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)
"Great food.. try the calamari, spicy kalbi short ribs and tom yum..."(3 Tips)
"The shrimp pad thai is one of the best in Manhattan!"(13 Tips)
165 Tips and reviewsFilter:
- happy hour
- pork belly
- short ribs
- spicy food
- casual
- (15 more)
Sort:
- Popular
- Recent
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
David GreenbergerNovember 30, 2013One of the best lunch deals in Midtown (even on weekends). Go for the Pho Bo ($8) to heat you up on a cold day. Ask for extra noodles and make it two meals.
Bun Bo Hue is phenomenal. stay away if you can't handle the type of spice that sneaks up on you. going to start asking if they can tone it down but the flavors and the ingredients are top notch #yum
DevontaOctober 30, 2015Good lunch specials and good service. Looks small but there's room in the back. The Basil Fried Rice is pretty good.
Meg FarmerDecember 30, 2014Come on a cold day for the lunch deal- add a steamed dumpling or spring roll, both solid choices. One of the better tasting Pho Bo places in Manhattan.
Greg SchaentzlerFebruary 10, 2017Excellent Pad Thai and Chicken Cashew, but not as delicious as its counterpart in Hells Kitchen. This location is a lot more informal than HK, no frills but always solid.
EricaJuly 28, 2013Amazing! Was looking for place after matinee. Wanted something different as a local. Drinks, food, bartenders (Luke & B) all fab! Will return for sure.
Nation's Restaurant NewsDecember 13, 2013Typical pad Thai is made with rice noodles and often topped with a fried egg or has egg mixed in with the noodles. Chef Preyanet Pongsuwan uses shredded green papaya instead of noodles. Read more
Piotr SvcDecember 20, 2012Pork belly must have! They also have bun bo hue and I've been craving this flavor for ages. Pho Bo up to standard. Nice staff.
Frankie BuckleJune 30, 20132nd time here - love the Viet papaya salad. The veg spring rolls are also good - bit different. Not sure how vegetarian friendly this place is - I think a lot of the food is cooked in meat fat/broth.
Victoria U.April 9, 2014Do get the short ribs and the pork belly. They have an early birds prix fix for 11$ that includes an appetizer, entree and drink. Solid stop in midtown east.- 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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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!
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.
one of my favorite Vietnamese places in the city, been frequenting since 2010. cannot go wrong with the kalbi, pad see ew or pho
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
- i'm in love. the bun bo hue was more than legit. Bangkok chicken is a tasty KISS type of dish.
Rachel CNovember 26, 2015Frighteningly fast service, nice staff and delicious food. The pad Thai is gluten free and scrumptious.
Tom DiMaggioMay 16, 2016The food is decent, their cocktail menu is fun, and they have happy hour all night on certain days.
HelenApril 2, 2015The pho is okay. What's really worth getting is the shrimp pad pad thai. So nutty and delicious!
Aditi SVCMay 17, 2013The sugarcane skewered ribs are amazing, and the service is always stellar. This place puts a big smile on my face.
Joseph BartelsJanuary 11, 2015Pad sew ew was scrumptious. Kimchi fries were delicious. Chiang mai noodles is really tasty!
Gretta HehreMarch 1, 2016Great place to go if I ever find myself in midtown east ever again...good to know there are multiple locations
Marq RomeroJanuary 29, 2010Get the Pad See Ew! They throw in some Korean flavor with the galbi and mango kimchi goodness! The pad thai is really good too with a yolky poached egg on top for you to mix around!
Christopher StewartDecember 1, 2014Steam Dumplings are topper and the Tom Yum Seafood Soup is excellent. Great Pho Bo!
- Gregory LeeApril 25, 2011I can second the tips here. The fried tofu, pork fried rice, kalbi, pad Thai and green papaya salad were great.
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
278 Photos
Foursquare © 2024 Lovingly made in NYC, CHI, SEA & LA
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.
Closed until 11:30 AM (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
See More
You might also like
- 8.5
"Excellent option for hungry, ramen-weary folks near Lincoln Center. Cozy & snug at times, but the food is more than worth a few bump-ins. Great character, great spices & great for repeat visits."
J. Longo - 7.6
"The place is tiny, but who cares? Their food is delicious and very reasonably priced. Lunch specials are especially cheap! Red/green curry, pad thai, pine apple fried rice & tom yum soup = awesome!"
NomadDiplomat - 7.1
"great Thai food, BYOB and $10.95 lunch deal for an app, entree and soda. perfect for a cheap but yummy outing."
Verna
Places people like to go after OBAO Midtown
- 7.2
"My favorite cookie is the white chocolate macadamia nut and peanut butter! So delicious :) They are so nice and warm. Delivered warm too. Open until 3am. Can't get no better!!!"
Daniela A. - 8.3
"Drip coffee, fresh bakery and even almond milk. Communal table in front great for meetings. Back library perfect for relaxed reading. Could use more seating, but for Midtown East this is a real cafe."
Jeff Tomczek - 7.2
"Chocolate hazelnut with all the toppings!! Win."
Mary
Appears on 419 lists
Work Lunch Options - Midtown East
Created by Rachel W.
110 items • 31 followers
NYC Restaurant Week 2014 – Uptown
Created by American Express
199 items • 63 followers
Created by Kino
256 items • 37 followers
