OBAO

Solid. Takes reservations. A little loud, but cute space inside.
Start with the shrimp rolls in the glass noodlely wrappy thingies. Other mentionables include: fried rice, noodles, basil chicken, cashew chicken… But you should really try the noodles here.
The pad Thai lobster looked really good, so I’d sample it the next time I come back.
Overall, good service, consistently good food, and a nice selection to choose from.

The restaurant is decorated very well with pretty hanging lamps and stone statues.
Went as a party of 3 at 12:15pm for lunch, and was seated promptly. Lunch special was $ 9. I ordered the Tom Yum soup and the Phở Bo. The Tom Yum soup was filled with delicious mushrooms, red onions, and cilantro. OBAO really nailed the Tom Yum soup, that little bowl was so delicious I would go there again just to get it again oh man. I love soup so ordering soup as an app and noodle soup as an entrée was perfect, but for some people it might be overkill– in which I suggest to order the Japanese egg plant app.
The Phở Bo was decent. Personal preference: I like my noodle soup piping hot (so it cooks the bean sprouts) but it was a tad warmer than lukewarm (the bean sprouts remained really raw), and the meat had fully cooked– I like the meat in my phở to be slightly pink. The broth was decent and the amount of noodles in the dish was pretty decent too. Overall, a solid place for lunch. However, it took 15 minutes of us waving at them to get the check, and 15 minutes for them to come back with our CC. Besides the long wait for service, we are planning to come back again soon!

i forgot to review this place! got pad kee mow delivery last week and it was spicy deliciousness, and this time i ordered the laksha. both times it got here in under 30 mins.
and wow, what a flavor experience for just 9 dollars on the lunch special. the coconut base was fragrant, spicy and rich with pork and shrimp. it was a pleasure to slurp on. add in the melt in your mouth soft noodles and all the toppings and chili flakes, and my face is on fire — in a good way.
i love spicy foods like this. it is basically my whole life. you lap it up so fast because you barely have to chew, spices open up your sinuses, lips tingling and palette overjoyed. this place is officially my go-​to delivery spot for every hunger pang.
good work obao. in a land of mediocre SE asian known as Hells Kitchen, you are a standout forsure.

I REALLY wanted to like this place. I was so excited because they had Michelin rated dishes. Meh.
Okay first off, I met my friend there. She sat at the bar & had a drink because they wouldn’t seat her until I got there. Fine. I got there and we were seated, but they wouldn’t let us order until my friend closed out her bar tab and opened up a table tab… They also could not split our bill without us telling them exactly how much on each card. They just made everything difficult, which I was not expecting for a «nicer» restaurant.
The food was not very impressive, either. Which is where my rating mainly comes from. (since food matter most: P…)
1) The sugar cane rib skewers were actually REALLY good. I loved them. I would get them again.
2) Tasted the pad thai and it was okay… kind of saucy and they used thin noodles instead of the usual «pad thai» noodles.
3) I ordered B’un with chicken (Michelin rated). The waitress told me it wasn’t spicy (I can’t eat spicy foods). I was expecting a noodle dish with chicken and a sauce, some veggies and a ton of flavor. I was very disappointed. My dish LOOKED full and amazing. From the bottom, there was a sauce (which was kind of spicy)…like a soup. Then a TON of shredded lettuce. Then about ¼ cup of vermicelli noddles. and a lot of chicken.
I hardly tasted any peanuts or scallions. I had to spit out more than one bite because this lettuce was bruised, wilted and sour. It just wasn’t a good experience.
I was really excited to tr this place out but I definitely would not go back. 2 stars for the appetizer.

