I think I grieved more for Urban Hawker closing than when my dad died…read more Urban Hawker wasn't successful in the way you'd expect any food hall to be successful-- their food wasn't spectacular. I rarely went home invoking a strong enthusiastic response to come back to eat something again. Their strong suite was location, space, and variety. What I loved most--besides having a reliable bathroom in Midtown--was what it became for the people around it. It was a place where office workers could decompress after work, grab a beer with coworkers, or catch up with friends they hadn't seen in a while. There was something refreshing about the atmosphere. People seemed relaxed and unguarded, shedding the polished professional persona they'd worn all day. It felt like watching the city exhale for a little while. And another thing I appreciated was their attempt to represent different nationalities under one roof. The more common items performed the worse and that's probably when you come to a space dedicated to hawker style cuisine, you expect to try some of their more novel stuff like Coffee Pork Fried Rice (from a stall that specialized in fried rice) or Noodles in Bechamel. I also frequently enjoyed their only drinks provider for the best Yuen Yang I've ever had. The method for making them seems theatrical at first but when you've had one that wasn't properly aerated, you truly taste the chalky bitter tannins. It was a good thing there was an experience worker there (possibly the owner). Who you got to make your drink was hit or miss because at varying times, my gf would be lucky enough to run into the one guy who could do it with oatmilk (she's lactose intolerant). It's sad to see this place go and there'll be many times ahead of us where we point out that that's where the Urban Hawker used to be.

I love visiting food halls, and Urban Hawker is no exception. There were plenty of seats, and you…read moreare expected to clean up after you're done with your food - Kueh Lapis, (4/5): such a fun dessert! I liked peeling the layers (though some didn't peel perfectly). It is mildly sweet and reminds of Filipino Biko - Stingray Fried Rice, (3.75/5): this was my first time having stingray and it's actually sooo tasty. the meat reminds of a sweet crab and flaky fish. though I was a fan of the stingray, the fried rice was just ok. Considering this came from a stall specializing in fried rice I subtracted some points - Ayam Gulai, (4.25/5): I didn't know quite what I was ordering, but I'm so glad I did! This stall makes their own chili sambal and it's sooo shrimpy, punchy and complex. It added a lot to the dish, with the curry chicken + slight hint of coconut flavors and the meaty paste on top of the rice. everything works pretty well together here - just the egg was a bit overcooked and the chicken was also just slight overdone. I would go to this stall again! Nice find- I like it a lot!

The food here was delicious! Stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner. Service was friendly and…read morefast. Glad to have found this place!

This restaurant offers great Thai food, and a very flavorful and "saucy" Pad Thai is a highlight…read more The dishes are served on disposable plates, making the meal informal, but the quality of the meals is very good and always enjoyable.

Was looking for something new and yummy to try and we were close to rasa so decided to give it a…read moretry. So glad we did! Rasa was amazing! The vibe inside is dark and intimate with plenty of seating. The waitress was so friendly and offered to run down the menu with us and help us decide what to get. For apps (forgot to capture a pic :( ) we got the Roti Canai, Crispy Calamari and Chicken lettuce wraps. The calamari was literally the best calamari ive ever had.. The batter and seasoning that was dusted on top made it sooo delish! The chicken wrap was also a fan fav. We couldn't get enough. For the mains we ordered the malaysian curry, massaman curry and the Sambal.. Alll the dishes were seasoned so well and you get plenty for the price. I would absolutely go back to Rasa, anytime. Soooo good!

Rasa has been on my list for over a decade so I am glad I was able to try it. Upon entering, there…read morewere no tables but the staff moved a group to the bar and we were seated right away. The staff is so kind and attentive. The menu has so many appetizers, noodles, curries, rice dishes etc. Portions are phenomenal and they are halal! Grilled Chicken - was surprised to see how big the chicken piece was, if you're looking for a cleaner option, try this! Pineapple Fried Rice - was missing acidity from lime and was missing texture, perhaps nuts or bean sprouts would have elevated the dish Chicken Pad Thai - perfect, there were a lot of chicken pieces in it too Nasi Lemak (curried chicken) - great as well, loved the anchovies Would love to try the Malay wings, roti canai and egg noodles next time. I also had to wash my hands and the staff was cleaning the bathroom. The individual cleaning was so nice and accommodated me instead of having me wait.

