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Galanga
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
149 W 4th St(between S Washington Sq & Mac Dougal St)
New York, NY 10012
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
(212) 228-4267
- Nearest Transit:
-
W 4 St (A, B, C, D, E, F, M)
Christopher St - Sheridan Sq (1, 2)
Houston St (1, 2)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
203 reviews for Galanga
Review Highlights
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"Galanga makes the best crispy duck salad I've had in NYC." In 6 reviews -
"Other than the cash-only aspect, this is a great place for..." In 29 reviews -
"...started off with jeeb dumplings and the sweet corn fritters." In 4 reviews
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202 reviews in English
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Review from Jennifer P.
Queens, NY
4/14/2012 2 Check-ins Here
The staff is very attentive and friendly! So that's the reason for 4-stars (and the drinks)
The drinks are great and if you don't like something they will fix it for you. The food is either great or too bland. So it's a hut or miss in some cases.
Crispy duck is good, the steak was always good and many other dishes are outstanding if you happen to choose something you are not happy with, try something else.
The atmosphere is quaint and welcoming. Good place to eat around w.4th.
Oh the only downfall is it is cash only!! -
Review from Dimitrios D.
New York, NY
3/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I just wasn't impressed with this place at all, service-wise and food-wise.
The only upside is the ambience; the place looks nice, but that's about it.
But first, the service is pretty poor. All of the employees were unsmiling. They rushed my girlfriend and I to order by coming every few minutes asking us if we were ready to order. The middle aged lady who kept asking us seemed annoyed, or maybe that's just her default facial expression? I don't know. This might just seem like good service, but trust me, it was awkward and unwanted- I can't quite pinpoint why.
The food was mediocre and left me with some stomach pains immediately afterward. It also was served to us within under ten minutes or so, I would guess. Fresh to order? I think not.
The dumpling appetizer was 'eh'. They were kind of rubbery and tasteless. Fortunately the plum sauce made them have some modicum of taste.
My main, drunken man noodles with squid, was also served almost instantaneously and was just warm, temperature-wise. It seemed like they just heated up the noodles in the microwave. And the fact that they were greasy helped to bolster this idea- perhaps that's why my stomach hurt after. -
Review from Cheryl T.
Manhattan, NY
3/16/2012
So I've come here once and only had the soup as I wasn't hungry. The soup was flavorful enough to make me want to come here again! I live around the corner, so I'm surprised it took me months to try this place again.
Last night, I brought a few friends here. The menu looked pretty authentic, but I have no idea if it actually is. I ordered the Spicy Basil Fried Rice with chicken. My friends tried the chopped chicken with fried egg (in some really hard to remember Thai words), shrimp with lychee fried rice, and the duck spring roll.
The chopped chicken rice came first, and when I tried it, I was surprised at how flavorful it was. It was spicier than I thought it would be, but definitely flavorful. Every bite exploded in my mouth! My spicy basil fried rice was really yummy. I was scared it would be bland, but not at all. However, it wasn't too spicy. That's good for me, because I don't like spicy much. But if you're looking for actual spicy, don't get this dish.
The dishes were aesthetically pleasing. Very decorated, and added to the slightly classy vibe of the restaurant.
The service was interesting. I would be pissed, but they were so nice that I can't be angry. The girl barely knew English. This is our dialogue:
Her: What meat? Chicken, beef?
Us: It's the shrimp and lychee fried rice... doesn't it come with shrimp?
Her: Oh you want shrimp, okay!
Us: Can it come with both?
Her: Shrimp!
Us: Is there a lot of meat in the rice?
Her: Chicken!
Us: Is there a lot?
Her: Yes, chicken!
If you're patient, you might be able to deal with her. -
Review from Melissa G.
Huntington Station, NY
Updated - 5/21/2012
As good as it gets. Thai soul food. Everything I have ever had here is excellent. The staff are great and adorable looking. My go to Thai restaurant whenever i'm in New York.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/22/2012
This is my go-to thai restaurant in the village. I enjoy the small, relaxing atmosphere. All the… Read more »
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Review from Elizabeth P.
