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69th St (7)
65th St (G, R, V)
74th St-Roosevelt Ave (7, E, F, V, G, R)
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OMG. I finally got to go here after 2 years of dreaming. I'll tell you, tuesday 3pm, its EMPTY. (well, relatively).
The lunch special was still open so two of my friends and I got a lunch special (green curry, tom yum and green papaya salad), crispy watercress salad and this curry noodle looking thing that didnt have a name but the curry and noodle were separated.
Everything was so delicious. My friend and I stressed over on yelp for hours deciding what to order for when we go. The definite win for me was the Crispy Watercress Salad (the cashews got to me.) For my friends, it was the Green Curry.
Though, my second runner up would be the papaya salad. I would have loved to try that with the crispy catfish *_*. I cant wait to go back. I've been dreaming of that watercress salad for a while now. Please go!
Oh, we also got a steamed pumpkin custard. I say it tasted like flan thats not overly sweet. My friends agreed. You can just skip that.
After hearing all the hype about the place, I decided to check it out with some friends for lunch. Their lunch menu is sadly limited to only a few dishes. Since my friends and I fall under the "desperately poor college students" category, we decided to split everything. We got one lunch special (Papaya salad, some kind of soup whose name escapes me, and green curry), vegetarian crispy watercress salad, and a self serving noodle dish that had fish balls in the sauce.
The papaya salad is a must! Its very refreshing. Only a fool would choose to not try it. The soup was ok. It was pretty salty so I didn't really like it. Then again, alot of asian soups tend to be salty.
The vegetarian crispy watercress salad with its mix of mushrooms and tofu was pretty good. It wasn't greasy yet still crispy enough to make that glorious "crunch" sound.
The noodle dish had a peculiar taste...I think its more of an acquired taste really.
The green curry was my favorite out of everything that we ordered. We had it in medium spicy and it was spicy enough for me to enjoy and yet not spicy to the point where my dear friend would suffer from an ulcer.
We also got the pumpkin custard which was ok. Nothing eye-popping.
Overall bill was not bad. I believe it came out to only $12/14 p/person and our stomachs were happily content. Oh and the service at lunch time was a breeze, they have a pretty decent vegetarian menu so both meat lovers and veggie fans can eat at the same table without feeling guilty, and our waitress was nice enough to not throw the camera/barf in our faces when asked her to take a picture of us as we giggled and posed like 12 year olds on a sugar high.
I have some very mixed feelings about this place.
I've tried a few different dishes, and I've either completely loved or utterly hated each one. There was no middle ground.
The papaya salad was a crisp, tangy delight.
The broiled trout meat salad was a big, salty mess.
The tom yum soup was one of the best I've ever had.
But, their chicken larb was again far too salty, and overly filled with cilantro.
But, their steamed calamari with garlic chili and lime juice was a spicy winner.
I also enjoyed the moderately priced wine selection, particularly a very nice Weber Riesling that was available.
But, their grilled pork with chili sauce lacked flavor and was extremely forgettable.
The service is extremely inattentive. You have to be very proactive when you want or need something, so be prepared to flag people down. Don't feel bad about it because they probably wouldn't be stopping to check on you otherwise.
I really like the rotating covered toilet seat in the bathroom.
Seriously, I stood there for like 5 minutes waving my hand in front of the motion sensor. I was in awe.
I now see actually having to fumble with toilet seat covers as barbaric.
Going to the city on the weekends is just a headache...we were rerouted 4 times in a row on the subway...All hell broke loose..the E train is going the F line and the F is going the R line..its just pure chaos..., it will be impractical to go to Manhattan and suffer the same consequences again...so Camille and I decided to just stay in Queens...for our Saturday ... Mother & daughter day...besides the weather is not cooperating either...its pouring...so surfing the Yelp restaurants reviews in Woodside I stumbled on this Thai restaurant who has 324 reviews so far...mostly 4 and 5.stars,,,Hmmmm must be good....
Sripraphai is located just 3 subway stops from my place but never really heard of them until now...propably because there is an abundance of Thai restaurants in my area.....there was no need for me to look further...and they all look good...have been to all of them and can't complain about all the dishes I've tried so far...all very delicious.........
