Came on a Saturday at 5 pm right before the rush. Our server was super sweet and friendly and gave a couple of recommendations. She also started us off with some complimentary popcorn. Surf & turf skewers: My least favorite dish of the night. I found most of the skewers a bit dry. Larb beef & tripe: the Larb was super flavorful and delicious. We got a side of sticky rice as well and it paired really nicely together. Crab fried rice: Generous amount of crab and nice wok hay. The rice also had a nice chew to it that I enjoyed. Salt encrusted tilapia: I wish there was a bigger vermicelli noodle portion on the side but I really liked the tilapia. It was perfectly cooked and fell off the bone and the sauce complemented it perfectly. Don't forget to remove the salt crust! read more

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Came here for dinner with friends. We ordered Larb Ped Udonthani (duck), branzino, and pad thai. The Larb was very spicy for me but my friends liked it. I wish it was more mild. Branzino was very nice and juicy. Good flahors on the sauce. Pad thai was good but not the best I've had. Overall my favorite of the 3 was the branzino. Larb was my least favorite due to the spice level but it had potential. read more

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4/5 tom yum shrimp $25- got it very mild which only had a spicy kick at the end tastes a lot like tomato soup lol 4/5 flower dessert- idk what's it's called but I've had this before elsewhere, barely sweet which is good & so pretty read more

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Food was amazing flavors which was fresh & vibrant. We enjoyed everything: steamed grilled branzino, green curry seafood, dumpling platter, duck larb, sticky & jasmine rice, Service was amazing. Very attentive and kept refilling our waters as well as offering free tea. Was very colorful and unique inside. It was festive with an XMAS tree read more

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This place rocks. Greta service , nice cozy Thai interior which is festive light and uplifting. Wings were great: crispy outside tender inside and the flavor was a great mixture of lime, fish sauce touch of spice little soy and some dusting of toasted rice flour. The larb duck udon was excellent . Right amount of spice, lime leaf, cilantro mint lettuce crispy duck skin and all in all a great dish. Good portion size too. You take lettuce and make a kind of burrito with it . Highly recommended. It's isan northern Thai style read more

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Stopped in on a weekend to try the new brunch menu!! Khao soi - ka gai was fab. Also loved the Ka-pow burger, which came with fries. 5 stars forever. read more

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If you want to try a unique Thai restaurant, go to Zaab Zaab. Rooted in Northeastern Thai, Isaan, cooking we tried many dishes that were new to us that incorporated fermentation and complex flavors. The menu has some familiar items but what intrigued us were the dishes that we have not seen featured at any other Thai restaurant. The star of our meal was the three musketeers a stir fried vermicelli with shrimp, pork, pickled garlic, acacia and sator beans. Loved the slight heat on this dish and every bite was as addictive as the last. The steamed whole branzino was incredible! From how perfectly cooked it was to the flavorful sauce the fish was bathing in. First time trying pomelo and onion salad with grilled prawns and it may be one of our new favorites. The dressing was a beautiful concoction of savory, sweet and acidity. The Tom Yum with prawns was a perfect blend of creamy and herbaceous. For dessert, we had the shaved ice and definitely try the coffee brought in from Thailand! We'll have to try the Larb Duck and grilled chicken next! Such a great gem in Elmhurst/Woodside. read more

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Food: The food is amazing here. I have been to this restaurant three times and the food every time is delicious and so enjoyable I've tried the papaya salad, larb, ribeye, steak, chicken, wings, salt baked fish, and mango with sticky rice. I would recommend every dish that I've had here. This restaurant offers a happy hour from the time they open to 6:30 PM on Monday through Friday. The happy hour includes $1 wings as shown in the picture. The wings were juicy and packed with flavor. Happy hour also includes beers. If you enjoy fish, I would definitely recommend the salt baked tilapia, which is served on a tray with ingredients to make lettuce wraps. The fish was plump, moist, and very flavorful. Service: Service was phenomenal. Our server kept coming over to refill our water and check to see if we needed anything. The staff are friendly and so welcoming. Ambiance: The restaurant is not big, but they can accommodate small and large groups. They also have some outdoor seating in the front. The restaurant also has a full bar. Seating is spacious and comfortable. Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this restaurant! A must try. read more

