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Room Service
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
690 9th Ave(between 47th St & 48th St)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhoods: Hell's Kitchen, Midtown West, Theater District
(212) 582-0999
- Nearest Transit:
-
50 St (A, C, E)
42 St - Port Authority Bus Terminal (A, C, E)
50 St (1, 2)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
619 reviews for Room Service
Review Highlights
"Spicy Thai Basil Noodles: excellent, seasoning perfect."
(in 26 reviews)
"The pad thai was delicious and peanutty and tasty."
(in 230 reviews)
"The Lychee Sangria was delicious."
(in 21 reviews)
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619 reviews in English
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Review from Carissa L.
Astoria, NY
2/6/2012
When you walk in (past the velvet curtains), the focal point is an enormous chandelier in the middle of the restaurant. It's too big to even really be hung up and has a big glass case around it. So classy, so sparkly, so...inexpensive?!
Huh?!
Room Service is a $$ in $$$'s clothing.
My boyfriend and I ordered the spring rolls (not bad) and tuna tartar (phenomenal). Whatever sauce happens to be on the tuna is amazing and the chips that go with it have a really interesting texture. The rolls were fun because they had corn and veggies, but the tuna won for sure this time around. Oh, and he ordered a drink called "Room with a View" which had Lychee in it and he said it was both strong and tasty.
He ordered the spicy basil dish, but I was feeling boring, so I got the Pad Thai. My only complaint about the Pad Thai was the fishy taste. I counteracted it with some of the freshly squeezed lime that came with the dish and I'm so glad I took that risk (I'm not usually a lime person)! Another added bonus: Every other time I've ordered PT with vegetables, they add more cabbage and call it a day - at Room Service there was broccoli, carrots, and snap peas as well. I was most pleased.
Going back for sure! -
Review from Omar M.
Manhattan, NY
2/4/2012
If you are a girl don't even bother reading my review because despite what I say the sparkly chandeliers and ridiculous hats the waitresses wear are going to make you love this place like Kim Kardashian's 2 hour wedding special.
You would think a place called room service would pride themselves on service. To their credit the wait staff is actually fairly good! Unfortunately good wait staff can't make up for the barbed wire dining chairs! I was shocked that a place with so much glitz and glamor would resort to the world most uncomfortably cheap chairs. If that isn't enough to get your undies In a jumble they seat you so close to the person next to you that you might as well share entrees (which I could live with if I wasn't fidgeting so much to try to find a comfortable seating position).
Food is fairly good though. I would try the veggie duck! Room service pad Thai is interestingly authentic but wrapping it in egg whites sort of reminded me of some giant alien larva. Prices are actually pretty reasonable for the level of duchery that regularly attends this restaurant. It appears to be the spot for late 20 to early 30s wannabe bankers and their wannabe fashionista girlfriends. If you are neither and you just like sparkles and silly hats then knock yourself out! At least the food is decent and it's cheap :) -
Review from Amanda O.
New York, NY
2/1/2012
Props to my friend for discovering this place and suggesting we go here for dinner last night. In terms of food, Room Service was fast and on point. To start, we ordered the Coconut Calamari Tempura and the Corn Spring Rolls. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the calamari, since I'm not usually a fan--it wasn't overly chewy and the coating added just the right amount of taste and crunch (the dipping sauce it comes with was a nice touch too). The spring rolls were pretty much what you'd expect from spring rolls, so they weren't overly impressive or disappointing--just pretty average (which ain't necessarily bad). As for entrees, she ordered the Spicy Basil Fried Rice (which she loved) and I decided to try out the Pad See Ew (with chicken) and the Sticky Rice. Both were tasty and filling--I'd definitely order both of them again. If you can believe it we still had room for dessert, so we decided to share the Cheesecake with Lychee. I had heard of lychee before but had never actually tried it...sadly I've realized I'm not much of a fan, but my friend (who has had it before) loved the dessert overall. On the plus side, even the cheesecake on its own Is surprisingly good if you're not a fan of lychee.
All in all, this place serves pretty sizable portions and you won't feel like you've been had in terms of price. As far as the decor, it's pretty chic and sleek (the chandelier adds to this effect)--even the bathroom feels pretty posh with its furnishings. I really enjoyed my experience at Room Service. I'd definitely go back! -
Review from Nai W.
Flushing, NY
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Bad Thai food! Don't go there for the food. Everything taste bad and way to sweet, beside the Pah Thai. LOL!
Nice looking Thai girls though. A lots of cleavages and beautiful Modern Baroque style decor with a touch of Asian zen. I guess it is a hip dining place....Too loud to talk, seductive environment, but not good for real date. -
Review from Elizabeth T.
Whitestone, NY
Room service is great!
