If I could give 6 stars I would. This has to be the best Northern Thai food in NYC. Everything here tastes like it did in Thailand. The restaurant itself is a bit narrow with seating for about 20, they don't have outdoor dining. The staff (who I think are all Thai) are super friendly, attentive and genuinely happy to have you there. I wish we caught our waiter's name because he was excellent, the only descriptor I have is that he has gray hair and was beyond welcoming. I don't know if he is the owner or not. If I could only eat at one Thai restaurant in NYC, this might be it. The khao soi is the best we have tried (and we try it at every Thai restaurant that offers it) and they serve Hung Lay curry which we have had a hard time finding. The khao soi is simply perfect, not too creamy, spicy without being too spicy, with a generous portion of chicken and egg noodles along with mustard greens and crispy noodles on top with cilantro and onion. No where does it better. The hung lay is a large portion of pork with sticky rice and tasted exactly as we remember it from Chiang Mai except it wasn't topped with peanuts and was served with sticky rice instead of bread. The pork was tender and the sauce was tasty, I recommend trying it if you haven't had it before. The chive cakes taste like the ones we ate from street vendors in Bangkok and the mango sticky rice brought us back to Chiang Mai, complete with mung bean topping. The mango was so fresh and sweet, it was just divine. The appetizer, two entrees and dessert only set us back $75 so prices are reasonable. I cannot recommend this place enough, this is my go to spot when I really want khao soi and we don't even live in the neighborhood (it is worth going out of your way for). read more

Walked in on a Friday night at 6:38 PM and there was no wait. My boyfriend and I shared the Crab Rangoon, Kow soi gai and spicy crispy rice and soured pork salad. Crispy rice salad was the standout - VERY spicy!! Great kow soi as well. 4.5 stars. read more

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The Upper East Side isn't short on Thai restaurants, and one only needs to walk up and down Second Avenue to see it so. But out of all the Thai places that grace this wonderful neighborhood, my favorite, unfailingly, has been Zabb PuTawn. What can I say? I'm a sucker for Thai restaurants with that small, cozy, family-owned feel. I love the ease of coming here without pretentions, just straight from home in casual clothes, no makeup, hair kept in a tidy ponytail. This restaurant doesn't call for careful preening as though you're heading for a night out. It is simply an extension of your home, your kitchen. Come tired. Come underdressed. Come alone. Come hungry. The homestyle cooking also adds to the casual atmosphere. The menu is unlike the western-appeasing menus of other Thai restaurants (nothing wrong with that), with dishes such as chicken livers, Northern sausages, fish cakes, and coconut custards ready to order. It truly is a restaurant by Thai people for Thai people, offering a taste from their home country. I've tried a variety of dishes here: The pad Thai, the drunken noodles, the panang curry, the mango sticky rice, the pad see ew, the basil fried rice, the Northern sausage, the fermented pork ribs, and the chive cake. All have been delicious. I haven't tried anything here that I didn't like. I don't suppose you would, either. read more

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Can confirm this place is worth it! It's a bit unassuming but the ambiance is just right... you feel like you're in Southeast Asia. Food is pretty damn good. The curry puff (vegetarian) was worth it. Maybe a little crunchier would have made it amazing. I ordered the Tom Yum and, while it wasn't as orange/yellow and creamy looking as I expected, it was still delicious. The soup was great and just the right amount of fish sauce flavor. Also not too spicy! The fried rice was really good as well. One of the highlights was the mango sticky rice, which had some purple rice or something. And it was delicious on a hot summer day. Can't wait to come back! read more

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We are absolute regulars at Zabb PuTawn, hubby and I love coming here. It has some of the most authentic curries in all of UES. Hubby usually gets the Panang curry and I love the green curry. I also love the steamed chicken. This is such an absolute gem. Wish they would have a weekend brunch/lunch menu as we've been going over the weekends during lunch. Also they have changed their menu and now it is refreshed with new pics of the dishes! The 10% still stands for cash! read more

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Surprisingly authentic Thai restaurant in the UES! I ordered takeout, which was fresh and ready promptly. I really enjoyed their house special ground pork curry. Perfectly spicy and served with sticky rice which was a nice bonus! Looks quite small and popular, so would recommend planning ahead with a reservation if you decide to dine in. read more