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Wow - what a treat to eat some authentic northern Thai food in this neighborhood, where clearly authentic thai food is the vibe. The food was very reminiscent of my time in Chang Mai, and I loved the flavors and spice levels across the board. The Duck Larb is soooooo good, nice spice level, works well with sticky rice and thai iced tea, and has some good levels of acidity as well. However, i think the ribeye was maybe even better, and the fried pork belly was just to die for! The service was kind, caring, and what you want from a small thai spot in Queens! We'd definitely come back. Those three dishes were enough for the two of us, but we didn't leave til we had a mango sticky rice, and wow was that the cherry on top. So deserving of the Bib Gourmand. read more

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The whole fish and the crab fried rice deserves five stars. The flavor was spot on and both dishes were cooked to perfection. We also tried the skewer appetizer and Chinese broccoli side. The restaurant has a little patio with a couple of tables. The food comes out timely and the service is pretty good. I forgot to take all the photos. I was to busy eating the rice. read more

Zaab Zaab - Skewers - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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Ribeye was cooked exquisitely, though the bitter sauce was definitely an acquired taste. The hor mak was tender pork belly in banana leaves, somewhat herbal and medicinal. Hanger steak skewers were delicious. read more

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Ate here today for lunch as a paraprofessional at P.S. 12 Q. I had only ordered and ate one of the lunch specials which is the spicy crispy pork belly over rice that it tasted really good and delicious. The service there was also attentive and super fast that I thanked my server Fandy for serving up my meal. Finally, I would definitely eat and come back again next time. read more

Zaab Zaab - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

This was quite literally one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had and I'm shocked by the reviews to be honest. First off, the service is terrible, we had to ask for water five different times because they kept forgetting. The food took a ridiculously long time to come out and about an hour into service they told us they ran out of one of the appetizers we ordered and an entree. The first appetizer was brought out about an hour and 15 min after sitting. The entrees did not come out until about an hour and 45 minutes later, and only 3/5 of our entrees came out, the last 2 entrees did not come out until about 2 hours into service, when everyone else was done eating. I wish I was joking! We sat around starving and thirsty waiting for something to come out. The worst part was that the food was okay and that's being nice, the fried fish was bland, as well as the chicken curry. The crab curry was good but the portion size was so small. Two other people ordered fish and it was okay as well. Maybe it's this location or something because a day after dinner we ran into someone who had the same experience, but I'm surprised more people haven't written about it, I think this restaurant might sadly just be all hype. read more

I had to get myself some Thai food before leaving the Elmhurst area. Visited Zaab Zaab to check out their Esan cuisine from Northeast of Thailand, and left with a stuffed belly! Started off with the hok jor which were fried crab and pork dumplings. It was simple, well-seasoned, yummy, and nicely fried. The hor mok was a mixture of tasty vegetables with heavy dill seasoning and pork aroma. As a fan of bamboo shoots and dill, I really enjoyed the combination and the spice kick. The larb ped u-don was packed with flavor. The duck larb was well-seasoned with fresh lettuce and cabbage. Loved the addition of herbs such as mint, cilantro, and dill to give some refreshing and sweet contrast from the savory and spiciness. The mieng pla pow featured super fresh and tender whole fish with a fish sauce and a tamarind sauce. The fish was a little bland so you really have to add on the sauce but I enjoyed combining the fish, veggies, herbs, and noodles together. Staff were nice and friendly but a little slow with taking orders, communicating with each other. One of dishes came out quite late compared to the others and they almost gave us an extra serving of hok jor by accident. The restaurant has a decent amount of seating indoor and outdoor with cute murals and colors. read more

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10 out of 10 I would recommend. OMG. Probably the best Thai food I've had in years. First, my absolute favorite was the crab fried rice. It was an amazing explosion in my mouth. The rice was cooked perfectly and the seasoning and flavors in the rice were unforgettable - the amount of crab in the rice was also something remarkable - seemed endless. It was sooooo good. The fish was amazing as well. Seasoned and cooked to perfection - I would recommend. The sautéed Chinese broccoli was only ok. Overall the service was amazing and wait staff was very attentive. I will definitely be back. read more

