Using a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being excellent thai food, I think Chai NY is a solid 6. When you enter the restaurant, your immediate thoughts surround the size of the place (very small) and the design concept. The eclectic motif reeks of a new restaurant trying way too hard to be 'mod' or trendy. Although, I did like the small pond with pods they had by the front door. The seats despite initial appearances were comfortable and the waitstaff is friendly. However, I did not like the fact that our waitress cleaned the table while we were still sitting there with a dirty rag or how, almost immediately, our plates were taken up after our final bite. Things like that, in a restaurant experience, are nuanced and I'm not sure Chai NY has picked up on that yet. The food itself was generally bland, which is not something I typically associate with Thai. My appetizer was good, I had the corn fritters but even that needed lots of sauce. The lunch special is a great deal in these tough times and offers a choice of salad or spring rolls with good sizable entrees. The portion was just right but again the entree was bland although, there was evidence in the spices used of a fair attempt at flavor. All in all, Chai NY is a very average thai restaurant. I felt a bit cheated after I left, wishing I'd just ordered take out at my local Thai place (which is excellent, btw AM Chili Basil in Brooklyn). NY has an extremely competitive market for dining and Chai NY needs a lot of fine tuning.
Pros: An eclectic motif that will keep the conversation going.
Cons: Bland thai food...nothing mind blowing here.
Chai NY
