Ugly Baby Returns: Chef Sirichai Sreparplarn Reopens Thai Restaurant in Williamsburg
Chef Sirichai Sreparplarn has relaunched Ugly Baby, his renowned Thai eatery, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, almost two years after shutting down the Carroll Gardens branch. The new location, situated next to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, boasts more than double the space, featuring a lengthy mirrored bar and vibrant decor. The menu offers three spice levels: Laughs, Cries, and Ugly, alongside signature dishes like duck laab and kua kling, as well as new selections such as pork belly stir-fry and a spicy pad ped. Although service has been inconsistent, the restaurant remains busy. Sreparplarn previously closed Ugly Baby in 2017 to take a hiatus, allowing former staff to launch Hungry Thirsty. Its reopening is a pivotal event in New York's Thai culinary landscape.
Key facts
- Ugly Baby originally opened in Carroll Gardens in 2017 and closed almost two years ago.
- Chef Sirichai Sreparplarn is a Bangkok native.
- The new Ugly Baby is located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, near the B.Q.E.
- The new space is more than twice the size of the original.
- The menu is divided into three categories: Laughs, Cries, and Ugly.
- Former Ugly Baby employees opened Hungry Thirsty in the old space with Sreparplarn's blessing.
- Hungry Thirsty owners expanded with Hungry Spicy in Chelsea earlier this summer.
- The review mentions Jitlada in Los Angeles and critic Jonathan Gold's praise of its kua kling.
Entities
Artists
- Sirichai Sreparplarn
- Paul Rozin
- Jonathan Gold
- Marilyn Minter
Institutions
- Ugly Baby
- Hungry Thirsty
- Hungry Spicy
- Jitlada
- The New Yorker
Locations
- Carroll Gardens
- Brooklyn
- New York
- United States
- Bangkok
- Thailand
- Williamsburg
- Chelsea
- Los Angeles