Oyster Bay, NY
5/24/2012
I first ate here while a grad student at NYU, and have kept coming back (and bringing just about everyone I know) for the past four years. Simply put, it's my favorite Thai restaurant in the city. Everything my friends and I have tried (all the curries, the soups, the pad thai and pad see euw, the duck basil spring rolls) have been delicious and consistently so. Those duck spring rolls -- I have had dreams about them! Service has always been consistent--in that you sometimes think they've forgotten about you. But overall, it's never stopped me from coming back time and again.
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Review from Megan Y.
Flushing, NY
5/7/2012
Very decent food but sometimes they take away your plates before you're done, when there aren't people waiting.
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Review from Allyson V.
Temecula, CA
3/30/2012
Really bad service. My waitress was rude, blunt, and rushed us to order but then made her self scarce during our meal. When we did not give the waitress a huge tip because of the bad service, she actually blocked the doorway demanding a larger tip when we tried to leave. The food was decent but not worth the horrible service. I would not recommend going to this establishment.
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Review from Mallika I.
Manhattan, NY
4/27/2012 2 Check-ins Here
love the food here...extremely quick service too! order the basil noodles! yum!
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Review from Raj S.
Queens Village, NY
10/30/2011
Love the 'Drunken Man Noodles' and the 'Grilled Octopus' (Appetizers). I like the food here and the place, but I find the service lacking...wish the service was a good as the food. The service is more like a fast food place, once they take your order they forget about you...and the minimal service you do get it comes with some attitude...
Don't think I will be returning here for dinner, maybe only take out. That's the only good thing about this place is the food. Might as well get it to leave and bypass the service issues here... -
Review from Sammy B.
11/13/2011
I tried the shrimp & lychee fried rice as I was feeling like something out of the ordinary pad thai/pad see ew/thai basil fried rice that I normally get at thai restaurants. I was a bit skeptical as I've had lychee incorporated foods before that just didn't quite deliver, but this DID! With flying colors!
BTW, check out their bathroom on the first floor. It is REDONK! -
Review from Gamal H.
11/6/2011
I went to Galanga on a whim last week and was pleasantly surprised.
The space manages to be classy and intimate while maintaining a casual vibe. The service is quick, friendly and discreet. They have a decent drinks menu and a food selection that will satisfy most casual Thai eaters. The food get served fast, but the staff is more than willing to let you linger for a conversation and another drink, which we had.
The only thing that I dislike about Galanga is that they do not accept credit cards. There is a Chase at the corner so its not that big of a deal, but in 2011 the food trucks and tchotke salesmen on the corner take credit cards. Why can't all restaurants do the same thing?
Have fun.
G -
Review from Alice C.
10/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food isn't too shabby. It was, however, too spicy, and I usually can take spice rather well.. My friend also ordered her dish mild, but it was also too spicy for her.
My major gripe was that they charged an auto-gratuity for our small table of 3 during lunch. Who does that?? We were charged over 20% on our bill. Not cool, Galanga. NOT COOL. -
Review from Lucy C.
Manhattan, NY
2/13/2012
The best thing I like about Galanga is that it's quaint, so it's perfect with a small group of friends. The food is decent and it comes out pretty fast. I got the pad-see-ew and it was good. It wasn't as cheap or appetizing as Spice or Cafetasia however.
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Review from Private N.
Clifton, NJ
2/12/2012
I love this place. It's the best Thai food I have ever had.
Their dumplings and Spring Rolls are amazing and also their Green Noodle is to die for.
They expanded their space they use to be very crowded, it's much better now. -
Review from J N.
8/10/2011
NYC serves up some of the best Pad Thai in the world. This cute little place is not one of those aforementioned places, unfortunately.
Pad thai-average. Three star.
Calamari/Spring Rolls- yes, this is my hangover food. Below average. Nothing in the rolls. Calamari was burnt. Sauces were good, especially when dunking below average food.
