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Came here for lunch on a weekday. The waiter was friendly, though the service was noticeably slow, apparently due to short staffing. I ordered the green curry and a Thai iced tea. The iced tea was smooth, rich, and very well made. Unfortunately, the green curry was quite disappointing. It was extremely watery, to the point that I had to bring it to their attention. The replacement was slightly thicker, but still on the thin side and lacking depth of flavor. Overall, it tasted bland and underwhelming. I also noticed another customer walk in for lunch and leave after about 15 minutes because no one came over to assist her. The restaurant clearly needs improvement. With so many authentic and flavorful Thai options in the city, this one unfortunately does not stand out.
I had the Thai fried rice here, which was just fine. The struggles I had with this place are with the limited vegetarian options on the dinner menu. They're totally unwilling to make any modifications or substitutions, so there are three dishes - train fried rice, pad see ew, and brussel sprouts - that can be made vegetarian (and the brussel sprouts are the sole vegan option). It's a bit strange, given that the lunch menu allows modifications to the same dishes. Kind of a mystifying policy. The fried rice I ended up ordering also didn't match expectations. The flavor was perfectly adequate, no different from your standard takeout spot. It didn't come with the "pink hue" advertised, which was the only element that could've made the dish unique. Too bad. Finally, the price made the meal really not worth it. After mandatory 20% tip and 3% credit card surcharge, the dish came to $27. Your favorite takeout spot will get you the same quality at half the price. Maybe the lunch menu is better, but I don't plan to find out for myself.
This Midtown Thai spot looks unassuming from the outside, but the food is impressively refined and exceeded expectations in several dishes. The Jellyfish & Squid Ink Soup was a standout. It was my first time trying jellyfish, and its clean, crisp, bouncy texture worked beautifully with the naturally balanced sour-spicy broth. The lightly cured flavor profile made it one of the most memorable dishes of the night. The Roasted Bone Marrow was rich and aromatic, especially when paired with shrimp chips and sweet chili sauce. The flavor was great, though the sauce could feel heavy after a few bites, and one piece looked large but contained less marrow than expected. The Roasted Duck with Curry leaned classic, with fragrant red curry that balanced heat, spice, and coconut nicely. The duck seemed lightly fried before simmering, keeping the skin slightly crisp while the meat stayed tender. The Royal Stir-fried Prawns with Prawn Fat had impressive presentation with two huge prawns. The spicy garlic sauce coating the shells was flavorful but salty if eaten whole; the prawn meat alone was much better. The decorative prawn legs underneath were not edible, which caused a bit of confusion. For dessert, the Coconut Pudding was a simple but satisfying finish--creamy, fragrant, and reminiscent of mango sticky rice without the mango. Cocktails were light and refreshing. Lychee Lady offered a citrus-forward, gin-tonic profile, though the overfilled foam made the glass messy to handle. Pok Pok on the Rock delivered bold Thai flavors--shrimp paste, fish sauce, papaya, and passion fruit blended surprisingly well, with gentle heat and great balance. Overall, a pleasantly surprising Thai meal with a few exceptional dishes, thoughtful flavors, and a cozy Midtown setting.
Good Thai food in a lively yet intimate environment. Pad See Ew with shrimp ($22) - Above average in quality/taste but I'd say nothing particularly special Tom Yum Hot Pot ($32) - Good seafood soup but a bit sour tasting for my liking. Also minor point, but it was actually a bit hard to scoop given the size of the spoon and shape of the pot Best part of this place is the environment as it is nicely decorated to be like a classy Thai train interior with dim lighting. The music was very upbeat but I actually found it to be a bit odd in the context of the otherwise intimate setting. Service was very good - staff are friendly, attentive, and didn't mind us staying a bit later to chat after the meal.
I went to Samsaen this past Thursday and ordered myself a Pad See Ew (stir fried broad noodles, Chinese broccoli, egg with sweet soy sauce).It was so so good! Packed with flavor and the service was attentive. I was in a bit of a hurry to get somewhere afterwards and the restaurant was able to accommodate me and bring me my dinner quickly which I greatly appreciated. It's such a cute restaurant, perfect for date night, solo dining, dining with friends. 10/10 Thai restaurant recommendation.
