Tha Phraya

Best Thai food on the UES!! We frequently order lunch from here for the office, and their noodles are great. Food is well seasoned, not too sweet (unlike Up Thai).I have also eaten here in person both lunch and dinner and it's fantastic. The staff is super sweet, food comes fast, and they try to accommodate your requests. The beef curry (penang something) and the spring rolls are my favorite things here. The spring rolls are slightly spicy, fragrant with lemongrass and super crispy.

Been here several times now and only now getting to write a review. Recently recognized with a Michelin Bib in 2024, I was actually kind of surprised. First of all as far as affordability goes I think a lot of places don't really meet what I consider affordable when Michelin does, but I suppose it's relative to the Michelin star places. Even still you're paying 25-30 for an entree.I grew up near Little Thailand and my expectations for Thai food are very high. My issue with Thai spots in the city often forego authenticity and flavor for a higher price tag. Though the rent is higher and this is somewhat similar, I've come to the conclusion that this spot is doing a service to Manhattan and ESPECIALLY the food desert that is UES.First of all it is actually authentic with a sleek modern vibe. The food is solid - but def not the best Thai food in NYC by far, but still solid/quite good. Crab Lava Rice - one of their unique items, although the crab flavor I would've liked run through the rice more and more sauce.Pad See Ew - was pretty good as far as these go, and I use this as my standard for how good a Thai place does their "classic" dishes. Chewy noodles, good sauce, though the chicken could be more tenderSpring Rolls - even tho there's no sauce these meat filled spring rolls are actually quite delicious ! I recommend these which have a gentle heat and nice tender meat interior and great crunch.Khao soi- traditional northern Thai dish which is a standout and hard to get, I would recommend this if you want to try something new, they have a solid one

Tha Phraya was bustling the evening I walked by. I was curious and had heard its name, so I decided to see what the wait was for just myself. Luckily, there was one open seat at the bar, and I was seated immediately.Walking in and first sitting down, the interior had a cozy feel. The seating at Tha Phraya is very crowded, but this did not take away from the overall experience as I was not with a group. As it was a spontaneous visit, I was not familiar with the menu. Still, the waiter was extremely helpful and patient with me and offered suggestions based on my taste preferences. To start, I had the Miang-Kham, which was a very refreshing and interactive plate. The dish consists of essential Thai aromatics (ginger, lime, dried shrimp, coconut, shallots, and sliced chili pepper), as well as a small serving of what I believe was a plum sauce -- altogether culminating inside of the leaf wrapper like a bomb of diverse flavor -- spicy, sweet, sour, salty.For the main course, I went with the Panang Nuea. I was initially eyeing the Paloh Hang, but I decided to try something different. When I visit Tha Phraya again I will try an item from their featured menu. I first noticed the layer of oil that had separated at the top of the bowl from the rest of the dish, but after the first bite, I kept digging in. Overall, my experience at Tha Phraya was enjoyable, especially given it was a very out-of-the-blue decision. It was a mix of surprise, refreshment, and comfort.

Came here for dinner on a Thursday. We had reservations for 6 so there was no wait. Super nice little restaurant, with a bar area. The server we had was very nice and pretty attentive. We ordered the Curry Puffs and Tom Kha Pla Tod for an appetizer, and the Crab Fried Rice Lava and Zabb Hang for the entree. The curry puffs were delicious and flavorful especially after dipped in the sauce. The soup was also very good and had a nice, sweet flavor. The branzino was crispy despite being soaked in the soup. The crab fried rice was my favorite, so flavorful especially with the sauce they give you on the side. The zabb hang was tasty too, just not my favorite. We also ordered a thai tea to share which was also very good and not too sweet! The bill came out to about $100 total for all the food which is not too bad. Excited to come back and try some different items off of the menu!