Sangria-too sweet; below average.
Pricing-above other places.
Atmosphere-cute. Servers- nice, but not enough to return, sadly, at least not for hangover Thai food. ;( Bar area was small and did not allow enough room to eat, which was odd, considering so many stools were placed there.
Unfortunately, I won't return. Spice, Cafetasia and especially Peep are all markedly better. What a shame, esp. in the West Village. -
Review from SukMon C.
New York, NY
10/1/2011
I've been here three or four times over the past four years and I would probably come more often if I frequented the area. Regardless, Galanga never fails to satisfy me. Their service is impeccable, and my water glass is never empty. They serve solid Thai food, and it's definitely better than other places I've been to in the area, and around the city.
What I love the most about this place is that the food actually packs some heat. Their drunken noodle is as spicy as they say it is. I've been to countless restaurants that disappoint when they claim certain dishes are spicy, when they really aren't.
What I didn't particularly like was the crispy pork belly on their specialties menu. While the sauce was tasty, and the veggies were cooked well, the edges of the pork were too dry, probably because it was sliced before put into a deep frier. Another gripe I had was the small portion of rice they give. While this didn't particularly bother me on the last occasion, I can imagine how crestfallen I'd be if I had been starving...
Regardless, I find their food a cut above the rest in terms of Thai restaurants in the same price range. The atmosphere is intimate and perfect for a casual date, while still suitable for a group of friends looking for a social dinner. Definitely give this place a shot! -
Review from Peter Q.
Pine Bush, NY
9/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Stopped in here for a quick bite before meeting friend's for drinks. Simple layout and friendly staff we were seated quickly and they were very attentive.
My chicken satay and basil chicken were both good but perhaps a bit bland and the veggies in the basil dish were a little underdone. Felt more like I was eating a warm chicken salad than Thai Basil Chicken. I say this based on having spent a few months in Thailand so I am a bit spoiled, but overall it was good and better than most.
I would definitely go back though...
One last note, bring cash only, they don't take credit cards. That was almost a problem as we didn't see prominent signs to this effect and it could have been pretty embarrassing... -
Review from Ruoyi J.
Manhattan, NY
3/31/2011
Apparently other people had better experience?
The Tom Yum soup smelled like a football player's socks. Yucks!
Tiny table and loud crowd.
Basil duck had too much fat. Tasted ok though.
Mixed vegetable was bad even for the price. $9 or something? -
Review from Steven A.
Manhattan, NY
6/28/2011
I've been going here for quite some time and they have never disappointed. They have a good mix of authentic and Americanized Thai Food and I highly recommend the Masama and Red Currys, as those have been my staple dishes every time I've be there.
The wait service is very good and prompt, they are more than accommodating if you can't decide what you want and are helpful in getting you try new dishes.
It's a nice atmosphere, a great place for a date or to take the mate's parents out for dinner. The price range is tolerable, especially since its cash only, you can manage under $30 pretty easily for two.
If your in the area, don't be turned off on its proximity to NYU, this place caters well to all, not just students. -
Review from Jess L.
12/6/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Amazing lunch deal with pretty regular Thai food dishes. Comes with a small soup or salad. My Garden Special was good and not too oily.
I wanted to give this place four stars, but I can't given the three flies that kept swarming around us. Where'd they come from, and why woudln't they go away?
But I'd give this place another chance.Listed in: Lunch around NYU
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Review from Queen G.
Bronx, NY
6/14/2011
Galanga is not your typical thai food. Yes they have the usual dishes on the menu, but compared to other thai places their flavors definitely stand out. Their drunken noodle is perfectly spicy and flavorful, they have great curries and their drinks are delicious.
I really like the decor and atmosphere. It is a little smaller and has a trendy but intimate feel. Their staff is always friendly and sweet. I've been here for lunch and dinner and have been satisfied both times. The prices aren't bad either, the stir fry dishes are like $10-$12, which is cheaper compared to other places. I will continue to go back! -
Review from Joanna C.
