," this is a flavor bomb with plenty of heat, sourness, and fishiness which I associate heavily with food from that region. There was I think a bit less of the duck skin so there was a bit less crunch here but it was probably just that portion or something that I got. Another larb we got but fish based was the Larb Pla Duk Yang for $22. Listed as, "a house specialty roasted charcoal grilled cat fish. An Isan classic of minced meat seasoned with roasted rice, fried kaffir lime leaves, roasted chili, mint, fish sauce, fried garlic, and lime juice. Served with house greens," this was also good though I would say less texturally complex compared to the duck version. I preferred the latter for this reasoning but this is solid also. The Som Tum Thai for $17.95 listed as, "Classic Thai-style with roasted peanuts, snake beans, tomato, and dried shrimp. A sour spicy specialty of shredded green papaya lime juice and bird's eye chilies hand pound in our clay krok," this was fine. It was a bit less fishy then some of the other Isan spots I've been to but the flavors were still there with plenty of heat. I'd recommend the larb in general much more. Small and alright was the Catfish Hor Mok for $19.95 listed as a steam curry custard in banana leaf. The catfish had a very lightly flavored curry outside of some nice earthiness and the portion size was tiny for the price. Wouldn't really recommend much and there's plenty of better hor mok/amok both better priced and better flavored. Slightly bigger and just fine was the Khoa Pad Poo or Crab Fried Rice for $28. Not enough crab for my liking and slightly oily. Just not worth it and not a particularly good fried rice either. The last was the Mieng Pla Pow for $42. Listed as, "Chef Aniwat's salt-encrusted signature. Marinated in cumin garlic and white pepper, stuffed with pandan and lemongrass then charcoal roasted served with kanom jeen noodle, tamarind peanut sauce, and nam jim," this was good. The fish was very tender and came off the large bone nicely though you can't have the skin of course as it's salt encrusted. The sauce added some sweetness and a bit of heat. Pretty solid dish and a lot better than the stuffed catfish we had at their other location. If the rest of the food here was as good as the larb, I would recommend this spot. However, the rest was overpriced and not that tasty outside of the Mieng Pla Pow to an extent. OK as per the other one. Low 3 read more
A venue sporting a giant blue lobster hanging from the ceiling might not immediately appeal to most vegetarians. Indeed, this is one of the few Thai establishments I've been to where they refuse to make most of the noodle offerings with tofu or without meat/fish, which was somewhat disappointing. That being said, we loved the vegan kra pao, which appeared to be made with seitan or some similar soy product. Vegan versions of the dish, which is prepared with a heavy dose of tulsi, are quickly appearing on more dishes and becoming my go to order at Thai restaurants in the city. It had an excellent crunchy texture, and the red chilis gave the dish just the right amount of heat. read more
3 years ago
I was excited to finally try Zaab Zaab after hearing about their well rated Elmhurst location. Fortunately, their success allowed them to open a Brooklyn outpost, saving me a trip to Queens. Getting a table for two on a Saturday night was easy as a walk-in. Right off the bat, our server's aggressive upselling was annoying. I know restaurants need to make money, but constantly pushing extra dishes and drinks when I'm confident in my order is a turn off. A good server should ensure I don't over-order, not pressure me into it. Being seated next to the door, we were blasted with cold air in every time it opened which also dampened the experience. On to the food - it really delivered on the promise of intense spice. I loved that they offer catfish as a larb protein option. The larb packed a good amount of heat and I even popped extra peppers into my mouth for even more of a kick. The charcoal chicken, however, was disappointing - dry and difficult to cut. The pad thai was better in flavor, but like all the dishes, the portion felt small for the price point. Our modest three savory plates, plus a wine and beer, still ran us $140. Zaab Zaab's food brings the heat and I'd totally go back for more of that catfish larb! read more
2 years ago
Unfortunately, not the biggest fan. The appetizer (nam khoa tod) had sausages and rice croquettes. Sausages were wildly salty. I did enjoy the rice croquettes, but the rest of the dish was just underwhelming in my opinion. And the price was a bit much for what it is. Stripe bass dish was ok. It had a nice light crunchy exterior, but I just felt like it did not have much flavor. Pad see ewe broad noodles were a bit hard/dry than ones I've had before, so I did not like it that much, but the flavor was fine. Chicken lemongrass dish was a bit too dry for my liking. I think my favorite was the pad thai. Solid dish with good flavor throughout. Overall, I thought this place was overpriced for dishes you can get at many regular Thai places and it did not exactly fit my taste palette either. read more
7 months ago
Have you ever tried a Khao Jee burger?! Me either till now and when I tell you it was sooooo freaking good. Very flavorful. The rice bun wasn't dry at all, the meat was made like. Smash burger. I'm honestly not even sure what all was on it, but I know it was good. The wasn't much service to be had since it was a food hall, but the guys behind the counter were nice. The food hall had a lot of different food options. Most of the stuff seemed fresh from the garden or butcher. read more