As soon as we got there..surprise to see that it was almost pack..not withstanding the rain...must really be that good. We were seated right away and was handed this extensive menu...boy
with all these pages it was harder to pick up a dish...so confusing...
We settled for the Tom Yum Goong, very delicious with just the right kick of spiciness, everything was just right, The Papaya Salad with Seafood. Grilled Pork with Chili Sauce, Chicken Larb with sticky rice...It was very filling and sumptous meal...everything went with a flash. Honestly its just another Thai restaurant to me..I don'tknow what the big fuss was....there was this smaller place that was open not too long ago ....to me this place was really as Auhentic as it gets. The owner owns the Thai Grocery right across the restaurant...their Raw Shrimps with chili/lime sauce was one ofmy favorites....and their Pad Thai is excellent!!! I'll probably goback there and try their Roasted Duck dick recipe with Chili sauce .I heard it was very tasty....
One thing good about Sriprahhai, the Ladies room is equiped with this automatic changing seat covers.....isn't that cool....I hope that all of NYC ladies room will be installed with these gadgets...that would be nice....and let's not forget about the servers ..who were very pleasant , friendly and helpful...
As a newbie to the NY subway system... red diamond means express and green circle means local. For all you other newbies whom are taking the subway... go on the "green circle" 7 towards Queens. This of course caused many pissy attitudes between the wife and I but all is good after a long dinner at Sripapai.
We tried:
Crispy Watercrest salad is a must have. Deep fried (battered) watercrest, cashews, salad, mango/papaya strips, and whole shrimp equals very good! This is what they are known for so there is no reason to not try it!
Soft shell crab appetizer... is decent but nothing to write home about.
Musaman curry (chicken) - I thought it was a bit plain but the wife being Thai enjoyed it alot.
Shrimp with glass noodle in hot pot - the wife makes better but it was decent for what it is.
I have to say... the place inside is nice, spacious and the serving staff was good. The outside on the other hand was not so good. Being a tourist in NYC, I would say this restaurant is in the middle of a beatup mexican-like barrio. So, the neighborhood isnt the best especially at night but I think it is still worth a visit at whatever time.
The NYC Thai Bible. Beware, don't despair, the rest do not compare.
Better Believe It!
One caveat is that the waiters and waitresses aren't great at helping the uninitiated, so go knowing what you want or with someone who knows Thai food...
Great food.. cash only. we love the fried catfish salad.. The pickled bbq pork, had a really interesting soup this evening, was like a northern style curry soup with noodles, kaffir lime, peanuts, chili, sprouts, and dice beans accompanying it. Nam sod is good there.. Pork leg with mustard greens. The sausage, the whole fish.. Such an extensive menu. i have yet to have anything i dont like..
Have been coming here for years.. It's quicker to get there, now that I live in Brooklyn.
Place started originally as a dessert shop.. Do not miss dessert, good things to take home also.. Sausages, banana sticky rice, rice cakes with caramel, sweet gluton items.. Like them all.
Recently raised the prices on the whole fish offerings I see.
Favorite restaurant in NYC. Really cheap and amazing quality food. My girlfriend and I go there, order like 8 dishes, 3 sides of coconut rice, and half a carafe of wine and it is only ~$60 and we have food for the next two days. Be adventurous. At these prices, you can afford to risk getting a dish you don't like.
DELICIOUS, fresh, imaginative dishes. I had chicken curry egg noodles with crispy noodles on top - a perfectly layered meal. This dish gets it's power from the pairing of opposite: soft soupy + crispy salty, sweet curry + salty pickles. The papaya salad appetizer had a zing.
1 appetizer + dish = meal + leftovers for lunch.
Service is friendly and attentive.
By far the best Thai food in NYC.
Only a few express 7-train stops out of Grand Central, this gem of a restaurant is not only authentic in its cuisine but easy on the wallet.
The food is top-notch ( you have to try the soft-shell crab appetizer and grab a coconut/taro dessert out of their take-out fridge on your way out ).
Try what you like.
This is the best Thai food I've ever had.
_____
Now, in my wise opinion, this is not a place where you order your ordinary chicken pad thai with crispy spring rolls. If you want to get that, order take-out from next door.
Seriously, the menu is a damn book. Be ADVENTUROUS!!!!! If you really want to see the true colors and tastes of Thai cuisine and culture, definitely open your mind and try different things on the menu. It has so many authentic dishes where you will never find in any ordinary thai restaurant in New York.
