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    Zaab Zaab

    3.9 (78 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

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    ZAAB ZAAB ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Alan S.

    A venue sporting a giant blue lobster hanging from the ceiling might not immediately appeal to most vegetarians. Indeed, this is one of the few Thai establishments I've been to where they refuse to make most of the noodle offerings with tofu or without meat/fish, which was somewhat disappointing. That being said, we loved the vegan kra pao, which appeared to be made with seitan or some similar soy product. Vegan versions of the dish, which is prepared with a heavy dose of tulsi, are quickly appearing on more dishes and becoming my go to order at Thai restaurants in the city. It had an excellent crunchy texture, and the red chilis gave the dish just the right amount of heat.

    Amok. Small and just OK
    Glenn C.

    Short review: Stick with the Larb. Mieng Pla Pow is fine also. I went to this restaurant with a bit of hesitation as I didn't have the best experience at their original location. I honestly think it's a bit better here partially because there aren't better northern Thai/Isan style food around here but it's not that good either. Anyway, I went here with a group a while back and the space here is nice and much larger than their other location. Service was friendly. It has a nice seafood motif on the walls. I don't remember the drink I had outside of I think it having Thai rum, cucumber, and a few other things and it was refreshing. The best dish here as per the other spot is the Larb Ped U-don for $24.95. Listed as, "a specialty of chef Aniwat's hometown. Duck breast with charred galangal, fried liver, and fried duck skin. An Isan classic of minced meat seasoned with roasted rice, fried kaffir lime leaves, roasted chili, mint, fish sauce, fried garlic, and lime juice. Served with house greens," this is a flavor bomb with plenty of heat, sourness, and fishiness which I associate heavily with food from that region. There was I think a bit less of the duck skin so there was a bit less crunch here but it was probably just that portion or something that I got. Another larb we got but fish based was the Larb Pla Duk Yang for $22. Listed as, "a house specialty roasted charcoal grilled cat fish. An Isan classic of minced meat seasoned with roasted rice, fried kaffir lime leaves, roasted chili, mint, fish sauce, fried garlic, and lime juice. Served with house greens," this was also good though I would say less texturally complex compared to the duck version. I preferred the latter for this reasoning but this is solid also. The Som Tum Thai for $17.95 listed as, "Classic Thai-style with roasted peanuts, snake beans, tomato, and dried shrimp. A sour spicy specialty of shredded green papaya lime juice and bird's eye chilies hand pound in our clay krok," this was fine. It was a bit less fishy then some of the other Isan spots I've been to but the flavors were still there with plenty of heat. I'd recommend the larb in general much more. Small and alright was the Catfish Hor Mok for $19.95 listed as a steam curry custard in banana leaf. The catfish had a very lightly flavored curry outside of some nice earthiness and the portion size was tiny for the price. Wouldn't really recommend much and there's plenty of better hor mok/amok both better priced and better flavored. Slightly bigger and just fine was the Khoa Pad Poo or Crab Fried Rice for $28. Not enough crab for my liking and slightly oily. Just not worth it and not a particularly good fried rice either. The last was the Mieng Pla Pow for $42. Listed as, "Chef Aniwat's salt-encrusted signature. Marinated in cumin garlic and white pepper, stuffed with pandan and lemongrass then charcoal roasted served with kanom jeen noodle, tamarind peanut sauce, and nam jim," this was good. The fish was very tender and came off the large bone nicely though you can't have the skin of course as it's salt encrusted. The sauce added some sweetness and a bit of heat. Pretty solid dish and a lot better than the stuffed catfish we had at their other location. If the rest of the food here was as good as the larb, I would recommend this spot. However, the rest was overpriced and not that tasty outside of the Mieng Pla Pow to an extent. OK as per the other one. Low 3

    catfish larb
    Morlene C.

