Fish Cheeks

As a trio, Chat Suansilphong, Ohm Suansilphong and Jennifer Saesue have defined a new era of Thai food in New York City, with offshoots that include Williamsburg's Kru and the West Village's Bangkok Supper Club. But for the three, all roads lead back to Fish Cheeks. When it opened in 2016, it became a favorite, not just for its no-pad-thai policy, but for its emphasis on electric seafood dishes that stay true to the flavors of Thailand. Following a decade marked by all things tart and tangy, the team decided to chart a new course for Brooklyn, finally opening Fish Cheeks in Williamsburg last spring.

Mimicking the NoHo original, Williamsburg's Fish Cheeks is colorful, featuring a front bar decked in red, blue and yellow scales and wicker light fixtures, plus a moody dining room tucked away in the back. Popular seafood dishes to order include the zippy coconut curry with hunks of crab and whole branzino that steams and swims in the cilantro-flecked and lime-tinged waters.

We recommend coming early for happy hour, cutely dubbed "Cheeky Hour,” solely for the $45 seafood tower deal. Beyond ice-cold shrimp and oysters that get even better with spoonfuls of a lightly buzzed nam jim jiew and a toss of fried shallots, the top billing goes to the bowl of raw marinated crab on the top rung, whose oozing, custardy insides tussle with Thai Bird's Eye chilies and a funky, fish-laden sauce. Oh, and don't forget to tack on a $14 cocktail for HH, too, such as the sweet and lightly pickled mango martini.