Chalong Dinner with Medo and Halima
Medo and Halima were in NYC Jul 24–26 (the trip from 2026-07-21 Medo NYC Hotel Recommendation). Medo called to meet up; booked Chalong Southern Thai for 9:30 PM, party of 3. They came from a slice at L’industrie in the West Village beforehand.
749 9th Ave (btwn 50th & 51st), Hell’s Kitchen — Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025), NYT starred March 2026.
What we ordered
| Dish | What it is |
|---|---|
| Platod ($45) | Deboned fried whole fish, sweet fish sauce, fried garlic, julienne scallion |
| Crab Curry | Jumbo lump crab + crispy soft-shell crab in coconut curry — chef’s signature |
| Pad Kra Pao | Holy basil stir-fry (kra pao = holy basil) |
| Baerng Golae ($18) | Coconut crisp, grilled shrimp, southern curry paste — Michelin’s pick |
| Potato Puff Stick ($16) | Crispy puffs, curried potato, onion, carrot, peas, black pepper. Vegan |
| Mango sticky rice + coconut ice cream | Michelin calls this non-negotiable |
Notes
- ~$270 total incl. 20% tip (~$225 pre-tip) for 3 → ~$90/head
- Portions looked small on arrival but ended up being more than enough. Shared-plates format — 5 dishes + dessert was right for 3. Don’t over-order here.
- Ordered better than I realized: Platod and Crab Curry are the two the chef puts forward, Baerng Golae is the Michelin call. Hit all three without knowing.
- Room is loud and tables are tight — the most consistent complaint in reviews, and it held up.
- Two-pepper dishes: kitchen will not adjust spice. Deliberate policy, they want the dish as intended.
For next time
Untried and flagged: goat curry, garlic-braised ribs, Lumpu salad (toss before eating), Yum Som-O (pomelo + fried cured branzino), Phuket pak mor dumplings.
Background worth keeping
Southern Thai = the peninsula between the Andaman and the Gulf. Historic maritime trade corridor, so there’s Indian/Arab/Malay-Muslim influence you don’t get in Central Thai: turmeric-forward, sour from tamarind rather than sugar-balanced, and the hottest of the four Thai regional cuisines. Golae traces to Malay-Muslim Pattani (cf. ayam golek); massaman to Persian traders — a nice thread given Medo’s Egyptian, same trade routes.
Chef Natwalan “Nate” Limwong is from Surat Thani; previously head chef at Fish Cheeks, Soothr, and Tong. Also runs Unglo (moo krata, UWS) and Godunk. “Chalong” means celebration, and is a district of Phuket.
Day 2 (2026-07-25)
Medo messaged at noon from WTC saying they were heading to Frankel’s Delicatessen & Appetizing in Greenpoint. Flagged that Frankel’s closes 3 PM daily and WTC→Greenpoint is 40–50 min (E to Court Sq, transfer G to Greenpoint Ave). Planned to meet them in the afternoon and work south along the waterfront toward Smorgasburg at Marsha P. Johnson State Park (Saturdays, 11–6).