Arom Dee Thai — Restaurant in New York

There are a good amount of very good Thai places in Queens, especially around the Elmhurst area. But when it comes to Manhattan and Brooklyn, the pickings of excellent Thai restaurants is more slim pickings and most run in the ranks of good to acceptable, mostly because they Americanize the ingredients or tame down the spice to almost non existence when there should be at least some kind of kick to certain dishes. It is especially hard to find a top tier Thai restaurant around the Bensonhurst, Sunset Park, Bay Ridge area.

Arom Dee Thai that recently opened up at the edge of Bay Ridge might be able to change all that with dishes that reminds my tastes buds of what I was able to get during my travels in Thailand over the years.

My group of 5 ordered way too many dishes to write here without this review being more long winded as it already is so I would just write about a few dishes worth mentioning for various reasons. Just note that the other dishes in my photos are pretty good to excellent for the most part.

Starting with the Thai Ice tea. I was pleasantly surprised to be asked how sweet I want the drink to be. I asked for mildly sweet and that was what I got. For me, this is the first Thai restaurant that let me customize my tea drink. Sometimes I find some places make theirs too sweet for my taste and it is nice to have some say in it.

If there is any dish I would recommend to get if you have to chose one dish from the ones I've tried so far, it would be the Khao Soi. It is among my favorite dish from Northern Thailand, and it is surprisingly hard to find a very good version that would stand up to my memories of the dish. I came across a few that were competent and a few that are just not how a Khao Soi should be, especially with the texture of the noodles. But here, it is almost as close as I could get so far without buying a plane ticket to Chiang Mai to scratch my Khao Soi itch. Coconut creamy flavored curry broth with firm noodles and fork tender chicken drumstick and a contrasting fried noodles on top, I could eat this all day. We were told that this dish was popular enough with the other patrons that on certain days it might be sold out as it takes hours to prepare the broth.

The Pad Thai was slightly on the sweeter side for 2 out of 5 of us but that is probably just a matter of preference. Just wanted to make sure some people are aware of that. Otherwise, it is a very good version of pad Thai with good contrasting textures.

The Pad Gra Prow, we expected it to be the version with spicy minced meat mixed with a ton of Thai Basil topped with a runny egg yolk from a duck or chicken which is the version we are more familiar with. Here there was no egg and the meat was not minced but we still loved the dish. So much flavor with a small kick from the peppers. It is just a different version of the dish that is just as good.

Talking about food with a kick, a table across from us mentioned that her dish was too spicy for her. The owners took it back and said they would see what they could do. Not sure what they did but the rest of the meal the lady was happily eating with a smile.

The desert menu is on the more limited side with only 4 items to choose from but the owners said that they were working to see if they could add more items to that part of the menu. We went on mother's day so they gave us a free desert of some kind if coconut sweet in tin cups and they were amazing. It was also not on the menu but we were told that this might potentially make it to the menu in the future as they were testing it out that night. If you want to which one I'm taking about, look for the dessert with the purple flowers in my photos.

After this meal, I could say for sure I would be back to try out other dishes, and probably to get more of that Khoa Soi. I have been eyeing a few of the whole fish menu items but could not fit it into this meal without over stuffing ourselves so we have that to look forward to. Till next time and welcome to the...

A Hidden Gem Worth Discovering!

From the moment we stepped in, this adorable and charming restaurant completely won me over. The owner and chef greeted us with such warmth and kindness, personally seating us at a cozy spot I absolutely loved.

Even the small details stood out—like their elegant, cute water glasses, which added a special touch to the dining experience.

We started with the Beef Tostada, which turned out to be the best appetizer of the night. I wasn’t sure when I ordered it, but the moment it arrived, I couldn’t resist. The presentation was beautiful, and the taste even better—bursting with flavor and texture. Everyone should try it!

Next came the Chicken Satay—it gave me a sense of warmth and nostalgia, like being served a home-cooked meal in a small Thai village, lovingly prepared by a grandmother for her guests.

For the main course, I had the Chef Crush—how cute is that name?—and chose the Tamarind Duck with brown rice. It was absolutely fantastic, rich with flavor and perfectly cooked. We were so happy and satisfied with everything we ordered.

Then came dessert: Sticky Rice with Mango. I usually don’t like coconut, but this dish changed my mind. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and I genuinely enjoyed every bite.

Before we left, one of the owners kindly suggested dishes to try on our next visit. We couldn’t resist taking something to go—Spicy Chicken Pad Kee Mao, which we’re already excited to try!

To anyone considering a visit—you won’t regret it. Every dish was incredible, and the hospitality made the entire experience unforgettable. I can’t wait...

Bay Ridge needed a stand out Thai restaurant and by golly I think one just opened up! Arom Dee Thai may only be a month new and need additions to their decor and menu compared to some of my favorite Thai spotswhich are in Park Slope and Queens but Arom Dee Thai is doing a fantastic job so far with very delicious food and excellent service. On a Sunday night we arrived at 8:30pm for a late dinner while our usual other dinner options were closed or closing and our usual Thai favs meant a drive to Park Slope so we decided to stay nearby and give Arom Dee Thai a try with its great reviews being a newcomer to the Bay Ridge area. In the past I felt Bay Ridge needed more Thai options and more recently with a few new Thai spots we needed a stand out - I am pleasantly reporting that Arom Dee Thai is just this. The manager is pleasant and friendly as well as speaking different languages. The food is on par with some of our go to Thai restaurants in NYC. We ordered the Tofu Pad Thai. It was excellent, filled with ingredients, proper flavors, and noodles were not overly cooked or soggy/mushy. The green curry with chicken was excellent with a spicy hot kick, loaded with ingredients, nice flavor, abiet they used regular Asian eggplant instead of Thai eggplant. Price wise it's a tad more than expected being at the beginning of the 3rd Avenue strip in Bay Ridge vs say Manhattan or Park Slope but for taste, quality, and service Arom Dee Thai is now one of my go to Thai spots especially when I want to stay...