Hug Esan — Restaurant in New York

%% update Dec 10, 2022

We been here many times since the first visit and never disappointed. There may be many Thai Esan restaurants around the area but one that I always choose is here. The food quality and taste never disappointed me and you can customize the level of spiciness here to meet your expectations. I am not hesitant to bring my 8 and 6 year old to this restaurant. In fact, they both love this restaurant!

Here is the lists of the menu I would recommend, Larb Ped Udon (Larb Duck) Yum Nam Know Tod (Crunchy fried rice with Thai Chiliy paste and preserved pork) This is awesome menu. Som Tum (Thai & Pra ra (Preserved fish) ) Moo cook Phun ( Pork Shoulder with Roasted Rice) Not spicy for kid with sticky rice. Moo Tod num play (Pork Belly with fish source) kids friendly menu and its nice with Sticky rice Kai Yang (Grill Chicken) Another kids friendly menu. Very Crispy skin and a juicy boneless dark meat. This is one of the best! Try with their souces and that is another level! Larb Nua (If you don't eat pork or duck, this is alternative. Authentic favor and I completely love it! Pra Tod (Fried Fish) Crispy Fried Fish. Another kids friendly.

Tub wan (Spicy pork liver with roasted rice) is awesome if you want to taste authentic!

There are still more menu and surely I would recommend this place to my friends or family. One downside is the table is quite limited. You may call them to reserve the table if you have a big party. The level of service is exceptional.

Small but cozy restaurant for who wanted to taste the authentic north east Thai food. Service is very good. Combo set worth every dollar and suits 2 to 3 people. If you can resist another level of spicy, try the medium spicy instead of mild that will bring the favor to another level. I have visited this place almost every time I went to...

I had a really disappointing experience at this Thai restaurant, and I feel compelled to share it. My wife and I arrived five minutes before opening, and the staff kindly let us in early, which we appreciated. They told us to pick any table, so we chose one in a quieter, low-traffic area. However, we were quickly told we couldn’t sit there because the table we chose is for 3 people, despite the initial instruction to sit anywhere. Okay, no big deal, we moved to another table. Then, a group of five arrived after us, and we were asked to move to accommodate them. We stayed patient and relocated without complaint. But things got worse from there. While waiting to order, another customer who arrived well after us demanded their order be taken first. Shockingly, the host complied, bypassing us entirely, even though we’d made it clear we were ready to order. After that, the hostess took yet another table’s order before getting back to us, which felt unfair and disrespectful. When I politely pointed out that we were the first to arrive and still hadn’t been served, the waitress insisted she’d take our order next. The whole experience felt chaotic and unwelcoming, and the hostess’s attitude came across as dismissive. It felt like we were being brushed aside, and that’s not how you treat customers. In the end, we decided to leave without eating because we didn’t feel valued or respected. I was really looking forward to trying the food, but the poor service and what felt like discriminatory treatment left a bad taste. I hope the restaurant management takes this feedback seriously and improves their customer service, because no one should feel ignored or sidelined when they’re just trying to enjoy a meal specially they were not even busy to begin with because they just opened...

What started as a promising dining experience at a cozy, intimate restaurant quickly turned sour due to the lackluster service from the server. With a total of 11 adults seated across three tables in this small establishment, the stage was set for the server to provide attentive, personalized attention. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The server seemed distracted and disengaged, often hiding behind the counter and disappearing from view when we want to request something. In a space as compact as this restaurant, it was bewildering that the server could not maintain a consistent presence and visibility throughout the meal.

As the dinner progressed, the issues only compounded. The food was enjoyable, but the server's absence made it difficult for the diners to order additional items, such as dessert. By the time the meal was wrapping up, we even tried to arrange for a group photo, only to be met with an expression from the server that made it clear she was eager for the party to depart. Ultimately, we (6 adults) spent a sizable $240 on the dinner, but the lack of attentive, hospitable service left a sour taste that eclipsed the positive aspects of the dining experience. I would not be returning to this establishment, as the subpar customer service overshadowed any merits the restaurant may have...