Fish Cheeks

This August, brothers and co-chefs Chat and Ohm Suansilphong will open Fish Cheeks, a seafood-focused Thai restaurant on Bond Street in Manhattan’s NoHo neighborhood. Most recently Ohm, 32, cooked at Nahm in Bangkok, a fine dining restaurant featured on Pellegrino's World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Chat, 29, has been cooking in Manhattan kitchens for the past several years since graduating from CIA. He externed at Colicchio & Sons before spending two years with Chace Restaurant Group (Spot Dessert Bar, OBAO). Chat and Ohm first learned to cook from their parents, who owned a restaurant in Thailand.

At Fish Cheeks, the brothers offer authentic Thai cuisine inspired by the flavorful, approachable food they grew up eating. The menu is served family-style as it would be at home, and includes enticing dishes such as coconut crab curry with hand-crushed red curry paste and aob woon senn goong, a baked shrimp & pork belly dish with glass noodles. Dev Johnson of Employees Only oversees the beverage program, which features Thai-influenced cocktails as well as a selection of beer and wine to complement the menu.

Fish Cheeks is named for the lean, tender cheek meat that is considered the tastiest part of a fish and a delicacy in Asia. Designed by Space NY (Clay Crider & Anders Olson, both formerly of the fashion world), the bright and inviting 60-seat space nods to traditional Thai architecture in a modern way. Colorful scalloped tiles and a shingled outdoor awning emulate fish scales, and wooden wall panels give the interior a warm feel, complemented by fresh greenery. Open for dinner nightly and lunch on weekends, Fish Cheeks provides Chat and Ohm the opportunity to introduce New York diners to their distinct style of Thai cooking.

Instagram @fishcheeksnyc