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Just a few weeks ago, we got word from a little birdie (a.k.a. the internet) that the Thai Diner team was cooking up something special. Turns out, when they closed their beloved Uncle Boons Sister in 2020—a casual spin-off from their wildly successful restaurant, Uncle Boons, which also shuttered in the same year—they retained the keys to the space. All these years later, and the team is finally back at the 203 Mott Street. And the name of the game? Chicken fingers, baby.
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On Friday, August 8, the Thai Diner team debuted Mommy Pai’s, a literal hop and a skip down the block from the favored Thai-American diner. Much like her other restaurants, for chef-partner Ann Redding, Mommy Pai’s is a personal one. Her sister May Redding designed the branding of the restaurant (she also designed both Thai Diner and Uncle Boons), from the tropical-themed menus to the maximalist walk-up counter which mimics a traditional Thai wooden home blended with a roadside food stall. Together, the sisters pay a living tribute to their mother, Ampai, whose face you can catch plastered on the front door and smiling on menus with chicken tenders in hand.
Speaking of, tenders are the name of the game. Using organic chicken as a base, you can order your gluten-free tenders fried or grilled in the style of satay, zhuzhed with your choice of Lemongrass, Muay Thai, Spicy and Coconut (which you can only get fried). There’s also a vegan version, the Hat Yai Veggies, that comes with a flurry of greens—cauliflower, mushrooms, snake beans, purple sweet potato, baby bok choy and crispy shallots. You can make it a Mommy Combo ($20), which you should, as the meal comes with tenders plus a sauce and a side. Eight dipping sauces cycle through here, from the nicely spiced Phuket Island Sauce with galangal and green peppercorn to the garlic-flecked Sweet Chili Nam Jim.
Sides come in the form of purple sticky rice with lettuce wraps, mommy cakes (aka silver dollar-sized coconut and scallion pancakes), rice and beans with a coconut creme to pour over and waffle fries. If you opt for the combo, you can add on a frozen drink (we liked the nicely spiced and tart Spicy Tamarind Thai Orange) for just $3 more. Order it "Thaphoon" style, and your slushie will receive a swirl of condensed milk soft serve.
The menu rounds out with a few chicken and tofu sandwiches, cheekily named the Filet O’Tofu, and more sides that include Garlic Chive & Tapioca Dumplings, Curry Puff Mozzarella Sticks and chilled Green Curry Kanom Jim Noodles. But lest you leave without something a little sweet, the kitchen also has mini Taro Tapioca Donuts with pandan sangkaya custard for dipping and swirls of Thai tea and condensed milk soft serve by the cone or cup.
Less than a week old, Mommy Pai’s is currently slinging chicken fingers and tropical drinks to the masses. And by masses, we meant it, as the shop sold out clean on its first day. The store has limited hours, so catch them Thursday through Monday from 11am to 4pm.