Fried Papaya Salad and Other Lesser-Seen Thai Dishes

What to order at Astoria's Krob Kreung Krob Ros

Fried papaya salad.

Our roster of Thai regional cooking continues to expand: We’ve consumed soups and noodle dishes from Central Thailand; beachy coconut curries and Malaysian-influenced fare from the far south; meaty and fishy salads from Isan; the ubiquitous khao soi soup from Chiang Mai; the Japanese-influenced urban fare of Bangkok; and a Chinatown menu from the same city. What’s next on the palm-lined horizon?

The subtle signage of Krob Kreung Krob Ros.

With a name that represents the balanced flavors of Thai cooking — sour, sweet, creamy, and salty — Krob Kreung Krob Ros is located at 33-10 28th Avenue in Astoria, a neighborhood that is poised to outstrip Elmhurst as the capital of Thai cooking in NYC. What this newcomer offers is not a single regional style, but a change in focus: vernacular domestic cooking, rather than street food or restaurant fare. In other words, if mom were whipping up lunch at home, this is what you might expect. In general, that means lots of eggs, fritters, fish, fried rice, and coconut milk.