DISH OF THE WEEK: Massaman Neuh at Thai Diner

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

In all the years I have been consistently posting a Dish of the Week, only once did I choose two dishes from the same meal. And it was so good that I could have chosen more.

Here we are again at that point where it was impossible for me to choose one dish from a recent dinner and so you’ll have to indulge me in talking about the same restaurant as last week.

Our recent dinner at Thai Diner was really superb. As good as anything from their previous restaurant Uncle Boons, which unfortunately, I was only able to dine at once since it was a very difficult hotspot to snag a table and they recently closed.

I’ve eaten at their casual take-out Uncle Boons Sister many times and really have huge respect for the Thai cuisine they are putting out.

Thai Diner, as I mentioned last week, has an exciting outdoor seating area (not sure how that will evolve as the weather gets colder) and a menu comprised of classic Thai dishes through an American diner lens.

It’s the only diner I can think of where it’s worth ordering two portions of the salad. We also had an explosive Mieng Kum appetizer where you wrap crunchy sour, spicy, and sweet bits into an herbal betel leaf. And a very memorable Kuattiew Pet, which is a complex duck broth soup with sweet spices like cinnamon and star anise, rice noodles, super tender duck leg, and a bright orange chile vinegar. 

But I have to say the Massaman Neuh was life altering. Just like last week’s papaya salad, I’ve had masaman curry many times over but never realized just how perfect it can be. A creamy and nutty sauce held up tender potatoes and meaty short ribs. The curry revealed deep aromatic, sweet, and spicy notes along with a crunch from peanuts and a fresh bite from cilantro. It was far and away the best Massaman Curry I’ve ever had. And turns out it’s a holdover from Uncle Boons.

Regardless of the fact that I haven’t eaten out nearly as much in 2020 as previous years, I can still safely say that Thai Diner is one of (if not) the top dining experience I’ve had in this crazy year. I can’t recommend it enough. And I know when I return to try things like their Thai Disco Fries or Khao Soi, you might see another double write-up. Price: $21