Restaurateurs M & P have created a new culinary formula for Thai cooking. Q2 = Quality x Quantity. Every dish boasts large portions at agreeable prices and proves that the best Thai food doesn't have to come from mom-and-pop shops. Q2's decor brings some retro-sleek flair to Ninth Avenue, but there's nothing old school about Q2 Thai.This casual midtown eatery is every bit avant-garde American in design as it is traditional Thai in taste. Under the supervision of co-owner and Executive Chef Koh (whose restaurants include Hell's Kitchen Aceluck and Aura), the kitchen puts out authentic entrees and memorable specials packed with herbs and spices like basil and kefir leaves, lemongrass and galangal. The clarity of four flavors is so sharp and robust that you can taste sweet and sour, salty and spicy all at once. This palatable mingle is a cornerstone of Q2 Thai. Full bar license.
It was OK
by mariela
I expected more after reading the reviews and seeing their website. From the Gallery of pictures, I got the impression that the place was more upscale. So I chose this place for a business lunch, but it turns out to be more of a place for a quick and casual bite to eat (at least for lunch). I swear, we were in and out in 35 minutes. Not much time to chat and when we hang around after to try to fit in the discussion time we lacked during lunch, the eyes on us were obvious. Meanwhile, they weren't even busy. Plenty of other tables open still. Furthermore, I found the lunch menu to be a bit limited and definitely lacking a dessert option. You get your appetizer (you better wolf it down because the entree is quickly following) and once you put the last bite of food in your mouth from the entree dish, your check is delivered. - Maybe dinner is different.
Pros: Cheap and Fast
Cons: Maybe too fast
Posted 03/30/09
nice place and honest waitress
by mena09
We went to have Thai food at Q2 We were so happy about service , the food was fast and great ! Love it! Honestly,we really picky about place to have dinner, we like your waitress &waiter[ tall guy & small girl they are so nice] we'll go to Q2 again and again
Posted 02/20/09
awesome deal, good eats!
by vegmonky
I have my fav. thai place in mid town but this place was a sporadic choice and what an awesome decision! The food's good and the price is really affordable. Dinner for 2 cost us $28, where can you get that on a sat night. It's not the most beautiful atmosphere but I'll def. be back and take a stroll around the area. There's tons of restaurants within a 3 block radius.
Pros: reasonable prices
Cons: dim atmosphere w/ scaffolding outside
Posted 10/21/08
A Thai place that can't even do Pad thai
by mungmungdog
i got a chicken pad thai recently at this place and the food was burnt. it had that bad burnt taste throughout, and i probably won't have pad thai again for a very long time, until that taste goes away from my mouth. i would have returned it, but it was take out and was a long way to return it.
if a thai place can't do basic pad thai, there's a problem. it's like a sushi place not being able to make a decent spicy tuna roll, or halal stand that makes bad shish kabab.
their decor is tacky, and their attempt at looking trendy is so poorly executed. with the pick lights and mirrors, the place looks like a fricking strip joint.
go next door to the less fancy looking wondee siam. they actually do authentic thai food very well. you should try their "chicken pad see-you" again, cuz you're the best thai dishes in nyc!
Posted 08/24/08
Decent Thai in a nice atmosphere
by Catr7
I went with my boyfriend because he had never had Thai food before. We ordered the sampler appetizer for 2 and had fun trying the different appetizers. We especially loved the calamari, the spring roll, and the shrimp roll. I had a delicious mai tai (of course it was as expensive as each of our meals). Then we each got an entree, and had fun picking off of each other's plates. The portions were fairly large and filling, and very good. All together we paid only about $45 so it was not too bad. Plus, the weather was really good and so they opened up the streetside wall, so it was like we were sitting outside since we were seated right by there. The atmosphere was nice and our water glasses never got before half-full before they were refilled - very good service. We will probably go back there to try some more things on the menu, overall it was a very nice dinner. I only wish they had offered us dessert before they brought us the check!
Pros: nice atmosphere, big portions, good food, good prices, fair service
Cons: they didn't offer us dessert before bringing the check!
Posted 04/11/08
LOVED it
by MzFilipina25
I was actually on citysearch trying to find a good Thai place to go to, and figured might as well give Q2 Thai a try. As soon as my boyfriend and I arrived, we were seated promptly. This place was awesome. Although it was quite small, it had a great chic look to it. Our food was good. We ordered two appetizers, two entrees, three drinks, and dessert. And the bill was only 32 bucks. Not bad at all! Staff was really nice and always checked on us. And the bathroom was CLEAN! Ive always had bad experiences in bathrooms at restaurants in Manhattan, so I peeked it and was relieved. I was amazed on how clean it was. But I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. Great food, service, and atmosphere.
