Ugly Baby [4/5] We arrived at Ugly Baby around 4:45pm on a Sunday and was surprised to be the first people in line. They promptly opened at 5pm for dinner and were seated. The waiter came over within minutes to go over the menu (they were still serving the winter 2024 menu at the time) with us to get an idea of our spice tolerance. My partner has been here a year ago, so he had an idea of some of the menu items, but many of them have changed. We ordered the Kao Klook Kapi ($28), Pla Tod Kamin ($38), and Panang Nuer ($25) Kao Klook Kapi - Caramelized Pork Shoulder and Shrimp Paste Fried Rice. When the dish was brought out, we were instructed to mix everything together and squeeze lime juice inside. Dish was very flavorful with sweet pieces of pork shoulder and sausages, stripes of egg, raw red onion, string beans, and cucumber, dried shrimps, rand chili peppers. Tasted very good. Pla Tod Kamin - Fried Turmeric Sea Bream. We ordered this because my partner really enjoyed it the first time he was here, but it wasn't the same. He said it wasn't as flavorful. I ended up asking for another half a lemon to drip onto every bite I took because it didn't taste special. Just regular fresh fried whole fish. Panang Nuer - Beef Shank and cumin red curry. The curry was considered mild spice, but it builds as you eat it. Meat was tender. Tasted very good. Staff was very attentive in refilling out waters and rice bowl. The bathroom is hidden behind a huge curtain. Overall rating, we would give it a 4.5. We ended up lowering the rating a little because we were quite disappointed by the fish.

I stumbled into this Thai Restaurant looking for a quick bite before a nearby concert and ended up with the best Thai food I've had in NYC to date. High energy environment with upbeat music, an open kitchen, and beautiful multicolor decor. Thanks to the walk-in-only policy, it's fairly easy to get a table for a small party (I ate in a group of two), and we enjoyed excellent service -- our waters and rice bowls were never empty! Portions are generous, and we were satisfied with splitting two dishes. Spice-sensitive eaters, be wary! Ask your waiter before ordering a dish, even if it isn't marked as " face meltingly hot ".

Authentic! Just make sure can handle spicy. Excellent service too. They do not take reservations, so you gotta get there early.

most authentic thai spot i've been to in nyc - only had to wait 30 min for a table of 2 during sunday dinner, but it is packed inside the menu features a seasonal and classic menu, and everything we tried was so flavorful and SPICY, even though they weren't marked as spicy... so curious what "brutally spicy" or "stay away spicy" would be like (they were sold out by the time we got there!)

We stopped by Ugly Baby and arrived a bit before opening on a Saturday and were the first party seated. There was a small line forming, but when we left closer to 2 pm there was no line. I ordered the Khao Soi and so did most of my friends. It was filled to the brim with a lot of different toppings and was good, but definitely way too spicy for me! I 100% should've asked but I wish there was some indication of spiciness on the menu. My friend got the Hung Le which was not really spicy and a little sweeter, so there are definitely options if you can't eat spicy but definitely need to ask! There are also no vegetarian options FYI so don't come here if you are vegetarian or look at the menu on their instagram in advance since it changes. There's a lot of different Thai restaurants in the city and I would say this one definitely leans into the heavier stronger flavors. We ended up waiting over an hour for our food which was a bit frustrating, but they actually ended up comping our entire meal. We didn't really even bring up that we were frustrated and had just asked once what the progress was, so they did it proactively which was super nice and such a pleasant surprise.

It's been roughly 5 years since my last visit and I stopped in with a couple of friends (both first timers) for dinner last night. Dinner is always an adventure here, and a very visceral experience. It reminds of Thailand and that makes me very happy. I'm glad that this place has stayed true to its spirit throughout its years in the neighborhood. The three of us shared 4 dishes which was ample. Starting from my favorite to least: Chicken thigh and fermented bamboo shoot red curry (medium spice). Spice level was at the upper level for me, but not painful. This was a fabulous dish. tender morsels of chicken, thinly sliced bamboo shoot, kaffir leaves, and an addictive sauce that was a perfect accompaniment to steamed rice. The banana leaf wrapped curried crab custard - a chilled dish. This was a squarish block of pressed crab, spices, and shredded coconut, covered with threads of kaffir lime and chillis and a dollop of coconut cream. So flavorful, definitely medium-high heat, tamed ever so slightly by the coconut cream. This was so tasty. A little bite went a long way, with this one. This was the spiciest of the bunch. Curried pork leg and pig ear's jelly, which was another chilled dish, much like an aspic. The server warned that it was medium spicy, but it was actually quite mild. The texture (especially of the pig's ear cartilage) turned off one of my dining companions. I'm guessing many Americans might have a problem with this. The flavors were unusual and complex and the cilantro garnish made the dish sing. The pork neck, sparerib tip and masala curry accented with some pickled garlic cloves. You can tell that this dish was simmering a long time on the stove. The meat is perfectly tender and infused with the flavors of the braising liquid. This was the mildest dish - I really did not detect any chili. This was perfectly fine, but my least favorite because of its sweetness. I am not a fan of sweet dishes in general, unless its dessert. But my dining companion loved this (the same who did not care for the jelly dish). Service was stellar - dishes came quickly and water and rice refills often. (I keep seeing reviews about this). We loved our smiley server. Prices are so reasonable for the level of refinement and amount of care they put into these dishes. They are not serving 5 minute dishes like pad thai, so stop comparing their prices to your usual thai fare. pro tip - go earlier than later. We got waitlisted around 7:20 and by the time we got to our table, they were out of many things (the fish dishes, the green tea lager).

Heard about how great this place is, glad to finally have tried it. Honestly I had a great meal here, though we only ordered two things. I think my critique is that on Friday at 7pm, they had already sold out of at least 4 or 5 items off the menu. Luckily the menu is large enough where that wasn't too bad, but I was excited to try some of the things that were sold out. Regardless - SEA BREAM - this was really tender, and the topping really added a texture that was super satisfying. The crisp outer skin provided a nice texture too. Would def recommend. CHICKEN CURRY - the chicken thigh in this was extremely tender, and it had a nice heat running throughout it but I was expecting it to be hotter surprisingly! The curry was tasty, the rice was fluffy - I was pleased. I like that the menu has a lot of items that aren't typical for Thai restaurants which speaks to authenticity. The waiter was extremely knowledgeable on the menu. Because of how popular this place is, you may be ushered out of your table soon after paying.