Honestly, it was so hard to choose because on every page there was like 5 things I wanted to eat, and there's like 30 pages (you do the math). If you have the same problem as I do, ask your server for recommendations. I asked for the more authentic dishes that Thai people enjoy.
Papaya salad with crispy catfish- okay this is a freakn' must. PLEASEEEE I BEGGGG OF YOUUUU!! ORDER THIS~!!!! I still dream about this salad.
Crispy pork with basil - okay I honestly don't remember the real name of this dish. All I know is, that the pork had crispy sticky skin and the meat was juicy and plump accompanied by a spicy, pungent basil sauce.
The soup we had was recommended by our waiter. He said most thai people order this and enjoy it very much. It was definitely tom yum broth (i think) and it had some kind of green, spongy egg in it. Sour and spicy, it was definitely an interesting choice. However, not delicious in my book.... i would say it's an aquired taste.
Whole fish with thai chili sauce- I hear that ordering a whole fish at Sripraphai is a must. I agree with this rumor. One word = mind-blowing. One phrase = "almost" better than sex. (i said almost)
In conclusion, Sripraphai has the best authentic thai food in town. Period. And don't try to argue with a Korean girl.
I again went to the only thai restaurant worth visiting and had a fantastic meal with fantastic service! My salad and pad thai was exactly as I ordered--I'm a vegetarian; I have needs!
They gave us the wrong bill which was about $21 less than what it should've been! We told them there was a mistake and I was a bit surprised that they didn't thank us for bringing the error to their attention.
I love Sripraphai...great food, great prices. Okay, so you may have to wait, but it's worth it!… Read more »
This restaurant is as good as it gets. I mean the food is incredible and the menu is as long as the bible, anyone can find a dish that suits them. Must try. Very very reasonable and fast service.
Look no further. No doubt the best and most authentic Thai restaurant in New York. No other place come any close. I love the masamum curry here. It's best to go in a large group and try different dishes. Queens is a bit of a hike, but it's totally worth the effort. I live in Manhattan but this is the only place in Queens I go to on a regular basis other than LGA and JFK! I never get disappointed. I wish there was a place like this in the City. I would say Pam Real Thai is the closest.
Thank you Yelp for showing me the light. Reading so many great reviews really helped my hubby and I make what could have been a difficult decision, so much easier. Our first time at Sripraphai was only last night and I'm already looking forward to going back!
We arrived at 7pm and were lucky enough to find parking across the street since this place looks like it's always packed. Upon arrival we were given a ticket with a number. It was very reminiscent of a deli counter as we stood and watched the monitor that announced the number being served; Still, it was kind of cool that they had monitors in different parts of the restaurant as well as outside so you can feel free to move about to any free area you can scout. In the end, the "deli rules" really helped avoid confusion and control the traffic. We were seated within 10 minutes and the service was prompt.
This is what we ate, and I would definitely recommend the same to any other new comers:
Papaya salad with crispy catfish
Crispy watercress salad
Soft-shell crab w/ green curry
Coconut rice
Thai iced tea with milk
While 2 or even 3 of those plates would have been enough, I'm glad we ordered what we did because every dish was delicious and there was no complaints for taking the leftovers home.
The spiciness of each dish was not overdone, yet I know for a fact they are considerate enough to ask and make your plate as spicy (or not) as you'd like. While our spiciest dish was the papaya salad, it was still cool and refreshing to the palate .. so much that it provoked a little happy dance to be had in my seat.
All in all, five star Thai.
Note: credit cards are not accepted but the prices are more than fair and it will not disappoint.
Really, really good authentic Thai food.
That said, I'm not Thai, so... have trouble figuring out what the foods are (or are going to taste like when they get to the table).
Decor: very nice, almost looks like a manhattan-transplant, dim-ish lighting, nice ambiance. Good for dates, groups, families, kids, whatever.
Service: was ok. Water service a little slow.
Food: fragrant & pungent. The Tom Kha Kai soup was really really coconutty. Viscous. You can eat the coconut. So, it was good, but not what I was expecting... therefore, not really my cup of tea. Thank goodness I was eating with others who gladly enjoyed it!
