Opening
Narkara
The food of Northern and Northeastern Thailand, often fueled with copious spices, has long been a favorite of connoisseurs happily heading to Queens to stimulate their palates. A representative of the style has come to Union Square, in the hands of several Thai partners. Some highlights on the menu by the executive chef Sakdiphat Mokkasak are a red curry terrine with pork, fermented pork sausage with a chile dip, coconut pancakes with crab, and duck larb salad with foie gras. Thai design elements inform everything in the spacious 150-seat restaurant, from dinnerware to waiters’ uniforms and bamboo detailing.
5 East 17th Street, 212-914-4987, narkaranyc.com.
Koju
A new omakase counter, made of stone with 14 seats, is coming to the Ace Hotel in Brooklyn. It represents the first Japanese restaurant run by LDV Hospitality. The chef, Kevin Garrison, was at Sushi Zo Hanare. A partner in the project is Hiro Nishida, who is overseeing many of the restaurant’s details. The dinner, nine courses plus opening tidbits and extras, is $145 and follows the traditions of edomae sushi — basically sushi as we know it, and which became the abiding style starting around 200 years ago in Tokyo. The restaurant is in a skylit area of the hotel. (Friday)
252 Schermerhorn Street (Bond Street), Downtown Brooklyn, 718-305-4243.
Unglo
This Thai restaurant moving into the former Picholine space is a welcome departure from the same-old choices in the Lincoln Center area. Its approach is Thai barbecue by the chef Nate Limwong, who’s buying her meat from Pat LaFrieda. Tabletop grills use Japanese lava rocks in an elaborate contraption that also heats cooking broth. There are three set menu options, lunch ($48), nighttime ($88) and all-day ($48). The restaurant is also serving drinks inspired by meat, like the Tomahawk with vodka, charred pepper and tomato water. The tabletops are made of stone. (Opens Friday)
35 West 64th Street, 212-516-5194, unglothaibbq.com.
Nuyores
Oscar Lorenzzi, who is from Lima and who was the chef and a partner at Yannick Benjamin’s Contento in Harlem, has now joined with Jonathan Charnay to open this showcase for South American and notably Peruvian fare. Contento closed last year. The new restaurant, with a gilded and bronzed interior, has moved in where Harold Dieterle’s Il Totano vacated. Mr. Lorenzzi’s menu features ceviche dressed with big, meaty corn kernels, a quinoa risotto, arroz con langosta (rice with lobster), and lamb ribs with adobo. Wines explore South America.
154 West 13th Street, 646-422-7615, nuyores.com.
Birds
This bar delivers live music and vinyl, reflecting New York’s music trends. It was created by Steve Schneider, formerly of Employees Only, with Assaf Tamir, and Naama Tamir of Lighthouse in Brooklyn — has indigo felt walls and wood accents for appreciating a variety of vinyl. Alongside are classic drinks and snacks like pan con tomate with anchovies, nuts seasoned with za’atar, and chicory salad. (Friday)
64 Downing Street (Seventh Avenue South), 347-278-9398, birds-nyc.com.
Branches
Café Maud
An Upper East Side edition of this spot that debuted last summer in the East Village has opened, serving a similar all-day menu. It has a new feature, an upstairs bar, the Domino Room, with an outdoor balcony.
1640 Second Avenue (85th Street), 929-630-3420, 929-630-3421 (the Domino Room), cafemaud.com/ues.
The Gyro Project
This New Jersey-based chain of Greek restaurants has just added a Midtown East location to its rapidly expanding inventory. It offers the same specialties, including mezze, pita sandwiches, salads, souvlaki platters and so forth, and is also serving breakfast — so if starting the day with spanakopita is your thing, here you can have it. Seating is indoors and out.
569 Lexington Avenue (51st Street), 212-239-0404, thegyroproject.com.
Looking Ahead
Curbside Dining Restaurant Week
This weeklong promotion, starting Friday and continuing through Sept. 12, is not an official city-sponsored one. It was devised by Open Plans, a nonprofit that was created in 1999 to improve New York’s streetscapes. But more than 30 restaurants, about two-thirds of them in Brooklyn, all with outdoor dining facilities have joined the program, offering discounts from 10 to 20 percent, with free or discounted drinks for customers dining outdoors. The organization supports year-round outdoor dining with more simplified rules and less expense for owners than the city is mandating. The list of restaurants is at openplans.org/curbside-restaurant-week.
Closing
Vestry
After five years, the Australian chef Shaun Hergatt’s SoHo seafood restaurant Vestry will close after dinner on Saturday. The lease is up and will not be renewed.
246 Spring Street (Varick Street), 212-784-1350, vestrynyc.com.
Shopping
Birley Bakery
The Upper East Side has long been a hub for fine bakeries. The latest comes from England but leans French, with viennoiseries like well-burnished croissants and pains au chocolat, plus a brioche studded with fruit, apple turnovers, an éclair, tarts and cookies. The New York shop is a bakery and cafe, with a section to buy chocolates. The group is the work of Robin Birley, who has made his mark as a heavy-hitter on the London club scene, and has a bakery and a chocolate shop in London. He is an owner of Maxime’s, also a private club, on Madison Avenue in the Westbury.
20 East 69th Street, birleybakery.com.
Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.
Florence Fabricant is a food and wine writer. She writes the weekly Front Burner and Off the Menu columns, as well as the Pairings column, which appears alongside the monthly wine reviews. She has also written 12 cookbooks.
The post Narkara Brings Northern Thai Heat to Union Square appeared first on New York Times.