    I was excited to finally try Zaab Zaab after hearing about their well rated Elmhurst location. Fortunately, their success allowed them to open a Brooklyn outpost, saving me a trip to Queens. Getting a table for two on a Saturday night was easy as a walk-in. Right off the bat, our server's aggressive upselling was annoying. I know restaurants need to make money, but constantly pushing extra dishes and drinks when I'm confident in my order is a turn off. A good server should ensure I don't over-order, not pressure me into it. Being seated next to the door, we were blasted with cold air in every time it opened which also dampened the experience. On to the food - it really delivered on the promise of intense spice. I loved that they offer catfish as a larb protein option. The larb packed a good amount of heat and I even popped extra peppers into my mouth for even more of a kick. The charcoal chicken, however, was disappointing - dry and difficult to cut. The pad thai was better in flavor, but like all the dishes, the portion felt small for the price point. Our modest three savory plates, plus a wine and beer, still ran us $140. Zaab Zaab's food brings the heat and I'd totally go back for more of that catfish larb!

    NAM KHOA TOD
    Michelle F.

    Unfortunately, not the biggest fan. The appetizer (nam khoa tod) had sausages and rice croquettes. Sausages were wildly salty. I did enjoy the rice croquettes, but the rest of the dish was just underwhelming in my opinion. And the price was a bit much for what it is. Stripe bass dish was ok. It had a nice light crunchy exterior, but I just felt like it did not have much flavor. Pad see ewe broad noodles were a bit hard/dry than ones I've had before, so I did not like it that much, but the flavor was fine. Chicken lemongrass dish was a bit too dry for my liking. I think my favorite was the pad thai. Solid dish with good flavor throughout. Overall, I thought this place was overpriced for dishes you can get at many regular Thai places and it did not exactly fit my taste palette either.

    Taylor H.

    Have you ever tried a Khao Jee burger?! Me either till now and when I tell you it was sooooo freaking good. Very flavorful. The rice bun wasn't dry at all, the meat was made like. Smash burger. I'm honestly not even sure what all was on it, but I know it was good. The wasn't much service to be had since it was a food hall, but the guys behind the counter were nice. The food hall had a lot of different food options. Most of the stuff seemed fresh from the garden or butcher.

    Crab curry
    Allison C.

    The food took a pretty long time to arrive and every dish came with fifteen minutes at least in between. The crab curry was great and I liked that it came with rice noodles and a bunch of toppings! The som tum Thai is solid, but the Tom yum noodle soup was really sour in an odd way (and didn't really taste like Tom yum).

    Thai Thai Iced Tea
    Azam K.

    Great and unique food! The hot pot was crazyyy. Lots of lime taste to it but it was great I've never had something like that. The green curry was phenomenal as well. Great spice to it and not too sweet as some other green curry is. Also, thai tea's we're suuuper good. The drunken noodles were my least favorite - i thought not enough flavor in them, but still okay. Overall, with solid service & really unique tastes from the green curry & hot pot, id come back here. The inside is super cool too, with a lot of colors, fun hanging decorations, great service who helped us order and decent amount of room. Come try it!

    larb pla duk yang
    Brian S.

    definitely agree that this place deserves more business as it was empty when i visited. i havent tried the elmhurst location despite that being much closer to me but this place tasted as authentic as i can imagine. the duck larb was amazing as was their som tum. only other comment is everything is spicy af so be prepared.

    Larb Ped U-don / Larb Ped Udon
    Steven Z.

    I've heard this is one of the most authentic Thai spots in New York. Overall I enjoyed the flavors, but it was way too pricey for what it was ($110 for 3 dishes + tip). The tables are cramped, but the ambiance is great for a date night. There was a performer playing acoustic covers -- he was really good! Service is also very attentive here. The larb ped udon medium spicy was VERY SPICY. I was dying and immediately had to order a thai iced tea. It was good until my tongue couldn't bear it anymore. The soft shell crab curry noodles didn't have enough flavor to my liking, but definitely reminded me of a home-cooked meal my parents would make. The hor mok with pork belly had really home-y flavor as well. It's pretty similar to a Chinese steamed pickled veggies dish. However, I would have liked the pork belly to be more fall-apart tender. It's also monotonous throughout so I got a little tired of the flavor towards the end.

    Michelle C.