The Red Curry Chicken. I think the waiters mixed up my "mild" order of this dish with my friend's "spicy" order of another dish. Let's just say my stomach now has a hole in it. It was good, but I couldn't eat it. Plus, I didn't want to be one of those people that sent food back this time. Like I said earlier, thank goodness I was eating with others who gladly enjoyed it! But I think they were over-spiced at the end as well.
Tom Yum soup was very, very good. Pad Thai was ok. I just realized I don't really like Pad Thai. I need to stop ordering it!
Thai iced tea was good, but the drink is a lot smaller than it looks in the picture.
Very extensive menu. Will definitely come back again with better things to order.
Tried to order a vegetarian appetizer, very carefully going over it with the waitress, and got the seafood version. More food for me, less for my girlfriend. Oh well. The seafood version of the crispy watercress salad was good, but I'm not as wild about it as the other 50-odd reviews -- too much batter for my taste, although I loved the rest of the salad.
The soft-shell crab with green curry was delicious. I hadn't had a really good Thai curry in the United States (i.e. one that tastes even close to what I've had in Thailand or even Hong Kong), and I've tried quite a few other Thai places in New York. I'm thrilled to find Sripraphai up to the challenge.
Best Thai food I've had in New York.
I haven't been to *every* Thai restaurant in New York, not even close, but I did live in Thailand when I was younger and I've eaten my fair share of great Thai. Suffice to say, Sripraphai is worth the trek out to Queens from Manhattan or Brooklyn or wherever you live.
The menu, as others have noted, is pretty intense. It includes those typical unappetizing point-and-shoot photos that almost all cheesy Asian restaurants display in windows. It almost makes you think, were they trying AT ALL? Would it have killed them to make the food look delicious? Delicious-ish? I guess it's kind of nice to have pictures though, I mean they are helpful in some ways if you're unfamiliar with Thai food, besides the usual pad thai and curries and what not.
My favorites are:
- Fried soft shell crab w/ green papaya salad - when soft shell crab is in season, I can't think of a better chunk of crispy fried shellfish to shove in my mouth. The contrast of the hot, crispy crab with the tart and tangy papaya salad - wow!
- Any of the whole fish entrees, steamed or fried, are awesome. I'm from that school that enjoys having the whole fish brought out. That's how it was done when I was growing up and I think it's fun having to filet it yourself. It's like a little adventure, plus I get all excited when I get an especially chunky piece with no bones. Also, I'm a fish eyeball eater. Kinda gross, I know.
- Green curry - ask for some Japanese eggplant if they have it - they act as a wonderful little semi-porous, semi-crunchy veggie sponge. I love spooning the spicy curry over my rice. Yummmm.
- Spicy stir-fried watercress - I am a huge Chinese watercress fan. I love that it tastes kind of like spinach but has that nice crunch because of the hollow "hearts". it's also a good way to get something more healthy into your meal - it's quite a light dish and cuts through a lot of the heavier, spicier dishes.
- Coconut rice is a must.
My only gripes, if you can call it that is that they are usually a little too heavy handed with the lime on the larb. Other than that, I've never been disappointed with my food.
Also, they run out of mango & sticky rice really easily, so if you want it, say something when you're ordering the entrees! If you're not lucky enough to snag a serving, or if you're in the mood for something more adventurous, there are two fridges up at the entrance with random Thai desserts - pumpkin custard, coconut pudding, various rice-based "cakes" - you know the drill.
I'm not sure why people are complaining about the service? I've always had great service. All you need to do is know how to say like 3 things in Thai and they'll be on you like bees on honey!
My 5 star rating is based on their food and price.
Best thai food I've had.
hella good!
Long ass menu, but the pictures next to them are helpful.
Just order whatever that looks good to you, and it'll be good.
Prices are not expensive either.
Sripraphai is not like most Thai restaurants where they dish out the flavor with heavy use of MSG.
I HIGHLY recommend this place.
me out,
not the best Thai in NY, just...
POSSIBLY THE BEST IN THE STATES!?
I had been told about this place by many people and finally ventured the few blocks away from my home to get to it one night. Boy, was I floored. I haven't had Thai food this good since I was in Thailand.
I had the green curry with duck and ordered it spicy and this was the first Thai restaurant that actually seasoned it properly. SO good. I was stuffed and wanted more!
The pork meatballs were a little strange texture-wise but everything else was amazing.
