Fish Cheeks

Fish Cheeks opened in 2016 at 55 Bond Street as a seafood-forward Thai restaurant from brothers Ohm and Chat Suansilphong with partners Jenn Saesue and Pranwalai Kittirattanawiwat. The name nods to fish cheek meat as a prized cut. The kitchen draws on coastal Thai cooking rather than pad Thai standards: family-style plates, bird’s-eye chili heat, and signatures such as coconut crab curry with housemade paste, zabb chicken wings, po tak seafood soup, crab fried rice, and whole fish. Ohm previously cooked at Nahm in Bangkok; Chat trained at the CIA and worked in New York kitchens. Pete Wells gave the restaurant one New York Times star in 2016 for vivid, intense cooking; The Infatuation, New York Magazine, and Eater have kept it on essential Thai lists. A Williamsburg location opened in May 2025 at 661 Driggs Avenue; the Bond Street original remains the reference room. Resy books ahead; walk-ins and peak waits remain common.

Tables praise the coconut crab curry, spice level, seafood focus, colorful room, and shareable format. Waits without a reservation stretch; noise and heat can overwhelm mild-spice diners; several family-style plates climb the check. Some find individual dishes inconsistent or prefer the Williamsburg room. Groups who book ahead fare better than spontaneous peak Friday nights.