Chanpen Thai Restaurant

09/06/10

wow!!!

by tunnie at Citysearch

I had my doubts after seeing the bad reviews but decided to take a shot at Chanpen since I was in the neighborhood. I'm VERY GLAD I did because the entire experience was awesome. The staff was awesome as was the food. From what I heard from our waitress, the owner is also the chef and it really showed because everything that we ordered(4 of us) was simply delicious. We had the pad thai(probably the best ever), the prawns in pesto sauce(with lots of other yummy ingredients that I can't remember right now), beef with basil and chili, and the Chanpen duck, which was just amazing.

I tried other Thai joints around the area the past few times I was in the neighborhood and none even comes close to comparing to Chanpen, with a new Thai restaurant popping up every block on 9th Ave, I'm glad I stopped in to the right one. I will definitely be back and so will all my friends. Definitely give this place a try!!!

12/21/08

Poor Choice For Thai In This Neighborhood

by TimNYC222 at Citysearch

The restaurant is one of the prettier Thai restaurants in the neighborhood, but the prices are very high, the portions quite small, and the service was poor. The food itself was just OK, most dishes were very salty and the pad thai was way too sweet. Unbelievably, they do NOT include rice with any of their dishes, it costs EXTRA! I have never been to any other asian restaurant in my entire life that did not include rice with the entrees; it seems like a dumb way to cheap-out. You can do MUCH better at most of the other dozen or so Thai restaurants in this neighborhood.

03/10/08

Bad Bad Bad

by Miaula at Citysearch

It seems like most reviews about this restaurant are positive so they might have a different chef now... because my experience in this restaurant was terrible. The food wasn't good at all and even tasted old and we experienced upset stomach the same evening and the next day... I love Thai food but would definitely recommend to avoid this restaurant! The waiter was nice though but the person seating us was quite pushy.

• Pros: Nice Staff
• Cons: Bad food

05/09/07

An Unexpected Gem

by jasdoit92 at Citysearch

I swear, they have to change their sign -- looks cheezy outside.

But inside, it's a different story. On full nights, it can be tight but there's generally enough space that you won't need to make reservations. They have the best pad thai I've tasted! and the tamarind duck is excellent! Nice and crispy but slathered with flavorful tangy sauce. The staff is warm and friendly and they greet you like old friends. It's affordable too! Highly recommended!

• Pros: Cheap and great value! Yummy food, friendly service!
• Cons: Can be cramped on nights

04/05/07

friendliest waitstaff I've ever seen!

by dancefan at Citysearch

I was really amazed at how nice and attentive the waitstaff is here. In NYC, restaurant service is generally very bad compared to anywhere else in the country. But going to Chanpen Thai restaurant, you can imagine that you are somewhere where the locals are very nice and hospitable! I always order the "pad pak" dish and the Thai ice tea-- yummy. And I love how the waitstaff has different outfits depending on the season of the year-- their summer uniforms have these pretty hibiscus flower prints, so cute! The decor is much nicer than other Thai restaurants in the neighborhood-- upscale and clean.

• Pros: the friendliest waitstaff in nyc, nice decor, very clean, prompt service