BKK New York
Many Thai restaurants are located around the Midtown area. This one is a modern Thai restaurant inspired by the flavors of Bangkok street food. Unlike other Thai restaurants, the menu here has some interesting options that lured us in. The name comes from the airport code for Bangkok in Thailand. Since we were around the area, I made a reservation for 2 just a few hours before very easily.
Ambiance & Service
The outside of the restaurant had stools outside reminding me a bit of many Asian street food sceneries. When we walked in, the restaurant was lighted very clearly and bright. But within 10 minutes, they dimmed the light, such that it reminded you of those dimly lit alleys back in different Asian countries.
The service was very fast, especially after you ordered.
Food
The Thai Iced Tea ($7) was sweeter than other ones I’ve had. However, once the ice diluted the flavors, it felt more balanced. For the price, it seemed on the expensive side.
The Shrimp Donut ($18) came with 3 pieces of shrimp, pork fat, ground chicken, egg yolk zest, and plum sauce. This was raved highly by many food reviewers, but I found the flavors to be very familiar to many Asian foods. If you’ve ever eaten shrimp balls, these have that familiar spongy texture. Notably, this one they probably added more ingredients, but the texture and flavors are good and make sense.
The Brisket Sandwich Dip ($26) came with a brisket in a baguette, American cheese, hot oil mayo served with Thai spicy beef jus “dip”. This was the one we sought for. As a lover of sandwiches with dips (i.e., French dips), this one was good enough to add to my list of recommended sandwiches to try. The sandwich had a very familiar cheap baguette bread, such that it can soak any jus very effectively. The brisket was definitely on the shallow side, so I wished the sandwich had a bit more meat volume. The dip definitely had that jus flavor, but with this sweet, spicy familiar Thai flavor. When you dip the sandwich in, the bread soaks up the jus super quick, and really gives the sandwich some super nice flavors.
The Larb Pla ($45) came with fried branzino, red onion, scallion, roasted rice, mint, and dried chili. The branzino was pretty good. The whole fish was fried, and some of the bones were crispy enough to be edible. The meat was cleaned and cut into small chunks. They were flavored with very familiar Thai spices that help it taste both sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy. The head meat was good too and plentiful, though some parts of it were a little fishy.
Overall Impression
BKK New York was a pretty decent Thai restaurant, especially in the Midtown area. With so many Thai restaurants around the block, this one is worth trying if you want to try something a bit more modern with a spin on things. The brisket sandwich dip would be the thing to try out, especially if you are solo dining.
Yelp Jabs
Creative and delicious! This reminds me of a croquette. Golden brown panko crumbs and savory shrimp. With Thai Chili honey, it made it feel like a sweet donut. Finally, the shredded egg yolk gave it a nice touch.
The shredded egg yolk was actually very timid, and you can barely taste it. If you dip the donut in the condiment, the flavors are pretty much overpowered, and you cannot taste the shredded egg yolk.
My only comment would be that the service felt a little overbearing a times and I got the impression we were being rushed out which always rubs me off the wrong way.
Despite this Elitist having dined at several Thai restaurants already, unfortunately many NYC restaurants will be pushy because they are trying to turn around tables due to the high rent costs. My partner is probably the slowest eater you will ever meet, and we still were able to leisurely eat without feeling rushed out.
Revisions
- Aug 17, 2025 - Initial revision.