In 2020, three friends decided to pool their shared experiences growing up in various pockets of Thailand and turn them into a restaurant. Their abbreviated menu of dry and wet noodles quickly gained a steady following, making for an easy transition to Sukhothai-style tom yum noodle soups and braised pork ribs once indoor dining returned. Five years later, the same team decided to build again—this time in Long Island City.
The LIC location glitters like a gem, channeling the fast-paced energy, sights and smells of Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown. It comes to life best in the evening, when neon lights illuminate the beautiful stretch of bar tiled with mahjong pieces, and a red-lit chandelier hanging overhead in the front dining hall evokes the sultry feel of a 1960s Shanghai club. But more than just looks, Soothr's strength lies in what’s on the table, from the tried-and-true to the brand-new. A proper spread must include the classic panang duck lychee curry—caramelized strips of duck doused in a coconutty crème—plus any manner of hand-pulled noodle.
As for the new class, the dungeness crab karee swims above the rest, its blushing red shell hiding a treasure trove of tender crab chunks tossed in a velvety, warming curry. Speaking of treasure, the cocktails are gems in their own right, each one literally inspired by gemstones. We’re partial to the fizzy, clarified Long Island interpretation, the Malachite—not just because it’s served with a cute jellied lychee bite fashioned like a mahjong tile (though that certainly helps).