Cue Unglo<\/a>, a new collaboration between Chidensee Watthanawongwat, Kitiya Mokkarat, and Supatta Banklouy (who are partners behind the Thai noodle bar Soothr<\/a> and barbecue skewer-focused Sappe<\/a>), and Nate Limwong (chef of Southern Thai restaurant Chalong<\/a>). These powerhouses of regional Thai cuisines have teamed up to create Manhattan\u2019s first moo krata restaurant, which opens on the Upper West Side at 35 West 64th Street and Broadway on Friday, September 5.<\/p>\n Unglo captures the festive spirit of this communal-style dining, but in a more upscale setting with higher price points than what you might find at a Thailand moo krata restaurant, which tend to be very casual and, most of all, cheap. \u201cThis is a whole different thing,\u201d says Watthanawongwat.<\/p>\n The bar at Unglo. Pratya Jankong\/Unglo<\/p>\n Indeed, the restaurant\u2019s glamorous interior and dramatic lighting make it feel like it belongs in the portfolio of the Rockwell Group, which designs sleek, clubby hotspots like Din Tai Fung and Nobu. However, Watthanawongwat, who has an arts background, designed the space himself. Earthy hues in various shades of clay and multi-textured curves framing the bar feel more like the desert set of Dune than a Manhattan Thai restaurant.<\/p>\n New Yorkers may be familiar with restaurants like 99 Favor Taste<\/a>, which offer Chinese hot pot and Korean barbecue side-by-side, but moo krata goes one step further by combining both experiences into one all-purpose pan, as seen through Queens restaurant Boon Dee<\/a>. Traditionally, the namesake vessel is made of brass or aluminum with a domed center surrounding a shallow moat<\/a>.<\/p>\n For Unglo, Watthanawongwat and Limwong redesigned the pan\u2019s shape so that the grill lies flat. They opted for copper, a superior conductor of heat. The pans are fitted into custom granite tables over a gas-fueled heat source using black volcanic rocks sourced from Mount Fuji in Japan, which are said to be another good conductor of heat (there\u2019s overhead ventilation at each table to whisk away smoke).<\/p>\n Pork is traditionally the star of moo krata, but Unglo stands out for its selection of USDA prime dry-aged beef and wagyu sourced from Pat LaFrieda, some of which is on display in a temperature-controlled fridge in the main dining room.<\/p>\n The dining room and grill\/hot pot tables at Unglo. Pratya Jankong\/Unglo<\/p>\n To make ordering easy, Unglo has three set menus. The $48-per-person features two proteins with vegetables and garlic rice. The evening menu, Unglo Noir, costs $88 per person and covers two appetizers from the kitchen and a choice of two premium proteins, such as mugifuji pork, wagyu, or abalone.<\/p>\n For the total moo krata newbie, there\u2019s a $48 traditional option that comes with pork, chicken, and squid topped with a raw egg yolk, a popular order in Thailand, plus a basket of greens and noodles for the hot pot. Every set menu concludes with house-made gelato.<\/p>\n Those who prefer to customize their meal can pick favorites from the a la carte menu, which features cuts of meat like pork jowl, dry-aged rib-eyes, and Hokkaido scallops, as well as cooked appetizers like fried quail egg wontons and salads like Thai corn, not to mention supplemental splurges like the Reserve Box featuring all premium beef cuts and Ossetra caviar.<\/p>\n If prime cuts of beef, caviar, and cocktails sound a lot like Cote<\/a> and Coqodaq<\/a>, Simon Kim\u2019s Korean temples of meat, that\u2019s because Watthanawongwat has hopes for Unglo to attract a similarly flush crowd. \u201cI see that as a really good business model,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Like most hot pot restaurants in town, Unglo is a DIY experience. Guests will be expected to tend to their own pans of bubbling soups and searing meat. But unlike those, there won\u2019t be an open sauce bar, though guests can request a tray of garlic, chile, and lime to adjust the seasonings of the classic house-made Thai dipping sauce, brimming with umami, acidity, and, according to Limwong\u2019s coveted recipe, over 20 ingredients.<\/p>\n The broth poured into the pan is pork-based, though a non-pork option will be available. Watthanawongwat noted that, for now, there are no meatless broth options.<\/p>\n Cocktails at Unglo. Pratya Jankong\/Unglo<\/p>\n New York\u2019s Thai scene has changed in leaps and bounds over the last decade. Restaurants like Fish Cheeks<\/a>, Soothr<\/a>, and Chalong<\/a> introduced a broader spectrum of dishes like ba mii pu dry crab noodles and Southern-style sator goong \u201cstink bean\u201d curry, while evolving the design, service, and drinks to fit a more polished dining experience. In turn, these restaurants have attracted diners with more sophisticated palates. \u201cI respect the customer,\u201d says Limwong. \u201cThey know how to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n Unglo will also have beer, wine, and cocktails with tongue-in-cheek names like the Tomahawk, a vodka-based drink made with charred pepper and tomato water; or the Bloody Blade made with tequila, watermelon, and basil with a fish powder rim.<\/p>\n There is also a desire to present a side of Thai hospitality and cuisine that, as Watthanawongwat put it, is fit for a global stage. Put it another way: Unglo is among a recent class of restaurants that are expanding the look, feel, and flavors of Thai cuisine in New York. In Tribeca, Teakwood Thai Chophouse<\/a> recently opened<\/a>, serving American-style steaks within a mostly Thai menu (dipping a fatty piece of rib-eye into their tart-savory jaew sauce is chef\u2019s kiss). A new Flatiron bar, LenLen<\/a>, is exploring Thai flavors<\/a> through modern cocktails, and Sarisa Caf\u00e9<\/a> in Midtown showcases the breadth of Thai dessert culture.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a popular saying in Thailand that moo krata can fix anything. \u201cEvery time there\u2019s any celebration or if anyone is heartbroken, we all go to moo krata,\u201d Watthanawongwat says. Now, New Yorkers will have a new balm for all that ails us, in the shape of a custom copper moo krata.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/20250811-UNGLO_1107.jpg\"\/)
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