Hug Esan, Queens NY

Great authentic Esan / Isan Thai and Laotian food. Friendly, fast service. Only a few tables so call ahead, especially if your party is more than 2! Also the spicy dishes are HOT. Be prepared and go for mild if you don't want your sinuses to get cleared out.

Our family came here on a food tour of Southeast Asia with Joe DiStefano - everything was delicious! Very clean and friendly service. So fresh & packed with flavor!

Each of the four dishes we ordered were spectacular and not quite like anything I’ve had before. The staff were kind and attentive. Easy 5 stars.

I got crispy pork belly as I was craving for some crispy thing to bite. It's amazing. And papaya salad really complements it. The limey spicy refreshing papaya salad covers the dense fat pork belly and I keep craving for more. I will definitely come back for more.

It’s a Thai-food we all love but a bit different from what we got used to.
Absolutely no flaws I could think of.
Crispy duck was crispy enough. It comes with broccoli and squash I believe (Basil Duck $23).

Chicken dumplings for an appetizer were delicious.

Herb chicken (Gai Yang 13$) comes with sticky rice.

Chicken wings were decent. Super crispy! ($9)

They also make their own ice cream! And offer it complimentary for a review on Yelp.
Would be coming back!

Moved here about a year ago and this food helps when I'm missing home.

I would never say anything is better than my mom's cooking, but this might be better than my mom's cooking.lol.

Consistency is the biggest difference-maker at restaurants and every time has been phenomenal.

Every one of their signatures is a must. The nam khao is the best I've ever had.and this is coming from someone who grew up eating this food every day.

Thank you for being my home away from home:)

This has been one of our top Go-To spots. The Larb is a must. I love getting the spicy pad ka prow. They aren’t kidding, It’s very spicy, but it’s worth it. Please support business like Hug Esan, they are what make this city such a great place.

This really is my favorite restaurant in all of NYC. They have amazing food, the freshest ingredients, wonderful staff. I can't wait to go back and eat at the restaurant - in the meantime, the takeout is wonderful. THANK YOU

Very well kept and convenient spot. They provide large meals and for affordable rates. I enjoyed the food very much and the staff were very friendly and chatty. I recommend this place.

Ordered 4 item fro doordash including a som-tam which has a long strand of hair; we have had it once before a few years back but this hair in delivery ruined our lunch

I love thai food and i love strong flavors. This restaurant was an OK for me. The noodle soup tasted sweet. Im not sure if it was the usual taste but it wasnt into my liking. The grilled liver tasted it was boiled first then grilled. Didnt have that grilled flavor. The pad kapraw, i think that was the name, or the ground pork with herb, I tried this from other thai restaurant, we only asked mild on heat but not on other flavors. It was a little bland for my taste but maybe it was good for americans who dont like strong flavors. The place was 4 star for me. It was cozy and there were shields in between guests. The server was very nice. Over all it was 3 stars because of the dishes but dont get me wrong, its just that, if i am going to a thai/malay/indian/ etc.i like to taste those flavors from those regions. I mean that distinct flavors.

If you want Real Northern Thai Esan food you MUST try Hug Esan. This restaurant is like nothing else in Queens. Real Thai people eat here and from what I see and hear they are 100% authentic. I've been to Udon Thani and I can tell you yes not like anywhere else in NYC.

Thai food that isn't dumbed down. The menu has a good variety of options but you need to be a little adventurous to really appreciate this place. The seafood dishes will be where they really shine, but if you must - the pad thai is very good. Price point is good - not dirt cheap (which you may expect for a Queens hole-in-the-wall) but you are really getting food that is fresh and well-prepared.

I grew up in Minnesota. The Twin Cities. During that time I got to experience Southeast Asian cusine in many restaurants, but more so in the houses and at the dinner tables of many of friends whose families were like my own. Of the different cultural dishes, the food from Laos is by far my favorite.

Now I live in NYC and have had to travel to Jersey and even Connecticut, to find the food I consider to be my favorite.

That was until I discovered and finally made it out to Hug Esan.

Now I can enjoy eating in NYC.

Bohpetbohsaap

I get to eat here a lot since I work close by. I love how their service is always great and they keep the spot well organized regularly. Rates are reasonable and they serve big portions.

Mom-and-pop authentic Thai food from Esan. This is not your typical Thai food. This is the Real deal. They were featured in New York Times which means this place is solid legit. I had the the crispy fried rice and chose mild spicy. They don't play with their spiciness so prepare your taste buds with ultimate spiciness. Also, they have 11 choices of papaya salad and some go with vermicelli noodles (I have not heard that before). For appetizers, we had pork crepe which I have not heard before. It basically looks a broken dumpling. Venture out to Elmhurst, Queens and try this Thai food in the Esan region. You won't be disappointed.