It is my goal to try every single item on their vast menu. I've already planned a lunch get together with friends next month to share this diamond in the rough with them.
Fresh and full of the right flavors.
Too bad this place isn't in Manhattan. Totally worth the trip out to Woodside if you like Thai food, and have had everything in Manhattan.
Great lunch special with Salad soup and a main dish for $12.95
My favorite's gotta be the spicy papaya salad, Tom Yum Gai coconut soup and Green curry.
Pad thai also taste great and freshly made.
Friendly staff to boot.
Bon Appetit (Khaw Hai Jarern Aharn).
So much has been said so I'll keep it short..
Hands down the best Thai food I have had by far. Once you go a few times (and you will want to come back!) expect most other Thai restaurants in NY to seem bland and watered down from now on.
Amazing food in a nice atmosphere at affordable prices! A true NY Gem!
Tom yum, green curry, papaya salad, catfish salad, pad thai, coconut rice. All amazing stuff. But I agree with the skeptics, Sripraphai is amazing, but it isn't the end-all-be-all.
Mix it up a little and try Zabb Zabb or Ayada for some equally delicious (albeit less crowded and less buzz'd) Thai. Both restaurants are a few blocks away.
BEST THAI IN NYC?! Not really...That is a loaded statement... so I was expecting literally to be transplanted back in Thailand for an hour while experiencing my meal. Not so. Maybe we ordered the wrong dishes, but we did order some dishes recommended by some other Yelpers and rather disappointed with the results.
- Spicy Watercress Salad: The picture doesn't tell you that this dish is fried. Every single stalk of watercress is deep fried, how can you even call this dish a salad? There's a whole mess of sauce in the middle that you have to mix around before eating any of it, and I thought that sauce was way too salty.
- Massaman Curry: I was tempted to order the Green Curry but wanted to try something different. This curry was the best dish out of everything we ordered, but still not as good as I would have thought. The tamarind/cardamon spices weren't strong enough, the flavors lacking a bit in depth, but all around a pretty good dish.
- Spicy Pork with Chili Peppers: These bite sized, deep fried pork bits had a very crunchy texture, faintly reminiscent of fried pork rinds. It wasn't that spicy - and I could see that everyone was ordering this dish as well but just could'nt see what was that great about it.
- Rice with Chicken Stock: Actually very fragrant, moist, and fufll of flavor.. when they ask you for what kind of rice you want, pick this!
- Mango with Sticky Rice and Coconut Milk: I've been looking forward to this dessert for quite some time now since I haven't been able to find it at other Thai places. Thank goodness the mango was sweet because the worst thing is if your mangos taste like tofu=flavorless! I happen to really like sticky rice because it's not too sweet but the sticky texture compliments the sweetness of the mango very nicely and the sweet coconut milks adds an extra zing to the entire dessert. At Sripraphai, the sticky rice was a tad too stiff...not soft enough. I would say Green Papaya in Flushing still has the best mango with sticky rice.
Service: My waiter was pretty quick and efficient, definitely didn't experience bad service like some others had mentioned.
I would say definitely give this place a shot and see what you think about it since a lot of other Yelpers seem to think that this place is fantabulous. Maybe I just came on a bad day...
Good food. Bad service.
So I joined a group of friends here for dinner and I couldn't believe how big the restaurant is. Massive! Then again, this is Queens. Either way, the food is great. Spicy (if you can't handle spice, make sure you tell your server!!!) but very tasty. Ambiance, cute. Not a single complaint about the food.
Service, on the other hand, was horrible. We asked not once, or twice for takeaway boxes so that we can wrap up our leftovers. We had to ask four times! And the kicker, at least for me, was "No dessert? Do you just want the check then?" even though she gave us the check earlier and we paid it already.
My recommendation, come for the food because that should be your primary intent. But don't expect too much from the service. Or at least, don't sit outside 'cause I think it's here that service is lacking. 2 stars..gone!
Um, WHAT'S WITH THE HYPE?! I don't get it.
I called on Friday night to get reservations (yes, they do take them if you have a large enough party) for 7 people on Sunday night. It was a friend's birthday and he specifically requested to eat at this place. I've been meaning to try it myself since everyone absolutely raves about it so what a perfect time to try practically everything on the menu.