2 years ago
The food took a pretty long time to arrive and every dish came with fifteen minutes at least in between. The crab curry was great and I liked that it came with rice noodles and a bunch of toppings! The som tum Thai is solid, but the Tom yum noodle soup was really sour in an odd way (and didn't really taste like Tom yum). read more
Great and unique food! The hot pot was crazyyy. Lots of lime taste to it but it was great I've never had something like that. The green curry was phenomenal as well. Great spice to it and not too sweet as some other green curry is. Also, thai tea's we're suuuper good. The drunken noodles were my least favorite - i thought not enough flavor in them, but still okay. Overall, with solid service & really unique tastes from the green curry & hot pot, id come back here. The inside is super cool too, with a lot of colors, fun hanging decorations, great service who helped us order and decent amount of room. Come try it! read more
I've heard this is one of the most authentic Thai spots in New York. Overall I enjoyed the flavors, but it was way too pricey for what it was ($110 for 3 dishes + tip). The tables are cramped, but the ambiance is great for a date night. There was a performer playing acoustic covers -- he was really good! Service is also very attentive here. The larb ped udon medium spicy was VERY SPICY. I was dying and immediately had to order a thai iced tea. It was good until my tongue couldn't bear it anymore. The soft shell crab curry noodles didn't have enough flavor to my liking, but definitely reminded me of a home-cooked meal my parents would make. The hor mok with pork belly had really home-y flavor as well. It's pretty similar to a Chinese steamed pickled veggies dish. However, I would have liked the pork belly to be more fall-apart tender. It's also monotonous throughout so I got a little tired of the flavor towards the end. read more
definitely agree that this place deserves more business as it was empty when i visited. i havent tried the elmhurst location despite that being much closer to me but this place tasted as authentic as i can imagine. the duck larb was amazing as was their som tum. only other comment is everything is spicy af so be prepared. read more
3 years ago
There was so much buzz around Zaab Zaab last year that I was quite surprised that I could walk in with a party of 6 on a Saturday night without a reservation or even a wait. Either way I'm not complaining, as we were seated immediately and brought menus that I sadly forgot to take a picture of. The restaurant was so pretty and colorful inside, with hanging crustacean sculptures and seafoody murals. We ordered so much food that we barely had any room on our table. Dishes came out at a rapid pace so for a while it felt like we were playing Tetris with the table's available surface area. We started with two orders of their pork skewers ($15 each) which were juicy and delectable and came with 3 skewers per plate and their Som Tom Talay ($36) which was a hand-pounded Isaan-style papaya salad recommended by our server. It had a special fermented fish sauce called pla ra and a medley of all the seafood including shrimp, black crab, and oysters-- truly a textural overload. The crab did smell a little funky and the shrimp was raw which I did not expect (but cooked due to all the lime juice in the salad, much like ceviche). For the entrées, we ordered the two big classics that came highly recommended by the staff and Yelpers: the Mieng Pla Plow ($36) which was a salt-encrusted tilapia that was stuffed with pandan and lemongrass and roasted with charcoal and the Larb Ped Udon ($25) which was a duck laab that featured duck breast, crunchy fried duck skin, and chewy fried liver tossed in a sweet and smoky medley of charred galangal, toasted rice powder, and fried kaffir lime leaves. We also had the chicken Pad See Ewe ($25) which was quite sweet and tart, heavy with the tamarind and not at all spicy, and the beef Kra Pow ($23) that came with a fried egg on the side and a healthy heap of Thai chili peppers. Some of the highlights from this delicious feast included the tilapia that was so soft and tender. I loved spooning some of the flesh into a lettuce wrap filled with rice noodles and various herbs like Thai basil and cilantro and dipping it all into their spicy nam jin jaew dipping sauce. The sauce was so delicious and everyone was trying to figure out what was in it because it was the perfect balance of sweet and sour and spicy. The krapow was also fantastic and so so spicy. It was delicious with both regular jasmine and sticky rice. The ribeye steak is chopped, not ground which I thought was an interesting choice. Overall, it was a fantastic dinner at Zaab Zaab which is aptly named. I loved the introduction to Isaan flavors, some of which I didn't realize I was already well acquainted with. My only complaint is that I wish the accompanying greens/herbs plates were larger as we had to flag our waiter down a few times to ask for a refill. We also had a few extra orders of their sticky rice ($3 each) and some Thai Iced Tea ($6 each). read more