    There was so much buzz around Zaab Zaab last year that I was quite surprised that I could walk in with a party of 6 on a Saturday night without a reservation or even a wait. Either way I'm not complaining, as we were seated immediately and brought menus that I sadly forgot to take a picture of. The restaurant was so pretty and colorful inside, with hanging crustacean sculptures and seafoody murals. We ordered so much food that we barely had any room on our table. Dishes came out at a rapid pace so for a while it felt like we were playing Tetris with the table's available surface area. We started with two orders of their pork skewers ($15 each) which were juicy and delectable and came with 3 skewers per plate and their Som Tom Talay ($36) which was a hand-pounded Isaan-style papaya salad recommended by our server. It had a special fermented fish sauce called pla ra and a medley of all the seafood including shrimp, black crab, and oysters-- truly a textural overload. The crab did smell a little funky and the shrimp was raw which I did not expect (but cooked due to all the lime juice in the salad, much like ceviche). For the entrées, we ordered the two big classics that came highly recommended by the staff and Yelpers: the Mieng Pla Plow ($36) which was a salt-encrusted tilapia that was stuffed with pandan and lemongrass and roasted with charcoal and the Larb Ped Udon ($25) which was a duck laab that featured duck breast, crunchy fried duck skin, and chewy fried liver tossed in a sweet and smoky medley of charred galangal, toasted rice powder, and fried kaffir lime leaves. We also had the chicken Pad See Ewe ($25) which was quite sweet and tart, heavy with the tamarind and not at all spicy, and the beef Kra Pow ($23) that came with a fried egg on the side and a healthy heap of Thai chili peppers. Some of the highlights from this delicious feast included the tilapia that was so soft and tender. I loved spooning some of the flesh into a lettuce wrap filled with rice noodles and various herbs like Thai basil and cilantro and dipping it all into their spicy nam jin jaew dipping sauce. The sauce was so delicious and everyone was trying to figure out what was in it because it was the perfect balance of sweet and sour and spicy. The krapow was also fantastic and so so spicy. It was delicious with both regular jasmine and sticky rice. The ribeye steak is chopped, not ground which I thought was an interesting choice. Overall, it was a fantastic dinner at Zaab Zaab which is aptly named. I loved the introduction to Isaan flavors, some of which I didn't realize I was already well acquainted with. My only complaint is that I wish the accompanying greens/herbs plates were larger as we had to flag our waiter down a few times to ask for a refill. We also had a few extra orders of their sticky rice ($3 each) and some Thai Iced Tea ($6 each).

    Soft shell curry
    Sam C.

    Stopped here for lunch. Pretty cool vibe inside. Colorful walls and design. Service was friendly and food came out really fast. The food was really tasty got the crab curry and the catfish larb. The catfish larb was leaves and other greens you can eat it with. You only get one soft shell crab. Not really spicy, has a mild kick. Thai tea is typical. It is a bit on the pricey side for the portion size. That's pretty much my only complaint. I would eat here again.

    Duck larb

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    Authentic, flavorful, delicious and grade A customer service. The nice and clean decor is a plus!

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    Crab House NYC

    Crab House NYC

    4.4
    (1.4k reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$$$

    I think this is the only seafood restaurant I've ever been to that has a bidet, which definitely…read moregets bonus points. That said, I didn't come here for the bathroom. I came here to throw down on some seafood and that's exactly what we did. I found out about this place because one of my favorite TikTok foodies posted that she came here when she was visiting from Chicago. It was also my friend's birthday so we figured we'd check it out. If you come with a group of 4 or more, including the birthday person, they eat for free, which is a pretty nice perk. This place lived up to every bit of the hype. We did the $125 option which includes lobster. If you have people in your group who are on the fence about spending the extra money, just remind them it's only about $35 more and that's basically the cost of one lobster anywhere else. Here you're getting unlimited lobster. The food literally just kept coming. At one point we were running out of room on the table. One thing I really appreciated was that the staff noticed and started putting multiple items on the same plates instead of bringing everything out separately. It sounds small but it actually helped a lot and showed they were paying attention. The drinks weren't super strong but they definitely weren't weak either. If you love seafood, come hungry and bring a group. The vibes were great, the service was on point, and we left absolutely stuffed.

    I had a great experience here. There are so many food options to choose from, including lobster,…read moreshrimp, all kinds of crab legs, and even blue crabs. It's honestly a seafood lover's dream. I highly recommend coming with a large group so you can try a bit of everything. They also offer an option to pay an extra $45 to take your leftovers home, which is absolutely worth it. I ended up with so much food that my fridge is still full. The service was impeccable from start to finish. The staff was attentive, friendly, and made the whole experience even better. I would definitely come back and highly recommend this place to others.