We arrive around 7 and found parking quite easily, although I think we got lucky; it's a semi-residential area so I would think it's a luck of the draw kind of thing. It's actually really close to the 69th Street 7 train station though, so very accessible to public transportation.
We were led to an outdoors area, which was extremely pleasant. The inside of the restaurant is much bigger than it seems from the outside, but seemed quite "crowded" and dim.
I don't even know what we ordered cause there were so many dishes -- drunken noodle, tom yum soup, fried soft shell crab, chinese watercress, steamed snapper, fried sea trout, grilled meatball, curry duck, saute crispy pork and the chicken stock rice. All in all, a slightly disappointing meal since there was really nothing special about any of the dishes and in fact, the watercress was the BEST dish probably because it was very fresh. The rice was extremely lacking in flavor and a huge disappointment to me.
Now, mediocre food aside, the service is absolutely HORRIBLE. They will look at you while you signal for them, nod and then disappear and never come around even though they've acknowledged your existence. It was outright rude.
Definitely will not waste my time coming here again.
Goods: Tom Yum Soup, Drunken Noodles with beef, Pork Leg Meat with Basil, Green Curry, "Thai Spicy" really hits the spot, energetic vibe and clean space, reasonably priced.
Bad: for the same reason I love it, the food can feel really heavy in your body due to the strong seasoning and coconut cream (but it's impossible to have just a few bites!), and I've been there twice when the Coconut Ice Cream (which is served in a coconut shell) isn't available--it's absolutely delicious when I had it, just once.
My dear Amanda is dear to me, but the fact that she has a car means I love her a little more than my pedestrian friends. So many prohibitively distant locations become so accessible when you can get to your meals on wheels; so on a lovely weekend she and her man whisked me and mine off to the far-far-away realm of Woodside with the promise of the copious consumption of delectable Thai food. We arrived at 5:30, aka Grandpa Hour, and effortlessly snagged a table in the front room (1 of 4 dining areas in this big/small establishment) and perused the novel of a menu - three pages of which are vegetarian, which is thankfully manageable when everything sounds delicious... but is woefully devoid of curry.
Whittling down our food selections, we placed our order with our curt and efficient waiter and soon the dishes began magically appearing on the table. In retrospect I wish I had been a little more diverse in choosing dishes, but I was clearly in an All Fried Appetizers/All Sauteed Entree mood this evening. My BF fixated on the banal sounding egg roll and was eerily obsessed with consuming these skinny crunchy rolls http://www.yelp.com/bi... apparently I've been denying him his required dose of crispy fried vegetable products since he plowed through these like there was a prizes at the bottom of the pile.
We also shared in the Fried Golden Bags with potato and peas filling http://www.yelp.com/bi... an intensely complex savory punch of soft and hard elements consolidated in two perfect bites. But the Curry Puff with potato and white onion filling and cucumber "sauce" http://www.yelp.com/bi... were wildly bland - save for the little dish of sweetly vinegared cucumbers and aromatic cilantro which I could have eaten a ocean of! While devouring my deep fried bounty, I jealously eyed my friend's voluptuous mound of Vegetarian Duck Salad http://www.yelp.com/bi... which she willingly/unwillingly shared.
Next appeared our satisfying entrees, although they proved to be less exciting then the previous round of food. The Sauteed Mock Duck Meat was herbaly balanced but heavily laden with bamboo and the meat is doled out with less generosity then the previous salad http://www.yelp.com/bi... The Sauteed Tofu with cashew, pineapple and toasted chili was also scrumptious but unremarkable http://www.yelp.com/bi... leaving me longing eyeing my friend's Drunken Noodles, which of course she shared but still left me underwhelmed; but I loved that baggy of sticky rice! All in all the outstanding dishes outshine the less remarkable ones and our celebratory looking feast worked out to a meager $25 a person http://www.yelp.com/bi... which is a minor price to pay to sample so many stellar dishes!
Awesome Thai food for New York - reminds me of the Thai food I get in Asia. Eating outside in the garden on a hot and humid day, sweating like crazy with your mouth burning from eating chilies makes it feel even more like you're in Thailand. Come with people who appreciate good Thai food and order a bit of everything.