This is one of the best Thai I had in my life and I'm not exaggerating. I went twice on the same week as proof. This is an unpretentious restaurant in the UES but cute, and well decorated, offering authentic Thai food. The server is I think the owner and he is the sweetest man. Anticipates your every needs and doesn't interrupt. Just go. You're in for a treat. read more

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Almost a hole in the wall Thai place with really good food. Can't believe I missed it all this time. The curry puff was so fluffy and hot (definitely made to order). The curry was great too! It me thing to keep in mind is that if you tell them tofu and vegetables, they will charge you twice for the protein. read more

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We came here for Saturday night dinner and luckily were able to get a table. I would recommend a reservation if you come later for dinner on Saturday. I got the pad Thai with crab, which was delicious. The mango sticky rice and Thai ice tea were also good. This may become my go-to Thai spot! read more

Zabb PuTawn - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

My New Favorite Takeout Spot - 10/10. Called for pickup. Asked for a suggestion based on what I was feeling for and was given some suggestions - customer service is amazing - I got the green curry shrimp - so sad there wasn't more. The curry itself was really good - I could taste the coconut milk yet it was still so flavorful and spicy. Truly loved this dish. Though it is filling, I would suggest getting an appetizer as well. read more

Delicious authentic Thai food. Chicken Laab - great blend of sweet, spicy, salty with that lemon grass brightness and Thai basil herbaceousness. Such a great starter dish. Would be the perfect lite lunch. Spicy seafood salad. I would say these were the largest mussels I ever saw. It was good but absent the shocking size of the muscles it was bland. The Thai Steak Tartare was great but it had some really hard bits in it. The Duck Red Thai Curry and Duck Garlic Chili were absolute perfection. Some of the best Thai I have had outside of Thailand. read more

Zabb PuTawn is one of the best Thai places in UES!! I've walked by countless times and finally was able to try it this past weekend! I would say the ambiance really stood out to me. Compared to other Thai spots in UES, this restaurant is very small and cozy, but that's what I love about it. Just authentic food, cozy seating, and not the "trendy" vibe. This is definitely a spot I would come to if I was seeking comfort Thai food or just want for take-out! Additionally, the staff were super friendly, quick, and attentive! In terms of food, this place is stellar! I asked the waitress what their fan favorite was and she said the pad Thai. I was hesitant because most Pad Thai tastes the same, which isn't a bad thing since it's delicious but I always love to try something new. Ordering the Pad Thai was the best decision ever! Their Pad Thai does NOT taste the same like everyone else's. Their sauce is sweeter and AMAZING. I really can't describe what exactly it was, but just know that it's DELICIOUS. The food was fresh, portions were plentiful, and everything had a nice cook on it! Also their tofu is really awesome. I also highly recommend the Pad See Eew with chicken! Overall, easily my favorite Thai spot in UES and I look forward to returning to try other dishes :) read more

Zabb PuTawn - PAD THAI - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

My parents moved to the area a year ago, and I've always walked past this place on the way to their apartment. I finally got to try it yesterday with some friends, and it was absolutely amazing! My friends and I went in at 1pm, when the restaurant was empty (it gets more busy at night). I was craving pad see ew, so I got that with tofu. It was perfectly seasoned, and the tofu was the perfect mix of soft and crispy. I also got Thai iced tea, which you can never go wrong with. Our waiter was a sweetheart and was very attentive. Overall, I'm happy I finally got to pop in here. Great food, great service and a relaxing atmosphere! read more

Zabb PuTawn - Thai Iced Tea - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

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Best Thai in the UES. The chef of this restaurant worked at a Michelin-star (2015) establishment in Jackson Heights. It's original location in UES just rebranded to Zabb Putawn. I didn't know this until I saw it posted on the wall. Ambiance (5/5): The establishment is pretty snug but there was plenty of choices for dine-in on a Friday night. Service (5/5): The server was friendly and checked on us often. There's a 10% discount if you pay in cash! Food: The food was extremely affordable! But i think their online vs in-person menu is slightly off (more expensive now) Panang Curry (5/5): The chicken was tender and broth had loads of flavor!! Kow Mun Gai: My friend had this and it reminds me of Hainanese chicken rice. The taste was identical. The chicken pieces were tender but overall expected for the type of flavoring. read more