Stopped here for lunch. Pretty cool vibe inside. Colorful walls and design. Service was friendly and food came out really fast. The food was really tasty got the crab curry and the catfish larb. The catfish larb was leaves and other greens you can eat it with. You only get one soft shell crab. Not really spicy, has a mild kick. Thai tea is typical. It is a bit on the pricey side for the portion size. That's pretty much my only complaint. I would eat here again. read more
4 years ago
I finally got back to New York today. Travel was a disaster. LAX red-eye, packed flight, restless sleep, Newark airport, Northeast Corridor line, Penn station, rolling a carry-on through midtown: if these words mean anything to you, you know my pain. I didn't know it at the time, but I was on a pilgrimage. I was being challenged. At the end of that road, there sits a restaurant. It's called Zaab Zaab. Duck larb, som tum hmm?, vegan curry, "shit that's spicy": if these words mean anything to you, you know my pleasure. Airplane gives me wings To a melting pot city For the larb of god read more
7 months ago
3 years ago
4 months ago
This place is great. Really cool decor. Unique dishes in addition to the Thai staples. And great drinks both alcoholic and non alcoholic! Get the Thai iced tea and you will not regret it. The green curry is as a highlight and so were the drunken noodles! The service was also very fast with nice staff! Recommend for sure read more
In the area to see a friend, we decided on Thai for dinner. The inside of the restaurant is bigger than it looks like outside. Lots of colorful murals inside gave the place a nice islandy vibe. Our sever was Dennis, a really friendly and energetic guy. We started off with lychee martinis and some som tum. The som tum was very well made, comparable to delicious street som tum I frequented in Thailand. For our entrees we got the grilled meat - neur yang and ground duck or larb ped. Both were amazing, especially the meat, which was tender and a decent portion. We got sticky rice to compliment. The taste of the dishes here are authentic and not watered down. I would love to come back and dine again. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
This place is awesome! We got the marinated chicken, pad Thai, and the Zaab fries. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection. We ate at the bar and the experience was awesome. We were able to chat with the bartender about his recommendations and they did not disappoint. He also introduced us to the lychee fruit beer that was so great. Shoutout to the singer for his great performance. read more
Friendly service and cute and aesthetic dining interior. You don't need to make a reservation here as it isn't super popular but definitely underrated. This place serves northern Thailand dishes you wouldn't normally find in other typical Thai restaurants which is really unique. In terms of food: - Duck laarb (9/10): it was delicious, so flavorful and it paired well with the cabbage provided on the side to eat this dish with. It's hard to explain the flavor, but definitely give this popular dish a try - Prawn (10/10): these are huge prawns!! I wished it was slightly easier to eat like maybe have some of the shells cut apart for me, but this was delicious with the sweet and lightly spicy fish sauce provided. My picture doesn't do it justice A bit pricy for Thai food but was definitely worth it for the quality of the food! read more
For some reason I believe this was the spot that had a new years special that I was so interested in specifically bc of the interesting items for a very good rate. Then Fungbros made a video about it- which if anyone saw it- would drive you here immediately. Let me just say- don't. Sripripai, Ugly baby, fish cheeks, somtha or something in the village- come to mention Thai village is miles more consistent and better. The service was excellent. But we were one of 3 tables in this strangely large and attractive dining room. The duck larb we suspected they washed out some flavor due to us asking for it be less spicy- and they responded "we'll try". We r so disappointed. The unanimously touted "duck" larb was so bland and basic. Oh, the crunchy fried skin? Stale. As though it they threw the dish that's been sitting all day and night together when we order it. It was lukewarm, bland, uninspired and truly hurt my soul bc I had such high expectations. Omg then came the famed Kaprow ribeye. WTFRACK. Really. Do you even know how to make ka prow? All i taste is ground beef and oyster sauce w the tiniest sprinkle of basil. Noooooo bueno. And for it to be lauded as rib-eye? Someone tell me WTF is going on here. Not for nothing- so many reviews and Fungbros included said this was a hidden gem for like 9-13 months now? No- it's not. New Yorkers are the Most discerning eaters in the world. Their wallets follow their mouths to where the flavors are. WTH for the 3rd time is going on with your quality control ZaabZaab? If not for the fried bass with a mountain of fried lemongrass for $40 with seafood sauce that saved the day, this would've been a solid 2 star review. No joke. Bc things are expensive and I get it- everyone needs to get paid- but man, you have to deliver some quality. You definitely did with this hot crunchy moist delectable fish w crack sauce that is a sight to behold. $40 is steep but not in nyc and not post-pandemic. However eating this well prepared thoughtful fun dish just makes the other 2 more popular picks stand out like a fat kid in a bikini contest. Do the right thing Zaab-Zaab- you gotta pay to play. Tighten your ship or sail out. read more