While I would have liked my Tom Yum soup a little spicier and the coconut rice a little sweeter, everything else was pretty much awesome. Crispy but light softshell crab, refreshing papaya salad, delicious crispy watercress salad, sweet coconut juice... too many fabulous dishes to name - come with a group and order lots, just clear your schedule and be prepared to wait cause the service could be improved. Still, its worth the trip - definitely a dining destination in NY.
This restaurant is to die for. You know, if you want to die for Thai food. Let's just cut to the chase.
The good stuff
*Papaya salad
*Fried waterfall pork
*Fried rice
*Drunken noodles
the best is the sticky rice.
It's probably the best time to go around 4:30PM. We left around 7:00PM and there was a line out the door. The waiters are nice and came back every 10 seconds to fill up our water, especially because we were sweatin' so darn mucho.
So close, I wanted to be review #300! - best thai food in the city (in the U.S? maybe some west coast places can top it- hey if thats true please send me their info)
Really it never disappoints, the spice, the variety, the flavor I am still remembering last night's meal. I really don't get here enough (the whole mental block that Queens is sooo far, for some reason heading to Brooklyn never feels far:) but each time I go I vow to go back sooner. really zip on the express 7 and voila thai food heaven
the wait can get long, but they have a pretty good system and each time it feels as if it has expanded so if you haven't been its time to take it to the Queens side.
THE GREEN CURRY IS SO DELICIOUS. Best I've ever had. Do it.
I think people need their heads reevaluated because there is plenty of comparable Thai food elsewhere in America. I'm not an original New Yorker, but in Los Angeles and throughout California, I've had Thai food that pleases at this level, perhaps exceeding.
I'll be back...I MUST. This freaking menu is so extensive it's not only overwhelming but demanding multiple visits.
Quick plug (if you order now I can still send a special Schwety Ball Sack just in time for CHristmas) the Tabs on the Menu are lovely. Yes they have color coded labeled tabs on the menu pages that direct you Curry, Seafood, Al A Carte, etc... VERY COOL
Our Appetizers were 5 stars.
BEST Tom Yum soup I've ever had...i wrecked my world with the magical flavors of Lemongrass, Lime and Chili!
AMAZING Crispy Watercress Salad with Squid, Shrimp and Chicken...again lots of Lime and Basil!!!
It's the 2 curry's that we ordered that were frankly NOT THAT AMAZING AT ALL.
The Duck Curry and the Trout Curry.
Both of these were too salty. Both weren't really curry...more of a mixed vegetable dish. The Trout dish was also not possessing fresh fish...we believed it to be dried.
I WILL BE TRYING OTHER THINGS. Our other party member tried the Drunken Noodles with Chicken and they were good...not amazing but as good as any good Thai Place.
I guess I have simple Thai needs...if someone gives me a lovely bowl of Tom Yum soup or a plate of Thai Basil and Green Chili with Chicken or a creamy Red Curry...i'm in heaven...
this place seemed to be trying a lot harder than it needed to be...given it's status at the top of the New York heap of Thai Restaurants.
Although it took some repeat visits, I've learned to warm up to the Thai superpower that is Sripraphai. I'd take this place seriously more than any of the restaurants in Bangkok Boulevard (9th Ave in Hell's Kitchen). Let's just say this much - the food is delicious, but it's not the best I've had. If this truly is the best Thai in New York, then we've still got some work to do.
When I first came here, the restaurant was well received but I would gather was not as popular as it is now. The floods of people night in and out goes to show how far a little word of mouth can go. The wait to get in can as much as 90 minutes during the peak hours (6:30-8:30) of peak nights (Thursday-weekend).
It's hard to avoid the hype, but try not to buy into it so much until you're craving Thai food and are hungry enough to settle for the subpar stuff. That's the mentality to have to avoid any serious disappointment from this place.
One thing to their credit, is despite all of the attention, their prices have remained reasonable and the flavor is consistent across a spectrum of dishes. Sripraphai boasts a wider variety of Thai regional dishes than most restaurants and neatly categorizes it into different sections within their extensive menu. Try this place on an off weeknight and don't be afraid to try new things as suggested by the wait staff.
I seriously feel like I should give this restaurant a second chance as my first outing here ended in… Read more »
I'll admit-- I'm one of those annoying New Yorkers that hates leaving Manhattan and considers a trek to the outer boroughs a "day trip." When I first heard about Sripraphai, I didn't even know whether Woodside was in Quens or Brooklyn. But when word started spreading that this restaurant in Queens apparently serves the most authentic Thai food around (as verified by actual Thai folks), I knew I had to check it out.