Austin, TX
7/6/2011
Popped in randomly for a quick dinner with friends because we were starving. I ordered the tofu pad see ewe. Honestly, it wasn't that good. The noodles stuck together and tasted really mushy. The quality and quantity of the tofu was alright. It didn't seem like there was a lot of food on my plate compared to what everyone else ordered, but I was pretty full by the end of the meal, so it was fine.
Everything was just okay. Keep in mind that it's cash only. $9.50 for my dish before tax + tip. -
Review from smallcat p.
New York, NY
3/11/2012
Pretty reliable, they only take cash and the only reason I go is for the Drunken Noodle (get it with vegetables so you can really taste the spiciness).
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Review from Arthur Z.
4/8/2011
I've been walking by this place every day for 3 years and have only just eaten here. I will preface this by saying I'm not a fan of Thai cuisine in general, so that probably explains my previous aversion.
I came here alone, so of course I had to pretend I was a food critic so I didn't look like an anti-social freak. I was seated in the nice dining area, which was modern and elegant. I was asked what I wanted about 10 seconds after I picked up the menu, so either their usual clientele are super duper fast readers, or they wanted me to stop hogging a table to myself.
I ordered the very reasonably priced lunch special: soup and an entree (with chicken, veg, or tofu) for 7.50, or 8.50 if you want it with beef, shrimp, or squid. I ordered a squid Drunken Noodle, which was a dish with the usual Thai philosophy of "fry up some noodles, throw in a bunch of peppers and hot spice, and put a sprinkle of meat on top." The spice level was sinus-clearing without being too unbearable, and the dish generally tasted good, albeit a bit too oily and not enough squid. I thought with my extra dollar charge, they would put more : (. The soup that came beforehand was surprisingly nice as well - a touch of sweetness, and the drowning aroma of cilantro (which I can't stand..but luckily the flavor wasn't overpowering).
Can't really complain about much here. Good prices, decent food, no problems with service (at least during this particular visit). But yeah, this hasn't changed my mind on Thai food.
ANYONE WISH TO CHANGE IT FOR ME?! -
Review from Michael Carl B.
Brooklyn, NY
11/30/2011
A friend and I went over lunch. The service was pretty good. The kitchen messed up one of our orders and the food was unimaginative. My entrée had hot iceberg lettuce (the menu optimistically called it 'greens'), cucumbers, wood ear mushrooms, tofu, and rice noodles. The sauce was ok, but the whole thing was merely satisfactory. Nothing special, but not terrible. Won't go back soon, but didn't hate it.
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Review from Carolina D.
West Harrison, NY
8/9/2011
The worst service I've ever received in any restaurant! The servers ignored my friend and I throughout the whole meal (we were the only ones there), I had to get up from the table to find someone to bring me the check, and they tried to include a gratuity in the bill (it was only a dinner for two amounting to $42). The reason they ignored us was because they were having a family meal in the adjacent dining area. WHO DOES THAT?? I've been to this place a couple of times and each time, it was empty. Now I know why. I won't even write about the food. The service is so bad there's no point in going to this place. I gave it a chance but I'm done with it. And the fact that it's cash only and they don't bother to post it (besides the small print at the bottom of the menu) or tell you until you try to pay with your card..unbelievable in modern day NYC!!
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Review from Pat L.
Elmhurst, NY
6/3/2011
The hunt for Thai food is endless in the west village. It's just not that good here, and I'm not talking about when you compare it to the queens foodie favorites, I'm talking when you compare it to hells kitchen restaurant row.
I've now gone to Galanga 3 times, having 3 different dishes myself and a handful of other dishes tried off friends plates. The massaman curry is probably their strongest offering, their stir fry dishes are uninspired thai, their drunken noodle is solid but par for the course. One redeeming quality is they will actually make it hot if asked for. -
Review from Stephanie C.
New York, NY
11/9/2010
Now I don't know if it was the Asian girl paranoia that other Asian girls hate on their own kind but I really did not appreciate the icy-ness of the waitress. Came here with my parents, and brother on a dead Sun for a late lunch at 2. We walked in, she sat us- and for the rest of meal could not even care we were there.
