I’ve been looking for a local Thai since we moved here from Chelsea in 2004, and while I may be late to this news, I’m settling on Uncle Boon’s Sister, which opened in 2017. Yes, its Mott Street location might make it a bit far afield, but they deliver on Caviar, or you can call ahead and pick up – it’s a straight shot on a Citibike to the dock at Spring and Lafayette. But best is to eat in at one of the five or six tables, settling on a stool and grabbing your own mismatched silverware from the baskets on the counter.

Others will stand by their faves on this list compiled a year ago, so I am simply updating it with my pick and a couple of additions from the comments. (Natch by the time I heard about Thai Sliders they were gone, though still uptown in Chelsea on Eighth Avenue at 18th.).

A note on the family tree: Uncle Boon is the Michelin-starred destination around the corner on Spring and Bowery; the little sib is its take-out, simplified counterpart made to look like a Thai chicken shack with family pics on the wall. Owner Ann Redding grew up in northern Thailand and met her partner when they both worked as chefs at Per Se. The offerings here are inventive, refreshing alternatives to the usual Thai dishes: the stir-fry comes with a crispy egg on top; the fried chicken bites are arranged around an herbed salad with marinated cucumber (photo below).

I’d like to say I discovered this place by wandering the streets on my own and spotting quality with a trained eye. But I can’t take that credit. My pal and I have a new a tradition where we treat the other to lunch on our own birthdays; this was her pick on her day. It’s a keeper.

Uncle Boon’s Sister
203 Mott Street between Spring and Kenmare
646-850-9480
(no cash; credit only)