OBAO Midtown
Thai Restaurant, Noodle Restaurant, and Vietnamese Restaurant$$$$
Turtle Bay, New York
"Get the pho bo & the bun bo hue."(12 Tips)
"Pad see ew is really good, very authentic!"(12 Tips)
"green mango kimchi for spice"(5 Tips)
"Great food.. try the calamari, spicy kalbi short ribs and tom yum..."(3 Tips)
165 Tips and reviewsFilter:
- happy hour
- pork belly
- short ribs
- spicy food
- casual
- (15 more)
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Don’t be intimidated by the dark exteriors/interior! Great gem in the neighborhood. The Bun is delicious and generous and the desserts are collab with Spot Dessert! Great happy hr $5 sake
Annika YanAugust 23, 2015Durian Shake! My favorite drink:) I love durian fruit and it's surprising to find a place to serve durian shake in midtown! The food taste great as well.
Melissa ChaiMarch 6, 2018Best Thai dumplings. I ate those and the pad kee mao at least once a week while I lived in this area. Usually order a side of stir fried Chinese broccoli for a balanced meal
Kit&kafoodleNovember 16, 2015Pho isn't bad. Good flavoured broth but noodles are thin rice vermicelli. The Bun Bo Hue also has a lot of flavour with a nice spicy hit and thicker udon-type rice noodles. Good smattering of meat.
DevontaOctober 30, 2015Good lunch specials and good service. Looks small but there's room in the back. The Basil Fried Rice is pretty good.
River MakiFebruary 28, 2019Great happy hour, amazing pork belly and pad Thai, and super friendly service! We accidentally came in like 10 minutes before closing and they still welcomed us so kindly, 10/10 would go again
Marcel BrionesJuly 17, 2013Obao elevates the standard black rice pudding by pairing it with a passion fruit mousse. Like fresh mango, a more common pairing, the mousse provides a floral acidity that makes this classic sing.
Bun Bo Hue is phenomenal. stay away if you can't handle the type of spice that sneaks up on you. going to start asking if they can tone it down but the flavors and the ingredients are top notch #yum
Caitlin WilliamsJanuary 19, 2014OMG everything here was amazing, from the Vietnamese coffee to the chicken satay to the pho. Probably the best dumplings I've ever eaten, even better than Mandoo Bar. Pad see iew is to die for.
Nation's Restaurant NewsDecember 13, 2013Typical pad Thai is made with rice noodles and often topped with a fried egg or has egg mixed in with the noodles. Chef Preyanet Pongsuwan uses shredded green papaya instead of noodles. Read more
- Kit&kafoodleNovember 18, 2015Don't get the pho Bo and bun bo hue together. Too similar, though both tasted very nice. I'd go for the spicier bun bo hue if I had to choose, more meat and depth to the flavour
Greg SchaentzlerFebruary 10, 2017Excellent Pad Thai and Chicken Cashew, but not as delicious as its counterpart in Hells Kitchen. This location is a lot more informal than HK, no frills but always solid.
Sexy LFSeptember 25, 2014Carbs carbs and more carbs. If your down for that, you've come to the perfect place to stuff to' face. Pineapple fried rice was yummy.
EricaJuly 28, 2013Amazing! Was looking for place after matinee. Wanted something different as a local. Drinks, food, bartenders (Luke & B) all fab! Will return for sure.
David GreenbergerNovember 30, 2013One of the best lunch deals in Midtown (even on weekends). Go for the Pho Bo ($8) to heat you up on a cold day. Ask for extra noodles and make it two meals.
Brigitte PerezMarch 7, 2016Pad Kee Mao was delicious as always. Aside from the table behind us finding a roach on the table :/ 3/4/15. It put a damper on our food experience. Wondering if we ate bugs wasn't fun.
What's Good HereAugust 7, 2014Looking for something different and tasty? Get 2 orders of the pork belly appetizer for sublime slabs of mouth watering pork.
Frankie BuckleJune 30, 20132nd time here - love the Viet papaya salad. The veg spring rolls are also good - bit different. Not sure how vegetarian friendly this place is - I think a lot of the food is cooked in meat fat/broth.
Victoria U.April 9, 2014Do get the short ribs and the pork belly. They have an early birds prix fix for 11$ that includes an appetizer, entree and drink. Solid stop in midtown east.
Meg FarmerDecember 30, 2014Come on a cold day for the lunch deal- add a steamed dumpling or spring roll, both solid choices. One of the better tasting Pho Bo places in Manhattan.