Pros: Service, Food, Fried Ice cream
Cons: Nothing!
Posted 02/21/08
Great Food
by yanizka3
the food was excellent and cheap. I would recommend this place to anyone. You will definitely enjoy it. The Spring rolls are to die for.
Pros: Fast service
Cons: Customer service is average
Posted 02/15/08
i love this place...
by debbie157
i was there only a few days ago. great food - fast, polite and professional service. rates are alright - just a warm place with great food at ok prices - thats all i ask for.
Posted 02/13/08
completely satisfied
by kmasc0115
After reading some of the reviews on this place, my boyfriend and I decided to go. As soon as we got there we were seated immediately. The place is quite small but it looked amazing. I loved the way everything was set up with the modern decor. The service was really good and really quick. And the food was definitely a thumbs up. Our whole bill was only $30 for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, a dessert and 3 drinks. Definitely good cheap eats. Another plus was the bathroom. I have never seen a bathroom so clean in small restaurant in manhattan. So this place was overall a great experience. I would definitely go there again
Posted 01/23/08
tasty food, quick service
by nyceguy83
we went there rather late and got our seats quickly! the food was very tasty and very fast service! not to mention, it is also very affordable!
Posted 11/29/07
Definitely a cheap eat
by sewhay
I went with a group of 6 on a Friday night. there weren't many customers so we got our seats quickly. The was pretty good and quick. portions were a bit small though.
Pros: cheap
Cons: small portions
Posted 10/04/07
Disappointed..!!!
by jimmmy2000
Finally, I had a chance to try Q2 Thai last week. It was disappointed at all. I started with few appetizers, fish and chip and mushroom medley, i waited for two appetizer for almost 25 minutes and when they came out fish and chip was good but the sauce for mushroom was very salty. Then I had pad thai and pad gra prow for my dinner, pad thai was fine but pad gra prow was blend and i can smell my chicken burn may be because they've cooked the chicken too long. Service was good, my waitress checked on me often. Overall, i like the decor of the restaurant but they need to improve the taste of the food.
Pros: Nice decor
Cons: Long wait for appetizer
Posted 05/05/07
Best Thai Food in NY
by bruce59
I had gone out with my wife for her birthday. We happened to find a parking space on W.53rd St. near 9th Ave. We started to walk on 9th Ave. All of the sudden we saw this nice looking Thai place. As it was my wife's birthday I let her decide yes or no. She said yes and from when we were seated I was glad she did. First we spoke to others who told us there was nothing bad on the menu. I am glad to say they were right. Everything from the soup (Tom Yom) to the dessert (pumpkin custard) was great. The service also was just as good and they could not stop thanking us for coming in. We will definetly be back!
Pros: Great Food
Cons: Small Place for groups
Posted 10/22/06
Almost Good
by coxs
I took my girlfriend for dinner last Friday at Q2 as we were recommended from our friends who tried this place before and they liked it. Staff gave us a chance to pick our own table which I think that's one trick to please customer. We started with few appetizers and we also tried special salmon recommended by our server. Food was good, service was superb but atmosphere was unexpected. We had candle sit on our table which make my dinner very warmth but somehow the lights were light up in the room. I thought they were just checking on something but I was wrong, the light was turned up like that for the rest of my time. I just want to recommend why dont they balance the atmosphere with the food and the service to make this a perfect restaurant.
Posted 10/22/06
Just OK
by juiceslovelylady
Went there for a special dinner noticed that the place looked interesting. Their decor was nice it had a nice feel to it. Ordered an appetizer which was great but the meal itself was jus.... blah! The Drunken Noodles was a disappointment! The Pad Ga Prow was spicy, which was great, but the pork could have been cooked some more! My birthday dinner was a flop because of this. I read the reviews and thought it would be a quick but at the same time, nice meal. Really disappointed!
Pros: nice ambience.
Cons: small tables and small proportions
Posted 09/27/06
Amazing food, great service and decor!
by leelovesfood
I just had my third dinner visit to this restaurant and I have to write a review and share my feelings about this great place! What first caught my eye was the unique and beautiful decor, especially the lighting. Once my friends and I sat down, we were helped at once by the friendly staff, as well as the owner, who was very nice and made us feel comfortable and welcome. As far as the food is concerned, this is easily the best thai food i've ever had, and I've tried many thai restaurants in New York! Standouts are the fish and plantain chips, fresh tuna salad (everyone's overall favorite), seaweed salad, duck rolls, seafood special, pad thai, pad-see-ew, pad-gra-prow, drunken noodles and pretty much everything I've tried. The plating of the dishes is beautiful, the pricing and portions make you wonder why they don't charge more, and the service is excellent. Also, if you like properly spiced thai food, you won't be disappointed! They will tone down the spice if you request it, but if you like it hot, you'll love this food! I plan to return again and again to this wonderful place!
