Very Thai - New York

This place shouldn't even be considered a restaurant. It was incredibly frustrating to be the only table in the establishment and not be served for over twenty minutes. The sole staff member seemed overwhelmed, managing five tablets while a crowd of delivery people were waiting for their orders. We ended up leaving without eating, especially after overhearing the frustrated delivery drivers who had been waiting for their pickups for fifteen minutes longer than we had.

We felt a bit let down after reading all the positive reviews. The "Grade Pending" notice regarding the sanitary code in the window also made us uneasy. However, the restaurant has a charming and cozy atmosphere, so we might consider giving it another try once it has a confirmed sanitary code rating.

Very Thai is a cute little restaurant that is very good to have in the neighborhood, and could be great with some tweaks. The place has nice glowing lighting at night and tables are not too close so you can have a quiet conversation and not be privy to someone else's, which is often the case in East Village restaurants. The soft rock music played also created a soothing atmosphere from what you normally find around here. Only problem with the quiet is you can hear all the goings on in the kitchen, which is ok in a take out joint, but doesn't quite fit with the vibe that they're going for here. This seems to be a family endeavor, and the service is very friendly and gracious as though you are eating in someone's home. We started with the papaya salad which was fresh, colorful and crunchy and had a bright, nicely pungent dressing. We tried the duck roll which was beautifully presented and tasty, but we wished there was more sauce offered with it, as it ate a bit dry. The best dish was the shrimp fried basil rice, with it's lovely presentation of garnishes, and redolent with complex flavors. The vegetable massaman curry was also vibrant with colorful crunchy vegetables in an bright orange coconut sauce, and though well seasoned, it was too sweet and that was not what I wanted. Appreciated that there was brown rice on offer to go with it though. Portions here are ample. I would come back some time to try some of the interesting fish dishes on offer.

The restaurant had a pleasant and peaceful atmosphere, but for me, dining is more about enjoyment and indulgence.

The bathroom had no lighter and two small cheap movement activated leds on the wall that made hardly visible. otherwise the place was great. the food was delicious.