Though finding authentic–and good–Thai food can seem like an impossible feat depending on where you live, we New Yorkers are spoiled with the amount of Thai restaurants worth dining at that can be found sprinkled around our city. One of our favorites: Fish Cheeks.
Fish Cheeks has proudly held the title of one of NYC’s most beloved Thai restaurants for nearly a decade, and Brooklynites can finally get in on the fun without having to cross the East River this May as the restaurant makes its long-awaited debut in Williamsburg!
Fish Cheeks is named for the lean, tender cheek meat that is considered the tastiest part of a fish and is considered a delicacy in Asia. A gold mine of delicious flavors waiting to be explored, Fish Cheeks is known for its seafood-forward Thai cooking and menu of unabashedly intense, fresh, and vivid dishes. Since first opening in NoHo back in 2016, the restaurant has built a cult following and its family-style entrees that genuinely hit your soul are just part of the reason.
Now, co-founders Jenn Saesue and Chat Suansilphong are making their unapologetically vibrant flavors more accessible, bringing them–along with the street-to-fine dining sensibility and deep Thai heritage they’re known and loved for–to a brand new borough.
Fish Cheeks aficionados that step through the front doors into the 2,200-square-foot space will feel right at home, as the bold new outpost echoes the warmth of the original Fish Cheeks along with Thai temple motifs and wooden textures. Though there are some new elements to be explored, from neon fish lights to a front-of-house kitchen.
But beyond the familiar decor there will also be familiar flavors, as in the new location will feature all the signature favorites that span the diverse regions of Thailand, such as Coconut Crab Curry. Though there will also be exciting new dishes from Chef Dustin Everett to explore that are exclusive to the Williamsburg location, including:
- Tom Yum Noodles – a rich, nostalgic nod to Songkran, pairing wavy ramen with crispy pork belly, shrimp, squid, jumbo lump crab, and silky egg yolk in a fiery, aromatic broth
- Marinated Raw Crab – blue crab cured in lime, fish sauce, Thai chili, and shallots
But that’s not all–there will also be inventive, borough-exclusive cocktails to sip on, including the Prala-Tini, a savory martini starring gin, anchovy red wine vinegar, vermouth, and a skewered tomato, the Something Banana, a tropical riff on a mojito topped with ginger-banana foam and infused with cachaça, dill, and tomato, and the Spicy Mango 2.0, a version of the Fish Cheeks cult classic Spicy Mango Margarita with a new combination of mezcal and mango to bring a lighter, smokier flavor profile.
The old dishes and drinks were already enough to keep us coming back for more, now pair those with these new exclusives and you have yourself so many reasons that make going back over and over worthwhile.
Fish Cheeks’ new Williamsburg location will open on Tuesday, May 13th. The opening is much more than just a second location, though, it’s a marker of Thai cuisine’s continued rise in NYC and the evolution of a beloved brand. And considering the restaurant is already known for its impossible-to-get tables, we suggest not sleeping on making a reservation. Learn more about Fish Cheeks.
P.S. Fish Cheeks will also be serving up bold flavors at NYC’s brand new family-friendly food festival, Family Style Food Fest, hosted by Keith Lee this May!
📍 661 Driggs Avenue
🗓 Opens Tuesday, May 13th