Zabb PuTawn - Panang - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

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This is the most underrated Thai restaurant. It's tiny and not as busy as other Thai restaurant but it's so good. Their food taste homemade and decor is unpretentious. Highly recommend coming here and trying out their dishes, they're all good. read more

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Reasonably priced lunch specials at this casual Thai spot on the UES but with so many to choose from in this part of town, I'll try another place next time because the tofu in my spicy noodle dish was dry and tasteless. read more

This is a small cozy Thai restaurant in the upper east side. Came by for a late lunch and we were readily seated. They have a lunch special that includes an app/starter with a drink with any entree. I got the papaya salad and fried tofu, and an iced unsweetened green tea. For my entree, I had the pad kee mao which was unique with the spice coming from pickled peppercorns and thin strands of wild ginger. Service was great. Overall a nice place for a Thai meal. read more

Zabb PuTawn - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

RATING: 8.3/10 In the food desert that can be the UES, Zabb PuTawn offers a commitment to authentic, no frills Thai food in their humble store. They should really get more attention, and offer a variety of authentic dishes, most notably for me their dessert of sticky coconut rice which was quite delicious (Kow Tom Mud) but their Pad See Ew was a standout as well. PAD SEE EW Great job with this. I read that they take their recipes seriously and try not to change it too much in order to stay true to original Thai recipes and that is SO appreciated. I love a no-frills place offering authentic food and you're gonna find it here. Their pad see ew was everything you look for in one, chewy, bouncy noodles with savory, salty flavor running throughout. CHIVE PANCAKE One of my must-gets when I do Thai food. These warm, chewy, fragrant "pancakes" are actually fried wedges of doughy chivey-ness. Think similar notes of chinese scallion pancake but in a more satisfying, chewy texture and crispier exterior. KARIPAP Solid curry puffs too with a nice soft potatoey inside. Not spicy. KOW TOM One of the highlights of my takeout meal. Chewy sticky rice with a nice coconutty sweetness running throughout. Such a treat. It's so valuable to find a spot in the UES that is committed to serving authentic and high quality food from a particular country. Keep up the great work! read more

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This is a little Thai gem near our apartment. Met my friend here and the food looked amazing and tasted amazing. The service was quick and the the cost was not outrageous. I didn't think it'd be as inexpensive as it was. I got one of the noodle soup dishes (I don't remember which one) and my friend got the pad thai. The noodle soup was amazing and not too much noodles where you feel stuffed at the end. I'm super happy I found this place and I highly recommend it. read more

Zabb PuTawn - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

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We stopped by this teeny Thai restaurant after reading great reviews. The space is small and cozy- the opposite of many of the hipster Thai places around. Mellow jazz music was playing. The staff were lovely. We started off with a really good papaya salad. We asked for medium spiciness and this one was almost too hot. My wife had excellent chicken pad Thai and I tried a soup with egg noodles, crabmeat, roast pork and vegetables. The soup was very good. There's a weekday lunch special that would be worth investigating A very nice change of pace from loud scene-y Thai restaurants. read more

Zabb PuTawn - Soup and PAD THAI - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

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Picked up takeout from Zabb PuTawn during a recent meet up with some old friends and it was phenomenal. We ordered a whole feast of different items for us all to share a little bit of everything. We ordered the famous Gaeng Hunglay Ribs, Gaeng Gang Kio Wan, Kow Moo Grob, Tub Gai Ping, Pad See Eew, Kow Soi Gai, and Muuk Yang (Squid) along with some Thai Teas. We put the order in online and came down 30 min later and it was ready for pickup - the process was super easy, they handed us the bag of food and were very kind and quick about it. We then quickly went home for our feast. For starters, everything we got was absolutely amazing. Of the different dishes, my absolute favorites were the ribs, the kow soi, and the Kow Moo Grob. In particular, the kow soi was just unbelievable. I would say this is maybe the best southeast Asian restaurant I've ever been to, I highly recommend. As for the ambiance, it looked really cute and cool inside but unfortunately we couldn't stay inside. read more