Piotr SvcDecember 20, 2012Pork belly must have! They also have bun bo hue and I've been craving this flavor for ages. Pho Bo up to standard. Nice staff.- Cody GriggersApril 28, 2017Pad seeiuw (with the twist of green mango kimchi for spice and sour balance) is awesome, and the staff are super friendly!
Bun bo hue is not for people who does not like strong herbs.Beef panang could be too spicy for people who have moderate spicy tolerance. The golden wings and lemongrass kalbi short ribs is very delish
EmilyFebruary 11, 2013The Crispy Pork Belly appetizer is delish. The cuts have enough fat to give it flavor but not too much to be overwhelming. The skin is nice and crispy.
Ru LuJune 5, 2015Wow. The food is legit here. Their OBAO chicken rice (only serves 20 a day) melted my mouth. This is now my fav lunch place near work
one of my favorite Vietnamese places in the city, been frequenting since 2010. cannot go wrong with the kalbi, pad see ew or pho
Gregory LeeApril 25, 2011The food is excellent here. Best fusion restaurant I've ever been to. Try the Green Tea Panna Cotta and the sticky rice topped with passion fruit ice cream (the latter was special) for dessert.
Sean FlemingOctober 1, 2014Super super good lunch specials. A heaping amount of food plus really cheap alcoholic/nonalcoholic drinks. I haven't found a bad meal on the menu.
Brian EricksonDecember 31, 2014The spicy lemongrass broth is really good. Put half of your spice in and give it a taste first because it can get very spicy.
Mehroz HowellOctober 1, 2012All I can say is... Wow to the lemongrass shirt ribs. One of the most delicious Asian meals I have ever had! And the happy hour is awesome!
B HApril 25, 2013Service not so good but the price and food is amazing. Dumplings and pork belly are a must app. Great Vietnamese and Thai fusion!
Aarthi D.November 7, 2012I had the pad kha praw, and it was delicious. Excellent flavor balance and pleasantly spicy, and the chicken was cooked perfectly. Delicious!
Try the black rice pudding & condensed milk ice cream! Too bad they were out of the Ovaltine ice cream. It's an South East Asian haven!- i'm in love. the bun bo hue was more than legit. Bangkok chicken is a tasty KISS type of dish.
HelenApril 2, 2015The pho is okay. What's really worth getting is the shrimp pad pad thai. So nutty and delicious!
Tom DiMaggioMay 16, 2016The food is decent, their cocktail menu is fun, and they have happy hour all night on certain days.
Rachel CNovember 26, 2015Frighteningly fast service, nice staff and delicious food. The pad Thai is gluten free and scrumptious.
Aditi SVCMay 17, 2013The sugarcane skewered ribs are amazing, and the service is always stellar. This place puts a big smile on my face.- Gregory LeeApril 25, 2011I can second the tips here. The fried tofu, pork fried rice, kalbi, pad Thai and green papaya salad were great.
$2 Sapporo, basically anytime. Also, if you're looking for something warm, delicious, and comforting, get the Pho Bo.
ZenFoodsterOctober 24, 2014Get booth in bk of this hip & zen SE Asian. My faves: Clay pot shrimp, crispy spring rolls, spare ribs on sugar cane, hand cut daikon cake, & Chinese broccoli. FiDi & HK offshoots are just as cool!
Joseph BartelsJanuary 11, 2015Pad sew ew was scrumptious. Kimchi fries were delicious. Chiang mai noodles is really tasty!
EllieMarch 20, 2017Respectable if not spectacular Thai classics served in big portions at affordable prices - fast but indifferent service.
April ZhaoSeptember 5, 2014People tend to overhype this place a lot. Come here neutral minded and you'll experience great food. Come with high expectations and you just might think it's average.
Christopher StewartDecember 1, 2014Steam Dumplings are topper and the Tom Yum Seafood Soup is excellent. Great Pho Bo!
Luc DoanApril 11, 2016Thai operated with Vietnamese food options. The bun bo hue wasn't good. The khao soi was fine until the noodles soak up all the liquid
M CNovember 30, 2010I stumbled across this place one night when our original choice was closed. I am very thankful for that! One of the most delicious meals I have in a while. Worth checking out.
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Bringing you a unique twist on Thai and Vietnamese comfort foods, OBAO bridges the gap from the streets of Southeast Asia to the streets of New York City.
Open until 11:00 PM (Show more)
- Mon–Sun
- 11:30 AM–11:00 PM
(212) 308-5588
Features
Reservations
Yes
Credit Cards
Yes (incl. American Express)
Outdoor Seating
No
Food & Drink
Menus
Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour
Drinks
Beer, Full Bar, Cocktails
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