Latest news with #UncleBoonsSister
Time Out
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Thai Diner's little sister is all about chicken fingers
Just a few weeks ago, we got word from a little birdie (a.k.a. the internet) that the Thai Diner team was cooking up something special. Turns out, when they closed their beloved Uncle Boons Sister in 2020—a casual spin-off from their wildly successful restaurant, Uncle Boons, which also shuttered in the same year—they retained the keys to the space. All these years later, and the team is finally back at the 203 Mott Street. And the name of the game? Chicken fingers, baby. On Friday, August 8, the Thai Diner team debuted Mommy Pai's, a literal hop and a skip down the block from the favored Thai-American diner. Much like her other restaurants, for chef-partner Ann Redding, Mommy Pai's is a personal one. Her sister May Redding designed the branding of the restaurant (she also designed both Thai Diner and Uncle Boons), from the tropical-themed menus to the maximalist walk-up counter which mimics a traditional Thai wooden home blended with a roadside food stall. Together, the sisters pay a living tribute to their mother, Ampai, whose face you can catch plastered on the front door and smiling on menus with chicken tenders in hand. Speaking of, tenders are the name of the game. Using organic chicken as a base, you can order your gluten-free tenders fried or grilled in the style of satay, zhuzhed with your choice of Lemongrass, Muay Thai, Spicy and Coconut (which you can only get fried). There's also a vegan version, the Hat Yai Veggies, that comes with a flurry of greens—cauliflower, mushrooms, snake beans, purple sweet potato, baby bok choy and crispy shallots. You can make it a Mommy Combo ($20), which you should, as the meal comes with tenders plus a sauce and a side. Eight dipping sauces cycle through here, from the nicely spiced Phuket Island Sauce with galangal and green peppercorn to the garlic-flecked Sweet Chili Nam Jim. Sides come in the form of purple sticky rice with lettuce wraps, mommy cakes (aka silver dollar-sized coconut and scallion pancakes), rice and beans with a coconut creme to pour over and waffle fries. If you opt for the combo, you can add on a frozen drink (we liked the nicely spiced and tart Spicy Tamarind Thai Orange) for just $3 more. Order it "Thaphoon" style, and your slushie will receive a swirl of condensed milk soft serve. The menu rounds out with a few chicken and tofu sandwiches, cheekily named the Filet O'Tofu, and more sides that include Garlic Chive & Tapioca Dumplings, Curry Puff Mozzarella Sticks and chilled Green Curry Kanom Jim Noodles. But lest you leave without something a little sweet, the kitchen also has mini Taro Tapioca Donuts with pandan sangkaya custard for dipping and swirls of Thai tea and condensed milk soft serve by the cone or cup.
Eater
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Thai Diner Team to Open a Chicken Finger Spot in Nolita
Since Thai Diner first opened, it has been nearly universally beloved by food media and diners alike, known for their creative Thai cooking with some American comfort food twists. The restaurant has managed the rare feat of sustaining crowds way past its initial launch: Five years later, it has shown no signs of slowing down as one of the busiest in Lower Manhattan. So, it comes as no surprise that owners Ann Redding and Matt Danzer have been looking to expand again with another restaurant. Though a Thai Diner takeout counter would absolutely hit, the couple is working on something entirely new. This summer, they'll open Mommy Pai's down the street, a takeout-only 'Thai chicken fingers and tropical fruit drinks concept,' according to a spokesperson. Say less — we're here for it. Fans of Redding and Danzer's restaurants will remember the space, located at 203 Mott Street, near Kenmare Street, in Nolita, as one that's been through several iterations. It first opened in 2016 as Mr. Donahue's, an American diner that received two stars from the New York Times , but closed a year later. In 2017, the couple rebranded the space as Uncle Boons Sister, a takeout offshoot of Uncle Boons, their uber-popular Thai restaurant — which received heaps of praise from critics and Michelin recognition — around the corner on Spring Street. It was more than just spillover seating, though, with its own, more casual identity. A couple of years after Uncle Boons Sister debuted, Eater named the couple — who first met working at Per Se — one of the 'new guard' of restaurateurs in the city. But, after pivoting to delivery only, it fell victim to the pandemic, alongside Uncle Boons itself, which shuttered in 2020 after seven years. In the ensuing years, nothing replaced the prime-location storefront. Lately, though, passing by it in Nolita, there appeared to be something new under construction, a hint that life was returning. And now we have confirmation that it's remained with Redding and Danzer, after all. See More: NYC Restaurant News NYC Restaurant Openings