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Lovely little spot in the upper east side with very solid Thai food and friendly service. I ordered the chicken pad Thai (is that even real Thai food?), and it didn't disappoint! It had a subtle lime and nutty flavor without being too overbearing (as many pad Thais can be). The prices too were fairly reasonable for NY. Give it a go! read more

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Decent Thai spots in UES but haven't found a REALLY good place until this joint. It's a traditional and very authentic Thai food. They have unique dishes from specific local regions which is a breath of fresh air that sets them apart from all the pad Thai and pad see ew westernized dishes. Staff is friendly and patient. Prices are great. Complimentary app, drink and salad for lunch specials. Decoration is minimal but Thai themed. Would definitely come again! read more

Zabb PuTawn - Gaeng Hung Lay (Northern Style Pork Stew) - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

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Really good thai food! We tried to order online, but it wasn't working so we ended up calling the order in and it was ready pretty quickly. I had the pad see ew with tofu and thought it was delicious. It's now my favorite out of the other UES thai options like Up Thai and Thep Thai. read more

Came here for dinner as it was super close to the place we were staying at. Starting with appetizers, the ribs and the Thai iced tea were both super tasty! I ordered the Curry chicken noodle dish, while my partner ordered their salmon with rice. Both dishes were super tasty. They seemed to be a bit understaffed, but their staff were all super friendly! I would say the ambience of this place is super homey and casual, would recommend coming here to grab a quick lunch or dinner with your friends. read more

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Amazing food, amazing staff. I only ever got take outs but regretted not dining in because the atmosphere was very lovely.

I had a really nice dinner here. The place is very small and intimate. It's a great place to go when you are craving a casual Thai dinner. The staff are all incredibly nice. Our food came out quickly and was pretty good! Pad See Ew (with beef): 9/10 I have struggled to find good pad see ew in this city. Now I've found a good one! Most restaurants make it far too sweet, but this was perfect. The flavor was on point and the noodles were perfectly chewy. Highly recommend this dish for a sweeter noodle. The beef was also very good - not too fatty or chewy. Crispy spring rolls: 8/10 The spring rolls were nice and crispy. They have vermicelli noodles in them, which I liked. Overall though nothing crazy unique about them. Spicy Thai basil fried rice: 9/10 I really enjoyed this fried rice! It was very similar to the flavors of the Drunken Noodle but with rice. It was spicy enough to have a kick but definitely not overpowering. If you like spice a lot you would probably want more. My one issue was the egg on top was over hard. It wasn't sunny side up or over easy. I wanted the yolk to ooze over the rice and add more flavor, but sadly that didn't happen. read more

Zabb PuTawn - Pad See Eew - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

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Tasty duck. The lunch special is very economical and well worth a try. The interior is very cute as well. read more

Zabb PuTawn - Duck Makham - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

This is the real deal. Authentic ingredients. We just got take out but they were super friendly.

Notably different from other Thai restaurants in the city, Zabb PuTawn specializes in dishes from northern and northeastern Thailand. My personal favorites are the chicken liver skewers for a starter and crab meat fried rice for a main. My mother loves the mango salad. The mango salad (choice of accompaniments: avocado, shrimp, soft-shell crab) is not on the dine-in menu, but if you ask the gracious lady who hosts the dining room, she will prepare it for you. The space is tight, like most NYC restaurants, but used efficiently. Service, as already mentioned, is gracious and cordial. read more

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Stopped by Zabb PuTawn thinking I would be here for a quick, casual workday lunch. However, to my surprise, I think I found one of my favorite Thai restaurants in the UES!! I love how they have your classic Thai options, but also offer special Northern/Northeastern Thai dishes. The Lao Style Soup (gaeng om) was a hearty semi-spicy soup with chicken, cabbage, mushrooms, and pumpkin. Never had dill in my Thai food before but it worked really well with the umami flavors of the fish sauce. Also had a bunch of other spices that made this broth perfect for a cold winter day! The Northern Style Pork Stew (gaeng hung lay) featured super and tasty tender pork ribs that fell right off the bone! It was smothered in a sweet tamarind and savory curry sauce with ginger and garlic. The combination of spices was very novel for me and left me wanting more!! If you come during lunch, they also have a lunch set which features a salad and appetizer. Loved how the larb salad utilized kaffir leaves! Crispy tofu and dumplings were pretty standard. The place itself has a good amount of seating for the amount of space it occupies. Service was good and food came quick. Wasn't too busy but definitely had a steady flow of people. read more