My date and I went on a weekday night and were given a number and an estimate of a 20-30 minute wait. The waiting process is simple and efficient-- wait for your number to appear on the outside marquee and walk on up to the counter when they're ready for you. We ended up only waiting about 15 minutes for our party of 2. Already off to a good start!
After being seated we were handed two massive binders, which were apparently the menus. The magnitude of options listed on the menu warrants color-coded tabs for easy organization and reference. Seriously, that alone makes this place awesome in my book.
With so many options we had some trouble narrowing down our choices, but the two of us finally decided on the crispy watercress salad, the pork BBQ with "Jaew" sauce, and the whole fried red snapper with green papaya sauce. I also ordered a Thai iced tea, which came out pre-mixed, much to my dismay. It was still delicious though, and we figured with the volume of Thai iced tea they must serve each day, it's already pre-mixed for easier dispensing.
The salad was crispy and came with a good mixture of shrimp, catfish chunks, and octopus. Even though the watercress was fried, the salad still felt light and the dressing was flavored with a lot of cilantro-- a personal favorite of mine. The pork BBQ was fatty and delicious and the accompanying "jaew" sauce was a perfect sweet and savory blend. (Out of the dishes were ordered that night, the BBQ pork, while delicious, seemed the most ordinary and I'm not sure I'd jump to order that again.) The piece de resistance, the red snapper, was fried to perfection and had a generous topping of green papaya. We managed to kill the entire thing, eyeballs included.
I have to say this was definitely unlike any other Thai restaurant I have been to and I think the type of items found on Sripraphai's menu would be hard to find in any other Thai restaurant in the city. I'd definitely love to come back here with a large group to try and order as many new things off the menu as possible. I recommend everyone rally up the troops and make the group trip out to Woodside, Queens. Consider this Manhattanite a converted borough believer.
6 of us met here for a lunch on Labor Day. At first, the outside led me to believe this was going to be a typically crowded restaurant. But they had plenty of space and, even better, had a tranquil outside seating area. Very open and spacious, covered with umbrellas, a nice fountain. I couldn't have asked for a nicer place to eat tasty Thai food.
I was very overwhelmed by their extensive menu: sectioned by type of dish. It was helpful, but it appeared to me as though several items were repeated. I can't say the photos of the dishes helped me to distinguish from these similar dishes.
I ordered a garlic pepper pork dish, which was very tasty. Oftentimes, this type of dish can be very plain, but they served it with a variety of spices that made it a joy to eat. The Thai iced tea was delicious, too. My guess is that the people interested in eating "authentic" Thai food will love this place; those who prefer a more "Americanized" version will not.
I grew up 2 blocks from this place and came here almost 2 decades ago, when they were still all yellow walls, wobbly chairs, and multicolored Christmas lights. The menu was barely in English and the space was cramped. The food was not done justice.
They've since completely renovated and Sripraphai is now really a Queens gem. The inside has been expanded into a sleek dining area and does not at all resemble their old space. The outdoor garden toward the back is beautiful. They're probably boosting property values in Woodside.
Most importantly, the food is great. Their Pad Thai has a very distinct tartness. I ordered a spicy curry noodle of some sort (I forget), which came out more like a soup, and it was absolutely amazing and ridiculously spicy. It was summer and our water wasn't being refilled quickly enough and this soup was like eating delicious, delicious fire, but I kept right at it. It was the best meal I have ever had at a Thai place. The owners must be well aware of it, too-- the dishes are a couple bucks pricier than their equivalents elsewhere.
I'm sad I moved away, and also sad that Sripraphai has enjoyed so much popularity from evil Manhattanites over the last few years, but I will definitely endure the 7-train ride (from the not-Manhattan side...) to come back again and again.
"Dear Sripraphai, can you please open another location in Manhattan or Bklyn, because Woodside is just too far for some people?"
But seriously, although this place isn't as spicy or good as food in Thailand, it is still the best in NYC. My favorite dishes are fried snapper with green mango sauce or with chili sauce and the bbq pork.
Don't go on Wednesdays 'cause they're closed!
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