They have a varied menu- lots of options and things I'd not seen before. I like that, and they're moderately priced $10-15-20.... all fine until.... on top of the cold service, you get the food; you get cheated out of what's stated IN the food, and you get told it's cash only. Fuck you.
We started with the thai peanut salad, and the chilli chicken wings. The wings were the best thing we had. Nicely fried, with juicy sweet & spicy taste. My bro found them to be dry but I liked them. Then again.. you can never complain about fried chicken, it ain't hard! The Thai peanut salad was a cop-out of loose lettuce greens (cheapo) and shredded beets/carrots. I liked the texture but the shreds were definitely another cop- out. What's worse was that the "thai peanut" salad was called such only because of the nasty, oily peanut sauce. It was so laced with oil , if let loose in the Gulf it would have outshined the BP spill...
Ok I know, I know way corny but gets the point across right?!
Ok onto the mains. My brother wanted to be healthy and got the country style curry with chicken because it was sans coconut milk. Not only was it sans coconut milk, it was sans curry. It was Canto style steamed veggies (mushy snap peas, carrots , cauliflower)..maybe 2 pieces of dry chicken.. and water. WATER. It was a poor man's soup; nothing like Thai curry. Come on if you're going to offer a "healthier" curry, be creative and make it taste good, don't give up.
I had the same issue. I got the Chiangmai Curry Noodle with chicken soup. I asked for it spicy; icy girl nodded, and I did not get it spicy. Go figure. If you can't delvier, don't say so. Seems to be a common theme here. The noodles were good , and so was the curry soup base if not way out of whack in regards to the ratio of soup to noodle. There were some dried noodles atop that I appreciated. What I didn't appreciate is NO CHICKEN. 1... 2.. pieces in the whole bowl, I swear. They need to rewrite their whole menu. Where chicken is mentioned, just take that out. I was going to get the cinnamon soy sauce noodle soup instead.. and I left being curious if I would have had a better meal if I'd had. Eh, prolly not.
*Interlude*- We asked to change the order to brown rice mid meal... Miss Icy (perhaps?) rolled her eyes and coldly obliged. Wow. Sorry you are doing your job.
Dad got the seafood phuket special dish.. I don't like scallops so I didn't have much of this but it seemed overpriced at $20. This isn't really their fault; in all honesty, I steer away from seafood at non seafood worthy places because let's be real, it's never fresh. It looked overly adorned with that hoisin type of sauce.
Mom got the 3 flavor crispy snapper.. I think this was the best entree. It was nicely seasoned with sweet thai chilli and rendered boneless because, well they were deep fried too- ha. So eating it was tasty and easy but again, nothing out of the Thai ordinary. It's also again never hard to deep fry.
In the end, the total bill came to $80ish. To much annoyance, the icy bitch (yes she's a bitch at this point), charged us 18% gratuity. Hm, actually that's standard for plus 6.. not 4 people. For a little more money, we could have eaten in a Ny Mag raved, Yelp approved, *maybe* Michelin star (big maybe..well there is Rhong Tiam, ha!)- upscale in general- sort of joint... for DINNER. Galanga is absolutely not worth that.. and it did NOT give me satisfication to tip Miss Icy and pay them cash so they can evade taxes!!! I pass by it all the time in the Village and have always be curious... but be warned, I do NOT recommened. Way more innovative Thai places worth your money in the city. -
Review from Nicole L.
New York, NY
2/4/2011
I really don't like eating at restaurants that give the illusion that you're about to have a great meal when, in fact, they have terrible service and pretty mediocre food.That's Galanga's motive, and it's not a good one. The warm, dim lighting, modern decor and artsy looking plates of food might fool you.
The green curry (oh, and if you want vegetables AND tofu in yours, you'll have to pay extra because it only comes with one or the other) is lackluster, watery, and truly missing important components that give curry dishes their rich, exotic flavor. The vegetables were cut into sterile, unrecognizably thin pieces, and the dish really missed the mark. The drunken noodles were a bit better but had a muddled flavor as well.
