I looked in the Zagat guide for Thai restaurants in our neighborhood and Wondee Siam came up with the highest rating, an impressive 23.<\/span> The Zagat guide said it was BYO, and that there were three branches in our neck of the woods. We headed for the closest one, which turned out to be Wondee Siam II.<\/p>\n

Josh stopped off at a deli to pick up some Chang beers but we realized too late that this particular branch of Wondee Siam did indeed have a liquor license. No biggie; we put our Changs away and ordered a round of Singha instead. Just FYI, the Wondee Siam that is BYO is at 792 9^{th<\/sup> Ave., between 52^{nd<\/sup> and 53^{rd<\/sup> St.<\/p>\n}}}

$\"Wondee$

Wondee Sampler with two chicken sates, two beef sates, two thai spring rolls, two curry puffs, and two steamed vegetable dumplings<\/p><\/div>\n

Our second appetizer, the papaya salad (som tum), was shredded pieces of fresh papaya tossed with dry shrimp, peanut, string bean, chili, and lime juice. We asked for it to be spicy but it didn\u2019t have too much of a kick to it. Still, the dish was refreshingly crunchy and tangy. It\u2019s a great starter for waking up your taste buds.<\/p>\n

$\"Tangy$

Tangy and refreshing papaya salad<\/p><\/div>\n

We also opted to share our main courses family style. First up was a special of the evening, grilled lamb chops served with vegetables and curry rice. The order came with only three chops so we had to divide them up among the six of us dining that evening, but everyone couldn\u2019t get enough of the dish. There were chunks of peppers, onions, and pineapple mixed in with the curry (I think it was a red curry), which everyone spooned over their rice. I, however, am still not a fan of Thai curry, but I could taste that this was a very good version. People have told me that it must be coconut milk that I dislike, but I enjoy coconut ice cream and pina coladas. There\u2019s also a Chinese dessert made with coconut milk and tapioca pearls that I like, so I\u2019m not sure if that\u2019s really the problem. After eating this particular curry though, I\u2019ve grown to appreciate some Thai curries, though I still don\u2019t like them, if that makes any sense.<\/p>\n

$\"Lamb$

Lamb chop curry<\/p><\/div>\n

The lamb dish came with a pile of curry rice, which tasted like short grain rice flavored with curry powder. It was an interesting twist, but most of us preferred spooning the curry from the lamb over regular white rice.<\/p>\n

$\"A$

A cone of curry rice and a cone of white rice<\/p><\/div>\n

We ordered another special of the evening, soft shell crab with thai herbs. It was crispy deep fried soft shell crab served under a pile of onions and peppers with a brown sauce flavored with thai basil. The crab was cooked perfectly and it was pretty meaty on the inside for soft shell crab. Thai basil sauce is one of the few sauces that I like, so I really enjoyed this dish.<\/p>\n

$\"Soft$

Soft shell crab covered in vegetables and herbs<\/p><\/div>\n

The person who I assumed to be the manager or owner of the restaurant was really pushing the red snapper that night, saying they just got it in fresh. We were looking forward to a whole fish entr\u00e9e so we went for his suggestion and got a whole fried red snapper topped with fresh garlic and spicy chili sauce. Again, the dish didn\u2019t have as much kick as we would have liked, but it was incredibly flavorful. The fish was fried perfectly and had a nice crispy crust on the outside. I\u2019m usually not a fan of red snapper but I loved this version. The wonderful and complex mix of spices in the crust and in the sauce just made it taste authentically Thai.<\/p>\n

$\"Fried$

Fried whole red snapper with garlic and chili sauce<\/p><\/div>\n

And of course I had to get an order of pad thai, which is my standard for all Thai restaurants. This was also a really good version of the dish, as it was not too sweet or overly peanutty. Again, I felt the flavors here were more authentic, and I could taste the tanginess of the fish sauce coming through. The noodles were well cooked and it wasn\u2019t gloppy or mushy. This was one of the best pad thais that I\u2019ve had recently.<\/p>\n

$\"Pad$

Pad thai, of course<\/p><\/div>\n

Overall I really liked Wondee Siam II a lot. The food is nicely spiced and seasoned, and it just tastes more authentic to me than other Thai restaurants I\u2019ve been to in this neighborhood. Prices aren\u2019t as dirt cheap as some other places in the area but the food is still pretty reasonably priced. We had a lot of food that fed six people easily plus a round of drinks, and it came out to about $25\/person after tax and tip. I would definitely recommend this place to someone who is a bit more adventurous when it comes to Thai cuisine and is looking for something more than just the standard Americanized dishes. I don\u2019t know how all the Wondee Siams are related but I hope the food is as good at the BYO branch, which I plan on trying next.
\n <\/em><\/p>\n

Wondee Siam II<\/a> (multiple locations)
\n813 9<\/em>^{th<\/em><\/sup> Ave. between 53<\/em>^{rd<\/em><\/sup> and 54<\/em>^{th<\/em><\/sup> St.
\nNew York, NY<\/em><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"}}}