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Our neighborhood Thai place and we like it. The old standbys are tasty. Pad Thai and pad grapow are always reliable. We recently did delivery using their own service and it worked very well. The space is small but cozy for eating in, and the staff are nice. If you want things spicy, be sure to ask. read more

Love it ! Never had a bad dish and lost count over the past 10 years how often I've eaten in and out .... !

I live nearby, but I have never walked in. This was actually much better than I expected and will become a go-to from now on. Notably, they specialize in northern style Thai dishes. The restaurant is small, so not that great for large groups or strollers. Luckily it was empty when we went on Saturday afternoon, so we had lots of space. Papaya salad - very fresh Pork Jowls - it was soft and tasty, fattier than pork is usually so it was very moist Chiangmai Chicken Curry - very interesting flavor, chicken was fall off the bone soft Gaeng Hunglay Ribs - also interesting flavor, very tasty, definitely get this if you only get one thing The entrees were large portions Will be back to try other items read more

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I went here last night with a friend. We placed our orders. My friend received her order but I never received mine. We mentioned a number of times that my order is not here and they ignored us, and then said it was coming. After an hour, I got up, told the waiter to remove my order from the bill, which he did. We paid for my friend's food, and told another waitress this was unacceptable service (or actually no service.) They didn't apologize until my friend said we will tell everyone we know never to come here. We then received a mild "sorry." I've order their food from Grubhub and it's always been quite good. I will never order again from here. read more

I was here with nine others a while ago. The staff here is friendly and courteous even though they got a bit overwhelmed dealing with our massive table along with the other people in this small place. As someone who prefers this style of Thai food, the food here was really good. Honestly some of if not the best Thai food I've had including Queens and they have steep competition from a lot of other places. In terms of a drink, they were out of coconut juice so I went with hibiscus juice which was tasty; not too sweet or sour. The first dish that arrived was the Som Tum Thai Kai Kem or papaya salad/som tum with salted duck egg (15$.) The full description is shredded green papaya salad with salted duck egg, roasted peanuts, dried shrimp, palm sugar, fish sauce, lime, chilies, garlic, long bean, and tomato. This was a wonderful version of a papaya salad with a bit of spiciness and sweetness along with a good amount of saltiness from the duck egg. The fish sauce and chili bottom is recommended if you like a bit more heat. The next dish was Goong Chae Num Pla or raw shrimp salad. (18$.) This consisted of shrimp marinated in fish sauce, chilies, and lime juice and it was served with bitter melon and mint leaves. This isn't for the faint of heart from but I loved it personally. Another appetizer, the the Moo Ping or grilled pork skewer (10$ for 3 skewers) which was served with jaew (or Nam Jim Jaew,) a spicy dipping sauce. The pork was moist and the dipping sauce added some extra flavor. No complaints but not much to talk about though I do prefer the coconut marinated pork from Som Tum but that's a different dish so it's hard to compare directly. A bunch of dishes arrived next including the Tum Kanoon or northern style jackfruit (18$.) This consisted of stir fried young jackfruit mashed with tomatoes, chilies, kaffir lime leaf, and topped with fried garlic and it was served with sticky rice, cucumber, and pork crackling. I have never had this before and I found to be very tasty. I usually find young jackfruit/ the savory version to be a very poor version of shredded pork but the texture and flavor here were outstanding. The garlic and the pork crackling added some extra texture. Very tasty dish. Another dish that arrived was the Pad Phed or roast duck curry (24/26$ I believe. Broken listing on site.) Also known as Gaeng Phed Ped Yang, this consisted of said half duck with Thai eggplant, pickled peppercorns, bell pepper, basil, wild ginger, and spicy curry paste. I personally prefer many other curries but the duck was very well prepared so it's hard to make any complaints. The second to last dish was the Yum Naem Kow Tod or crispy rice and soured pork sausage (15$.) This consisted of double fried rice croquettes with cured pork sausage, kaffir lime, ginger, chilies, mint, and roasted peanuts. Also known as Lao fried rice ball salad, this is a dish I have had before as well. Very nice mix of textures here from the crispy rice to the naem (aka the sour pork sausage I loved while in Chiang Mai.) Reasonably priced also. The last dish that arrived was the Kow Soi Gai or Chiang Mai Chicken Curry Noodle (18$.) Also called Khao Soi Thai, this is a Thai dish with Muslim roots but there is also another dish with the same name that is completely different which is a bit less common. I personally love this dish and this was probably unfortunately the weakest of the food. Nice big portion of noodles as well as chicken but the version at Thep and a few other spots have a lot more flavor. I'm surprised more because of how good everything else was but this was probably the only miss. Still perfectly tasty but I recommend other dishes more. We decided to order dessert and there was a bit of miscommunication so it resulted in two orders of the following three deserts (just two extra which was fine as we were originally just getting the mango sticky rice and one of the other two dishes.) Khao Niao Ma Muang or mango sticky rice (12$.) This was a tasty version especially with the added mung beans. The sticky rice was less sweet compared to most places and the mango was sweet. It's hard for me to not compared to the absurdly good mango in Thailand but this was a good take especially for a New York version. I-Tim Kati or Thai coconut ice cream ($8.) This consisted of coconut ice cream with sweet sticky rice, toddy palm seeds, mung bean, jackfruit, coconut meat, and roasted peanuts. Fun tasty dessert but I preferred the other two but more because I just happen to tend to love the other two desserts in general. Perhaps add more jackfruit for flavor? Kanom Tuay or Thai coconut custard. ($8 for 3 cups.) This consisted of rice flower, palm sugar and coconut milk and it is a steamed coconut custard. This is one of my favorite Thai desserts and it is a shame that usually you can't find it outside of in Queens outside of frozen. Ran out of review room for the first time in ages. Go here ASAP. Upper 4. read more

