Larb Ubol was my favorite Thai restaurant in Manhattan. The friendly chef/owner had previously been at Zabb Elee in the East Village. My girlfriend and I went there to go to dinner tonight, only to find it closed. I did a search and found this article in Grub Street from Nov. 2, 2018:
Restaurateur Ratchanee Sumpatboon closed her Larb Ubol this week, after five years in Hell’s Kitchen. The chef and owner was, a source tells Eater, unable to renew her lease. She does reportedly plan to reopen the restaurant in a new location.
Do any of you have any more current information on whether or where she might reopen?
Also, when I did a web search under Ratchanee’s name, I found information about a class action suit by former employees who basically accuse her of making them work overtime and stiffing them. The latest information I could find was from September 6, 2018, when the case was apparently referred for arbitration. Does anyone have more up-to-date info on that? I recognize that restaurants’ profit margins are very narrow, but it’s not OK to abuse workers.
Not necessarily my favorite but I thought they were quite a good option. Hoping to find another place in that vicinity. Have you tried Pure Thai in Hell’s Kitchen?
I don’t think so. I used to like Wondee Siam in that neighborhood, but it got hard to get them to make things very spicy, so they got out of balance. Pure Thai isn’t that noodle-centered place, is it? What do you particularly like there?
I just looked at their website. I have been there. It’s noodle-centered cuisine. I remember it being pretty good but don’t remember how good. It’s definitely not the kind of thing I’ll be gravitating toward much for some time, though, for dietary reasons.