Good Thai food isn’t too hard to find in New York City these days, but really good Thai food with regional flair is rare to come by. Which is why people are willing to travel deep into Brooklyn to a pint sized restaurant that packs a punch when it comes to spice and flavor. Not to mention its memorable name.

Ugly Baby is the kind of place that serves as a litmus test for food people. It lends some street cred to anyone who claims it as their favorite Thai restaurant. It is everything you want in a Thai restaurant. Simple furnishings, bright muraled walls, colorful plates and bowls, an open kitchen servicing the 25 seat dining room as fast as possible, though the line out the door never seems to dwindle. As for the food, it’s about a lot more than the spice level. The menu is constantly changing. It’s never too long. A couple dozen dishes that span curries, grilled, stir fried and soups. For those with limited knowledge of the cuisine, it can be overwhelming but you truly can’t go wrong with anything, as long as you have decent spice tolerance.

Update: Ugly Baby closed permanently in late December 2024. But the staff have opened a new restaurant in its place: Hungry Thirsty.