The first substantial review of Ugly Baby’s larger Williamsburg restaurant finds more range than its reputation for punitive heat suggests. The new address at 364 Grand Street is more than twice the size of the Carroll Gardens original, with a mirrored bar and a room that can become very loud. Service was strained during the critic’s visits; missing rice is a particularly unhelpful development in a spicy Thai restaurant. Helen Rosner in The New Yorker, September 20
There is now a clear pescatarian route: whole fried pompano with a dense herb-and-spice relish containing no chilies, pumpkin fries, and a vegan curry of pineapple and eggplant thickened with coconut milk. Confirm the fish preparation, fryer and any animal stock when ordering. Current prices were not exposed in the review, so this is a food recommendation with the final bill still unknown.
That order also sidesteps the performative question of how much pain dinner should involve. The room remains energetic and crowded; choose it for a lively group evening, not an intimate conversation. Official hours and reservations