Photo provided by Soothr
Aug. 9, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
A popular Thai noodle bar in the East Village is coming to Long Island City next year.
Soothr, which opened in the East Village in 2020, is aiming to open a new location at 25-20 43rd Ave. in spring 2025.
Soothr was founded by Chidensee Watthanawongwat, Kitiya Mokkarat and Supatta Banklouy—three friends from different regions of Thailand. It started out as a takeout noodle shop during the COVID-19 pandemic before slowly evolving into a hugely popular restaurant and cocktail bar.
The restaurant’s menu boasts family noodle selections from throughout Thailand in addition to dishes inspired by the Yaowarat Road, a famous street food destination in the Thai capital of Bangkok.
Soothr, taken from the Thai word for recipe, offers a selection of Thai classics, including Tom Yom Soup and a range of curries. The restaurant is also renowned for its “9 Gems” – a broad selection of signature cocktails.
The new Long Island City location will seat around 120 guests, according to Ratthee Rueangpisansin, Soothr’s marketing and PR manager.
Soothr is set to open at 25-20 43rd Ave. in Long Island City
Rueangpisansin added that the new location will also feature menu items exclusive to Long Island City in addition to the traditional dishes served at the East Village location. The new location will also serve a number of cocktails unique to Long Island City.
“The Soothr team is very excited to be opening in the neighborhood, which is like a ‘modern Chinatown in Queens,’” said Rueangpisansin.
“We chose Long Island City because we see the potential of the neighborhood, it’s a new East Asian community that is growing all the time.”
“We are trying to make a new landmark in Long Island City,” he added. “The new generation – they have potential, they have consuming power.”
Rueangpisansin said Watthanawongwat, Mokkarat and Banklouy are currently “brainstorming” about how to develop the new location, adding that they hope to add an outdoor seating area to the LIC location by next summer.
Rueangpisansin said Soothr plans to further expand to other locations in the city in the future, but added that the restaurant is taking it on a “step-by-step” basis and is currently focusing on getting the LIC location up and running.