Came by Samsen shortly after it opened recently -- our party of 2 walked in around 6:30 and there were still plenty of tables to seat us immediately. The restaurant is pretty nicely decorated -- there's a "train station" theme with lots of ornate golden finishings -- and since it's new everything felt very clean and spacious. They were offering a happy hour special at the time (I'm not sure what times/days it's generally available), so we opted to do the combo of two appetisers and two entrées for $42. For our appetisers, we had the tom yum soup and the pork meatballs. Tom yum soup had a decent flavour but was too watery, and the pork meatballs were pretty meh -- not the most tender/juicy but had an OK flavour. For mains, we had the pad see ew with chicken and pad thai with chicken. The pad thai was pretty good, although the tomato/ketchup-y flavour was quite strong, and it tended to be a bit on the oilier/saltier saide. The chicken and shrimp tasted very yummy. Pad see ew was also not bad. The flat noodles were a very nice chewy-ness, and the light soy sauce flavour went well with the chicken and gai lan veggies. Service was prompt, although I have to say, our server was a bit too eager/in-our-face about it to the point of mild discomfort. Price point was great (portion sizes big enough to have leftovers), and it seems the regular menu is pretty fairly priced too -- not just the happy hour deal.
The food wasn't bad but nothing to write home about, and the ambiance needed a little work. People were swatting at flies left and right and overall it felt a little cramped inside. The bathroom was a sauna as it had no AC and was similarly very cramped. Service needed a little work also - our water glasses were empty all night and even when I tried to flag people down for water, they forgot to come back (which was tough since some of the dishes we ordered were spicy). No liquor license yet but it looked like it was BYOB. The pad see ew with shrimp was good but we didn't have much luck with the other dishes. The cabbage was overcooked and wilted, and we were disappointed with the jumbo prawns which although good and giant, was basically just 2 shrimp with nothing else for $42 or something in that ballpark. I also wasn't a huge fan of the crispy pork. We may have just ordered the wrong dishes so may have to come back again to try some other offerings on the menu.
Delicious Thai food! The food quality and price are on par with other well-known Thai spots in the city. Ideal for a dinner date (2-3). There are 2 menus: one for "street food" and another for the fine dining/ Chef Oak's (elevated) creations. The pad thai with jumbo river prawn is a showstopper (see pic) in terms of looks and taste.
We came here on a Saturday night with a reservation and got seated pretty quickly. We got the curry puffs and squid ink soup as appetizers. The curry puff was flaky and delicious. The squid ink soup was an acquired taste. It was a bit too fishy for my taste. The appetizers came pretty fast but the entrees took a while to come. The Massaman curry was okay. The curry taste was pretty good and flavorful. However, the beef brisket was a bit overcooked. Overall, a decent place for thai food but it's relatively expensive.
Delicious Thai food in a cute cozy atmosphere. Lighting is dim with romantic decor and its the perfect spot for a date night or catch up with a friend. The staff here were all incredibly friendly and attentive! I ordered the Pad See Ew, and it was deliciously full of flavor and beautifully plated. Shared the Shitake spring rolls appetizer with my friend which came out hot. The sauce that it comes with paired perfectly well.
Interesting concept, but unfortunately much better Thai food in the area. The service and atmosphere are very good so I'm disappointed that the quality and taste of the food are not as good.
Wow!! This place was outstanding, and it is really hard to stand out amongst all the amazing Thai restaurants in the area. The restaurant is pretty spacious once you enter it. We went with the recommendation - fried crispy fish and the eggplant salad (don't be fooled by the name...ask about this one). Both portions were generous..and the flavors were spot on. Medium spice was the level we enjoyed both dishes at. Hopefully, they will start serving cocktails soon!
