Little Wayla, Big Flavor
There are many times when I really crave Thai food. Often, it is after a long spell of eating a lot of Western food, since Thai flavors are the complete opposite. My palate and my body want to hit the reset button with the fresh, intense flavors that Thai food provides. The philosophy of Thai flavors is balance. A beautiful balance of savory, sweet, sour, spicy and bitter.
Before the pandemic, Wayla opened in the Lower East Side to critical acclaim. Reservations became very hard to get (and still are). It was the hottest restaurant in New York City. Tons of New Yorkers wanted to try Wayla and a lot weren’t successful. Enter Little Wayla, a small counter lunch spot literally right above Wayla for those who want to try their food in a more casual setting and at a more affordable price. A more democratic option that is accessible to many is always a great thing.
Interior of Little Wayla. Bright, welcoming colors. Buffet counter. Fur throw over chair creates cozy atmosphere of hygge.
Little Wayla has 5 to 6 homestyle dishes that rotate every day according to what’s fresh at the market. They have a bento option ($12) where you choose 3 entrees and either white or sticky rice (+$1). There is also an attractive lunchbox option ($5, yes, $5!) with 1 limited entree choice and rice. It is smaller but it can easily feed 1 with no complaints.
Looking at the wealth of options definitely whet my appetite. My eyes fixated on the fried eggs in tamarind sauce, also known as son-in-law eggs. I love anything with tamarind sauce so I mentally star that dish as one of my three options for the bento. I dart to the next item, a hotel pan full of stir fried purpley squid tentacles. It looks like something from a sci-fi film, with frayed tentacles swaying back and forth in the pan, waiting to grab its prey as it approaches. Only I am the predator readying for its tasty prey. Okay, don’t worry, the tentacles weren’t really moving!
Inside Little Wayla, lots of cozy seating and fun interior design, tables, and wallpaper. Air conditioning to cool off from the summer heat and humidity.
There was also a light orangey pork curry with vegetables. I love the color of the curry, faintly reminding me of a creamsicle but savory and spicy. Just as I am about to choose my three dishes, a gentleman walks into the restaurant carrying a large hotel pan of long string beans with flecks of pale red and medium sized cubes of fried tofu covered in the same red color. A fresh serving of Pad (or Phat) Phrik Khing has arrived for service! The specks of color on the beans come from a dry red curry paste, a pungent punch of flavor that adds complexity to anything it touches.
With the addition of this fresh option, I opt for the eggs, squid and string beans with tofu. Then the woman serving all this deliciousness saw that my plate was looking kind of plain and asked if I wanted the pork curry sauce over my rice. I obliged without hesitation and thanked her for the excellent suggestion. What a fantastic idea!
Bento box trio at Little Wayla, including phat phrik khing (green beans, tofu, and dry curry paste), squid, and son in law eggs. And rice with curry sauce of course!
The spread in front of me looks delicious and I cannot wait another second to eat (not without taking a picture first though!). I reach for the bento rice spiked with pork curry sauce. The immense flavor from the curry readily greets the senses with umami and the right amount of salt and spice from the curry paste. As my mouth is coated with the rich sauce, sweetness from the coconut milk tempers the salty flavors ending with a gentle burn on the tongue from the chilis. I am already in love with Little Wayla. Next, I impale half an egg with my fork and take a large bite. The sweet tamarind flavor is very mild when combined with the soft, tender eggyness of the whites and the creamy richness of the hard boiled yolk. The thin, slightly chewy crispness of the fried outer edges is very pleasurable, like eating the crispy laciness of the outer edges of a proper sunny side up fried egg. Two for two.
Close up of the son-in-law eggs and stir-fry squid. Delicious and homey Thai food with pork curry and rice.
I feel like those squid tentacles are staring right at me so I take the initiative to eat them before they can give me another dirty look. One swift bite and the squid quickly breaks apart. It is cooked perfectly. There are no tough, rubbery bites here. The aromatic perfume of the ginger, onion and garlic waft onto the tongue followed by the mild salinity of the seafood. It is very balanced and pairs well with the curry-covered rice.
Close up view of stir fried squid. Tantalizing tentacles. Bento also includes phat phrik khing, eggs, and pork curry sauce poured over rice.
I have not forgotten about the last entree, the Pad Phrik Khing. When the string beans first hit my mouth, a burst of deep rich umami flavors explode in my mouth like a literal flavor bomb. So many tastes and emotions come and go within seconds. I taste salty, savory, sweet, slightly sour, hint of bitter and a good amount of spicy. The tofu is even more intense. It has absorbed the soul of the curry paste, rendering the tofu as the spongy delivery device of divine curry essence. The Pad Phrik Khing is the name of the actual dry curry paste that is used to coat the string beans and the tofu. What makes the curry paste dry is the absence of coconut milk to dilute and mellow out the flavor. Instead, the dry curry paste is the ultimate concentration of curry flavor.
Extreme close up of extremely tasty dish at Little Wayla, the phat phrik khing.
On this particular day, the lunch box option is rice with a vegetable curry plus stir fried vegetables. Yes, a double veggie dish but I had to taste that as well. And let’s not forget that we are in a Thai restaurant, a Thai iced tea is practically mandatory. This version is served in a very cute tall bottle/can hybrid sealed by a machine that presses a soda can lid onto the top!
Unique and clever packaging of Thai iced tea at Little Wayla. Is it a bottle or a can? Either way, it’s a creamy, sweet, and refreshing drink!
The lunchbox may be more affordable but it definitely does not compromise on quality. At first glance, the vegetable curry is clearly different from the pork curry. It is lighter in color, closer to yellow than it is to red or orange. The sauce is slightly thicker and coats the back of the spoon more readily than its meaty counterpart. A bite of this curry with rice shows that there isn’t a slouch in taste either. It is sweeter and more luxurious than the pork curry. The coconut milk provides the velvety creaminess that allows this dish to stand up on its own. Even the most hardcore of meat lovers would be perfectly satisfied. The stir-fried vegetables consist mostly of onions, carrots and halved brussels sprouts, very hearty items designed to fill you up. The vegetables are executed perfectly; they aren’t overcooked and soggy. All the vegetables stay al dente and retain their texture. It is a nice complement to the curry. Going back and forth between the two halves of the dish is a fun way to mix it up.
Great deal alert! 5 dollar lunch box with two options and rice at Little Wayla. Vegetarian options included stir fry veggies and vegetable coconut curry. Filling portion size!
This lunch more than exceeded my expectations. I was looking forward to trying Little Wayla and it definitely did not disappoint. Even at such affordable price points, the flavors were spot on, very powerful and balanced, exactly what I want from Thai food. This lunch has only made me more excited to try Wayla downstairs for dinner. I definitely cannot wait for that. In the meantime, when I want a palate refresh, I can always lean on Little Wayla.
100 Forsyth Street, New York, NY, 10002
Monday - Friday only, 11am - 4pm
