Narkara

Located near Union Square and Flatiron is this recently opened Thai restaurant that specializes in modern take on Northeastern Thai cuisines. I was able to book a reservation for 2 quite easily just a few days prior for 5:15 PM. Since the restaurant space is quite large, this wasn’t that much of a problem. When we walked in, the vibe had a very familiar dark Asian restaurant vibe that a lot of new Korean, Chinese, and Thai restaurants are trying to do.

From their website:

At Narkara, dining is a cultural journey inspired by the Mekong Delta of Thailand. Our menu celebrates the rich flavors of Northern and Northeastern cuisine, blending tradition with innovation to honor ingredients and culinary wisdom passed down through generations. Every dish is crafted in-house with care, reflecting the purity and depth of Thai flavors. Within our space, custom bamboo installations, woven pieces, and handcrafted ceramics showcase Thailand’s artistry. Created by Kinnaree Hospitality Group, Narkara shares the unseen taste of Thailand with New York through food, design, and hospitality.

Ambiance & Service

The 2-seater tables are relatively close together despite there being tall ceilings and plenty of space. You can and will hear conversations being had adjacent to where you’re sitting. There is some light music playing over the speaker as you eat.

The service was pretty speedy for the smaller plates. The host helped us order just enough food to be satisfied and not stuffed to the brim.

Food

The glass of David & Nadia Pinotage “Topography” ($20 - right) came from Swartland, South Africa 2023. This was a medium body red wine from South Africa. It was surprisingly pleasant, with nice red fruit smells and a fine tannin. People say Pinotage grapes have a smoky, rubbery note, but I didn’t get that feeling. It was served room temperature, and I would’ve preferred it slightly chilled before it settled to room temperature.

The Salted Plum Sour ($22 - left) came with vodka, white rum, umeshu, guava juice, plum syrup, and egg white. It was described as sweet and balanced. I was not a fan of this because I felt the ingredients didn’t all blend harmoniously for my taste buds, but my partner really enjoyed it.

The Crab Butter Custard with Uni ($25) came with velvety custard of crab tomalley, topped with fresh Hokkaido uni and served with khao jee pu, a grilled sticky rice filled with jumbo lump crab. The presentation of this course was interesting. It comes with 2 grilled sticky rices filled with crab. We didn’t get the memo initially, but you’re supposed to grill the sticky rice for 30 seconds then dip it into the crab jus. The flavors of the crab butter was very delectable, but the presentation made it awkward to eat in general. The uni was mainly for show, as the crab butter flavors were quite potent and flavorful.

This is the Grilled Sticky Rice with Crab ($10, if ordered as a side) that came with the crab butter. Whether you order the crab butter custard or this by itself, it comes with 2 pieces. I didn’t realize that this was the same as the sides offering, so I actually ordered an extra 2 pieces. It was decently filled with crab, though the crab meat was mostly minced.

The Thai Sausage Platter ($32) was a duo of house-made sausages: sai ua, herbal and mildly spicy, and sai krok isan, tangy and fermented. It was served with fresh vegetables, herbs, and jaew pla ra, a bold Thai fermented fish chili dip. The longer sausage at the bottom of the dish was had a lot of prominent herbal flavors. It was not my favorite. I much preferred the cut sausage at the top because it had some sour notes to it and was very flavorful. You don’t really need to dip it into the chili dip. The chili dip itself was decently flavored especially combined with the vegetables, though be warned that there is some sudden heat if you eat too much of this in one bite.

The Thai Coconut Crab Pancakes ($24) came with 4 crispy coconut pancakes topped with crab, spicy chili jam, and kaffir lime. This was surprisingly very delicious. The lumps of crab stood on a crispy vessel. When you eat the whole pancake, there was an explosion of flavors.

The Salt-Crusted Roasted Branzino came with a whole branzino roasted in a salt crust with lemongrass and kaffir lime. It was served with seafood sauce and vegetables stuffed inside. We ordered this to have a lighter than usual dinner, and the fish was roasted beautifully. The meat flavors had a lot of Thai spices and ingredients. Otherwise, it’s mostly bland when it comes to salt, so you will want to dab some of the seafood sauce on top. Overall, the meat does literally fall off the bone, and it was easy to pull the meat apart. When it was first presented, you will see the entire fish is coated in salt. I didn’t eat any of the skin because I was expecting it to be very salty.

This is the seafood sauce that came with the branzino. It had a nice tangy flavor to it.

Overall Impression

Narkara is another Thai restaurant in the city that offers a very small twist. You won’t find traditional Thai fast food here, so definitely try to experiment a little with what they have. We went more seafood heavy, so the crab courses were pretty enjoyable, though some of the presentation did not impress us that much. Regardless, if you’re in the Flatiron area nearby, this could be a decent restaurant to check out, especially if yuo want to try something different in Thai cuisine.

Yelp & Google Jabs

Authentic Thai food! The menu has many dishes that are even hard to find in Thailand.

I think some of the flavors here remind me a bit of Lumlum. They are bold in a way with a lot of focus on fermentation and fresh herbs. I have never been to Thailand, but I have to think most Thai restaurants are very close to being authentic. Be warned that for any spice levels, they will ask if you’d like “Thai spicy” or “medium spicy”. Thai spicy is another level of heat.

Forget your padthai, this is nothing like any Thai food you know before. These northern Thai dishes are so unique and creative. My favorite was the Kaeng Runjuan and Kaeng Kradang, the jelly curry! Interior is top notch, almost hotel-like, unlike anything u’d see in nyc

Pad thai is actually street food, originated in central Thailand. The northern Thai food emphasizes herbs and fermentation since the areas have more mountains. The decor looks nice, though the ambiances are quite common nowadays with the new Asian restaurants getting spun up.

Revisions

1. Sep 5, 2025 - Initial revision.