Pranakhon – Bangkok street food in New York City

When Leah and I meet for dinner, we usually end up at good old Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, but the other day we decided to switch things up a bit, and try something different, so we ended up going to Pranakhon, which is a Thai restaurant that Leah had been to before and really enjoyed.

I hadn’t eaten Thai food since my last trip to Thailand, so I was eager to see how Pranakhon would stack up against the still vivid memories of wonderful restaurants I tried in Bangkok.

Thai food outside of Thailand often leaves me disappointed because it often falls short in terms of authenticity and flavor. Fortunately, New York City is quite an exception, and I’m always amazed by how many wonderful, authentic cuisines you’ll find represented in the city. Pranakhon turned out to be an excellent choice, and the food we ordered was delicious and unmistakably Thai. We had crab curry, which is served decomposed, so you pour over the noodles and mix in the other ingredients yourself. It was very tasty and creamy, although I wished there had been a bit more of both the curry/sauce and the crab.

Grilled pork with jaew dipping sauce is something I’m always excited to see on the menu. It’s a really simple dish with grilled, marinated pork, but the sauce makes all the difference; paired with the fatty cut of pork, the hot, spicy and slightly sour Jaew sauce is simply divine, and I’m so happy we ordered that.

For nostalgic reasons, we also had Pad Krapow with ground pork. This was one of the last dishes I ate on my previous trip to Thailand, and this is one of the dishes that I never get tired of. It’s a straightforward dish with ground pork over rice, Thai basil, and a fried egg on top. When done right, it’s some of the best Thai comfort food you can find, and Pranakhon’s version definitely passed the test. Really good Thai food in New York City!

Notes: Had a table outside which was super cozy. Portions are big. We initially considered getting a soup, but luckily we convinced ourselves that the three dishes we ended up ordering would be enough. The Thai iced tea was delicious.

Pranakhon, 88 University Pl, New York, NY 10003, United States