Food
The food is very tasty and has great presentation. I love their chicken pad thai and calamari! I've gone here a few times with friends and they always love the food.
There are also lunch specials if you come during lunch
Drinks
I have gotten a few drinks here - in addition to the normal drink selection they also have some drinks with Asian style - i.e. drinks with Asian fruits, Asian fusion drinks and Asian beers. One of my favorites has to be the lychee sangria! And if you don't drink the Thai Iced Tea is also very tasty!
Prices
The prices for food are relatively cheap, and even cheaper if you go during lunch. The prices for drinks are your typical NYC prices at about $10-$13 per drink.
Service
The service is great, the staff is very attentive - sometimes too attentive?
Decor
The decor and ambiance has a nice intimate feel, yet is trendy at the same time - I love the giant chandelier in the middle of the room.
Wait Time
They do take reservations here, however you need to have the entire party there before they seat you.
Typically there is no wait during lunch and weekdays, however you will probably have to wait on a Friday/Saturday night. -
Review from Kenny T.
New York, NY
1/30/2012
This is not your everyday Thai restaurant, because they have their own styles
First, let's talk about the location, located on 9th Ave between 47th and 48th Street
I personally don't like going that way, because the closes train only stop on 8th Ave, so if you want to go some where from 9th Ave to 12th Ave, you have to do some walking, and in the winter = No Fun! lol
But this restaurant is not that far, you can take the blue line which is A, C or E trains and stop at 50th Street and walk few blocks to this restaurant
If you not sure where to catch the blue line, just take your train to Times Square stop, and connected from there, and I'm sure most of you, your trains stop at Times Square.
I have a meeting with one of my friend for lunch, and since I never been, I have to looked around when I arrived in the area, it was during day time and sunny, and I gotta tell you, once I arrived at the front of the restaurant, I thought it was out of business. lol
Because the sign of this restaurant not really stand out, the front of the building is Gray color, and the name of the restaurant is chrome and is small
If someone once told me about this restaurant and I happen to be in the area, and I walk by, I will never thought this is the same restaurant someone once told me, unless you are going there because of this restaurant
Once I walked inside, just like I told you before, this is not your everyday Thai restaurant, beside the 1 buddha sitting on the wall, you will not have any idea this is a Thai restaurant, is very modern, black and white is their color, you see the bar on your right hand side, tables and chairs on the left, and it goes all the way through the end of the restaurant, I'm thinking this place can probably held about 80 for sit down dinner and standing maybe 130-150 people, probably good for Christmas party
They seated us kinda in the middle where the swanky chandelier, and next to it is a table, since I'm sitting on the left hand side facing the wall, and the other table in the middle with 2 chairs on each side facing each other, that's mean one of the chair back is facing my back, and is no walking space in between, so every time someone walk by, I have to move my chair, and often people kicked my chair by accident, very uncomfortable, luckily is not busy during that time, or else I will probably yell at someone.
For the food
Once again, they have their own Room Service Thai Style
I ordered the Fried Coconut Calamari, never have them before, I had Fried Coconut Shrimp, but not the Calamari
I gotta tell you boyz and girlz, you GOTTA try it when you decide to dine here, it was so....good, not only is was hot and crispy, is also very tasty because they added the coconut in it, so different
My friend and I both ordered the Pad Thai (I know right, seem like that's all everybody order when they goes to the Thai restaurant) lol
But not in this case, because my friend and I read over the menu, and they was writing on the bottom of the menu explaining how their Pad Thai are so different from the others, and they called it the Room Service Pad Thai
If you clicked on some of the pictures on here, someone actually posted on here, is Seafood Pah Thai covering by egg white, is very nice, and is also tasted very good
The presentation is really good and I like it a lot
Last but not least, the server
She came by and took our orders, didn't say much, never did stop by and check how we are doing and asking about how was the food etc
My glass did almost went empty one time, but someone else saw it and refilled for me
Overall, 4 stars
I will recommend this to my friends that's for sure. -
Review from Christina Y.
Manhattan, NY
Ok. I have mixed feelings about this one. I've been to several Thai places in Hell's Kitchen, but this restaurant has pretty large proportions in comparison to the others. The caveat, well kind of, is that my spicy holy basil with beef had a lot of string beans and not much beef. I guess it depends on what you prefer. I was personally disappointed because of that. And not only did they forget my brown rice, but my too sweet Thai iced tea kept overflowing onto the table.. creating a lovely wet mess. I'd be forgiving if there were a lot of other customers in the restaurant, but my friend and I got there by 5pm on a Thursday. C'mon. The decor and concept are cool, but it's an eh ok for me. I guess I'd be willing to give it another go around.
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Review from Taiyo O.
