Ma Kariza Madrinan

in the last week

"Excellent dining experience overall. Alex is genuinely warm, professional, and attentive without being intrusive. Their hospitality elevated the meal and made the visit especially enjoyable. Zabb wings, crab fried rice, and prawn curry is the bomb. Don't forget to order the Thai Ice Tea."

Glenn C

2 weeks ago

"Side note- Only adding the fish cheeks dishes. For the rest of the photo and the menu, see my more detailed review. I recently went back to this Thai restaurant for their excellent collaboration with the popular Philadelphia Thai place, Kalaya, which they apparently did before in Philly. A handful of us came here for this $135 (+ tax/tip) meal, which was packed with people, and for very good reason. The price might seem a bit high, but we were served 12 dishes overall, so it was very much worth it. The atmosphere was pleasant, there was plenty of food, and we had a very good time. To drink, they had a couple of collaboration cocktails, and I ordered the Tom Kha Manhattan for $19, with coconut milk-washed Highland and Islay scotch, lemongrass, makrut lime leaf, galangal, sweet vermouth, and cacao. This was a tasty drink, with Thai spices to start, and a mild burn at the end from the scotch, though I would not have minded more peat with the Islay listed. I hope they add it to their regular cocktail list, as I think it would be a hit. For the food below, the appetizers were primarily from Fish Cheeks, while the entrees were from Kalaya, though some dishes had a small collab. My favorite of the appetizers was the Marinated Raw Crab, consisting of blue crab cured in fish sauce and seasoned with fresh lime juice, Thai bird's eye chili, shallots, and fragrant cilantro. Of course, since this was raw crab, it reminded me of a more flavorful version of the standard gejang at Rice Thief. There was plenty of succulent meat and roe, and the dish had a pleasant sourness outside of the spiciness. I also liked the Re Rai with Gaeng Pu, with vermicelli noodles topped with Southern-style crab curry, betel leaf, and makrut lime leaf. These were small bites of the slightly sweet noodles, topped with their excellent moderately spicy curry. I have previously had their Gaeng Pu, and it was again good here, working quite well as a topping. The Zabb Wings, consisting of free-range chicken wings fried with chili, lime, and makrut lime leaf, and served with Kalaya sweet chili sauce, was a bit of a collab but mainly was a dish from this spot, as the sweet chili sauce was honestly not needed with the wings being plenty flavorful on their own. I loved the dry spice blend on the chicken wings, with a touch of sourness and heat (I'm presuming there's also some MSG in there, but I am unsure.) I also liked the Mussel Gorlae, consisting of grilled mussels in gorlae sauce with house-made crispy shallots. The mussels were tender and on skewers. The flavor was a mix of sweet and mild sourness, with a bit of flavor from the grill. The last of the appetizers was the Squid Ink Calamari with stir-fried fresh calamari, squid ink, lemongrass, and fish sauce. I didn't have this dish for obvious reasons, but the rest of the people weren't fans, with the squid being a bit overcooked, and they found the sauce oddly sweet. As the entrees were primarily from Kalaya, I won't go into as many details. There was the Pla Tod Kamin, Lon Tai Pla, Moo Waan, Nor Mai Tom Kati, Gaeng Pae, and Kalum Tod Nam Pla as a vegetable side dish, as well as a small side of ajat, or pickled cucumber. Descriptions of these dishes can be found in the photos, but my preferences were the Nor Mai Tom Kati, which reminded me of rendang, and the Lon Tai Pla, a complex coconut curry that paired nicely with the ground pork. The rest of them were good as well, with the cabbage side being a surprising hit. The dessert, I believe, was a collab as well: Khao Niew Durian, or durian with sweet coconut sticky rice, salted coconut cream, and coconut gelato. I love just about anything made with durian, and this was excellent. The bit of salt helped balance the dessert's overall sweetness, and everything paired nicely with the funky fruit. The sticky rice was also cooked well, and while I've had much stronger coconut gelato, it was still tasty. The four of us thoroughly enjoyed this collab, and I hope it happens again next year. As soon as the crab is on the menu, I'd go back as well."

vivi Chanle

3 weeks ago

"I had dinner at this Thai restaurant and overall it’s a high quality spot with a great atmosphere. They offer a wide selection of wines, and each one comes with suggested food pairings, which I really appreciated. Most of their dishes lean toward the spicy side, but the ones I tried weren’t actually very hot. The only downside for me was that several dishes were noticeably salty. If you’re not eating them with rice, it can feel a bit heavy and you’ll definitely need some water. Service was excellent and the food quality was solid overall. However, out of the two oysters I ordered, one had a slight bitterness and didn’t have that clean, fresh oyster flavor you’d expect. On the other hand, the fried fish was amazing super crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside, and tasted very fresh. For dessert, they only offer one option: the cocoa sticky rice. It was good, but a bit too sweet for my taste. I usually enjoy bold flavors, but this place was even richer and saltier than I expected. I’d recommend pairing the dishes with rice or a salad to balance things out."

Spice&Sis

3 weeks ago

"Fish Cheeks has that bright, lively energy the moment you walk in, colorful, tropical, and instantly welcoming. It's fun without trying too hard, and the atmosphere sets you up for bold flavors, you'll know will hit. FOOD: Market Oysters: I enjoyed it Coconut Crab Curry: rich, creamy, and spicy Zabb Wings (MY FAVORITE, I had 2 servings) salty-tangy seasoning that's addictive Crab Fried Rice: fluffy, fragrant, and loaded with generous real crab meat (MY FAVORITE) Grilled Mackerel: not much to say about this dish, I didn't enjoy it. Great cocktails! refreshing and balanced. Think bright citrus, fresh herbs, and cocktails that actually complement the spice of the dishes, instead of fighting it. The service here fits the vibe, upbeat, warm and efficient. Perfect for groups, date nights, or anyone craving food that wakes up your senses! 🥘 Food: 9/10 🍹Drinks: 9/10 Service:9/10"

Liam Barredo

2 months ago

"‘Fish Cheeks’ is hands-down, my favorite restaurant in all of New York City. The food is incredible. Having eaten almost everything off the menu at one point or another I can honestly say that the flavors are comforting and bold at the same time. My favorites are the curry scallops, Crab curry, The crab fried rice, beef Karpow, The crispy rice salad with pork, The oysters, The raw marinated crab, the tile fish, and how could I forget the Zabb Wings!!! I love the atmosphere of the restaurant, the attention to detail, the bathroom fixtures!!! Every single time I’ve been here the staff has been nothing but inviting and kind. Always eager to answer any questions and attentive. It’s so good that I have to go at least once a month sometimes more ha ha ha ha and I tell everyone that I know to go. Not that fish cheeks needs another great review But I cannot recommend it enough!!"