Spicy Shallot

On Woodside Avenue at 77th Street, on the Thai block the city has co-named Little Thailand Way, Spicy Shallot has been run by the Lam family since 2005; they bought out the original partners in 2014, and a Thai kitchen has worked this corner since the late 1990s. The corner room is the prettiest on the strip: flowers line the walls and hang in a cloud from the middle of the ceiling over pale pink and blue chairs, with soft music in the background.

The menu is long and runs to two kitchens — Thai curries, noodles and crisp duck on one side, sushi and sashimi on the other. Order the crab meat fried rice, the duck curry and a bowl of gaeng som, the sour southern curry, and something from the bar: a mango mojito or a lychee martini, or sake, wine and beer. The family also hosts birthdays, anniversaries and rehearsal dinners, which tells you how the neighborhood uses the room.