Why Come Here? Elevated Thai cooking with authentic flavors, lively atmosphere
Recommended for 2: 2 apps/2 entrees or 4 apps/1 entree
Betel Leaf Wrap
Having spent five weeks in Thailand, I like to consider myself a Thai aficionado of sorts. So any time a new “authentic” Thai restaurant opens up in NYC, especially one manned by cooks from Per Se, I get pretty excited. And I am happy to report that Uncle Boons did not let me down.
The decor at Uncle Boons is meant to resemble a “typical Thai house in the ’60s and ’70s.” Apparently Thais used to cover their walls in a large collection of eclectic photos and their ceilings in a series of non-matching chandeliers. Who knew, but at least it makes for some nice conversation pieces. Combined with the brick walls and dim lighting, it’s a cool space you can easily bring a date or group of friends. They only take a limited number of reservations each night, but we only waited about an hour walking in on a Friday. Luckily there are many bars nearby and the mait’re d will send you a text when your table is ready.
The food is positioned as “Thai-style drinking food.” I’m not quite sure what to make of that as I’ve yet to find any Thai food that isn’t better with some booze. I supposed some sections of the menu do lend themselves more towards drinking such as “Char Grilled Goodies” and “small plates / Thai drinking food” (ok fine). There’s also a selection of large plates with more upscale Thai dishes, many of which you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere in the city. Overall there are a lot of intriguing dishes and I look forward to going back to try some more. Here are my thoughts on what we had:
Crispy Skate
Massaman Neuh (Beef Rib Massaman Curry) 
Spicy, flavorful and not too heavy on the coconut milk, this is one of the best curries I’ve had in New York. You’ll want to order a roti to sop up the extra.
Mieng Kum (Betel Leaf Wrap) Ginger, lime, dried shrimp, coconut and chilies on an edible leaf. So yeah, it hits pretty much every flavor you can imagine. Which makes it a great snack to start the meal.
Kanom Jiin Nahm Yaa (Crispy Skate w/wild ginger sauce) 
The skate and tangy ginger sauce make for a lighter dish that helps balance some of the spicier dishes on the menu.
Sai Krok Ampai (Pork Sour Sausage) 
I ordered this one after having a phenomenal sour pork sausage on the streets on Chiang Mai earlier this year. While some of the same flavors were there, I found the pork a little too fatty.
Uncle Boons
7 Spring Street (Elizabeth & Bowery)
New York, NY
