NYCReview
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Dhom
Included In
We’re constantly on the hunt for a super cute restaurant that serves not-boring food and has a great bar. Dhom, a casual Lao spot in the East Village, fits that description perfectly.
There’s not a ton of Lao food in New York, and what you can find is often hidden on the menus of Thai restaurants. Here, the menu is tight and Happy Hour-friendly, and it gives this vibrant Southeast Asian cuisine its due. In prime East Village territory, Dhom is a great jumping-off point for your next night out.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
The interior is the perfect combination of sleek and cozy. The playlist feels like someone’s cool Gen-X friend made it, meandering seamlessly from classic rock to new wave. There’s outdoor seating, too, so Dhom is a good choice for those perfect weather days.
The menu centers around BBQ skewers. There are three kinds: hanger steak, chicken, and duck heart, each heightened with different aromatics. You should order them all. Supplement these with an assortment of things like crispy rice salad, sticky rice, and a pile of leafy, herby green things to round out your meal. If you don’t drink, they also make some really excellent house made sodas and limeade.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
We love the food at Dhom, full-stop. This place is a great choice for a sit-down lunch that won’t take all afternoon, or a casual dinner literally any day of the week. Happy Hour goes from 3-6pm, with an additional second Happy Hour from 10:30pm-midnight Thursday through Saturday. For $14, you can get a lychee martini and a barbecue skewer so smoky and delicious it will linger in your memory like the smell of campfire in your favorite hoodie. It’s the best Happy Hour deal in lower Manhattan in terms of value for flavor.
What we’re saying is, you should be eating at Dhom, and you should be doing it often. Whether you live in the East Village or just like to hang out there, this is going to be your new favorite spot. It’s certainly one of ours.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Sticky Rice & Chili Sauce
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Charred Creekstone Farms Hangers Steak & Lemongrass
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Grilled Chicken Thighs & Garlic
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Grilled Duck Hearts & Lemongrass
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Crunchy Coconut Rice Salad
photo credit: Emily Schindler