Where the Co-Owners Behind Fish Cheeks and Bangkok Supper Club Eat Thai Food in NYC

Jaew Hon, a hot pot restaurant in Jackson Heights, is a favorite because it focuses on a regional specialty rarely found in New York. “I grew up in Thailand and came here when I was 22. When I came here, there was nothing like this,” says Suansilphong. “We value cuisine that is specialized and tastes the way that we would serve it in Thailand.” The menu is intentionally narrow: guests choose a broth, then select meats and vegetables to cook in the simmering pot. “Jaew Hon is dedicated to hot pot, so they don’t throw like fried rice or other dishes on the menu. They perfect what they have, and that’s what Thai cooking is all about,” he says.

“At Hug Esan, the majority of the food is Northeastern Thai food. Som Tam, the papaya salad, is amazing. The fermented fish and papaya salad, those are my favorite,” says Saesue. Suansilphong adds that he returns on Saturdays and Sundays for the weekend fried chicken special. “It’s just like what I grew up eating,” he says. “When my grandma would take me to a market in Thailand, that's what they sell over there. Sticky rice, spicy sauce, sweet sauce, and papaya salad. That combination is crazy.”

“Khao Kang and Hug Esan, they are specialists. They don’t go broad,” says Suansilphong. But rather than highlight a single region, Khao Kang channels a popular daytime restaurant style found throughout Thailand. “Khao Kang is cafeteria style, so they cook a bunch of different dishes,” says Saesue. “It’s great because you can get a little bit of this and a little bit of that.”

This Queens staple, which will soon open a second location in the East Village, is another favorite of the duo. Both chefs praise the restaurant’s signature khao mun gai, a simple dish of poached chicken in a gingery broth served with rice and cucumbers, which is “basically a Thai version of Hainanese chicken and rice,” says Saesue.

“I have a soft spot for SriPraPhai. They've been around for so long, and I’m so happy they have withstood the test of time,” says Saesue. Since the ’90s, SriPraPhai has served a menu with nearly any traditional Thai dish you could want. “Even though they have a broader menu, which is respectfully not really my style, they make everything well,” says Suansilphong. “I like the Tom Yum Pork Leg. It’s a spicy soup with a lot of Tom Yum herbs like lemongrass, garlic, cilantro, and kaffir lime leaf with braised pork leg. I think that's my favorite.”

Another Thai restaurant with a more expansive menu that Saesue and Suansilphong gravitate toward is Wondee Siam in Hell’s Kitchen, known for dishes such as Tom Ka, Larb Gai, and a wide range of curries. “Wondee Siam and SriPraPhai, those are the OGs. Those are the people that came here first,” says Suansilphong.