NYCReview
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
Noods n’ Chill
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Noods n’ Chill is a featherweight that can punch through a wall before doing 50 pushups. It’s a teaspoon of TNT or a golf cart with the soul of a Shelby Cobra. It’s a stunner, in other words, in a very small package - and it’s the best Thai restaurant in Williamsburg.
Grabbing a meal at this counter-service spot might remind you of the last time you tried to squeeze your adult body into a twin bed. The space is only about the size of a window display at Macy’s, and there are roughly 12 seats to choose from, including a single booth in the corner that we often covet like a cat staring at a bird in a tree. Alcohol isn’t a thing here, and you might have to wait 10 minutes or so for a spot to open up - but the food comes out quickly, and once it does, you’ll find it’s more intense and charismatic than just about any other option in the neighborhood.
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
Focus on the soups, and don’t look back. The guay tao tom yum with fish balls, peanuts, and multiple kinds of pork will clear out your sinuses and leave you as overstimulated as a kid with a Bop It, and the khao soy, with its creamy appeal, will take up a considerable amount of real estate in your brain. The broth has some spice that hits you in the back of the throat along with a notably sweet finish, and it’s exactly what the Greek gods would’ve eaten had they not exclusively f*cked with ambrosia. Supplement your soup with an order of Isan sausage. It’s thinly sliced and soaked in a citrusy marinade that elevates the dish like a person sitting on top of another person in a trenchcoat.
Grab a stool, get a bowl of noodles, and enjoy one of the best casual weeknight meals currently available in Williamsburg. You might have to tuck your elbows in when you eat, and you might also look back toward the kitchen and wonder why it’s three times the size of the area zoned for seating - but don’t question that. It’s an auspicious sign, like when you see a V8 on a lawnmower. In terms of flavor, this place is a giant.