2 months ago
Really amazing food and service! They had a beer special (buy 2 get 1 free) which was a great deal. Papaya salad was spicy and delicious. Will be back for sure read more
Perfect spot for a last minute team lunch. Appetizers were the best and all the food was delicious. You truly can't go wrong with any of their choices. Pad thai was a little sweet/too saucy personally, but decent overall. Service is extremely kind and good on timing. It was just 2 workers mainly from what I could tell cooking and serving since we came so early for lunch, but they were able to handle our large group order with timely manners. Lunch special is a great deal! The restaurant itself is very beautiful and vintage-esque. Reminded me of being in a velvet car train. read more
Came here for lunch on a weekday. The waiter was friendly, though the service was noticeably slow, apparently due to short staffing. I ordered the green curry and a Thai iced tea. The iced tea was smooth, rich, and very well made. Unfortunately, the green curry was quite disappointing. It was extremely watery, to the point that I had to bring it to their attention. The replacement was slightly thicker, but still on the thin side and lacking depth of flavor. Overall, it tasted bland and underwhelming. I also noticed another customer walk in for lunch and leave after about 15 minutes because no one came over to assist her. The restaurant clearly needs improvement. With so many authentic and flavorful Thai options in the city, this one unfortunately does not stand out. read more
I had the Thai fried rice here, which was just fine. The struggles I had with this place are with the limited vegetarian options on the dinner menu. They're totally unwilling to make any modifications or substitutions, so there are three dishes - train fried rice, pad see ew, and brussel sprouts - that can be made vegetarian (and the brussel sprouts are the sole vegan option). It's a bit strange, given that the lunch menu allows modifications to the same dishes. Kind of a mystifying policy. The fried rice I ended up ordering also didn't match expectations. The flavor was perfectly adequate, no different from your standard takeout spot. It didn't come with the "pink hue" advertised, which was the only element that could've made the dish unique. Too bad. Finally, the price made the meal really not worth it. After mandatory 20% tip and 3% credit card surcharge, the dish came to $27. Your favorite takeout spot will get you the same quality at half the price. Maybe the lunch menu is better, but I don't plan to find out for myself. read more
10 months ago
This Midtown Thai spot looks unassuming from the outside, but the food is impressively refined and exceeded expectations in several dishes. The Jellyfish & Squid Ink Soup was a standout. It was my first time trying jellyfish, and its clean, crisp, bouncy texture worked beautifully with the naturally balanced sour-spicy broth. The lightly cured flavor profile made it one of the most memorable dishes of the night. The Roasted Bone Marrow was rich and aromatic, especially when paired with shrimp chips and sweet chili sauce. The flavor was great, though the sauce could feel heavy after a few bites, and one piece looked large but contained less marrow than expected. The Roasted Duck with Curry leaned classic, with fragrant red curry that balanced heat, spice, and coconut nicely. The duck seemed lightly fried before simmering, keeping the skin slightly crisp while the meat stayed tender. The Royal Stir-fried Prawns with Prawn Fat had impressive presentation with two huge prawns. The spicy garlic sauce coating the shells was flavorful but salty if eaten whole; the prawn meat alone was much better. The decorative prawn legs underneath were not edible, which caused a bit of confusion. For dessert, the Coconut Pudding was a simple but satisfying finish--creamy, fragrant, and reminiscent of mango sticky rice without the mango. Cocktails were light and refreshing. Lychee Lady offered a citrus-forward, gin-tonic profile, though the overfilled foam made the glass messy to handle. Pok Pok on the Rock delivered bold Thai flavors--shrimp paste, fish sauce, papaya, and passion fruit blended surprisingly well, with gentle heat and great balance. Overall, a pleasantly surprising Thai meal with a few exceptional dishes, thoughtful flavors, and a cozy Midtown setting. read more
10 months ago
Good Thai food in a lively yet intimate environment. Pad See Ew with shrimp ($22) - Above average in quality/taste but I'd say nothing particularly special Tom Yum Hot Pot ($32) - Good seafood soup but a bit sour tasting for my liking. Also minor point, but it was actually a bit hard to scoop given the size of the spoon and shape of the pot Best part of this place is the environment as it is nicely decorated to be like a classy Thai train interior with dim lighting. The music was very upbeat but I actually found it to be a bit odd in the context of the otherwise intimate setting. Service was very good - staff are friendly, attentive, and didn't mind us staying a bit later to chat after the meal. read more