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This is one of my favorite Thai restaurants in the city, which is saying a lot given the quality of Thai food in NYC. Zabb Putawn specializes in Northern Thai cuisine, and you'll find many of the specialties here that you likely won't find at other Thai restaurants. For fans of the now defunct Zabb Elee (which at one point carried a Michelin star), you'll be pleased to know that the chef Tony Rittaprom came from there. Some of my favorites: Goong Chae Num Pla - Chilled raw shrimp salad with lime, chiles, bitter melon. This dish can only be served SPICY, but it is oh-so-good. The bitter melon is an amazing complement, and in fact doesn't taste as bitter as other dishes. Som Tum Thai Sai Pu - Papaya salad that has fermented blue crab (the meat has a sweet quality to it). Absolutely delicious. Perfect combination of spice, salty, sweet, tart. All of their other dishes are including their curries and noodles are stellar - trust me, you won't be disappointed. Zabb Putawn is often overlooked amongst the glut of Thai restaurants in the UES, but deserves to be in the conversation for best in the city! read more

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Excellent local spot. Been meaning to go for years and finally did - very impressed! They have Khao Soi which is a northern Thai dish you can't really find anywhere in NYC which is insane. We also had the beef kra pow (I think?). Either way everything was fire and staff was super nice. Very tight space in there but they make it work. Great to expand my UES Thai circle beyond Thep. Definitely worth the visit! read more

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From main course to dessert - I love the food. Better to eat it there. The chicken wings were crispy and had no batter. Even the grilled chicken liver was delicious dipped in their special sauce. Mango orange papaya salad is refreshing and so was the shrimp coconut soup!!! Do not forget to have dessert! They did not have my favorite mango and Sticky rice but they had a coconut pudding Thai style. Yum! read more

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quality thai came here with some friends for din. it was pretty crowded and the tables are tightly packed. we had to wait 10 minutes despite making a reservation. however, the food made up for it. started off with the moo ping which came out hot. very juicy and generous portion of meat. for the main when for the basil fried rice with beef. was quite delicious and good portion size. well spiced and not too salty. asked for it to be made mild but it still had quite a kick. service was excellent. overall, quality thai food and not too expensive either. can see why it is popular read more

Zabb PuTawn - Basil fried rice with beef - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

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