Paadee

Earl Ninsom built this Kerns dining room as a deliberate shift away from the Americanized Thai menus of his previous projects, focusing instead on the specific, uncompromised comfort food of his Bangkok childhood. The space reflects that warmth, paneled with reclaimed teak and hung with decorative birdcages that catch the low light. It is a busy, noisy anchor on Southeast 28th Avenue, often packed with diners passing plates of crispy pork belly (*Muu Grob*) and red crab fried rice across shared tables. The kitchen focuses on "everyday" nourishment, but the execution is exacting—curry pastes are ground from scratch and produce comes from local farms. The menu leans heavily into noodle soups and one-plate meals, with bowls of *Khao Soi* and *Ba Mhee Pitsanulok* landing on tables alongside stir-fried flat noodles. It functions as the casual foundation for Ninsom’s restaurant group, sharing a patio and a building with the tasting-menu-only Langbaan, which operates out of a hidden back room. Because the restaurant only accepts reservations for parties of six or more, the rhythm of the evening often involves a wait. You’ll see small groups hovering on the sidewalk or squeezing into the bar for a cocktail while keeping an eye out for a table, a process complicated by the neighborhood’s famously scarce street parking.