Sabai Thai — Restaurant in New York

I came here recently with a friend who was visiting from out of the country. Now, I am not from the city and had just gotten off a 3 hour journey to meet up with them. Safe to say we were excited to catch up, especially since it had been over a year since we last saw each other.

That being said, I come to the city quite often and had made reservations for the bar knowing we would be coming in at a really busy time. When we walked in, we were greeted and quickly sat at the bar, however, as soon as we sat all we felt was pressure and rush to order, to place our main orders in, and afterwards to essentially pay and leave.

For context we originally ordered apps to share and I ordered a cocktail and a soda. My friend was not planning on ordering a main but I was. I also wanted to order another cocktail or two. But once we finished our apps we had already been asked at least twice if we were ordering anything else and they repeatedly kept asking her if she wanted a cocktail after she had explicitly stated she wanted water.

I understand that you are busy and that we had booked at a busy time, but my friend and I were clearly enjoying ourselves, catching up, and literally couldn’t get through a topic of conversation without the hostess interrupting us and asking if we were ordering anything else, taking away our menus or asking if were done.

It’s really unpleasant to come to a restaurant and feel like your being rushed out or expected to order under a time crunch. For reference we were in and out in about 45 min total.

I would have loved to have been able to order a main, another cocktail, because the apps and cocktail I did order were really good. I also would have loved to have been able to spend some time with my friend in a more pleasant and * hospitable* environment.

Idk where we’re headed as a society and country if one of the last remaining high quality experiences you can have here, aka dining, has gotten to the point where you can’t even have a nice dinner with a friend from out of town without being made to feel like the restaurant is doing you a favor for allowing you to grace them with their presence. But hey let it all be for the...

Came here for an early dinner with a large group, and shared the Papaya salad, duck entree, kha soi, pad thai, pad si ew, and pad kra pow.

Ambiance & service is great, and the food was really good too.

Papaya salad: 8.5/10 - very fresh with the perfect amount of sour. The toasted nuts were a great touch, and I found that the overall texture combination of the ingredients played well together.

Kha soi: 8.5/10 - the soup was rich in flavour, with a combination of sour and sweet. I thought the noodles could be a little more chewy, but still one of the better khao soi dishes i’ve had.

Green curry: 7/10 - while the flavour of the herbs were very much alive, it was spicier than anticipated and almost a little bitter in some ways. If you are a big green curry fan I do recommend you try it, but if you aren’t, i would opt for other dishes.

Duck entree (i forget the name): 8/10 - the basil-y sauce was so good and the duck was well cooked, but i have also tasted juicier, more tender duck in other thai restaurants. I thought it lost some of its outer skin crispiness from the sauce, but otherwise a great dish.

Pad thai: 8/10 - was on the saucier side of pad thai I have had before. Could also have more shrimp. If you like pad thai with a richer flavour, this will be good for you!

Pad si ew: 8.5/10 - the noodles were well textured and the sauce was perfect—not too sweet yet hits the spot.

Pad kra pow: 7.5/10 - i thought the rice could be a little crispier, and more flavourful.

Keep in mind, these reviews may be biased as I have a personal preference for one thai dish over the other. That being said, overall, this restaurant was great & the food...

I had an absolutely wonderful dining experience at Sabai Thai in New York. From the moment I walked in, I was impressed by the warm, welcoming atmosphere. The interior is cozy yet elegant, with tasteful décor that creates an inviting and relaxing environment. It’s perfect for a casual night out or a special dinner.

The service was outstanding — the staff were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive without being intrusive. They took time to explain the menu and made thoughtful recommendations based on our preferences.

Now let’s talk about the food — absolutely delicious! Every dish we tried was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The Pad Thai was perfectly balanced, not too sweet, and the noodles were just the right texture. The Green Curry was rich and aromatic, with a good level of spice and generous portions of chicken and vegetables. The Mango Sticky Rice dessert was the perfect ending — sweet, creamy, and fragrant.

What really stood out to me was the authenticity of the flavors and the care put into every detail. You can tell they use quality ingredients and cook with passion.

I highly recommend Sabai Thai to anyone looking for top-notch Thai cuisine in New York. I will definitely be...