75 Second Ave
East Village
New York
10003
tel: 212-505-9533

Website: http://zabbelee.com/

In this context, the new Zabb Elee, the latest addition to the Spice family of restaurants, might be taken as an attempt to make amends. Although Thai menus in America can seem homogeneous, the country’s cuisine is rather diverse. Which is why there’s a good chance you won’t recognize much of the fare at Zabb Elee. The low-key basement spot focuses on the fiery, funky foods of northern Thailand, and the roster is a challenging one, with categories like tod (fried meats), som tum (papaya salads) and yang (grilled meats) making up the more than five dozen choices. You wanted real Thai food, it taunts, let’s see what you’ve got.