By Yana Krasnitskaya
One of my ongoing culinary odysseys is a hunt for great Thai food. The problem is, there are so many wonderful options on the Upper West Side that it’s often hard to choose. Some restaurants do great curries, some excel at fried rice, some serve a green papaya salad so spicy that I have to chase it down with a glass of water (though, as we all know, it doesn’t really help). And when I get home from a tiring day at work, there’s nothing as comforting as phoning for delivery, then popping open that plastic tray and inhaling the savory, herby aroma of a good Pad Thai.
So when friends recently suggested we hold an impromptu mid-week catch-up dinner at Land Thai Kitchen, I of course jumped at the chance. Oddly – given that I just said I’ve been seeking out great Thai food for years – I’d never been there, even though the restaurant has been around (and getting strong reviews) since 2005. Right away, I discovered a couple of fun and quirky things about it, the first being that you can’t make a reservation online. In 2026, I know! What a novelty! You can, however, call, email or take your chances. Not wanting to risk it, I of course called.
When we got there, I discovered the next quirky thing about Land Thai Kitchen: It is narrow. One side of the restaurant is lined with tables ranging from two to four seats, the other side features the maitre d station, another couple of tables and then the kitchen window, which is pretty much hidden from view unless you venture to the back. There is also a nice outdoor seating area, but it was sweltering the night we were there, so my friends and I elected to eat inside.
The menu is eclectic, straddling the line between what you’d expect at a Thai restaurant and some surprises. We had the opportunity to try a bunch of really flavorful dishes but the unanimous winner on the table was the caramelized noodle dish Pad See Ew with Beef ($19).
The dish arrived in a shallow, blue and white ceramic bowl that felt like something a friend would serve you on in their home. It smelled wonderfully savory and made my stomach growl even though I’d already noshed on some spring rolls and dumplings – more on that in a second.
Most of the dish is composed of fat, flat noodles that are synonymous with Pad See Ew. In this case, they are the vehicle for crunchy pieces of both Asian and American varieties of broccoli, succulent strips of beef, and a very well scrambled egg. The drizzle of soy sauce and smear of bean paste ties it together, so each bite is a discovery of yet another layer of savory goodness. The beef, in particular, was seasoned incredibly well and was remarkably tender. It did not overpower the dish but instead worked in concert with veggies to create an excellent mouth feel. I’d be remiss not to mention I was a big fan of how starchy and hearty the noodles themselves were. They were a perfect, neutral foil to the more intense pop of flavor from the beef and the saltiness coming from the soy sauce.
As each of my friends sampled it, I could tell they were coming to the same conclusion I did: This was one comforting, extremely satisfying plate of food.
Also well thought out are the appetizers. You can’t go wrong with the Crispy Root Vegetable Spring Rolls ($11). Rolled tightly in won ton dough, these spring rolls are unique in that they feature parsnip, carrot, and beets in addition to glass noodles. The beets give it a nice tangy flavor that’s further accentuated by the plum taro dipping sauce. This one was a big crowd-pleaser. We all also enjoyed the Thai Chicken Dumplings ($16) which were a daily special and came with minced chicken, shitake mushrooms and various Thai herbs. Beyond tasting good, these were also some of the most attractive little dumplings I’ve ever seen. I also ordered a Sparkling Pomegranate Lemon drink ($8) – Land Thai’s take on a lemonade, which was a little too sweet for me, but I did appreciate the generous bits of mint that stuck to the ice cubes. It worked as a nice cap to the meal.
Thai food is exceptional at pairing savory flavors with the right herbs that bring bursts of much needed freshness and balance. From the first bite of spring roll to the last sip of the fizzy lemonade, the entire meal had a sense of cohesion I don’t find very often in restaurants. More importantly, it sparked comfort and a sense of joy in my dinner mates and me.
In case you’re wondering, the Pad See Ew tasted just as divine the next day, cold from the fridge and straight out of the carton.
The Dish: Pad See Ew with Beef ($19)
The Restaurant: Land Thai Kitchen, 450 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 81st and 82nd streets); Monday through Thursday, 4 to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Pickup orders through Toasttab; delivery via Doordash, Grubhub, Chow Now or UberEats.
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Love Land Thai. I have been eating from there since they opened. I almost always get take out (I walk over there – the exercise is good and keeps the streets safer from delivery drivers). Agreed that they need to up their online reservation and ordering game. But their pad thai is really good and portions are pretty big.
Picked up some pad thai on Friday and it was dry and very disappointing. The noodles clumped together and I had a hard time separating them. I’ve always loved their pad thai (and spring rolls and dumplings) since they opened with great fanfare for their star chef. They’ve always been consistent and the reviewer’s experience was better than mine, so I may give them another chance and chalk this up to an off night.
Land is too bland for me. Try Senn right next door, the same food with more of a kick.
If your ongoing culinary odyssey is the hunt for great Thai food, then I’m surprised you are unfamiliar with a place which has been around on the uws for about 2 decades. imo it’s only OK… some things are too sweet and “westernized” to appease certain palates. Not uws but I prefer wondee siam.