Manhattan Thai favorite Fish Cheeks (661 Driggs Ave.) is opening its second location in Williamsburg on Tuesday, May 6. The restaurant was originally slated to open summer 2024.
Fish Cheeks was founded by Thai immigrants, Ohm Suansilphong, the executive chef and co-owner of Williamsburg’s Kru (190 N. 14th St.), his brother, Chat Suansilphong, Jenn Saesue and Pranwalai Kittirattanawiwat. The restaurant is a personal concept from a team bonded by their shared desire to bring traditional Thai cuisine to New York.
Fish Cheeks, named after tasty, tender cheek meat that is a delicacy in Asia, will serve contemporary Thai cuisine with a focus on seafood. The menu includes Thai dishes like coconut crab curry, grilled pork cheeks, Manila clams with sweet basil, fried fish with a garlic herb salad, crab fried rice, and vegan green curry.
Fish Cheeks’ Williamsburg menu will offer new additions from Chef Dustin Everett, including tom yum noodles with crispy pork belly, shrimp, squid, and jumbo lump crab, topped with egg yolks in a rich tom yum broth, plus a dish with marinated raw blue crab cured in a bright blend of lime juice, umami-rich fish sauce, Thai chili, shallots and fragrant cilantro.
Head bartender Nannawat Bunphet has created two new cocktails that will be served only in Williamsburg. There’s the Prala-Tini, which is a savory take on the dry martini, featuring gin, anchovy red wine vinegar, and vermouth, garnished with a skewered tomato, plus the Something Banana, which is a twist on a tropical mojito, blending rum and cachaça with dill and tomato, topped with a ginger-banana foam.
The new 2,200-square-foot Williamsburg space has a capacity of 74 and was designed by Space NY, the same firm that worked on the first Manhattan location. The new outpost mirrors the original with traditional Thai architectural elements like temple roof patterns and wooden paneling. Space NY said the newer project was a full-circle moment, giving them the opportunity to update the original Fish Cheeks design with with a modern energy and new elements like a front-of-house kitchen, bold neon fish lights, and custom brass accents.
Fish Cheeks is open Tuesday – Sunday 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Reservations are available via Resy.