Came here as a party of 4 and will certainly be back so that my boyfriend can try it as well!
Location/​Accessibility: Easy to find on the street, and close to the ACE. Slightly closer to 42^nd St than 50^th, but both would do just fine.
Ambience: I loved this place. The bar area is close to and open to the street side. It brightened up the restaurant and made the space seem more open. As you go further into the restaurant, you’ll find the main seating area. While there was plenty of seating, I definitely didn’t feel squished next to any strangers and didn’t have any random butts in my face from shuffling around. They utilized their space well. I really liked the décor. I wasn’t able to get a good photo of it, but they had these orange light fixtures that from afar, reminded me of «lanterns» in the shape of hot air balloons. The lighting was dim, but not so much that I ever felt like it was dark; it was nice and soft for a relaxing dinner. They also use mirrors which always helps to make a space look a little larger. The bar and the tables were the type of wood that seemed a bit rustic, but very homey. By the time we were finished with dinner, the restaurant was packed, but never did I feel like I had to yell to be heard or that I couldn’t hear someone speaking. If I could pick one word to describe how it felt being there, I would say: pleasant.
Service: The bar tender was very prompt upon me sitting at the bar. She made sure to ask if I had any questions about the drink menu. The drink came out very quickly. The only tiff I have is that she put two drinks on the same tab, when I fully intended to pay for my own.
The hostess was very kind upon seating our party of 4.
The server acknowledged our table right away. This is something that people take for granted I think. I’ve been to places where I was sitting for 15 minutes if not more before anyone came to the table. In any case, we were all pretty quick to figure out what we wanted, and likewise, the food was INCREDIBLY quick to come out. Another thing people may take for granted: clearing of the table. Not that I need to be waited on hand and foot, but I appreciate that it shows how attentive they are and at what standard they hold their service at. Bussers (I assume?) were very polite upon asking if they could take dishes away, and were very timely. It’s as if they knew the exact moment to come in. When we asked for the check, it came and was turned around really quickly. I suppose I keep mentioning how fast the service was. While this is certainly a plus, I don’t want to take away from the fact that their service was also quality!
Food and Drink: I got a drink just to get one, but I’m actually glad that I did.
Thai Sabai — This one is SWEET! Just how I like it. Minimal taste of alcohol. Very enjoyable, nice and cute.
I originally looked at the menu online and wanted to order Pad Thai. However, the restaurant menu has little Michelin symbols for those items that are Michelin Recommended. Did you know they did that? I didn’t… In any case, that changed up the game plan. I went with…
Bu’n with Sautéed Flank Steak — Absolutely delicious. I would eat this again for sure. The steak itself was SO good. My only «complaint» is that I wish there were more steak and less lettuce. Don’t get me wrong. The lettuce added a great element to balance the dish out; it was fresh and crisp. I’m just very much more of a meat eater than veggie eater. Plentiful amount of pineapple, which I also love. The cucumber was less abundant, but whenever you manage to snag some in a bite, it was wonderfully refreshing.
While for the most part, I’m really trying not to revisit places so as to branch out as much as possible, I definitely want to return here so my boyfriend can try and experience OBAO. Thanks for a wonderful meal and can’t wait to try more!

Great place for a pre-​theatre dinner — or any dinner for that matter. Excellent food and service. Nice ambiance. A bit too loud for an intimate conversation, but unfortunately, this seems to be a trend that is sticking around.
Two of us shared 3 dishes. The sambal spiced calamari, clay pot fish and basil fried rice with shrimp. All were equally delicious with just the right amount of flavor and heat. The price was right for the servings too! We left very satisfied.
This is a keeper.

Great spot to go if you’re looking for something relatively fast and inexpensive with an interesting cocktail menu. I don’t think it is amazing food — I’d rate it as «solid.»

Got here at 9 on a Thursday night. Seated immediately and that’s where the good stuff ends. We ordered cocktails and a pork belly appetizer, and 2 entrees. Pork belly was overlooked and dry and we got the wrong cocktail. After ordering we never saw our waitress again and no one came to ask how the food was or check to see if we would like another drink. Eventually my date got up and went to find someone to order another drink… a on draft beer which then came out flat. We will not be returning. The food was average

Very nice atmosphere. Great service. Pork belly, sugar cane ribs, short ribs and cashew chili chicken all wonderful.

Came here with a group of friends for a birthday dinner and am honestly so pleasantly surprised. In a location so close to tourist traps you wouldn’t expect such a nice Thai restaurant but OBAO satisfies all of your cravings for authentic Thai cuisine. The food I would rate ³⁄₅ stars simply because I didn’t really enjoy the majority of my meal being noodles with only a small portion being meat while other Thai restaurants know to distribute it evenly. Regardless, if you’re looking for a nice place to get together with friends for dinner with very kind attentive waiters and a beautiful décor, this restaurant is the place for you

Went around 7pm on a Sunday. Wait was about 10 minutes for a table for two. Food arrived within 5 minutes of ordering — fastest I’ve seen yet at a sit down.
Food: I ordered the kra pow knowing I’d love it. It was amazing but I wish they asked me for spice level as I enjoy spicy food and it was mild (definitely not bland though!). Friend ordered the kui teaw lak sa which was AMAZING! Also came with spices which was entirely emptied into the soup which may be why I enjoyed it so much. The broth was the best broth I’ve had at a Thai restaurant. I will definitely get that next time even though I love kra pow.
Service was amazing as well — very very friendly waiters and waitresses. Highly recommend!