    Photos
    First dining room when you walk in, more space down the stairs farther in
    First dining room when you walk in, more space down the stairs farther in
    Cajun butter shrimp
    Cajun butter shrimp
    Salt & Pepper Fried Lobsters

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    Salt & Pepper Fried Lobsters
    Lobster Place

    Lobster Place

    4.2
    (1.6k reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    I finally brought my nephew here so he could try their 2 lb. steamed lobster, and it was just as…read moredelicious as I remembered. I've been coming here for years, and the quality of the food continues to keep me coming back. During this visit, I ran into a recurring issue with my lobster. It was carrying a large amount of roe, which I was actually happy about because I enjoy it and didn't want any of it to go to waste. However, the roe deep inside wasn't fully cooked during the initial steaming process. I had to go back and forth with Ash and the kitchen staff several times, but they remained patient, attentive, and committed to making sure everything was cooked properly. Ash, one of the managers, provided excellent customer service throughout the experience. While I was waiting, he kindly offered me a complimentary cup of New England clam chowder, which was absolutely delicious and very much appreciated since I was starving. Before leaving, I also ordered two more 2 lb. steamed lobsters to go. I explained my concern, and the staff made sure they were thoroughly cooked before packaging them. Both were perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious. I truly appreciate the team's dedication to customer satisfaction and their willingness to make things right. Their excellent service, combined with consistently great seafood, is why I've remained a loyal customer for years. I highly recommend this place and will definitely be back. Thank you!

    I have nothing bad to say about this lobster roll. It's fresh and delectable…read more We didn't have to wait too long for our order either. The place is very busy inside Chelsea Market.

    Photos
    A fun and relaxed raw bar atmosphere.
    A fun and relaxed raw bar atmosphere.
    The raw bar spread.
    The raw bar spread.
    Great craft beer selection.

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    Great craft beer selection.
    Valerie

    Valerie

    4.3
    (1.4k reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    Came for Brunch on a Sunday . Great food (try the shrimp &…read moreGrits- different but really good). Live music is fabulous (Danny Lipsitz) and the drinks are perfect. Of all the places to go In New York, Glad we stopped here . The attentive service (Bar and Restaurant) made the experience even better. Great job Valerie's !!

    Came here for a slightly early dinner after a Broadway show with a party of 4 on a Sunday evening…read more We had a reservation, but it didn't seem like we would have needed one, but I suppose better safe than sorry. The ambiance feels straight of the golden age, which is an aesthetic I'm certainly a sucker for. Even their robust cocktail menu fits the bill and is one of the prettiest menus I've ever had the joy of perusing. Staff was able to sit us a little bit ahead of our reservation which was also much appreciated. Wait staff was also very helpful and attentive, I don't think I've ever had my water glass so topped off! Starting off with cocktails, this place is a gin bar through and through and you'd be making a mistake if you didn't try one of their many options. I went with the 10,000 words, which you simply just give a spirit of your choice (I picked gin of course) and whether you antes) wanted your drink shaken or stirred and the bartender does the rest, so a bit of a surprise! I wound up with their version of The Last Word which was delightfully citrusy but I was hoping I'd wind up with something a little more adventurous app things considered. My girlfriend got the blackberry G&T, which was not only very pleasing to look at but delicious to boot. For food, we started with splitting some zucchini blossoms and beef cheek bao buns (both come in portions of 3). Both were tasty, but I love a good bao bun and these were so light and pillowy, I could have just went for an order of those for my main course. For the entree I went for the roasted half chicken, perhaps the most unassuming choice on the menu but this was maybe the best roast chicken I've ever had. Prepared perfectly, cooked to perfection, excellent portion size, and the kicker of it all was the stunning gravy that I was tempted to lick my plate for. Chicken is very easy to screw up, and they nailed it on all fronts here. My girlfriend went for the Valerie Signature burger with white cheddar and this thing did not mess around! A very rich patty, cooked to her temperature of choice served alongside some garlic truffle fries that made an American classic feel just a little more elevated. Our experience was delightful and I'd love to comeback here again, especially to check out more of the cocktail menu and soak in more of that golden age aura the place gives.

    Photos
    Valerie
    Valerie
    Valerie

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    Zaab Zaab - thai - Updated July 2026

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