Updated - 1/24/2012
Sunday lunch
Group of 3
5 a la cart dishes (2 appetizers, 1 salad and 2 main dishes)
Stick to Lunch special if you can come during the day. Avoid any salad especially mentioning of house signature. The dressings are just not there (band). What I liked (but not the best) from Lunch special was Pad See Ew with beef.
Here are the review of lunch a la cart:
Corn Spring Rolls ($3.20) - I could enjoy more if the rolls were crunchy and had more sauce. 4 rolls were placed upward in a square cup and Thai sweet sauce was inside the cup already. Visually interesting but didn't work for freshly crispy fried rolls pushing into a small tight container created moisture and made the bottom of rolls mushy.
Charcoal Flank Steak ($7.90) - Don't waist your money! Not worth it! The tasteless and toughest part of meat, Flank, was cooked medium-rare which made the meat significantly tougher and it was sliced thick making very hard to chew. The sauce on the side had no flavor or heat at all although menu says..."served with fiery crushed roasted jasmine rice sauce"...really? There was no heat in that watery dark sauce.
Crispy Duck Salad ($7.90) - was better than other appetizers we ordered but for Thai, the dressing lucks sweet, sour and saltiness that Thai foods crave for.
Bangkok Chicken Pumpkin Curry ($11.90) - this dish was the best of what we ordered but it wasn't something coming back for.
Peanut Sauce Fried Rice & Big Shrimp Satay ($15.20) - This money waisting dish was the worst of all! Do not order this dish. Tasteless and over cooked four shrimps had no taste. Then the brown color rice had no flavor....very bland! Even adding two so called their signature peanut sauce & spicy chili lime sauce were joke and did't help the rice.
The peanut sauce looked like peanut sauce but nothing taste like it but most of all, it was very bland and I didn't know what it was. The other sauce should be spicy and lemony but it wasn't. The tasteless rice with tasteless sauces didn't work obviously.
I question of what the owner think of all that?
This frustrated review is only because the space are beautiful. I wish the cute staff had been educated on simple Serving Etiquette. The black table after our meals were quiet mess but no one come to clear and clean the table but putting the dessert menu on that table was discussing. I say to myself...after all this is Asian restaurant but is it us (Asian)?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/9/2012
Although my Papaya Salad I had for Lunch was bland for Thai Cuisine, I loved salty side Pad See Ew… Read more »
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Review from Ari A.
New York, NY
1/25/2012
Ambience is really nice and cozy. You walk into a dark curtain entranced room, gorgeous leather benches, enormous chandeliers, dim lighting & subtle music. A good date environment, or a place to catch up with old friends.
I ordered the Sautéed red chili. The waiters didn't ask how you like your spice level before prepping the food & it came out pretty spicy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining! Everything also comes out very fast here, there's a certain pace to the place which can get annoying. For instance we were having a deep conversation, but were asked by waiters at least 3 times if our check was done.
Very cheap $10-15/ entree.
Cocktails $10
During the week, no line.
Tried to go Friday night, 30 minute wait. -
Review from Dimitrios D.
New York, NY
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm actually shocked that I have to give this place so low of a review, particularly since it has plenty of great Yelp reviews, but let me explain my reasoning...
To begin, this place looks swanky. It's got chandeliers and a sort of cool, Victorian-theme going on- which is, I know, kind of odd for a Thai restaurant. In any case, it looks really cool inside. And don't worry about a dress code- I came wearing a t-shirt and was fine, despite how nice the place looks.
But the decor is about all this place has going for it.
My meal (spicy squid ink spaghetti), which was listed under their "Bangkokian" section of the menu, was not only not spicy, but was borderline bland.
It just looked cool, because the entire dish was stained with dark squid ink, from the pasta to the veggies to the shrimp and calamari.
However, there were only three shrimp in my entire dish (and a fourth tail, but was missing the shrimp), and a small handful of calamari and green peppers and onions. Mainly though, it was a big bowl of spaghetti (yes, like the kind from an Italian restaurant), dyed blue, and barely spiced.
What makes it all the more absurd is that, as I mentioned, my dish came from the "Bangkokian" section of the menu, which supposedly contained "authentic", spicy dishes that one could actually order in Thailand. Um, yeah... no.
Oh, and our food came out in literally maybe 10 minutes. Cooked to order? I think not. -
Review from M T.
New York, NY
1/27/2012
Ok, what the hell, Room Service. The decor is abysmal. I feel like I'm at a dated Meatpacking club and the fist pumping B&T crowd is about to start pouring in. Our waitress was wearing a sequined mini dress and a sparkly fascinator, which didn't help much.
Also, the huge mirror in the bathroom so I can watch the look on my face as I pee? Nice touch.