Came here for a celebration for a party of about 12, and made reservations beforehand. Staff is nice and food was fine. My waitress seemed a little impatient though. as soon as I got there and hands me the menu, she hands me the menu and ask me if I’m ready to order. (Obviously not, I haven’t even looked at the menu yet) so then literally 2 minutes later, she asks if I’m ready again. The third time, she took her time to get back to me. literally 15 minutes. Besides that, I thought that it was ridiculous that everyone had to spent $ 80 per person. I thought the whole idea was stupid and hectic as far as adding it all up per person. At the end, I didn’t get my money’s worth, because no one could keep track of who’s ordering what.

Some friends and I popped in for lunch on Memorial Day to take advantage of the $ 9 special we had heard about. You choose one appetizers and one entrée, and they had a large selection of options. We each got Fried Dumplings and Phở Bo, which was delicious. I’ve had my share of Phở, and this was up there for me. It had the right amount of everything and plenty to add in on the side. Definitely worth the visit.
The atmosphere is awesome. It’s not a huge place, but the lighting and mirrors around make it seems spacious. You can also sit at the bar right at the front. I knocked a star off for service mainly. We first walked in and were asked how many. We said 3, but she then turned away and left us waiting about 10 minutes for a table. It would’ve been nice to have a time estimate or at least be told to wait at the bar.
Otherwise, it’s a nice little spot for Asian Fusion/​Vietnamese cuisine. Prices aren’t crazy and the food hits the spot.

OBAO
NY Manhattan Hells Kitchen Restaurant Row
7:30pm Friday 3^rd June 2016
Four Stars
I have passed by this place dozens of times, and I always thought about stopping in. However, I had no idea it was an «It» place to be. The façade is two stories of windows with openable door to let a nice breeze in. The long black granite bar top takes up most of the front of the restaurant and seats about 15 people. There are a lot of filament lights that sets a beautiful atmosphere. The wood and black steel rounds out the ambiance.
We had a reservation for 9 and were seated almost immediately in the back. The cocktail list was pretty interesting. I wanted the smoke signal but it was unavailable because the smoke mahjong was broken. I had a $ 13 Makers Mark which came in a heavy rocks glass and Spherical-​ish shaped ice.
If you follow them on Instagram obao_​Ny, you get a free edamame.
We ordered a bunch of food and shared it. The papaya salad was refreshing, citrusy, with a hint of spice. The basil fried rice had thick succulent shrimp and a delicious mix of onions, scallions, egg, and bell peppers. The Pad See Ew had thick fresh rice noodles with brown sauce and Chinese broccoli. The short ribs were salty, fatty, and plentiful. The lobster Pad Thai ($ 35) had a whole crustacean. The claws and tail were expertly extracted and delicious. The glass noodles had a good flavor but overall only were too sweet and not enough salt and spice.
I really enjoyed the food. It was reasonably priced. The service was okay. Overall, it was a good meal.

I got pad Thai and tom yum soup. I had better pad thais but this was not bad either.
It was my first experience of tom yum soup and I guess I liked it.
The portion of the food for lunch menu was ideal. The pad Thai was with shrimps and the amount of the shrimps was fairly enough too; however, since I hate crispy-​almost raw shrimps I couldn’t eat them.
The staff was very nice and helpful.

Had a pretty good meal here. They accept reservations, and I went before a show. Service was iffy but the food came out fast enough and it was all very tasty. I shared the spare ribs on sugar cane skewers — great flavor and texture — followed by the banh mi and pad kee Mao. It was more than enough food!