25 days ago
Great foods with attentive services. You can have authentic Thai foods in NYC! They have special Thai dishes that you can't get other Thai restaurants along with staples like pad thai. read more
I went to Samsaen this past Thursday and ordered myself a Pad See Ew (stir fried broad noodles, Chinese broccoli, egg with sweet soy sauce).It was so so good! Packed with flavor and the service was attentive. I was in a bit of a hurry to get somewhere afterwards and the restaurant was able to accommodate me and bring me my dinner quickly which I greatly appreciated. It's such a cute restaurant, perfect for date night, solo dining, dining with friends. 10/10 Thai restaurant recommendation. read more
1 year ago
Came by Samsen shortly after it opened recently -- our party of 2 walked in around 6:30 and there were still plenty of tables to seat us immediately. The restaurant is pretty nicely decorated -- there's a "train station" theme with lots of ornate golden finishings -- and since it's new everything felt very clean and spacious. They were offering a happy hour special at the time (I'm not sure what times/days it's generally available), so we opted to do the combo of two appetisers and two entrées for $42. For our appetisers, we had the tom yum soup and the pork meatballs. Tom yum soup had a decent flavour but was too watery, and the pork meatballs were pretty meh -- not the most tender/juicy but had an OK flavour. For mains, we had the pad see ew with chicken and pad thai with chicken. The pad thai was pretty good, although the tomato/ketchup-y flavour was quite strong, and it tended to be a bit on the oilier/saltier saide. The chicken and shrimp tasted very yummy. Pad see ew was also not bad. The flat noodles were a very nice chewy-ness, and the light soy sauce flavour went well with the chicken and gai lan veggies. Service was prompt, although I have to say, our server was a bit too eager/in-our-face about it to the point of mild discomfort. Price point was great (portion sizes big enough to have leftovers), and it seems the regular menu is pretty fairly priced too -- not just the happy hour deal. read more
The food wasn't bad but nothing to write home about, and the ambiance needed a little work. People were swatting at flies left and right and overall it felt a little cramped inside. The bathroom was a sauna as it had no AC and was similarly very cramped. Service needed a little work also - our water glasses were empty all night and even when I tried to flag people down for water, they forgot to come back (which was tough since some of the dishes we ordered were spicy). No liquor license yet but it looked like it was BYOB. The pad see ew with shrimp was good but we didn't have much luck with the other dishes. The cabbage was overcooked and wilted, and we were disappointed with the jumbo prawns which although good and giant, was basically just 2 shrimp with nothing else for $42 or something in that ballpark. I also wasn't a huge fan of the crispy pork. We may have just ordered the wrong dishes so may have to come back again to try some other offerings on the menu. read more
Delicious Thai food! The food quality and price are on par with other well-known Thai spots in the city. Ideal for a dinner date (2-3). There are 2 menus: one for "street food" and another for the fine dining/ Chef Oak's (elevated) creations. The pad thai with jumbo river prawn is a showstopper (see pic) in terms of looks and taste. read more
We came here on a Saturday night with a reservation and got seated pretty quickly. We got the curry puffs and squid ink soup as appetizers. The curry puff was flaky and delicious. The squid ink soup was an acquired taste. It was a bit too fishy for my taste. The appetizers came pretty fast but the entrees took a while to come. The Massaman curry was okay. The curry taste was pretty good and flavorful. However, the beef brisket was a bit overcooked. Overall, a decent place for thai food but it's relatively expensive. read more
1 year ago
Delicious Thai food in a cute cozy atmosphere. Lighting is dim with romantic decor and its the perfect spot for a date night or catch up with a friend. The staff here were all incredibly friendly and attentive! I ordered the Pad See Ew, and it was deliciously full of flavor and beautifully plated. Shared the Shitake spring rolls appetizer with my friend which came out hot. The sauce that it comes with paired perfectly well. read more