But the food? The food is awesome. I tried the thai herb mussels, galangal coconut milk soup, green curry and the Room Service pad thai. Everything was delicious - the mussels were particularly memorable. Blinding sequins aside, our waitress was lovely and service was pretty fast.
But please redecorate, for the love of all that is holy. -
Review from Edward B.
Martinez, CA
1/28/2012
This review is strictly based on customer service. I just called literally 2 minutes ago. I wanted to ask for a reservation for two.
A girl answered the phone. Answered in a hurried voice what I could barely make out to be "thank you for calling room service" I asked "id like to make a reservation". She did not say anything at all simply put me on hold, after 3-4 minutes some other girl picked up the phone, she also replied in a hurried annoyed voice "how can i help you" . Since I assumed they were busy I quickly said "id like to make a reservation for two for 7:30". She replied in the same annoyed voice "we dont take reservations for two please walk in" .
Before I could even say, "ok thank you" she had already hung up on me.
So i decided to walk in somewhere else. -
Review from Virginia T.
Manhattan, NY
1/9/2012
In a neighborhood that has no short supply of Thai restaurants, Room Service is a standout. Their drunken noodle is my personal favorite - the rice noodles they use are fresh & chewy and the spicy sauce is full of basil flavor.
Starting at 6.90 for an appetizer & entree, the lunch special can't be beat. I order from here regularly on Seamless and the food arrives in a jiffy and the entrees are still steaming hot. On occasion, the lunch appetizers may still be cold in the middle (e.g. the chicken and shrimp steamed dumpling). But for the cheap price, c'mon you can't really complain too much... -
Review from Hari P.
Manhattan, NY
2/5/2012
Strictly below average food. Long wait time after being told every 15 minutes that our table in going to be ready in 10 minutes. Had to wait for almost an hour for the strictly average food and service. 2 starts only for the good cocktails they had.
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Review from Lis M.
San Lorenzo, CA
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Make sure to call ahead to make reservations as this is a very busy place.
The food was really good and portions were big enough to share. The cocktails were refreshing and strong.
The bathrooms were uber cute and clean and one must not forget to mention the huge chandelier located in the center of the restaurant.
This place was recommended by a friend and I am passing on the good word to you all. Check it. -
Review from Lili K.
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love the servers' dresses! Haha. I like how Thai places can be so posh and the food so reasonably priced!
I got the beef pat see ewe and Thai fried rice (with chicken). Yummmmmy! I've sat at a table and at the bar-the place seems to always be busy. But it's a beautiful venue, so I see why! -
Review from Christina R.
Manhattan, NY
1/22/2012
Atmosphere: Really cute decor. It's pretty dark lighting and the seats are oddly lower then the table. A bit weird. This place is great for a date night or group.
Food: The salad I got as a starter was huge. I thought it would be a small house salad but it was like entree size. I had the tofu pad Thai and it was great. Probably better then any of the other 54748393 Thai restaurants in Hell's Kitchen.
Service: We only had to wait about ten minutes for a table. Service was fine. -
Review from Mev K.
Flushing, NY
1/10/2012
We came here for my graduation lunch. The place was empty which gave me a chance to look around and got to sit on the red couch :)
I love the decor. Its every detailed and cute. The service was very good and food is affordable and really good.
I will definitely come back! -
Review from Shirley D.
Staten Island, NY
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have walked passed this place so many times, until one of our friends wanted to check it out. I am glad we did try it.
When you walk in, you wouldn't think this was a thai restaurant, until you notice that all the servers and patrons. There is usually a long wait so, get there early or make some kind of reservations. It's a bite tight to, but who cares. It's all about the food.
Now onto the food and cocktail. Cocktail was strong (forgot what I had), but tasty. The food portions was pretty big and the prices were just right. Everyone in our party enjoyed the food. My friend ordered a pumpkin curry and he enjoyed it all. The shrimp and flank appetizer was delicious. The best part was the dessert. Our friend ordered the pumpkin pudding and it was warm and oh so tasty. It was different and unique cause no one else offered that type of dessert.
We'll definitely be back. We'll c u all there!!! -
Review from Daisy P.
Manhattan, NY
1/21/2012
Love this place!
It's great to come with a group so you can all share and sample each other's dishes.
The pad thai was amazing as well as the basil rice. Wish I remembered what other dishes I had but they were all phenomenal. The decor is very trendy and upscale and not what you would expect from a typical thai place. Drinks are delicious and fresh too. This is probably my favorite restaurant in hell's kitchen. Def make a reservation before coming. -
Review from Shelley P.
Kingston, PA
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Room Service is a bit deceiving. The exterior did not look much like a restaurant, which three me off. I read such good reviews, I didn't let that deter me.
The interior decor was very fancy. There was a gorgeous chandelier in the center of the long, thin restaurant. Quite unique.