Pretty good phở place in NY.
Order their Phở Bo & Phở Ga (Beef & Chicken Phở) and it was good. The broth was clean tasting which I liked. The décor of the place was nice. Very modern and chic. Loved their lighting. The service was good too. But phở was kinda expensive and the quanity on the small side. But it definitely hit the spot after a night of drinking. I can see myself coming back here if I’m ever in NY again!

We waited for a while before we were seated. Our full party wasn’t here yet. The restaurant is pretty loud and we were seated next to this group where one of the guys went a little too crazy thanks to Mr. Alcohol…
What we ordered:
–Kimchi fries — we didn’t know what to expect
–Pad Kee Mao with beef — extra charge for the beef
–Pad thai with beef — no extra charge for the beef
–a noodle soup that I completely forgot the name of…
This place was packed! The service wasn’t bad since they were pretty busy. The food was good! The pad kee mao had lots of going on with the flavor and it was a good kick. However the pad thai seemed a bit mediocre. My friend asked for it to be made spicy but she ended up asking for more hot sauce. The kimchi fries turned out to be fries topped with kimchi and some type of sauce. It was a good combo.
Out of all four of these dishes, the noodle soup seemed to be the star! I’m so sad that I forgot the name of it. I’m definitely planning on coming back to find out the name and to try more of their food.

We were going to a Broadway show and we’re looking for a Thai restaurant close by so after seeing some good Unilocal reviews we decided on here–
We were a party of eight.
I live in Brooklyn and my guests were from out of town but there is so much better tie and Vietnamese food to have in both Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Even though the prices were reasonable I found the food to be slightly greasy lacking the correct spice profile and nothing came out at the same time for a large party we each received our food 10 minutes apart. Some items were not even cooked correctly at all.
To me between the servers and the hosts it was just an on organized mess– as soon as they got busy they could not handle it correctly.
I definitely will not be back–
Unilocal certainly missed the mark on this one

This place was more for looks than for food. Everything was okay and not great. Music was a little too loud for conversations; tables a bit tight together.
Ordered…
— Phở Bo ($ 12): like I said, it was okay. The soup was flavourful but not hot enough when it got to the table, noodles were good, raw beef okay but not raw enough (I guess it overcooked while they let my broth cool? Sigh…), the brisket was very blend and the texture was disappointing (3 stars).
— Crispy pork belly ($ 9): It was neither crispy nor pork belly (will attach a picture). Not okay (1 star).
— Kalbi ($ 18): was really good (according to hubby); it was well grilled and well-​cut, but not REALLY good (according to me, 4 star).
Service was okay, not great.
So altogether, just shy of a-​okay, averaged at 2.6 stars, will not return — would rather give An’Nam another shot.

Had Saturday night dinner with 5 friends (6 of us in total). We had a reservation and they seated us upstairs promptly. While waiting for our table, we sat at the bar and enjoyed Happy Hour (unheard of for a Saturday night in NYC). The drinks were all really good, I enjoyed the Obao Sunray — tasty with a hint of ginger and spicyness.
We ordered assorted appetizers and entrees and each one was well prepared and tasty. We liked everything we tried and everyone in our party raved about the food, the service and the atmosphere.
Standout appetizers were the: calamari and steamed dumplings.
All entrees were really good — the duck confit got rave reviews from our group.
Limited dessert selections — we tried all three but our favorite was the chocolate pistachio mousse.
Service was attentive. We drank, hung out and talked until 10pm (3 hours on a Saturday) and we were never rushed (but we kept ordering drinks).
Highly recommended for Thai in this area of NYC.

My hangovers can only be treated with phở for some reason, so I found myself at OBAO for an early lunch on Wednesday. I managed to keep my eyes open long enough to appreciate how beautiful the interior is. The wood lined walls, the hanging decorations, and the overall feeling of being surrounded by a lot of Orange makes for a pretty relaxing environment.
I got a basic phở bo which came out extremely fast, to my ultimate gratitude. I don’t know if they planned it on purpose, but I found that the tables are a little bit higher than normal, allowing you to slurp and sip at noodles without splashing all over yourself, another element that I was grateful for! The soup is a little bit too salty, but portion sizes are perfect and it was just what I needed to come back to life. Price isn’t too bad either, considering you’re in New York.
This location is a lot better than the FiDi spot, in ambiance, space, and phở.

Saturday night happy hour. That sh*t is unheard of. It exists! $ 8 cocktails got me slurrin all night.
We were a big party of 11 and we were required to spend $ 30/​person (food and drink). Challenge accepted. For apps, we got the beef with sugar cane, kim chi fries, spring rolls and calamari as apps. The beef with the sugar was interesting; I’m still trying to wrap my head around the sugar cane. It was yummy, but I’m still trying to figure out the hype. Kim chi fries were pretty nom too except helllllllo, they are kim chi fries. Why you put little kim chi?(mad face emoticon) Dont let my rant get to you; it was my favorite dish. I wish they offered a non-​judgmental, extra large portion. The calamari is to calamari as calamari is to calamari. And spring rolls, well, you mess that up, you can’t call yourself an Asian establishment.
My dish was the clay pot fish. It was a pretty big portion. It was nice and steamy, and the glaze was savory. My favorite part of the dish was the vegetable with it. My sister got the phở bo which was different. The flavor is a lot more deep and complex than what I’m used to, but I still drank it up when she was done. The rest of the ladies got pad thai, which they barely touched. Maybe saving room for all the drinks?
Service was good. They sat us when they told us they would, drinks were refilled and table was clear when needed. Even though we had to spend $ 30 a head doesn’t mean you have to. You can easily get away spending $ 15 during Saturday dinner, although I really don’t suggest it. They did have a wait but it worth it if you’re wanting Asian food.

Delicious and I love the decorations here! I’ve been wary of Vietnamese options because to be honest haven’t had many good bowls of phở outside of actual Vietnam, but was very impressed by OBAO!
As many other people have mentioned, they have an excellent lunch special: $ 9 for a (small) appetizer and an entrée. I ordered the steamed dumplings (2 small dumplings-​very well flavored and tender) and the Phở Bo (beef phở). The phở was amazing: light, noodles were perfectly soft but not too mushy and the beef was sliced thinly so drew in just the right amount of flavor. I also enjoyed the slight tang of spiciness in the soup broth. Service was quick and efficient.
Totally inspired to try the location near my apartment in FiDi now!

My wife and were wandering around Hell’s Kitchen and found this gem on the Unilocal app.
First of all, I really liked the ambience. Little oriental, little exotic and very welcoming. Good lightning, variety of tables: big, small, bar seats. Well done!
We were seated after a short 5 min wait and we could not believe the prices. Very affordable as for New York City!
We decided to go for a lunch special, which is a STEAL! I had an excellent pork chop and an aubergine app. My wife ordered a pork belly sammy, which I got to try as well, as the portion was generous as for lunch! All was served with rice to share.
I was impressed by the cocktail list, interesting mixes!
Would definitely go back!

Give this place a shot! Really nice!
Very cosy, yet not cliché, interior. I really liked the wooden lamps hanging low from the ceiling, almost like wooden small baloons :)
The food is served fast and does not disappoint. It looks and tastes great.
The lunch special is an absolute winner. You get a small app and the main for 12 dollars! Unbelievable deal.
We tried a pork belly sandwich (very good!) and a pork chop. Those 2 offerings encouraged me to come back for more in the future!
Would definitely recommend for a quick lunch or a romantic date. When we were there, they even accommodated a family dinner for 12, so it’s a truly universal spot ;)

Loved everything from the ambience to service to food! Went in a group of 12 and the waiters took care of us very well.
All the cocktails were delicious, especially the lychee and ladyboy. Spare ribs on sugar cane — awesome, you MUST order it. Perfect balance of sweet and salty and the meat was very tender. Pork belly — literally melt in your mouth and to die for! We also liked the pork dumplings and fried shrimp.
For the main course, favorites were the pork banh mi, laksa, and clay pot fish. The banh mi came with a delicious sauce in a manageable portion. Laksa had an extremely flavorful coconut spicy base which was much better than the bland chicken phở. Phở serving sizes were huge!
Dessert was brought in from Spot which was a nice end to our meal. Will definitely be back for more!

Muito bom atendimento! Comida boa e preço razoavel! No almoço é órima opçao pra quem quer gastar menos e comer bem! Recomendo o phở bo!

I have been to both locations and they’re great!
The Times sq one is beautiful, the food is good and the $ 8 appetiser + entrée lunch deal is unbeatable.
I only wish they’d have more veggie options!
The waiter was nice and I loves the hot sake!