Zabb City is an Isaan restaurant (or Isan, or Esan), rooted near Thailand's northeast border with Laos. Here, as back home, most dishes display a straightforward preparation and presentation, but the spice level in New York is considerably muted. From the former Woodside location (now an independent Zabb), the green papaya salad called som tum ($7.50) was flavored with salted crab, plus chili and a satisfying sourness of lime. By contrast, a som tum I ordered in Vientiane, Laos, gave me the hiccups after one mouthful; it was so hot that not only did I leave half of it behind, but it woke me urgently at 4:00 a.m.
Zabb City
244 East 13th St. (Second-Third Aves.)
212-529-8770
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