The food was excellent. We had pork laab and a chicken curry. Both were delicious. The service, however, didn't meet expectations. We arrived at noon, and the restaurant had just opened. Pretty soon, the restaurant was full, but there was just one employee in the front. A couple more dining room workers arrived over the next hour, possibly delayed in their commute. The way our food was served was totally off kilter. We received the laab first, with the sticky rice we ordered as an accompaniment nowhere in sight. Next the curry came, but the jasmine rice that was part of this dish also hadn't come. After ten minutes, the jasmine rice came. The sticky rice didn't come until much later, maybe twenty-five minutes after the laab that it was supposed to accompany. There was a short hair in the sticky rice, but we had waited so long for it that we decided to work around the hair rather than complain. Again the food was great. The service was not good, but probably they were having some sort of issue with their employees turning up in time for their opening. read more

I've been hearing about this place for years and have only recently tried. This is E-san cuisine which is different from the typical Thai (less sweet and but more like lao cuisine) more spicy and lots of dill. We got; the sampler skewers which is 5 skewer stick with beef, chicken, squid, shrimp and (?).. it was absolutely delicious especially the squid and shrimp the texture was perfectly cooked and tender. Whole fried fish with deepfried lemongrass topping...omg this was insanely delicious!! And they filet the meat before frying then placed it back into a whole fish position for easy eating!! I could have just finished this myself. The Gaeng Om with chicken. It was a braised chicken stew with thai eggplant (round) lemongrass and lots and lots of dill. I believe the menu said curry but it's more of a stew (no coconut milk) Everything comes with various very delicious dipping sauce. They can make food very spicy but unfortunately I came with a friend that can't eat spicy so I was not able to go all out. Definitely coming back to enjoy more dishes!! read more

Cozy little place in little Thailand. Trying to try all the famous ones in the neighborhood. ZAAB zaab was next. Very traditional northern Thai food. Will be difficult for those unfamiliar to order authentic dishes beyond Pad Thais. Service was ok but like I always say, I'd rather not pay for service. We tried the tiger NEUR YANG (Grilled Rib eye Steak ), whole chicken, Tom yum intestine soup and a few appetizers. Overall, good food. The tiger steak was our favorite. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. Be careful to not use too much of the bitter sauce! Chicken was good although the sticky rice was better. The soup was way too salty. read more

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Tried this Thai restaurant for the first time with friends and was great! The food is definitely on the spicy side, and is north eastern style which means more acid/sour to their flavors. The soup was incredible, the crab fried rice was great. We tried the duck but was overpowered by the spice so would recommend asking for a slightly lighter spice. Otherwise the place was great! read more

Zaab Zaab - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

It's located on woodside ave by Elmhurst among 4 or 5 other Thai restaurants, it stands out for its southern region thai foods, numerous options of papaya salads, appealing decors w a pop of colors, very friendly service. I tried one of the papaya salads, don't remember which one i ordered, the waitress recommended based on my preference, fried fish dish, different well marinated skewers, love the rice powder they put on top, we had to ask for what it was as none of us could've guess it was rice powder, and it tasted sooo good! oh and the mango and sticky rice was amazing and comatized at the same time!! they have happy hour for dollar wings now! I love this place! read more

Small cute Thai restaurant with a nice ambiance. Their lunch menu includes the burger option. Their krapow buger is really good and their mango sticky rice just as expected. read more

Zaab Zaab - Krapow buger - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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I really wanted to give this place a great review. Service was great and the atmosphere. However, when I got home, I had the symptoms of food poisoning. I dont know which food item it was from, but my friend had the same symptoms minus the throwing up. I posted up the pics of all the food items that I ate. I won't be visiting this place again as I had a bad experience of getting a stomach virus. I am giving it two stars because the service was great, at least. The names of the food are Hor Mok, Ka Pow, Gaeng Keow Wan, and the calamansi Thai iced tea. read more

