Ground floor of the Thompson Hotel
60 Thompson Street (between Spring and Broome)New York, New York
212.219.2000
www.kittichairestaurant.com
5 Second Summary:
Price Range- Dinner Entrees $22-28, Lunch Entrees $11-15, Three-Course Lunch Price Fixe $20 (at time of posting)
Ambiance- Elegant, and upscale but comfortable and unpretentious
Cuisine- Modern, authentic Thai
Hits- Strong visual appeal in both decor and food presentation, spot-on flavors beautifully executed
Misses- We didn’t eat here sooner. (Go make a reservation… now!)

During Restaurant Week last season, my sister Allison, her boyfriend Will, my boyfriend Rich, and I desperately wanted to try Kittichai. We simply couldn’t get our schedules together, and before we knew it, Restaurant Week had come and gone. Rich and I ventured to other venues, found them disappointing, and nearly swore off the hubbub of Restaurant Week altogether.
Totally on top of my game since I don’t work in the summer, I was on Restaurant Week reservations like a turkey vulture this season. We got to Kittichai a little later than we’d wanted, but better late than never. On a beautiful, sunny Sunday, we strolled around SoHo, past the bamboo-lined, white-linen-curtained outdoor dining pagodas and into a lounge space that played with light and color before plunging into the exquisite darkness of the dining area.

Walking past the fresh fruit lining the bar, there was no way we couldn’t order some of Kittichai’s specialty cocktails to start.



The main dining room is decorated in warm, wooden hues with a reflecting pool at the room’s center. Folded paper flowers suspended over lotus leaves and floating candles emanate calm. Backlit drapes in subtle yellows with some red, orange, and rose set an elegant tone. Tables are spotlighted, and glass, wood, and metal bring a harmony of elements.








Allison and Will each had the flourless valrhona chocolate cake, which came wrapped and pinned in a lovely little banana leaf package and served with an egg-shaped dollop of fresh cream. The cake didn’t even need to be chewed; it simply melted in the mouth, and the rich valrhona chocolate was truly a gift.



I had jasmine flan served in a whimsical banana leaf tent with a coconut-jasmine rice tuille. Another good surprise, which wasn’t on the menu, was the jasmine ice cream, embedded with pieces of rice for texture and bite, and berries on a smear of vinegar and sugar. The tuille tasted plain, and I didn’t get the coconut or jasmine strongly, but the flan and ice cream had a beautiful flowery flavor, and the texture of the custardy flan was divine.

Our only regret was not coming sooner, and I hesitate to share this special place because there are some gems I like keeping to myself. That said, I’d like to see Kittichai do well, and I wish them every success. We’ve been to far too many places who take the easy way out during Restaurant Week; Kittichai was not one of them. There was no resting on laurels or idly sitting by, as you sometimes get with bigger names. Executive Chef Pongtawat “Ian” Chalermkittichai, formerly of Napa’s French Laundry and the Four Seasons in Bangkok, put tremendous effort and love into every dish. You can taste when someone loves what they do.

Would we come back? Absolutely. See you there.