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Recipe

Tomato and Egg Stir-Fry

10 min prep · 10 min cook

New York City · Thai

Zaab Zaab

Elmhurst Isaan Thai since 2022: duck larb ped udon, herb-forward hot pots, three NYT stars, and a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Price
$$
Opened
2022
Neighborhood
Elmhurst76-04 Woodside Ave, Elmhurst, NY 11373

Restaurant website →

About

Zaab Zaab opened in spring 2022 at 76-04 Woodside Avenue in Elmhurst’s Thai corridor, from owners Bryan Chunton and Pei Wei with chef Aniwat Khotsopa, who is from Udon Thani in northeastern Thailand. Zaab (or zabb) signals the spicy, aromatic “tasty” register of Isan cooking. The colorful room leans into regional specialties rather than a pad Thai-first menu: larb ped udon with minced duck, liver, and fried skin; tom zaab hot pots (including offal versions); salt-crusted whole fish with herbs and noodles; som tum with pla ra; and grilled chicken. Pete Wells awarded three New York Times stars in June 2022; Michelin lists a Bib Gourmand. Eater, Gothamist, Time Out, and The Infatuation treat the original as a landmark for undiluted Isan in the city. Sibling rooms followed in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and elsewhere; this page is the Elmhurst original. Small parties are usually walk-in; larger groups can often reserve by phone.

Menu highlights

  • Larb ped udon (duck breast, liver, fried skin)
  • Tom zaab hot pots (ribs or offal versions)
  • Salt-crusted whole fish / mieng pla; som tum with pla ra
  • Rotisserie or grilled chicken; prawn pad Thai

Diners say

Public reviews on OpenTable, Yelp, and Google Maps praise bold Isan heat, the duck larb, hot pots, fresh herbs, and value relative to Manhattan Thai. Recurring friction is spice that can overwhelm milder palates, a small colorful room that fills and gets loud, peak waits for walk-ins, and occasional notes on saltiness or uneven service when slammed. A smaller thread prefers sibling locations for space or seafood focus. Diners who like it usually travel for the Elmhurst original, order a salad plus a hot pot, and ask for spice guidance.

Review synthesis as of 2026-07-31. Synthesis of recurring themes in public OpenTable, Yelp, and Google Maps reviews sampled July 2026; not a rating or ranking. Cross-checked against zaabzaabnyc.com, Michelin Guide (Bib Gourmand), Pete Wells’s three-star New York Times review (2022), Eater, Gothamist, Time Out, and The Infatuation.