20 THENEWYORKER,NOVEMBER29, 2021
PHOTOGRAPH BY INA JANG FOR THE NEW YORKER; ILLUSTRATION BY JOOST SWARTE
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TABLESFORTWO
Soothr
204 E. 13th St.
There’s something at once jovial and
jarring about Soothr, the rare restaurant
born in the age of COVID that has not
only survived but thrived, by adjusting to
the erratic rhythms of pandemic dining.
Securing a table begins on the pavement,
where patrons line up to flash proof of
vaccination. The maître d’ facilitates
these exchanges from the window of a
glass-box foyer; no one leaves without a
pithy reminder of the restaurant’s ninety-
minute table limit. “The clock starts at
the time of the reservation,” someone
called out one recent evening, prompting
a flurry of phone tapping from aspiring
diners, presumably relaying the message
to less punctilious companions.
Such militaristic timekeeping has un-
doubtedly become more necessary since
Soothr’s acquisition of a Michelin Plate,
in May, but the tempo contrasts sharply
with the lethargic mood of mid-century
glamour inside the restaurant, evoked
through carved wooden screens, a ro-
tary pay phone, and vintage tasselled
lampshades. The drinks, too, nod to an
enchanted past; each of nine cocktails
is named after an auspicious gemstone,
which might seem hokey if the beverages
were less well made. The River’s Topaz
is Soothr’s take on an Old-Fashioned, a
mixture of Thai golden rums with toffee
notes that round out the smokiness of
cinnamon and star anise; All That Jade
(Kahlúa, matcha, honey, egg white) is
indulgent enough to be dessert.
Start with the duck rolls, the outer
crunch of their deep-fried shells echoing
the springy filling of wood-ear mush-
room, both of which heighten the dec-
adent richness of the duck meat. Pair
that with the Yum Nuer, a fine, fierce
braised-beef salad tossed with makrut
lime and gooseberries. A number of
Soothr’s dishes are made from the pro-
prietors’ old family recipes. “My mother
used to stew this often for us,” Chidensee
Watthanawongwat, one of the co-own-
ers, who grew up in northeastern Thai-
land, said of the braised beef. Soothr
also inherited its meatballs from Wat-
thanawongwat’s family, who once ran a
sausage-making factory. “We know how
to season ground pork,” Watthanawong-
wat added with a grin.
Originally conceived as a noodle shop,
Soothr has grown its menu to reflect the
merry eclecticism of a street fair. “Hunt
for the best food in Thailand and, sooner
or later, you’ll find yourself on Yaowarat
Road,” Watthanawongwat said, referring
to the thoroughfare of Bangkok’s Chi-
natown, renowned for its bustling food
stalls. The Had Yai chicken, a popular
street food, is a lighter, less greasy version
of its Western fried-chicken counterpart.Marinated in a coconut-milk paste with
ample cilantro root, cumin powder, black
pepper, and garlic, it’s studded with a
crackly, caramelized lace of fried shallots.
Among the entrées, Koong Karee, a
shrimp-and-egg dish, is the standout.
The mellow sweetness of its cream sauce
fortifies the flavor of scallions and cel-
ery while balancing the brininess of the
shrimp. Watthanawongwat’s partners,
Kittiya Mokkarat and Supatta Banklouy,
hail from Sukhothai, an ancient city in
central Thailand, from which Soothr’s
Sukhothai Tom Yum soup takes its
name. Lacking the firepower of its noo-
dle siblings, the soup persuades rather
than stupefies. Watthanawongwat ad-
mitted that it’s his favorite dish; despite
eating it day and night, he said, he can’t
seem to tire of it. His second favorite is
also the boldest: Nam-Tok Moo, a pork-
blood soup heaped with rice noodles,
meatballs, and morning glory, so hearty
and comforting that one wonders why
it doesn’t appear on more menus.
Sooner or later, no matter how es-
capist the ambience, there’s no avoiding
the ninety-minute timer on your table.
On a recent evening, a waiter tried to
remove a half-finished cocktail from
a table no fewer than three times in
five minutes. One of the diners looked
at her watch after the third attempt—
there were still thirty minutes left on
the clock. After downing the rest of
her drink in a single gulp, she decided
that there was just enough time to order
another. (Dishes $12-$32.)
—Jiayang Fan