Pig and Khao

"Pig & Khao, the Lower East Side brunch favorite with Thai and Filipino flavors, has a second location. There are some carry overs from the original location, like sisig and khao soi, but the new location has lots of new items, like roti tacos. They’re still offering their family meal deal, which scales up with options for 2-6 people, and includes bottomless rice and your choice of donuts or jello shots." - will hartman, bryan kim

"This is Top Chef season five contestant Leah Cohen’s first New York City restaurant that she opened in 2012 in the Lower East Side. The casual trendy pan-Southeast Asian restaurant offers an array of dishes from kare kare brisket dumplings, the crab foo young, and cocktail tastings with options like the Kentucky Pig made with a curry leaf and ginger. Pig & Khao recently expanded into the Upper West Side in December 2024, too; Cohen also runs Piggyback." - Nadia Chaudhury

"A popular Lower East Side restaurant offering Southeast Asian cuisine, backed by Apres Cru Hospitality." - Erika Adams

"If you want a little bit of a party and a lot of really good food to share with a group, this Thai/Filipino restaurant on the LES is an excellent choice. Sit in the back dining room, where the hip hop soundtrack is loudest, and put the lighting (which seems like it was designed to make people look especially cool in photos, with or without new haircuts) to good use." - hannah albertine

"The Deal: $21 for 90 minutes of unlimited mimosas or draft beer until 4pm, with the purchase of entree Pig & Khao feels like a party at dinner time, so imagine the debauchery 1.5 hours of lychee mimosas might cause in the not-so-sober light of day. To give you an idea of the kind of energy at this Lower East Side restaurant, we once spotted a sign outside that said “I like pig butts and I cannot lie.” The food is good too. Order a bánh xèo and sizzling sisig, or brioche french toast with coconut whipped cream." - neha talreja, bryan kim