The redeemer was the cocktails. They were fairly good. The lychee sake martini, especially, was sweet but still maintained its stark alcohol flavor, which roundedout the drink nicely. The lychee fruit pieces in the drink provided an added texture and gave the drink more body.
Having to flag down the server and begging for the check isn't my favorite past time, but that's what happened at Galanga despite it being a Monday night with very few tables occupied. There's much better Thai to be had in this city, so skip Galanga, and try somewhere else. Oh, it's cash only, too. -
Review from Valerie S.
Brooklyn, NY
11/18/2010
The worst service ever. The staff is extremely rude and inattentive. We walked in and picked a place to sit and were told "wait, can't you see we have to clean this first". Waited about another 15 minutes for the waitress to come by and take our order. Ordered thai peanut salad which was just shredded carrots and beets topped on mixed greens with no more than 2 cucumbers and tomatoes of each, accompanied by an oily peanut sauce. Over payed for "jasmine iced tea" which tasted like diluted tea with a slice of lime. The pineapple fried rice tasted worse than takeout, and had only a few pineapples in it. And the main dish which was white fish cooked in wine was a really small portion considering it's price. Overall just horrible. There are way better thai places in the city that are actually worth your money.
P.S. they serve food on chipped plates and if you're going there in the evening, don't be surprised if you'll have a hard time seeing the food that you're eating because it's as dark as a cave in there. -
Review from Hank C.
7/1/2010
Stopped in here with a friend who'd tried this once before.
Picked up a Thai iced tea - that was good, although a lot of ice, not a lot of tea...
The chicken satay was tasty. While the grill marks looked almost painted on, the salty, slightly limed chicken was balanced very well by the slightly sweet but not too sweet satay sauce. They would do well to put more of the sauce on a bed of chopped cucumbers at the bottom and serve it with more of those to snack on.
The tofu pad see-iuw was a solid dish, tofu was unimpressive, but the dish itself was well-seasoned and flavored, without being too sweet, unlike many Thai places.
The shrimp curry was good, although very spicy.
Overall, good place to stop in for a bite. Service was decent and the decor didn't stand out, but make a note - they don't take credit cards, only cash. -
Review from Madhuri I.
New York, NY
8/31/2009
My cousins were in town this weekend and I was all set to drag them to Meskerem (yes I drag all my guests to eat Ethiopian food under the pretext that they're going to love it because it is similar to South Indian food) but they put their foot down and we had to look for a Thai place in the west village.
When my feeble attempts to convince them about VP2 or Red Bamboo also failed, I remembered the cozy looking restaurant right opposite VP2. Galanga.
It's a tiny space and surprisingly uncrowded for a Saturday evening. They were really accomodating and agreed to make everything without the fish sauce. A lot of the items on the menu can be customized to be vegetarian. Galanga, you have 3 stars from me already.
I tried the lychee sake martini. It was nice but a tad too sweet - I wasn't complaining so much about the sweetness after my curry arrived though. I was not a huge fan of the apple sake martini that my cousin ordered, again too sweet.
One of my cousins got the clear vegetable soup - its smell filled my nostril and made me want to reach out across the table and devour half the salty flavourful broth. Which, by the way, I did.
As entrees, we got the mom green curry and the massaman curry to share. Both were perfect in flavour - sweet, spice lemongrass and al dente veggies. I liked the massaman curry especially, and they were pretty generous with the peanuts and potatoes. Yummy. If I had to pick on one thing, it would be that the green curry gravy was thinner than the way I like it.
Another one of us got the chicken pad thai which he didn't look up from for the rest of the meal so it must've been good.
Filling portions, pleasing to the tastebuds, reasonably priced, accomodating staff.
Cash only. -
Review from Irena C.
New York, NY
12/14/2010
I've been trying to find a decent Thai place in NYC for over a year and it's been a lot more difficult than you would think considering there are Thai restaurants on every corner. However, it seems most of them just throw stuff together and things are either tasteless or don't really resemble authentic Thai food whatsover.