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This is a Northeastern Thai restaurant so a lot of the dishes here are spicy. Our waiter told us that we cannot decrease the spice level. Other than that the food very flavorful. Started with the selection of skewers as appetizers. I liked the sauce that came with it (a little sour and spicy).. the steamed fish and spicy minced pork were flavorful as well. You have to order sticky rice separately. Service is good and fast. It is a very small space but there was no wait when we came on a weeknight. You might pass by this place without noticing because the sign outside is in Thai! read more

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Been wanting to come to Zaab Zaab for a while to try it. With so many locations popping up over NYC, I still wanted to try the original location. Was able to walk in without a problem. Asked the waiter for a few recommendations and ended up going with what he suggested. I loved the gai yang vichean buri. The chicken was pretty juicy, and the skin was still somewhat crispy. There wasn't much meat though. However, $18 for a half chicken isn't bad price wise. The larb pla duk yang was so spicy. It was good, but it was too hard to finish it because of the heat. I wanted more lettuce and leaf wraps to go with it because it is a sizable amount of larb. Tum ko lat was okay. It wasn't the best papaya salad that I've had, but the ingredients were super fresh. Definitely need to order sticky rice to go with the larb because it was a lot. You probably don't need to go to this location exactly, but it is an option if you ever find yourself in the Jackson Heights area. read more

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Picked Kapow beef but pictured it differently- it's shredded meat with basil (Kra Prow). Came out spicier than mild which we requested but I managed. Good with the fried egg. Gaeng Om Gai is not typical creamy coconut curry so we were curious and we liked it. Picked pork - thinly sliced pork bellies - in like a broth, with eggplants, squash and other veggies. This we got milder. Sticky rice was served in a cute container. If same price as regular rice at $3, why not. Iced cold brew was very light on milk. Not used to it, missing the creaminess and a bit more sweetness. Staff is friendly. Enjoyed the live music (Thursdays and Sundays 6:30-10:30pm). We were sat at the outdoor tables, now enclosed for the cooler season. read more

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Came in on a Friday around 6:15 and was seated right away which I was so shocked by because I've heard there's always a wait. It didn't seem to get crowded until about 7:15. It was a nice day so we wanted to sit outside even though indoors looked a lot cuter/gave off more hipster vibes. The waiter was super attentive and offered help ordering. My partner and I tried the Larb moo, kao pad pu (crab fried rice), and mieng pla pow (whole fish). The Larb moo and fish came with a very large portion for vegetables/herbs (lettuce, dill, mint, cilantro, cucumber) which we were all about, especially on a warmer day. It freshened up the meal so nicely. It also took some heat off of the Larb moo dish so we were able to finish it without dying. The larb moo had great flavor and came with a lot of pork. The rice was also a huge portion with a decent amount of fresh crab. The fish was whole but the bones were easy to take out so don't be intimidated! The fish came with some plain noodles for you to mix up yourself to create a nice noodle salad, adding whatever mix of the 2 sauces you want. Meal was a little pricey but the portion was big enough. Highly recommend checking it out but due to price, not sure I could make this my "regular"/"go to" Thai spot. read more

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Their food is delicious! Highly recommend the Larb Ped Udon, it was the star of our meal along with the Crab Fried Rice. The service was amazing and it wasn't crowded so it was very easy to walk in and get a table. The inside is so colorful and had great vibes. I would definitely come back again to try more of their dishes. read more

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Second time at the Elmhurst location (and third time overall at Zaab Zaab), so figured its time to give it the review it deserves. The food here really hits the spot for Thai cuisine flavors; think of that mix of spicy and sour that makes you want to take another bite, Zaab Zaab presents it masterfully. The best dishes of the night were the chicken hotpot and the duck larb, but every single item was quite delicious. Surprisingly they also had a take on mango sticky rice that had a different flavor than I'm used to, with the condensed milk sauce being slightly salty; it was great! read more

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Amazing. We had extremely high expectations and they were met and more. We got the larb ped, prawn pad thai, crab fried rice, crying tiger ribeye, grilled prawns, and their signature whole fish. Every bite was excellent and I'd strongly consider ording any of these again, but I think my favorites were the larb and the ribeye. If there was any dish I'd probably be open to skipping it would probably be the prawns, just because it's less bang for the buck IMO. The pad thai and the fried rice both may sound boring, but both are among the very best you can get of those dishes. read more

