Wondee Siam

[Pan]

I went to Wondee for the first time tonight, and I had possibly my best-ever Thai meal in Manhattan, almost certainly my best in the last 15 years or so. I told the waiter that we like not very sweet and Thai style. We got an excellent Yum Talay (seafood salad), the day's fish special (deep-fried red snapper with sweet/chili sauce), and a generous appetizer portion of pork with fresh turmeric/lemongrass sauce, an enthusiastic recommendation from the waiter (he said it was awesome, and it was in fact great). My only slight criticism is that the red snapper wasn't entirely fresh, but hey, it's July 4, so they couldn't have gotten it fresh today. The seafood in the salad (squid, scallops, mussels) tasted very fresh, which I presume is because it was frozen or on ice (a good thing). Everything was sneaky spicy - moderate at first, but ended up buzzing our mouths. The lemongrass was very fresh and all easily edible. Just an excellent meal, with delicious, balanced flavors. We parted with the waiter on friendly terms, with him telling us he hopes to see us soon and will recommend more Thai-style dishes for us. We told him we will indeed see him soon.

One word of advice: Our waiter told us that if you want Thai style, you need to say that right away when ordering, because they cook very differently for Thai style than for non-Thai style.

792 9th Av., between 52nd and 53rd

(212) 582-0355

It's a small restaurant, so no reservations. Cash only.

[gastrodamus]

i agree that the original wondee is one of the best in NYC. SE wrote about the secret menu, which now sits on every table and i think has changed a little bit since. they also offer a raw shrimp dish that i enjoyed but it's not for everyone. if you love raw garlic, it's worth a try. i reco their mieng ka na and pork kra prow with a fried egg. wondee siam 2's secret menu isn't as extensive but they deliver. the portions seem to shrink in the to-go containers and some dishes aren't as well prepared as the first location. it's still pretty solid. haven't heard great things about the newer locations.

[Pan]

Our waiter said that Wondee II makes their food too sweet. I think the Thai-language menu is more extensive than the "secret Thai" menu in English, and I don't know whether the pork special was on any menu (we don't read Thai).

[Sethro]

I like Wondee best out of all the Hell's Kitchen options, and I often get my chops busted for that. I also like savory food sweeter then most, so I don't ever bother asking for "Thai Style", but I do ask for "spicy". I don't require extreme heat but most Manhattan Thai isn't aggressive enough for me.

My Manhattan go-to is still Land Thai Kitchen, but only for take out, as it is the most uncomfortable dining room imaginable.

[Sneakeater]

Obligatory shout-out to Rhong Tiam as being near if not at the top of Manhattan Thai (IMO).

[Eatmywords]

The couple times I went to Wondee and granted this was a few yrs ago, before the so called “secret” menu, I found it pretty standard Americanized Thai. Wasn’t bad just nothing special. Wondee 2, I thought more competent with their combo seafood dishes and a solid country curry. But neither compared to Pam’s depth and authenticity and none of them have been as good as the recent meal I had at Rhong Tiam (as Sneak referred to). I wouldn’t mind getting back to try that special menu though as I’ve read several positive comments besides here. Too bad I don’t live around the block anymore.

[Pan]

I've had good meals at Pam, and when I got served their som tom in Thai style, it was great, but none of my meals at Pam have been nearly as good as that meal at Wondee. And no way were the dishes we got Americanized. My guess is that even when people order from the "secret Thai" menu at Wondee, they may need to convince the waiter that they really want the real Thai taste. It helped a lot that my girlfriend told the waiter that I grew up in Malaysia (it was actually just two years of my childhood, but that was the right message for him, and he took us totally seriously from then on). I still haven't been to Rhong Tiam but have noted some pretty radically conflicting evaluations of it in reports. My guess is that any trip there will be on a whim or just because I'm in the area (though it really is just a 15-minute walk from my place, at most).