Wayla
It’s Wednesday afternoon here in NYC and it has been a cloudy and rainy day so far. It’s my first time stepping out of my apartment after a couple of days of resting from my Denver trip.
I honestly missed the city and the charm of the hustle. No matter where else you go there will only be 1 New York and it still is home for now. Chinatown has always been 1 of my favorite parts of the city to explore.
Wayla has been in my radar of places to visit for quite some time now and I have heard so many good things about the place. Located on 100 Forsyth Street near Grand Street Subway station it has been 1 of the most popular Thai destinations in the city. Situated on the basement level so you walk down a flight of steps to get to the restaurant. Upon entering the space, you are greeted by a nice bright bar that is uniquely Thai in design. The ambience in the dining room is quite relaxed and a tropical vibe is in the air and reflected on both dishes and cocktails.
I was ushered to the courtyard patio upon arrival and luckily the rain has stopped for the time being. My server was so nice and knowledgeable about the menu and specials. I started my meal with a cocktail called Sway Wayla which is with roku gin, butterfly pea blossom, cucumber, lemon and shiso. The cocktail was bright and refreshing, a perfect way to commence the evening ☺.
I started with the Peek Gai Tod off the Gin Jub Gin Jib street market dishes. The chicken wings were sublime, crispy, moist and the plum fish sauce was well balanced. I will be back for some more wings in the future.
From the Gub Khao mains section I opted for the See Krong Moo Yang which was bbq ribs in a soy honey glaze with pickled vegetables. The ribs were tender and flavorful, and the glaze was on point.
For my rice and noodles dish of the Khao and Sen I had to try their ever-popular Sen Chan Pad Lobster with Maine lobster, fresh thin rice noodles, peanuts, flat chives and egg. This dish was a masterclass, just pure perfection from the noodles to the lobster and most especially the sauce which was phenomenal. This was a dish to be shared by 2 yet it’s so good that you can finish it by yourself.
As the meal was winding down, I had to try the Khao Niaow Mamuang before I left. They have a unique interpretation of this dish, and this photo does not do it justice. This is my favorite sticky rice with mango dish of all time. Thank you Team Wayla for an amazing meal…
#KULINARYATRAVELS is off to Drunken Munkey next…