Reviews

"Hip, young, arty" Brooklynites and "Manhattan yuppies" mingle at this "funky" Williamsburg "behemoth" beloved for its "cheap" " tried-and-true" Thai food as well as its sushi and "happening" bar scene complete with DJs; just "bring earplugs" and expect a "wait" on weekends, when "the crowds border on ludicrous."

Planet Thailand is a Willaimsburg success story. Starting out as a tiny storefront Thai restaurant on Bedford five years ago, it quickly moved into larger digs and became a truly spectacular dining experience. With two seperate entrances (one side features a Sushi bar and Japanese chefs) the restaurant is a sight to behold in and of itself. Surprisingly, you'll be seated fairly promptly and served in less time than it will take you to decide on one of PT's many offerings. And the food is delicious of course, the main reason for its continued popularity. Bring a date, a friend, a parent, or one of those annoying B&T Manhattanites, and everyone will have a great time.

Williamsburg's first Manhattan-magnet still epitomizes the neighborhood.

The Scene
Dark, loud and adorned with arty objects, Planet Thailand's huge industrial space is packed every night. Whilethe three frenetic and uncoordinated kitchens seem to work according to the motto "serving Williamsburg one plate at a time" (with less-than-enthusiastic servers, all is forgiven when the astonishingly low check comes.

The Food
Most restaurants with over 250 items on a regular menu don't do any of them particularly well. Neither do most restaurants that try tackling Thai, sushi and hibachi. Planet Thailand is a welcome exception to both of these rules. You won't find exciting, innovative or beautiful presentations, but you will find consistently satisfying versions of staples like Pad Thai and curry dishes. The sushi is fairly standard, but it's nice to see small pieces of nigri sushi instead of the monster slices served at so many other places.

The new bohemian scene, Williamsburg, is a spillover ofsorts from the East Village. But the real art crowd came here 20 years ago. They were pioneers who suffered a long time without services, especially dining, Manhattan-style. Planet Thai changed that, becoming one of the first restaurants in the area to cater to the new generations in Williamsburg, and to serve innovative ethnic food in a neighborhood dominated by Old World cuisines.

The original restaurant opened on an obscure corner and was immediately patronized by art locals, newcomers to Williamsburg, and increasingly, Manhattannites who had their ears to the ground. Now, of course, Williamsburg is a desirable destination and accordingly Planet Thai has moved down the street to its current larger location, which accommodates the growing neighborhood. The new restaurant is big, noisy, and crowded, with an expanded menu that includes other Asian cuisines. But Planet Thai is still a phenomenon. The food is good and reasonably priced, and about as authentic as you'll get, short of a trip to Bangkok.

Planet Thailand A.k.a Plan Eat Thai
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