Everything here was very flavorful. We tried the catfish larb that was very packed with flavor. You definitely need to eat it with the veggies provided with it for a balance. It has a nice kick too. The green chicken curry was delicious, definitely need more rice to eat with it. The crying tiger comes with two sauces and the lighter colored one was my favorite. It was savory and light while the darker sauce was more bitter. The thai tea was great, sweeter than I am used to, but still good. read more
Zaab Zaab has been on my list for a while when I noticed it popping on some blogs and food review sites. Zaab Zaab undoubtedly has Some of the most unique Thai/Isan dishes I have had in NYC and is a very comfortable restaurant to dine in at. My buddy and I started with the Thai Ice Tea which was very refreshing and paired very well with the spicy food. It was so great that they had a Vegan menu that included numerous of the same dishes on the main menu but made with tofu or soy proteins. I ended up having the vegan Larb which was a phenomenal burst of flavor, unlike any Thai dish I have ever had. The dish was served with a side of greens which includes different types of lettuce and some cilantro to eat alongside the main protein. The dish was very fresh and flavorful and was one of my favorite bites from the past few months. I believe the Vegan menu is unique to this location and I will definitely be back to try the other menu offerings. read more
I've been wanting to try this place for a while but it's always been a journey to travel to the original location in queens. Glad they finally opened up a spot in Brooklyn! The chicken soup was my favorite, it had equal parts: spicy and sour and was perfect for a rainy night! It's in a great location in Williamsburg and the service was great since we were one of only a few tables since it was in the middle of the week and it was awful weather that same night. Looking forward to coming back for that chicken soup! read more
Came by for a solo dinner around 6pm on Monday. It was pretty empty so I just sat at the bar. It's pretty dimly-lit to create a chill yet romantic vibe. I got their Larb Ped Udon which is pretty popular here. It's made with minced duck with lime, mint, and garlic. Eat it with the bowl of various veggies to give it some crunch. It is fairly spicy so be warned. Also would recommend getting a side of rice to help cut all the umami flavor and oils. Definitely an amazing dish and I can see why it's so popular. Service was really great (granted I was the only one there). HIGHLY recommend! read more
I am so glad to be one of the first reviewers of this new opening in Williamsburg. Zaab Zaab is a known fixture of Elmhurst, but it's great they opened a second location because this one is a lot more spacious. Food quality is on par with the original location, and delicious as usual. Definitely a place for spice-lovers Only minor complaint was they got our rice order wrong (hard to mess up), and forgot to bring over the Thai Iced Tea we ordered. Maybe they were short on waitstaff the day we went. Overall I am excited to see the future of this restaurant in Brooklyn! read more
i've been twice- once when they had first opened this location, and a second time more recently- and it's safe to say the quality and taste is consistent! the duck larb is so tasty and super spicy (beware) but i love the inclusion of liver and skin. it's very flavorful and pairs well with the herbs given on the side. the pad thai is one of the best i've ever had! the tamarind sauce shines without being too sweet and the prawns are perfectly cooked. my new favorite is the gaeng om gai. it's an herbal curry that has no coconut milk, which i've never had before. it's so good!!!! perfectly cooked chicken and veg in a flavorful broth...truly what dreams are made of. 10/10! service has been consistently great both at the bar and at a table. the giant shrimp sitting above you is quite the sight to enjoy while eating too lol. read more
4 years ago
Everything was so delicious; even after my tongue was numb from the spiciness of some of the dishes (those spice levels are NO joke), I was still thoroughly enjoying everything. I'm interested in visiting the original location in Queens but was lucky to try this location close to when it opened. There was a lot of seating available around 8pm but I'm sure that will change once word gets out about this gem! read more
Food: Larb is yummy yummy i guzzle Fish: got some fish shit and that was kinda good too. A bit salty tho and many bone, was scared. Idk the other shit i got but it was kinda good too Ambiance: Bro idk man i was there with 6 dudes, we went hard Service: The service was fine but what the f they do that annoying thing where the default tip options are 20% 22% 25% and stare at you while you tip. Restaurants suck when they do this. Price: Total with 20% tip, we paid $45 pp for 6 people and we also got a drink so its kinda okay ish. Would i go again? Possibly, i think it's a bit pricy since i was still starving after i ate. Might give it another try read more
3 years ago
I stopped here for lunch & the service is amazing! The hostess told us that this location was nominated for a Michelin star and i can understand why! The sauces for the skewers had so much flavor and it was so easy to enjoy this appetizer. The entree dish was delicious and we asked to get more spicy on the side and we enjoyed it for lunch. Wish it was open more often for lunch because i would love to stop by again. They put fun music and you can enjoy a nice lunch or dinner here. read more
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