A new Thai restaurant called The AM-THAI (255 South 1st St.) opened last week in Williamsburg directly next door to another newcomer, Mido Omakase Room.
The AM-THAI is a new project from Boonnum Thongngoen, who hopes to build upon the success of the original AM Thai Bistro in Park Slope. The restaurant’s concept and name is founded on the bond between Thongngoen, a first-generation Thai immigrant, and her American-born son.
“The name symbolizes the relationship, the food, and the culture between the two nations, history, and bloodline,” the AM-THAI team told Greenpointers. “Our commitment is to introduce the lively and ever-evolving Thai food culture and gastronomy to the vibrant tapestry of New York City, captivating the palates of the new generation.”
Family is the theme at The AM-THAI. The team explained that the new space in Williamsburg was chosen because it is cozy and well-suited for communal, family-style gatherings. “The restaurant space is comfortable and intimate, narrowing the space for all individuals into one big group of gatherings. The idea is to provide an intimate connection restaurant, as if a mother is cooking for her child and a group of friends,” the AM-THAI team explained.
The AM-THAI’s menu is billed as a fusion of Thai and American flavors, blending traditional recipes with modern techniques. The menu is large and somewhat overwhelming at first, but it’s ultimately very sweet with sections titled “celebrating Mom’s cooking” and “Son’s favorite noodle.”
Mom’s section, named for Thongngoen, offers dishes like the panang Thai with slow-cooked beef, coconut-panang curry paste, long hot chilies, peanut butter, and kaffir lime leaves.
Her son’s section has dishes like pad Thai pra tu pee and pad see ew, plus a smaller section dedicated to “Western influence,” which contains two items. There’s spaghetti pad cha with stir-fried black ink spaghetti, prawns, mussels, squid, cherry tomatoes, roasted chili, galangal, and garlic in pad cha paste, and spaghetti kee mao bacon with spaghetti, bacon, garlic, basil, and dried chili in kee mao sauce.
Another part of the menu is for “sharing and gathering,” really driving home that communal dining experience. It includes items like BBQ pork skewers, spicy beef tacos, and a salad with both American chicken sausage and Thai sausage. The menu concludes with several varieties of fried rice, hot pot-style soup, and clay pot-style dishes.
The AM-THAI team said that the most popular menu items so far have been the panang, the bison beef ka praw, and the kaa moo. The bison beef ka praw is also known as bison beef pad kra pao and is a fusion dish that combines the traditional Thai stir-fry method with bison meat, adding a unique twist to a classic Thai favorite. The kaa moo is a combination of tender, flavorful pork in a savory sauce.
“We also recommend kang som. It is a sour savory papaya braised in orange sour paste soup,” the AM-THAI team said.
The AM-THAI is open noon – 10 p.m. everyday.