My friend and I decided to go before the dinner rush. The tables are close by each other. You could probably over hear the tables conversations on either side of you. We were pretty much the only ppl there, so it was quite and relaxing.
Oh, btw...the food was delicious!! :) -
Review from Amy M.
1/3/2012 6 photos
We came to Room Service last Friday. It is a nice trendy restaurant with mirrors, chandelier in the middle of the floor, Buddhas, and other nice decorations. Waiters and waitresses were dressed up in nice black outfits. Very cute. Service was good.
We ordered two drinks, one was Do Not Disturb and I can't remember the name of the other one but it had midori and milk in it. The drinks were both strong, but I liked the one with midori and milk in it more. It was like a smoothie...lol.
For our entrees, we ordered Chicken Satay and Assorted Golden Fritters. They were both really good. The chicken satay comes with the peanut sauce already dipped on it. And the different items in the assorted appetizer were fried chicken and shrimp dumpling, blanketed shrimp, roasted corn spring roll and tofu with crushed peanut sweet chili dipping sauce. Very good.
For entrees, I ordered the Chicken Pineapple Fried Rice and he ordered the Chicken Spicy Basil Noodles. We both enjoyed our dishes a lot. It was very flavorful.
We didn't try any desserts here.
It was a nice experience here since the ambiance and mood were both very good. It was a bit romantic too. :) -
Review from Allan T.
New York, NY
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went here for drinks and thoroughly enjoyed it.
BUYER BEWARE - at nights the bartenders add gratuity to the bill, and will then blatantly staple the credit card slip over it and try to get you to double tip.
I would have given them 4 stars but had to subtract 1 star for doing something so terribly wrong. -
Review from Vishal M.
Manhattan, NY
1/19/2012
Best Thai food in NYC, which says a lot. Tables are a bit tight, but the decor and ambiance more than make up for it. Great value, perhaps it's even under-priced! Curry and Pad See Yu are personal favorites. Unique drinks are worth trying as well.
I took my family here on New Year's Eve night and got a table within 20 minutes. They said it was the best meal they had in their entire week of running around the city. -
Review from O K.
Manhattan, NY
2/1/2012
great decor!
foods ok for its prices..
nice presentation of the food..
pad thai isnt too good..
the appetizers are better than the entrees -
Review from Oliver W.
Miami, FL
1/18/2012
We popped in here for a Friday night dinner after a show (Avenue Q - hysterical, they had me at "foul-mouthed muppets") and it was perfect for what we were looking for: fun, good food and a little eye candy. We just showed up without reservations and waited about 15 minutes for a table for two. Now, "intimate and quiet" Room Service is not. Between the cozy seating arrangements - meaning the tables are on top of each other -- vaguely clubby music and din from fellow diners, this wouldn't be the best first date spot. But if you're in "have a good time" mode, this is absolutely the right spot.
We had the Room Service Pad Thai and salmon. The pad thai was basically a noodle omelette and I can now say I've had pad thai the way it was meant to be served. It was fabulous. The salmon was disappointing only because on this particular night it was overdone. Having said that, we could tell what it was supposed to be and with a few minutes less heat it, too, would've been delicious. The food alone is worth a trip to Room Service.
Some Yelpers were not happy with the service but we found it to be perfectly acceptable. The waitress was more of a table manager - she drifted through and took orders and backwaiters brought the actual items - and a bit aloof. No, there was not a lot of warm and fuzzy from her but we didn't wait excessively for food and drink so this was not a negative. After all, we weren't there to chat up the waitress although the staff at Room Service are certainly swimming in the deep end of the gene pool.
Perfect capper for a fun night out in Manhattan. -
Review from Vivian H.
12/15/2011
**3 stars for the food plus an extra star for beautiful barmaids**
What can I say? I am a sucker for good looking people. Put a cutie in front of me, and I turn into silly putty. Oh yea, stretch me anyway you like. Oh wait, I'm getting this review mixed up with a yoga place review. Or am I?
After seeing Chinglish courtesy of yelp, we were pretty hungry. I mean, we sat through dinnertime with only wine (out of a sippy cup basically) to keep the appetite at bay.
We walk over to 9th Ave., and this was the first Thai place we stumbled on. I didn't catch the name, and my friend couldn't remember it. This is what happens when you get two fishes together. I was immediately mesmerized by the decor. It is quite impressive. Everything is dark with a gothy vibe to it, but also a very classy, sexy twist to it. Just my kind of place. Candles everywhere and also a massive chandelier encased in glass in the middle of the dining room. There was also a small Buddha statue in the corner.
