There are several ways to describe delicious food in Thai: Aroy means delicious, while aroy mak takes it a step further to very delicious. But my favorite word is zaab (also spelled zabb or zab; \u0e41\u0e0b\u0e48\u0e1a), a term rooted in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand that conveys a bold deliciousness, often associated with the heat. In New York City, we\u2019re spoiled for choice when it comes to food that delivers true zaab.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve spent my life immersed in the world of Thai food. One of the joys of growing up in a Thai restaurant family is participating in one of our favorite hobbies: scoping out other Thai restaurants to see what\u2019s good. Most summers, my aunts would close down their restaurant in Royal Palm Beach for two weeks, and they\u2019d road trip from South Florida up to New York City<\/a> to check out casinos and taste Thai restaurants along the way\u2014when I was lucky, I got to join them. My grandpa, for his part, used to drive to the city weekly to get products for his grocery store in Washington, DC, and through his firsthand research, old friends, and the Internet, he created detailed restaurant guides to help me find footing when I moved to the city almost five years ago.<\/p>\n As I continue to eat my way through the city\u2019s Thai restaurants, I feel spoiled for choice. More and more chefs are serving regional specialties of their hometowns and maintaining Thai food\u2019s great balancing act between the spice, acid, salt, sweetness, and umami, while incorporating their own signature flair.<\/p>\n While the city\u2019s established Thai spots, particularly out in Elmhurst, Queens, remain beloved, plenty of the most compelling and exciting bites can be found in various parts of the city. There has never been a more exciting time to eat Thai food in NYC, and these 14 restaurants best embody its golden era.<\/p>\n The best Thai restaurants in NYC<\/p>\n 7708 Woodside Ave, Elmhurst, NY 11373<\/p>\n Must-order dish: Yen Ta Fo<\/p>\n