Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Open Wide For Ovaltine Pork Ribs At Williamsburg's QI Thai Grill
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 10, 2013
Modified Jan 10, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 4
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 10, 2013
Modified Jan 10, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
And here we have the new Williamsburg restaurant QI Thai Grill, a collaboration between Pichet Ong, the creative chef and baker who ran the now-defunct P*ong, Sripraphai Tipmanee of Woodside's Sripraphai, and chef Kea SiwaSila. Located inside a capacious converted warehouse on North 9th Street, the restaurant serves modern Bangkok cuisine inspired by the street food stalls of Thailand. Is Williamsburg 2013 ready for Ovaltine Pork Ribs? We're guessing that's an unironic yes.
The menu is divided into two parts, with Ong handling the "Grilled" side, creating such items as Grilled Pork Jaw (Kor Mooh Yahng) served with spicy tamarind dipping sauce; Cinnamon Pork & Crispy Pork Belly (Mooh Dang Mooh Grohb), which is described as a "duo of roasted marinated pork and crispy pork belly, sweet Thai cinnamon soy dipping sauce; and Pork Satay (Mooh Sa-teyh). Ong explains, "Chicken satay didn’t originally exist in Thailand, just juicy pork! Served with toasted bread (as Bangkok street food style), peanut sauce and cucumber chutney."
And then there is the aforementioned Ovaltine Pork Ribs (Kra Dook Mhoo O-Wun-Tin), which are slowly marinated in five spices and then glazed "with Ovaltine barbecue sauce." And be sure to save room for the Cinnamon Pork & Crispy Pork Belly (Mooh Dang Mooh Grohb), a "duo of roasted marinated pork and crispy pork belly, sweet Thai cinnamon soy dipping sauce marinated in five spices." That's ALSO glazed with (why not?) Ovaltine.
Tipmanee's half of the menu focuses on small plates such as Spicy Pork Trotter with Fresh Herbs (Kee Mao kah Mooh); Mango Soft-shell crab (Yahm Puu Nihm) with mango salad, red onions, chili, lime, cilantro; and a Spicy Beef Tendon Salad (Larb Enn). They're still waiting on the liquor license, but once that comes through you'll be able to order (deep breath) Krungthepmahanakhon Amornrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharat Ratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. Named for Bangkok's official name, it's made with gin, vodka, star anise, ginger, yuzu, lime, Thai iced tea, and guava juice. We think that you should get it for free if you pronounce it correctly, but we don't own Qi Thai Grill.
The bi-level, 4,000 square foot space is dominated by a four foot Ganesha (elephant-headed Thai deity) perched atop a four-sided waterfall. "Artisan crafted wood abounds," and the owners hope to evoke the atmosphere of an "Asian sanctuary where sight, sound, and taste come together for a feeling of pleasure and well-being." 200 hungry eaters can be seated at a time. Your move, Sea.
176 North 9th Street, Williamsburg // (718) 302-1499
Tagged
new restaurant and bar radar
qi
QI Thai Grill
thai food
williamsburg
original
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .