Editor's rating
Qi Bangkok Eatery is one of the first restaurants I ate at when I first moved to New York. I had just finished my meeting with actress, Joy Bryant, when my friend suggested I try some dishes at one of his favorite Thai food restaurants in the city. Before this gesture, I had never eaten Thai food before so I was very excited. The eatery is located on 8th Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Street in Hell’s Kitchen Midtown West, Theater District. Walking into the restaurant, I was surprised to see how small the space was. It was small but very luxurious. It was decorated with chandeliers, images of traditional dancers, and had ambient lighting. It was filled with Lucite furniture; white seating, which is very visually pleasing. When we stepped in, a male waiter immediately approached us with great enthusiasm and seated us even though the restaurant was relatively busy. The seating consists of two person tables and a long communal table in the middle of the restaurant. We were then given a menu of everything the restaurant offered for us to decide what we wanted to order. The menu is quite extensive and stays true to traditional Thai food. There is a selection of curry, noodles, rice, fish dishes, and more. Appetizers included mushroom spring rolls, chive corn dumplings, and edamame and green salad. Because I was on a time schedule, I went straight for a meal and ordered the spicy Bangkok fried rice. In less than ten minutes, my dish came out fresh and steamy. It was well flavored, spicy but not too spicy. It tasted incredible and the portion that was given filled me up instantly. I washed it down with several glasses of water, as my day did not call for fancy drinks.
Décor: 5
The décor was very classy for such a small restaurant. It was so minimal and the use of detail was very impressive. The way everything was put together to highlight the Thai culture, like the holograms of dancers and such, was very cool to me.
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Food: 4
There are no specialty foods. Qi Bangkok Eatery is a restaurant people in New York City go to on their lunch breaks and such because the food is so minimal and light. The menu is restricted to Thai food, so don’t expect various ethnic options.
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Service: 4
I didn’t dislike the service. I just wish the servers made more guest connections by chatting us up. I love a good talk and you could tell that the servers were only there to work. They did not talk about the specials or anything that concerned the restaurant. They did not even suggest anything for me to try, but they were very respectful and catered to everything else I needed.
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Location: 5
Qi Bangkok Eatery is located around Times Square, which is a main tourist attraction in New York, so yes, I think it is a good neighborhood. There are also other eateries around like Chipotle, Five Guys, and more but the fact that Qi is one of the only few Thai food eateries around favors them. I think what attracts people is the convenience – being able to have such a busy day and still have simple, light food for a decent price. When I visited the restaurant it was pretty busy, which is understandable, because it is in the middle of one of the most famous places in the world, yet the average wait time to get seated was about 5-8 minutes. For a restaurant close to Times Square, the prices are quite affordable as the food ranges from $5 to $30.
Qi Bangkok Eatery
Décor
Food
Service
Location
For a restaurant close to Times Square, the prices are quite affordable as the food ranges from $5 to $30.
Qi Bangkok Eatery is a smaller Thai restaurant in New York City, close to Times Square. The dimly-lit chandelier lighting and decorative nuances of Thailand provide the perfect setting for a light meal.
HAPPY SHOPPING!
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