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I had a chance to have dinner at this restaurant, and I can only say everything tastes SWEET, nothing else. And if you order beef stir-fried with basil ingredients, it will be super Salty. I'm not suggesting any Thai people go to this restaurant It's a no no and no read more

Superb Thai restaurant. Lovely presentation. Pleasant and attentive service. Had the pad see yew and the chicken. Really delicious. Can't wait to go back and try some of the other menu selections! read more

Once in a while, the homies will come visit my 'hood. Obviously, we had to go for Thai here & we've been wanting to check out this place Zaab Zaab for a while. I was feeling the vibe here. The space was bright with bold colors yet had a tropic look to it. Definitely was channeling Thailand vibes. And the food paid homage to northern Thai cuisine. The pad thai is by far, one of the BEST pad thais I've had. Not too overly sweet, yet smooth in texture without being too mushy. Don't forget those chunky prawns either. The Mieng Pla Pow was delish - a whole grilled sea bass so tender & simply seasoned with sea salt. The top side was delicious! The flat side might've been a bit too salty for my tastes though. The quail egg wontons were intriguing - I've never had a quail egg in a fried wonton skin. It was a good surprise to get a bit of creamy egg with deep fried wonton skin in every bite. And the Larb Ped Udon was not quite what I expected - only attempt at this dish if you like spicy, spicy, spicy! I do appreciate the mix of meats in this dish though! Overall, positive vibes from this place. Great for small gatherings, especially since everything is family style. read more

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Delicious Isaan style (Northern Thai) food in a lively atmosphere with the kindest wait staff! One of my favorite dining experiences in Queens! I've been here twice with a party of 2, and both times felt that we could try enough items on the menu. On my most recent visit, we had: - Crab fried rice (5/5) While it looks simple, the flavors of the fresh crab and wok hei of the fried rice meld together when adding the sauce to the top. This was a great dish to balance out the rest of our spicy / fried selections. Portion was large too! - Som Tum with black crab (5/5) WOW the flavors in here really pack a punch! The black crab is crushed along with the rest of the papaya salad, so the briney flavors are interspersed with each bite. Beware that this dish is pretty spicy (for a non Thai palate) but so incredibly delicious. I love that they include Thai eggplant, tomatoes, and the cucumber for bits of refreshment as you wade through the spice. - Pla Takrai (Fried Grouper with lemongrass) (5/5) This dish was soooo good with the chili sauce drizzled on top. This is a whole fried grouper fish with most of the meaty pieces of fished pulled out and fried for you. The fish was perfectly cooked and the coating wasn't too greasy. Felt like the right amount of spices to fish ratio, and complemented our other selections very well. Do yourself a favor and try the epic food at Zaab Zaab! The waitstaff here are the kindest, and won't hesitate to help with selections if you need. Their beer / cocktail list is also pretty affordable, so this is a great place to unwind and enjoy yourself and your company over an excellent meal!!Is read more

Zaab Zaab - PLA TAKRAI - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Delicious Thai food with authentic flavors and a spicy kick. My boyfriend and I came here on a Friday night around 8pm and were seated right away but almost every seat in the house was full. The staff are super friendly and helpful with suggestions if you're unfamiliar with the dishes on the menu. We got a myriad of dishes and had plenty to take home too. Everything was a tad on the spicier side so I would be more conservative when ordering if that's not your thing. Of note, the fries and the house made dipping sauce that came with them was absolutely delicious - nothing I've ever had before and would definitely get it again. read more

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Zaab Zaab means Delicious Delicious and that is what this place is. Cuisine from northeast Thailand, this is not your typical fare with spices and sauces in combinations that sing. We had the Thai green ice tea - refreshing on a hot day and cooled off the legit Thai heat coming from our dishes: Tom Hang: the tripe and spleen were cooked to perfection - just the right amount of chew and flavor was fresh. Loved the two sauces - one hot, one bitter Nan Khao Tod: menu says croquettes but it's like the crispy rice at the bottom of a clay pot mixed with a fermented pork sausage. A flavor explosion. So good. Surf and Turf skewers: tbh this had the last flavor but was cooked to perfection - not overdone at all - very fresh. The flavor and heat came from the dipping sauce. The salt baked fish: chef's kiss. A must get - I have never had a whole fish cooked to perfection like this. Juicy, steaming, fresh. The herbs and noodles in a rice wrap with two sauces - one chili and peanuts, one tamarind and shallots. Our servers were attentive and informative. No condescension and joyfully made recommendations. Inside is bright and welcoming. There's one all-gender bathroom. We will be back! read more

