Hed’s new Thai tasting menu goes for $126
Liz Clayman
A new Thai restaurant from a California-based hospitality team just opened in Manhattan.
Hed NYC (461 W. 23rd St.), a modern, fine dining Thai restaurant is the latest venture from hed 11, which serves Thai tasting menus in San Francisco’s Japantown.
“We’re rethinking fine dining through the lens of how Thai people actually eat,” said Hed founder Naruephon “Billie” Wannajaro. “Opening in New York pushes you to be extremely intentional, because the dining scene is so competitive and diverse. Every detail matters, from the food to the service to the pacing of the experience. But that energy is also what makes the city so inspiring.”
While most tasting menus follow a Western style of service, individual and linear courses, Thai dining is communal, with rice at the center, multiple dishes on the table, and a focus on sharing and conversation throughout the meal.
“We wanted to create something that feels elevated and intentional, but still warm and deeply rooted in tradition,” said Wannajaro. “Chef Piriya Saint’s sharing progression allows guests to experience different flavors, textures, and styles of cooking all at once. That format doesn’t really exist in New York right now, especially at this level of dining, so we’re excited to bring something new to the table.”
Inside the dining room at Hed NYC
Liz Clayman
The Dining Experience at HED
Chef Piriya Saint “Boonprasan” designed her version of a “Modern Thai Sharing Progression.”
At $126 per person, the menu will change seasonally every three to four months. Each season will highlight a different region of Thailand while reflecting both ingredient availability and the team’s ongoing creative dialogue between San Francisco and New York.
“People don’t realize how regional Thai food is,” said Wannajaro. “The flavors and ingredients inSouthern Thai cooking are different from what you might find in the North or Northeast. That’s one of the reasons we plan to change the menu seasonally and focus on different regions over time, as it allows us to tell a broader story about Thailand through food.”
For summer, Hed’s menu focuses on Southern Thai with an emphasis on seafood. The meal starts with individually plated seafood dishes, followed by a soup course, and then central rice course that invites diners to experience multiple options of Thai cuisine at once. From there, guests choose across categories including stir-fried, curry, and fried dishes with several options designed to be shared and enjoyed collectively. The meal concludes with dessert by pastry chef Brian Ting.
“Culturally, I also want people to experience the emotional side of Thai dining,” said Wannajaro. “Meals are meant to be shared slowly, with interaction and connection at the table. Hospitality is such an important part of Thai culture, and that feeling of warmth and generosity is just as important to us as the food itself.”