Lom Wong

"A restaurant in Phoenix with chef Yotaka Martin as a semifinalist for Best Chef: Southwest." - Nicole Adlman

"Set in a historic bungalow in Roosevelt Row, Sunny and Alex Martin’s charming Thai eatery bears no resemblance to formulaic, Americanized Thai restaurants. Here, Sunny — who grew up in Northern Chiang Rai and borrowed recipes from family members — hand-pounds Thai red chiles to make curry and squeezes her own coconut milk rather than opening a can. The menu, which also features the seafood dishes of Thailand’s Moklen community, is universally wonderful, but don’t miss these: excellent Thai-influenced cocktails; yam mamuang boran (green mango salad with hand-torn shrimp); sai ua (charcoal-grilled sausage); and kaeng phet charinda (coconut beef curry with eggplant)." - Mcconnell Quinn, Chris Malloy, Nikki Buchanan

"You know that friend you’ve been wishing would invite you over for dinner? Lom Wong, with its homey vibe and family recipes, is the restaurant equivalent. Bring a group and get the cold-and-sweet green mango salad along with the fried chicken you can dunk in Thai red chile sauce. Eating on the patio is always nice—it’s heated for chilly days and has misters for when it’s hot. They also have a great wine list, specifically put together to pair with the spicy dishes on their menu." - Lauren Topor

"Alex and Yotaka (“Sunny”) Martin, the couple who got their start by hosting pop-up style dinner parties in recent years, moved into a Roosevelt Row restaurant in spring 2022. The dimly lit, sophisticated space makes a fitting backdrop for Thai food that doesn’t feel like the same old, same old. Sunny and crew hand-pound Thai red chiles to make various curries and squeeze their own coconut milk rather than open a can. Each dish is light and fresh tasting, as much as it is herbal and complex. The emphasis here is on texture and flavor, not necessarily heat; get the meal off to a brilliant start with a less sweet Thai-style pina colada." - Nikki Buchanan

"You know that friend you’ve been wishing would invite you over for dinner? Lom Wong, with its homey vibe and family recipes, is the restaurant equivalent. Bring a group and get the cold-and-sweet green mango salad along with the fried chicken you can dunk in Thai red chile sauce. Eating on the patio is always nice—it’s heated for chilly days and has misters for when it’s hot. They also have a great wine list, specifically put together to pair with the spicy dishes on their menu." - lauren topor