An Excellent Spot for Hard-to-Find Thai Dishes in Union Square

"Narkara's boldly flavored and unfamiliar dishes would kill in a utilitarian setting along some semi-decrepit stretch of eastern Chinatown - think Mam or Ha's - but will the city's more adventurous eaters be lured inside such a generically opulent room, on such a normie block? In the early going, the answer seems to be yes. Here is the scene at 6:30 p.m. on a Friday night, when nearly every table was taken."

"The name Narkara, Sangsiri tells us, is a reference to the heavenly underwater realm in Thai mythology, and the theme plays out in subtle ways throughout the space. A "baby serpent god," for example, one of the Divine Nāgas charged with guarding the gates of the realm, watches over the cushy bar and lounge in the front. Most of Narkara's 140 seats reside in the long main dining room, which is divided by a row of interlocking banquettes to give a bit of intimacy to the grand space,"

"Most of Narkara's 140 seats reside in the long main dining room, which is divided by a row of interlocking banquettes to give a bit of intimacy to the grand space. Stretching across the room's ceiling is a restless river of swirling bamboo, and dramatically lit shelving runs the length of one wall, stocked with handcrafted ceramics. The art and tableware were commissioned or sourced from Northern Thai artists, said Sang"

Rocky Romruen, Verasak Sangsiri, and Tanapon Srisupha signed the lease in 2022 and developed Narkara to celebrate northern and northeastern Thai traditions, aesthetics, and cuisine along the Mekong River. The restaurant expands the owners' Kinnaree Hospitality Group portfolio and represents three years of planning to create a cultural bridge for underrepresented Thai regions. The 140-seat space features a front bar guarded by a baby serpent god Nāga, interlocking banquettes for intimacy, a ceiling installation of swirling bamboo, and shelving stocked with handcrafted ceramics commissioned or sourced from Northern Thai artists. Bold, unfamiliar flavors have drawn steady early crowds.

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