Wait, but can I tell you about the drop dead gorgeous Thai barmaids? Oh my god. I have died and gone to Thai heaven. Tall, trim, fancy updos and beautiful, beautiful shoulders. I think we gawked for a good few seconds before sitting down. My friend had already experienced this in the past. In fact, he told he was drooling for the first 30 minutes when he first came here.
Service was pretty quick here. I asked them to make me a "spicy" drink and indeed, they delivered. Tamarind on the rim was a good touch. I found myself licking all of it. But the drink was too sweet, so after that, I just switched to a martini.
My friend ordered the pad ee sew with veggie duck and he ate all of it, so I assume it was good. I had a tom yum soup and a green papaya salad. Sad to say, both were decent, but not mind blowing.
It's quite OK if the food is just mediocre, because the place and the barmaids were gorgeous. God, I can be so superficial at times... -
Review from Jason P.
When you first walk into Room Service, you don't feel like you're walking into a restaurant. The ambiance is chic and trendy, with the fancy mirrors, black & white tiled floors, molding on walls and clean metal and black furniture. It is very darkly lit, with a massive chandelier serving as a main focal point in the center. The chandelier is encased behind glass in the middle of the restaurant at torso level. It almost feels like a very modern and posh hotel, with the waitresses and hostesses dressed up in exquisite and attractive black outfits consisting tophats, tank-tops, and dreamcatcher-like necklaces.
But with a name like Room Service, you would expect exceptional table service. What you can expect, is on the other end of the spectrum, with a waiting staff that is abundant but almost nonexistent. Our food did come out extremely fast, no more than 5 minutes from when we had put our order in. But after that, our waiter never came to check up on us until we were done with our meals.
The Pad Noh Mai ($12.20), which is listed in the menu as an original authentic Thai style dish. Pad Noh Mai consists of sauteed shrimps, minced chicken, fresh basil, Thai chili, bamboo shoots, with herbs, chili paste, and garlic sauce. Although it's also touted as a very spicy dish and not for the American customer, I found it to be sweet with no heat to it at all. It was still very tasty, with 6 medium plump shrimp that were perfectly cooked, tender chicken bits, a lot of thinly sliced bamboo shoots, and a nice basil flavor to it. Complimented on the side was a small mound of white rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds. It easily absorbed all that flavorful sauce on the dish, making for a dish I enjoyed very much and that I could come back for. I just wish it was a lot spicier, and this dish would be a hit out of the park.
The Pad See Ew ($10.90) at Room Service topped as being one of my favorite preparations for this dish. It consists of the standard flat rice noodles stir fried in sweet soy sauce, along with fresh crunchy Asian broccoli and egg bits. It was sweet and savory, making for an exceptional dish that I could also return to, time and time again.
The Thai Iced Tea ($2.50) was prepared well, which I enjoyed very much. They put just the right balance of black tea and creaminess from the milk, and enough ice cubes so that it remained cold without ever really watering down.
Room Service truly surprised me. I was afraid that they would get caught up with their focus on being a swanky eye-candy type of restaurant. But not only did the ambiance win me over, but the prices were right, portions decent, and food was delicious. My only gripe was the poor table service, which somewhat took away from the theme of the restaurant. But I could easily overlook that and find myself frequenting this place for a cozy relaxed dinner, or a night out with some friends.Listed in: Hell's Kitchen
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Review from Brian S.
New York, NY
1/9/2012
The food is just average for Thai food in Hells Kitchen. I must admit that I was pretty disappointed with the portion size of my pad see ew, but I'm glad it wasn't too pricey.
One of the firs things you notice about the place is huge chandelier hanging from the middle of the restaurant. The mood is just right for a nice date or group dinner and makes for a fun afternoon with a reservation.
Despite all the good, this place gets two stars in my book for the inconsiderate staff. When I first called to place a reservation, I was promptly told no, thank you, and goodbye *click* all in one breath. Then, when our group got there the hostess repeatedly gave me wait times that were far off and we ended up waiting for a good hour when we were promised 30 minutes for our party of six. The last straw was the constant bumping of my chair while I was eating. While I'm usually considerate of the walkway, no amount of scooting in prevented the staff from bumping into my chair every 15 minutes. Thank goodness that Thai food generally doesn't require sharp knives.
Overall, I'd come back just because it's a neat, trendy little restaurant but I'll know what to expect service wise this time around. -
Review from Doc H.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
An inconspicuous gem located hell's kitchen. Small enough to walk by without much of a stir unless you know where your headed. Upon traversing the transient velvet hallway (winter only vs permanent style?) you are welcome into an ethereal example of someone's imagination mimicking the feel of a trendy lounge spotted by outlying voyeurs enjoying meals decorated with equal flash.