Anthony Bourdain's dish was super spicy to me and I sort of regret getting it. It had a wonderful…read moremix of flavors that I haven't really tried before - tangy and spicy. If I could tolerate the spice better I would've probably liked it just as much. The skewers were really good as were the roti canai. The coconut dessert was also really good, probably my favorite especially after I had such a spicy main dish, but I wish I was able to get a metal spoon to scrape out the insides of the coconut so that I could get at the meat. Everything came out pretty quickly. Don't really understand why people were so tough on this place - solid food and nice service. Not super difficult to get reservations either, so long as you book in advance.

We shared the papaya salad, Famous Rendang with beef, and Assam Laksa soup noodle. The flavors were…read morehonestly there - bold for sure, which I appreciated, but the entree portions were so small relative to the prices they charged. There was also very little protein in the Assam Laksa soup noodle, which makes the price outrageous for merely a bowl of soup and carbs. Overall verdict is overpriced and overrated...

Wow, every dish so good. Thought it would be less specialized bc they serve both Thai and…read moreVietnamese dishes but flavors were very clean and strong. - Drunken noodles: not too greasy, might be the best drunken noodles I've had. Medium spice was not spicy at all for us. - Duck curry: a bit small on the portions but the curry is magical. Was scraping this plate clean. - Bo luc lac: star dish for sure. Beef melts on your tongue and the marinade is slightly sweet and smoky. - Summer rolls: small portions but the flavor is there. Super refreshing and special bc they pickle the vegetables inside. - Crispy pork belly: reminds me of the crispy pork I had in Vietnam. Really well done, pairs well with the lettuce and herbs. That green sauce is so addicting. - Papaya salad: super refreshing, nice fish sauce. - Crab fried rice: reminds me of the din tai fung fried rice bc of how clean the flavor is. Great dim ambiance for a date or dinner out. Definitely coming back soon.

So yum!!!! Top 3 thai spots for me…read more Food- Classic order of Pad Thai & Drunken Noodles. The pad thai noodles are a big thinner than i've had before but that didn't bother me, it has such great flavor too. I recommend ordering it spicy, it's the perfect heat if you're looking for that kick but don't add it if you can't handle spice. The drunken noodles are not spicy in my opinion but i can handle a bit of heat. Loved the flavor and the noodles had the right texture, could've done without the huge chunks of tomato but great otherwise. The summer rolls were good, hard to mess those up. We also got a free mango salad with the order and that was so fresh and delicious. We just popped in for pick up but the hostess was really nice and attentive as soon as we walked in. It looked to be a nice casual spot, could be good for dinner with friends or date night.

Very tasty meal and reasonably priced for NYC. You cannot go wrong with anything on the menu and…read moreI'd recommend trying some of the curries. The standout dish for me was the roasted eggplant salad and Koong Karee! Nice ambience inside though a bit on the smaller end

Super attentive service, super good food!!…read more The flavor of each of the dishes tasted distinct from other Thai places I've gone to. I especially loved the crab fried rice, the sauces that came with it were so incredible. The green sauce paired incredibly well with the rice. The noodles came with generous servings of meat as well.

Loved this spot! I ended up coming here twice during my trip to NYC. The location is super…read moreconvenient in Midtown, just steps from Rockefeller Center, and I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to get a table for three both times without much wait. The portions are generous and the prices are very reasonable for Midtown Manhattan. Over the two visits, I tried both versions of the Hainanese chicken rice, and both were delicious. The food came out incredibly fast, and I especially appreciated that the meals included Chinese broccoli. I also tried the stir-fried noodles from Hainan Jones and that was excellent. Overall, everything we ordered was flavorful, satisfying, and served quickly. Definitely a great spot for a casual and tasty meal in Midtown!

Heard that Anthony Bourdain loved this spot for hainan chicken and rice, which is a comfort dish…read morefor me and I really understand why. The chicken was very tender, well prepared, and so were the veggies. I think it has stiff competition by way of Lou Yau Kee but is definitely up there as top 5 southeast chicken rices in the city! I would def come back here and what's great is that you can feel healthy bc it's steamed/poached chicken, rice and veggies :) It's inside Urban Hawker, so you can get a variety of other things to go with your meal - might I recommend Kopi (malaysian coffee) at the nearby stand? The flavors were bold, authentic, and the chicken skin was silky smooth. The cucumbers had a nice crunch and the veggies as well. They give you two sauces, one of them is spicy and might be hotter than you expect so try it first.