Wow!! This place was outstanding, and it is really hard to stand out amongst all the amazing Thai restaurants in the area. The restaurant is pretty spacious once you enter it. We went with the recommendation - fried crispy fish and the eggplant salad (don't be fooled by the name...ask about this one). Both portions were generous..and the flavors were spot on. Medium spice was the level we enjoyed both dishes at. Hopefully, they will start serving cocktails soon! read more
1 month ago
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8 months ago
As a NYC foodie, I'm always picky about Thai food--especially close to busy areas like Madison Square Garden. Before heading to a hockey game, my designer friend quickly Googled and found Samsaen, and I'm so glad he did. We were in a rush, but from the moment we walked in, everything felt smooth and welcoming. Our waiter Oreo was incredibly friendly, warm, and knowledgeable. He suggested all the right dishes and made sure we were taken care of despite our tight schedule. We ordered the Northern Thai sausage, the stewed pork with rice (special menu), and the vermicelli crab in a clay pot--every single dish was absolutely delicious, full of authentic flavors, and beautifully presented. You can really taste the care and quality in the food. The restaurant itself is beautiful, cozy yet stylish, and the service was truly the best--efficient, attentive, and genuinely kind. Perfect spot for great Thai food before a game or show at MSG. I'll definitely be back, even when I'm not in a rush. read more
1 year ago
Truly, so delicious. I had the bone marrow and pad sew ew. First, the food presentation is GORGEOUS. The ambience is romantic and wholesome. I love the history around why they designed this place. The food... was perfect. A place I stumbled across but a place I will be back over and over again. The service from Oreoh & Mr. AOF was everything I want from New York. There's a magic and I love the community that works hard at what they do but invites people into WHY they do it. Big fan read more
10 months ago
Great spot for a pre- or post-Madison Square Garden or Penn Station meal. Food was great. I got the curry puffs, which had an incredibly light, crispy pastry and well-spiced filling. Dipping sauce gave a nice tangy flavor to complement the richness. For main course I got seafood Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles). Seafood was fresh (squid still had some sort of membrane I had to peel off though), noodles were cooked perfectly, sauce/seasonings was savory, well-balanced, and just-oily-enough. Also tried Thai iced coffee for the first time. Tasted like medium/strong iced coffee with sweet milk and Thai tea. Delicious. Presentation is showy but appetizing. Decor/ambiance is very attractive. Music playlist is very good as well. Our waiter (didn't get his name) was very kind and attentive. read more
10 months ago
The food was pretty average thai food, nothing crazy to write about. The main issue was the service. I think there were only 1-2 people working but we had to flag down someone to order, to get water, to get the drink menu and to get the check. We waited a decent amount of time before even ordering. The restaurant itself its a cute place on the smaller end but close to Penn station which is convenient.! read more
1 year ago
Would give this place a 3.5. Cute place, dimmed lighting give it a romantic vibe with the decor and cute plating. Food was just ok, best tasting dish would be the seafood pad kee mao for us. Very flavorful with a spicy kick. Giant river prawns looked delicious but just tasted ok. They should crack the little fingers on the prawns for you so it'll be easier to eat. There was meat in there but hard to get to as it was prickly so I tried one and didn't bother with the rest. Wish the crispy pork was a bit crispier, enjoyed the morning glory. Mango sticky rice needed more coconut sauce. There was no drizzle on the mango and needed that extra coconut taste. Cool spot. I think maybe new so may need a little more time for adjustments. read more
6 months ago
Best Thai food I've had since Thailand. Cants say enough good things. Came with colleagues from Thailand and we were all impressed. If I could give more that 5 stars I would. Cants wait to come back again and again! Service is was impeccable and loved the ambiance. read more
8 months ago
1 year ago
The food was delicious and the service was amazing. The staff really goes out of their way to make sure you enjoy your time there. read more
8 months ago
Food was amazing - had the bone marrow / eggplant salad / Prawns. So much flavor, highly recommend all 3! read more
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1 year ago
Samsaen - thai - Updated August 2026
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