Review: THEP on the Upper East Side Serves Extraordinary Thai Food

If you haven't dined at Thep, now's the time. The stylish and popular Thai restaurant on the Upper East Side has everything going for it. They offer delicious traditional and original dishes, a great beverage program, along with prompt, excellent service. Open for lunch and dinner, it's a wonderful destination in the neighborhood.

It has never been easier for guests to visit Thep. They are on 75th Street at 2nd Avenue, just a few blocks away from the Q line subway stop at 72nd Street. We came by for an early supper on a Sunday evening. Even though the restaurant was getting quite busy, our dining experience couldn't have been better.

The creative beverage program allows you order a delightful drink as you peruse the menu. Bright, beautiful cocktails include their Hazy Baby made with Bulleit Bourbon, Luxardo cherry juice, Woodford Reserve spiced cherry bitter, and smoked with cherry wood. The Red Hot Lady is an exciting combination of Don Julio Blanco tequila, hibiscus syrup, and lime juice with a spicy salt rim. An especially refreshing choice is the Green Goddess with crop harvest organic cucumber vodka, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, freshly squeezed cucumber, lime juice and mint.

Thep serves starters, soups, salads, noodles, fried rice, wok dishes, house specialties, curries, and sides. Start your meal with an appetizer. The Thep Platter is an ideal table share. It includes a combination of Golden Sachets, Spring Rolls, Chive Pancakes, Fried Chicken Dumplings and Fried Shrimp Dumplings served with two tasty sauces. Other items to kick off your meal or to pair as small plates with drinks include Crispy Calamari, Edamame, Thep Wings, and more.

There is a great selection of entrees. Steamed Striped Bass is seafood perfection. The generous portion of moist, flaky fish is steamed with ginger-soy, napa cabbage, and sesame oil, served with steamed Riceberry. The Pineapple Fried Rice is some of the best you will ever have. It is a combination of jasmine rice stir-fried with pineapple, onions, scallions, tomatoes, carrots, curry powder and egg. It is attractively served in a half pineapple, garnished with roasted cashew nuts and cilantro. Some of the other top dishes include Volcano Chicken, Duck Tamarind, and Avocado Massaman Curry. We didn't have one of our favorites, Pad Thai on our recent visit. But a couple we met from Brooklyn said that Thep serves some of the best noodles in the city and they always come to the restaurant to enjoy the dish.

Our readers will like to know that Thep presents a tempting seasonal food and drink menu that showcases the finest ingredients. Some of their current selections include their Kabocha Coconut soup, a creamy and light pool that features Japanese squash puree in a lemongrass coconut broth and The Tiger Prawn Panang with giant head-on prawns sautéed in panang curry sauce and served with kabocha squash and steamed jasmine rice.

For your next Thai food craving, Thep is highly recommended. And if you're in the area in the afternoon, check out their luncheon special that is offered Monday through Friday. It includes one starter, one soup or salad, and a Thep Attraction or Featured Dish for $13.

For more information about Thep including their menus and hours of operation, visit https://thepnewyork.com/ or call 212-899-9995. You can also contact them at info@thepnewyork.com.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Thep

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