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A terrific Isaan addition to the row of Thai restaurants in this lucky stretch of Elmhurst, Zaab Zaab offers exhilarating flavors, warm service, and a fun atmosphere (plus a better booze offering than some others on the block!). I love bringing people here, because oftentimes they haven't experienced the dishes and flavors Zaab Zaab offers at any other Thai restaurant outside of Thailand. There are a couple of stalwart dishes that you absolutely have to try, and that have been mentioned countless times in other reviews: the duck larb (larb ped Udon) which provides thrilling flavors and textures in a kind of larb I've never tried before, the nuer yang (crying tiger-style grilled steak, which I def recommend ordering with the zaab fries for a funky steak frites!!), and the stuffed catfish. I have a pretty respectable spice tolerance, and the spicy here is... pretty spicy. Isan spicy is fairly punishing, and if you're not Thai, I probably would shy away from the Zaab Zaab unless you wanna be crying at the table like a blandmouth on Hot Ones. Service here is always kind, gracious, and welcoming, and the drinks menu is respectable, with some nice natty wine selections, beer buckets, and soft cocktails. Bring a group of friends and have a fantastic spicy time! read more

Zaab Zaab - While the Pad Thai (with a generous helping of prawn!), is not the point here, it's very good! - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Zaab Zaab is such a great addition to Elmhurst among other great Northern Thai restaurants. I thought the food was spicy, delicious, and very flavorful! My favorites were the: - pla takrai - crunchy, not overly greasy and seasoned perfect tilapia - kao pad po - fragrant and one of my parents fave! - Nuer Yang - perfectly juicy with the side dipping sauce, it was great - fried pork belly (forgot what it's called) but it was deep fried and chewy the way I like it. The complemented dipping sauce is also very good. The place is small but the service, with limited servers were so attentive! Some things did get a little slower during rush hour but that's to be expected and they did not forget about us. I would definitely return when in Elmhurst. Also beware the tom som gai was super spicy lol! read more

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If you want to get SICK, get LIED too and have HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. This is your restaurant. I don't know how they got a Michelin star. DO NOT ORDER THE HOT POT. The clay pot was cracked on the bottom and a piece of clay was in the soup. Instead of apologizing, the manager decided to ignore us and make us pay 50% of the soup. The manager who decided to lie to us saying she is just a worker yelled at us and said she was calmly talking to us when she wasn't. She was rolling her eyes the whole entire time. Not only did she belittle us, she also LIED to us. She said a cracked clay pot has no health effect and that they just brought the clay pot. I didn't know the manager was also a scientist. read more

Zaab Zaab is a Thai chain that has a few locations throughout NYC. This one is located in central Queens, home to one of the most diverse populations in the world. Unlike typical Thai chains, this restaurant feels very authentic to Thai cuisine. The vibes were immaculate as they often have a live musician playing in the background while you are enjoying your food. Depending on when you come, there may be a wait so make sure to call beforehand because the place can get busy. We ordered a few items. We ordered the fish, fried rice, lettuce wrap, the kapow beef, and a few more. I will note that the food is spicy. As someone who is okay with mild spice, this food was definitely a bit more spicy than I would've liked. The portions were well sized and we served this family style so that we were able to try a few of the dishes. Some of the highlights were the lettuce wraps and the chicken - the meat was incredibly tender and well seasoned. The prices are a little higher than your usual Queens restaurant pricing but definitely worth it. Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Price: 3.5/5 read more

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Cute Thai restaurant but it does get loud during popular times. The food is good but spicy and pricey. We had the steamed branzino in chili lime sauce and crab curry. The branzino was very good but quite tangy. The crab curry was also good but very spicy. Everything was great but it is on the expensive side. read more

Zaab Zaab - Pla Neung Manow (Steamed Branzino) - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York