What more could you ask for from a thai adventure: asymmetric plates, tasty and appropriately spicy dishes, beautiful staff, tall iced teas blending condensed milk and enthusiasm, buddha on the wall and a chandelier in place of 4 seats, reasonable prices.
I tried the chicken variants of the pad thai and the spicy basil fried rice- both respectable but the fried rice a clear winner! Lots of entrees sounded great I wish I had been hungrier when I went. The only criticism would be the obvious push to turn the table over.
Can't wait to try some of the drinks at the bar while waiting 45 min for a table next time. -
Review from Helena C.
Woodside, NY
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
food is def. a 5 star
i went here with a few friends.. they really were giving us great service.
only thing that bothered me was the amount of space, we had a party of 5 so why would you seat us on a table that only fits 4? so it was tough moving around and what not.
however the appetizers to drinks and to the entree, everything was exactly like stated on the menu.
will def. come back here again! -
Review from Meredith M.
New York, NY
12/7/2011
I was shocked when I came across this little Hell's Kitchen/Theatre District gem! You walk in and it feels trendy and chic, you sit down...in our case immediately, and can order one of their fun cocktails (which I did, the "detox", and it was delish) also immediately. Service was made available and eager to assist.
Their portions are generous, so don't think you and a girlfriend can split two apps and an entree! We had the avocado spring rolls, which were excellent and delightfully refreshing with the mint leaves hidden inside. We also had the honey ribs, which fell right off the bone. Although, have of our order was inedible and fatty.
Entree we shared the curry scampi, which was excellent. With a bit of spice, jumbo prawns and rice to share it was the perfect dinner for an after show meal! Affordable, chic and good food. -
Review from Jae C.
Woodside, NY
12/10/2011
When a friend of the other gender invited me to "Room Service," my first reaction was not thinking about a restaurant. =0
The ambience of this restaurant is nice and the interior decor is remarkable. The food was good with generous size portions.
I plan to take all my out-of-town friends that like Thai food to "Room Service" and to see their facial expression and reaction when I first mention the name...lol One aspect that should be known is that they will only seat you after your whole party arrives. -
Review from Nicole N.
Astoria, NY
1/20/2012
I had a pretty terrible experience here. I had been hearing about it for ages and had only heard good things. Upon arrival I was shocked at how low the prices were. That was all put out of my head as soon as we were greeted.
We had been seated all of 30 seconds when our server arrived and simply said, 'are you ready?'. No hello, no can I start you with a drink. This was NOT a busy night btw. It was a freezing cold Monday night. We explained we needed time but wanted to order drinks. He took 2 beer orders and before another of our patrons was able to ask about cocktails he took off.
He came back w/ our drinks and took our order. still cold as stone. I had the Tuna Tartare appetizer and I will admit I thought it was DELICIOUS. When the entrees came, all arrived accept for mine. No one explained that it was on it's way and I waited almost another 5 minutes before it did arrive. No apology for the wait. My pad thai was not very good. I would not recommend trying something else.
Here's the straw that broke the camels back. 1. He tried to take my beer away before I was finished with it because he was clearly in a hurry to get us out of there.
2. he didn't even ask if we wanted more drinks or dessert and brought our check. We didn't pay right away BECAUSE WE WEREN'T FINISHED. About two minutes later he came back to tell us that he needed the table. Our entire visit had lasted exactly 45 minutes. Not even an hour. Furthermore, there were other tables available and no wait at the door. It seemed like our server was eager to be seated again. I was pretty irritated and in hind sight wish I would have talked to a manager.
The sad thing is I'm sure I'll return. Simply because the food is THAT CHEAP. -
Review from Dominique M.
Manhattan, NY
1/4/2012
Room Service has a clean, modern and pretty aesthetic that works. An ornate wooden door leads you into a large, dimly-lit room -- complete with sparkling chandelier, modern sculptural adaptations of Buddha, wood-finished tables and a wall lined with mirrors. This aesthetic spills over to what's served on your table. The drinks (my ice tea came served in a towering glass, garnished with plump lychees) and food (my spring rolls came tightly packed, standing like soldiers in a cup of sauce and topped with a curly swirl of radicchio and my Room Service pad thai was served wrapped in an eggwhite omelet and garnished with a crisp orchid) are presented gorgeously.
Though I felt that the dining experience elevated the flavor of the food and drinks, I enjoyed everything I ate. The spring rolls, fried perfectly and stuffed with glass noodles and corn, were really tasty. And the Room Service pad thai -- a restaurant specialty (very different from the pad thai that I am used to... for instance, instead of rice noodles, it came with vermicelli, and it's all wrapped loosely in an omelet) -- was a little too sweet for my taste and the tofu (I ordered the vegetarian version) was a little tasteless and dry, but overall, it was flavorful and I cleaned my plate.