This is why I was glad I tried this spot a few years back while staying with a friend at NYU. The menu has a great selection of your typical Thai dishes and everything has lots of flavor and is prepared well. They will even make it real Thai spicy if you ask.
Pad Thai, Duck Salad, and Papaya Salad are all solid and very reasonably priced.
The only downside is that it's cash only and sort of cramped if you're dining in. -
Review from Lindsay K.
New York, NY
1/4/2009
I live off the L, she lives off the C. Every time we try and choose a place in the middle, we find ourselves appalled by Meatpacking and unwilling to venture downtown to cheaper restaurants in the dead of winter.
Hello, Galanga, my new haunt.
The Thai is cheap, delicious, and right off W 4th. It feels like a downtown Land (both on the UWS and UES) with a small, albeit not-exactly-cramped space, and tasty noodles.
But it's not Land. So I'm holding at 4 stars and a new destination to renew my heterosexual life partner vows over pad thai. -
Review from Christine Q.
New York, NY
1/5/2009
I'm in charge of dinner reservations when family friends visit from out of town. Depending on the type of guest they are and they're preferences, I choose a restaurant accordingly. This time it was to be a low-key (cheap)Thai restaurant, that could accomodate a party of eight, plus one more (taken cared of immediately by the waitresses).
The restaurant is small and dimly lit, which definitely gives off a warm cozy atmosphere. Our rsv was honored, no wait; and when we left within seconds a party of seven came in.
Overall, the food was good, tasty and enjoyed by everyone. There were no complaints; we ate and chatted away. The dishes were served promptly, and service was smooth, especially when mother ordered a couple of more dishes, and the table ordered drinks separately, and my sis came at the last minute.
We sat at a narrow table so I didn't get to taste most of the other entrees, except for the ones near me, but I can say all the apps were yummy.
Seafood Ceviche - abundance of fresh octopus, scallops, and shrimps mixed in a citrusy tart dressing
Grilled Baby Octopuses - marinated in a tangy lime vinagrette
Shrimp Cucumber Salad - skewered shrimp over cucumber and mixed greens in a light lemony lime vinagrette
Larb Lmai - minced chicken in a spicy lime juice (just ok, wouldn't order again)
All apps were fresh and flavorful from the lime and herbs, and portions were just right to be shared.
I had chicken in green curry, I'm not too fond of bamboo, but it was julienned so you hardly taste the distinct bamboo flavor. Irri had shrimp fried rice, it's a pretty ordinary dish to order at a Thai restaurant, but WOW was it amazing. Seriously, it was taaasty. I was so close to just eating off her plate like it was my own =) We were even trying to distinguish the extra flavor that made the fried rice stand out.
Irri and I were impressed and agreed Galanga is a perfect place to dine at more often, and definitely comeback for the cocktails that we missed out on. They also had a huge sangria jar with diced fruits. I also missed out on the mango over sticky rice dessert (my fave) because everyone wanted Pinkberry. -
Review from Preeti B.
Brooklyn, NY
11/18/2008
Forgive me forefathers, for I have sinned... or rather disgraced my brown people.
I have now confirmed that when you come to a Thai restaurant and are brown and do not specify your spice tolerance... you are defaulted to mega hot. Call it racial profiling or call it an educated assumption. I almost died eating the Drunk Man Noodles. Five glasses of water after I am crying and choking (literally), the sweetly smiling servers rush my plate away and return with a version reserved for the 'goras'... and look at me with tender pity as they refill my water glass every 2.3 minutes. With such service and quaint ambiance - I will definitely be back for another attempt to redeem my people's spicy legacy. -
Review from Nina S.
New York, NY
10/11/2009
We were entertaining friends from out of town. We decided to come here for a Sunday Brunch. We ordered the pad thai (which was good), shrimp clay pot, red curry and several other dishes. It took awhile for the food to come out but we enjoyed our meal.
