Hug Esan

“The food was epic,, flavors out of this world and the service right on point”

Tram★★★★

I’ve been wanting to try a restaurant in New York that serves authentic Isan/Northern Thai food, and we found this spot in Queens. It’s not in Manhattan, but I’m telling you — it’s worth the trip. It’s located right next to Little Thailand and easy to find with Google Maps. One downside is that the space is very small. They only have four small tables for two and one larger table for 3–4 people, so it might be difficult for bigger groups unless you make a reservation. We arrived right after they opened, and not long after, the whole place was packed. Besides the size, the restaurant is reall

Kevin Wu★★★★★

I just had the BEST Esan food at Hug Esan NYC and I’m honestly obsessed 😭🔥 Everything we ordered was insane. The som tam pla ra was bold, spicy, and full of that real Thai flavor—no holding back. The moo yang and tub yang were perfectly grilled, juicy, smoky, and paired so well with the dipping sauce. The mok nor mai (bamboo shoot curry) was SO comforting and flavorful, and the dill soup tasted just like home. And don’t even get me started on the yum naem tod—crispy, tangy, addictive… I could eat that every day. This place doesn’t tone anything down—it’s REAL Esan food. Every bite hit lik

Kalinar Beli★★★★★

The taste is really good, all spices are perfect for me. Not too sweet and spicy. It’s like spicy and salty which I like. The waitress is nice, the place is not that big but neat and tidy. It’s better to take the reservation if you have big party.

Kathleen Chang★★★★★

Fast service but not many seats. They specialize in Northern Thai food which is not the standard American Thai food. It's not sweet. It's acidic and contains different levels of flavor - herbs, textures, citrus, etc. I got the crispy rice salad and raw shrimp. The texture and flavor of both was on another level. After researching after the fact though, I think the most representative dishes of Isan cuisine are the duck lamb, grilled chicken liver, the banana leaf wrapped rice, and tum Plaza.