Pros: Great food, friendly service, nice decor
Cons: None
Posted 08/12/06
Best Thai food in Manhattan
by boseknl
I am a big fan of thai and asian fusion food and at any oppertunity drop by any of this new thai joints mushrooming all over the city - with friends, but mostly with my family. With a few exception most of this places are average to mundane. The other day while I was passing by 9th Ave the decor in attractive purple color caught my eyes and since then I wanted to give this place a try - today I did and I am thankful for it. Simply put it is the best Thai food I ever had. Everything we had was absolutely delicious - the seafood special was a knockout and so was the noodle dish (pad see wue). The atmosphere was charming and interesting and the service superb. I will recommend to anybody who loves thai or spicy food and I can promise them they wont be sorry for trying it.
Pros: Great Food at reasonable price, Modern Decor and superb service
Cons: None
Posted 07/27/06
Surprise, surprise
by asaks41
My wife threw a surprise birthday party for me here last Sunday and it was an absolute thrill. Not only was i surprised by the gesture, but by the restaurant. I don't know of any other Thai eatery that services its customers with such warmth. (Maybe because we went there pretty early in the evening and the place didn't fill up yet.) I asked my wife why she picked Q2 and she told me that she orders from this place at least 2x a week. Her coworkers at Time Warner Building introduced her to this 9th Avenue joint and she's hooked.
I loved the food... try their fish and chips, yum yum calamari salad and summer chicken shumai. My 50th bash couldn't have been better. To top things off, they came out with complimentary dessert for all of our twelve guests. What a birthday!
Pros: Free wine, vegetarian, seafood
Posted 07/01/06
Terrific and friendly place
by nicolestrother
Since I'm just visiting my brother who lives in the city, he recommend this place. So we went lastnight... I wasn't expecting anything much. I was wrong... the service overall was great and as a bonus, the beautiful atmophere added to the fun that I was already having. The food was good. I believed whoever designed the place was a genius. Instead of having a normal and boring (white light) and tables... Too bad I don't live adjacent to New York City (I'm from Oregon.), I would go back there in a heartbeat. Their prices are reasonable as well (according to my brother)
Pros: Lovely decor with the lights(make me smile) their desserts and wine
Cons: None
Posted 06/29/06
That's Hot
by ms457
I love love love Q2's atmosphere. It's comfortable and clean and vibrant. The service isn't bad; the waiters are friendly, and sometimes when you're lucky, they serenade you with the latest pop tunes. Above all, I enjoy their food. The basic menu's authentic Thai food to the capital T, but the summer menu is fusion. My best friend got me hooked on the Sesame salmon... SEARED to PERFECTION. Ninth Avenue's got a buncha Thai restaurants lined up, but none give you the option of trying something new and different.
I don't really care what anyone says. The color pink has never been hotter. If you catch a glimpse of the eatery, you'll know what I mean.
Pros: Lovely food and decor, scarce parking
Cons: Short wait during weekends
Posted 06/25/06
Best Duck Rolls in town...
by spaleewong
Not only is the decor of Q2 is fun so is their menu, with interesing choices such as Duck rolls, Cashew chicken and much more. The service was good and the owner was very friendly and hands on. He came out many times to check up on his customers and make sure everything was satisfactory. Q2 is a def. must try if you are in Hell's Kitchen!
Posted 06/15/06
Innovative and affordable
by marinshannon
This place is amazing! The atmosphere is unique compare to other restaurants that I been to. Why... just check out their website and your see what I mean. I been there a few times. Overall their prices are affordable and light on the wallet. The food was tasty and service was wonderful. Their waiters were friendly and professional.
I had to order take out because their place gets busy often. Overall a pleasant experience to enjoy over and over. You won't be disappointed.
Pros: Friendly, affortable, Innovative
Cons: Parking bites... travel by foot...
Posted 06/15/06
Hip
by smishy
No other Thai restaurant on 9th can do it quite like Q2. It's new and I just go for the Chef Specials. My boyfriend had the Salmon Teriyaki and I had the Calamari Salad ... and we took our friends out the week after. You really can't go wrong when you get free glasses of Merlot. Definitely will order take out for lunch.
Pros: Nice decor, fine food, perfect for pre-theater and pre-clubbing
Cons: Hard to find parking
Posted 06/14/06
Great Lunch Spot
by angiebnyc
Recently this place renovated and it looks great compared to some of the other mom & pop places in Hells Kitchen. I typically go for lunch because the service is fast and the price is right. Not too cramped so eating there is enjoyable
Pros: lunch deal, drinks, decor
Posted 06/13/06