After paying the bill and giving 17% tip, the waitress came back with our change and informed us that "our tip was a little light and that we need to give at LEAST TWICE the bill", told us that they work for tips only and we needed to give them more. Not only that, she told us that it was an NYC law to give at least that much...NOW...being in the hospitality business, Rule 1) that is NOT SOMETHING YOU TELL a customer especially someone that specializes in the food industry in the area. Rule 2) Last time I checked, tips are earned. Rule 3) if you demand that much tip to begin with, try remembering who ordered what and be attentive. (there was a total of 6 people in the whole restaurant...4 belonged to out table. The service was slow)
The food was good and the service was ok. After this incident, would I recommend this place to my friends..the answer is "N.O." -
Review from Jade W.
Manhattan, NY
9/20/2011
The interior is lovely. The food looks like it came premade in a box or was microwave. Pad Thai looked unappetizing but the Curry soup was delicious, slightly watery, but delicious. Also just be careful if you ask them to make anything extra spicy because they just add a few shots of hot sauce to your dish.
-
Review from Erica S.
Media, PA
5/5/2008
This is a very cute, yummy and affordable spot in the Village. We ended up here with 2 vegetarians, 1 vegan, and a meat eater, and everyone was happy.
It's a very nice atmosphere, dimly lit, swanky, but a bit loud. I could see this place being a nice spot for a date. Just don't show up with your entourage-- it's wee.
While the other couple of restaurants we checked out on a Saturday night had waits of over an hour, the 4 of us walked right into Galanga and were seated right away at the last available table. Famished, we quickly started in on one of our 2 pitchers of sangria. It was fantastic-- strong, satisfying, and filled with fruit, which I ate (being the classy broad that I am) with my chopsticks out of the glass.
Now, I like it spicy, so I ordered myself the Drunken Noodle with tofu, the spiciest (3 stars) item listed on the menu. Damn! It did not disappoint. It helped me keep others away from my plate, as they each quickly gulped their water after a small sampling of my delicious plate of rice noodley veggie spicy tofuey yumminess. Wimps.
Other hits were the Pad See Ew and the Pineapple Fried Rice, both made mild (for more sensitive palettes), and served as generous portions.
I didn't have room for dessert, but I did have room for a fourth glass of sangria. Damn, that stuff was good! And all in all, full and tipsy, we each only spent around $25, leaving us some extra cash to hit the bar later... -
Review from Ashley G.
New York, NY
6/1/2010
***WARNING: RANT AHEAD*******
The Service: extraordinarily rude.
I arrived at 4:00pm on Tues. and it was dead. The wait staff appeared to be having their dinner in the middle of the restaurant and looked quite annoyed that a customer showed up. It was 85 degrees out and no air conditioning could be felt. Yes, I should have just left at that point. I didn't. I had heard the food was sooooo amazing and really wanted Thai food so I decided to be open-minded.
I think it is illegal for the waitresses to smile or be polite or slightly ingratiating at this establishment. I felt like asking, "Would you like me to leave? You seem quite disgusted to be serving me". And yet, I stayed.
After giving me 3 minutes to peruse the menu, the servers came in quick succession to take my order. I asked for more time. FInally, when I was ready to order, no one could be found. Eventually I ordered. The green noodles (basil) with tofu. What I got 20 minutes later was green noodles with...chicken. I told the servers and they seemed put-out again but took it away. 20 minutes later my dish arrived, tofu this time, and it tasted like the took my old noodles, picked out the chicken, substituted tofu and sent it back to me. This would have been ok had the noodles not tasted like dried glue at this point. Desperate to add some flavor, I asked for some salt and the server looked at me like I was crazy. I was losing my cool.
I ate my food, stewing in contempt of my servers and their nasty service, while contemplating the tiny, if any, tip I would leave them. My bill came to $18.50 (for noodles and a salad?). I left a $20.00. I have never tipped that poorly before.
To sum up: there are wayyyyyy too many food choices in this city to give my money to such an inhospitable establishment.
Boo.
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