The service was so-so. Not terrible, but not attentive. It was a little noisy, the place was packed on a Wednesday night at 9pm (though the wait was only 15 minutes for a table for two). And not, by any stretch of the imagination, the best Thai food I've ever had in New York, but the dining experience was very enjoyable and ultimately, though I wouldn't go seeking this place out, if I happened to be in Hell's Kitchen around dinnertime without a specific plan, I would go to Room Service again.
I'll probably order a cocktail next time. Those looked great. -
Review from Edwin V.
Valley Stream, NY
1/21/2012
Awesome restaurant , super fast service , amazing food and cocktails , and affordable prices for NYC
-
Review from John C.
11/30/2011
You must wait for a table, but not for the food.
This deep, narrow restaurant has this gigantic chandelier encased what would probably be a column standing in the middle of the restaurant. Dark walls, decent lighting, candles on the small square tables, and average noise level is how I would describe this place.
We order these green dumplings for appetizer and they were just weird looking but tasted alright. I order a Thai signature, the pad thai, but there were 2 to choose from? So I get the one the waiter insist is better.
The staff comes around often enough to refill water but they also rush to clear our plates...
My pad thai comes and it looks this big puffy white omelet. I start to dig in and find it's filled with thin angel hair noodles and seafood. I was actually amazed how good it was. I tried my friends duck dish and it was sweet and tender.
Good food. -
Review from Katrina A.
Manhattan, NY
12/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday. Arrived at 8pm on a Wednesday and it was packed (and it's a pretty huge restaurant). We were a party of 3 with a table for 2 open, so they squeezed a chair in to fit us all.
The decor is very posh, with chandeliers and fancy mirrors. Dim lighting and such makes it look swanky. Top it off with the dressed up staff. Ambiance is good but it is very loud inside, so if you're looking to hold a conversation, it'll be pretty difficult.
We ordered family style even though I'm pretty sure the plates are meant to be for individuals. We all wanted to try a bit of each thing. We ordered:
Corn spring rolls- nothing special. The rolls were dunked already in the sauce as they were served, which I thought would just make them soggy.
Panang Curry- one of the faves of the night. Delicious.
Pineapple Fried Rice- the best thing ever! I would definitely come back for this alone. Sweet and savory. Beef was juicy and tender.
Room Service Pad Thai- we were confused as to what it was when served. The noodles were wrapped in an egg omelette. Noodles were pretty bland, lacked the peanut taste, and the seafood wasn't that fresh. Would not order again. I prefer a more authentic pad thai.
Overall not a bad place. Our total including tip was $48, and everyone was full. I'll definitely be back for the pineapple fried rice... -
Review from emily l.
Manhattan, NY
11/17/2011
I went in thinking that this thai place was going to be much like the other average thai restaurants in nyc, but I could not have been more wrong!
Let's start with the ambiance - super friendly, nice waiting area with great windows for people watching (so while your friend is a few minutes behind, you can enjoy yourself). Awesome atmosphere in general - great decorating. But, let's get down to what matters.
I had a mimosa (which was delicious), the corn spring rolls (sounds weird, but they were just absurdly tasty, to the point where you know you should let them cool but you can't just let them *sit* there) and the last but not least, the pad see euw. Definition of savory? I would put this in my top five.
If you don't know where you want to go for thai, go here - and if you're wondering "meh, should I really go?" just go, it's worth it!!! -
Review from Helena H.
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
The extra star is for the "EFFORT" in Decor.
4 girls (like sex in the city show), Met up together for a nice Dinner.
ALL this reviews mention about the decor and service. Which I must say very impressed with all the dimmed lights and a Huge Chandelier as a centerpiece.
Food came within 5 minutes after we all ordered, Pretty quick.
FOOD IS AWFUL I must say.
What I ordered was Shrimp Pad See Evw. Can't screw that up, is a typical Thai Dish. SUPER disappointing! - Flat Noodles were broken in little pieces (which was hard to pick up from a chopstick). On top of that, Very Saucy and too SWEET!. Veggies were undercooked and Should be with ONLY Chinese broccoli. Instead, They added their own vegetables. UGH!
Portions were a tad small, but the price (Under $ 10) can't go wrong.
On top of that 15 minutes later, the Waiter "kinda" rushed us by picking up the plates. My friend didn't even finish her meal (she was still chewing) and asked her if she was done yet. She said NO (of course). He walked away.
After we all finished, the Waiter came back right away and cleaned the table, He "quickly" asked if we wanted dessert, we passed the Sweet part and within 2 minutes, he brought the check right away.
I don't think it was a great way for us to have dinner within 30 minutes at this place. The name Room Service should change it to "Quick Service". Very Disappointing. Will stick with my other Thai places around the neighborhood.Listed in: Thai me up!