When I heard rumors swirling about a contender for the best Thai food in NYC being on the Upper East Side, I quickly dismissed it. Everyone knows the Upper East Side is traditionally the culinary desert of Manhattan.However, I looked up Tha Phraya and it has 4.9 stars on 867 reviews on Google Maps. I was SHOCKED. Those are first team All NBA numbers.I made the trek from the East Village to the Upper East Side with my big bro. Whenever my big bro and I go out to eat together, it's biblical. He's the one friend who can eat as much as me. Together we consume the amount of food of 4-5 average civilians.When we walked in, I turned to him and said "are they Soothr's sister restaurant?" as the vibe in here felt like an alternate universe Soothr. It turns out the co-owner, Manna Che, previously worked there. I knew I was in good hands.We sat down and debated over the menu like it was the Declaration of Independence. After some strong deliberation and civil discourse, and with the help of our waitress, we decided on the following: Miang-Kham, Chicken Wings, Beef Pad See Iew, Pad-Ka-Prow, Paloh Hang (carmelized pork belly), Crispy Whole Branzino, Chicken Khao Soi, and the Crab Fried Rice. A FEAST!We are only 31 days into the year, but this is the best meal I've had this year and it's not close. I normally highlight 1 or 2 dishes and really dig into what made them great, but almost EVERYTHING was "the one."The only dish I could have done without was the Miang-Kham, as I didn't love the texture of the betel leaves, but that's a personal preference.I loved how the menu had a mix of more familiar thai foods like Pad Thai or Pad See Iew, and more adventurous regional thai dishes that you don't typically see on menus. Something for everyone in here.My big bro is so critical of restaurants, and he shared my sentiments. The first bite of everything had him "Oh my God this is unreal." High praise from Big bro.My only regret is not getting the waitresses name, as she was a rockstar. White glove service in here.I gotta start putting more respect on the UES. THANK YOU THA PHRAYA! THANK YOU MANNA! IG @jnov_Tiktok @jnov__

KK, I might have to take back my previous thoughts about the UES being a dead zone for all things culinary. This ain't no Chalong Thai, but it's in the ballpark--which is more than I can say for most of the city's Thai restaurants.We started with the Sai-ua Spring Rolls, which were crispy and savory. The Nam Tok Moo hit home in that way that only boat noodles and broth can. The Crab Fried Rice Lava was one of the best ones I've had, with plenty of juicy fresh crab meat to satisfy my aquatic cravings. And the classic Mango Sticky Rice had the perfect textures of "not too sweet" that we all seek in this dessert. Wash it all down with the herb-y Lucky Draw, and you have a pretty fine meal.

Food and cocktails, and service absolutely amazing. I was really impressed with the dishes we ordered! Will look for pics--Insanely loud in here, but I'll pass this...

One of the more interesting options in the UES, Tha Phraya features one of the better Thai options in Manhattan, with a fairly traditional Thai dishes that don't seem to focus on any specific region.We tried the pomelo salad, a personal favorite of mine, which was nice and refreshing. A good balance of salty and sweet. The crab fried rice was a natural crowd pleaser with a runny omelette and lumps of crab served on top. The boat noodles, sort of a Thai version of pho, ended up being the best thing we ordered. Light yet deep with beefy flavor, I highly recommend ordering. Service was great. Our server was a trainee and did a fantastic job. The restaurant is well-decorated and not too loud, a great spot to take a date.

Thai food here was abs delicious! It felt dim and intimate at the same time. First time trying Thai on the upper east side and they didn't disappoint! I'm usually not the biggest rice person but the fried rice here was delicious! I would prefer the rice over the noodles here but they were both great Crab fried rice 5/5: the egg was perfectly cooked and they give a generous of crab where every bite you can get a piece of crab; fried rice was perf made with bit by bit of rice not sticking together Seafood pad kee mao 4.5/5: may not look spicy but it def has a kick! And seafood portion was generous, noodle was the big flat ones and it was bouncy! Nuer Toon Mor Fai 3.5/5: the beef was super tender and juicy but the soup base was too strong and sweet with all the spices for me

This is now my favorite Thai spot in NYC, a close second would be Thai Diner. My favorite dish was the duck breast curry with lychee!!! The curry was so flavorful and had a little bit of a kick, but not so much that I was dying. Also really loved the crab fried rice lava -- it comes with this amazing green sauce that I want to pour all over everything. We also got the crab curry "Kang Pu" which came with vermicelli for you to pour the curry over them. Loved every dish. The spring rolls were highly recommended by our server Chris and he was SO right!!! So flavorful. I've never had spring rolls like these before. Curry puffs were good as usual (comes in 3).For dessert, we got mango sticky rice and it really hit the spot. Warm fragrant sticky rice with cold juicy mangoes. Our server Chris was on point with all his recommendations. Will definitely come back!!P.s. they also have specialty cocktails!! I loved my Pandan one.