Zabb Elee

When Zabb Elee opened their East Village outpost after years of serving exclusively out of their Queens digs, Thai purists went wild. Fast forward a few years later and foodies are still flocking in droves to 2nd Avenue for an authentic Isan Thai experience. The East Village haunt is still leaps and bounds better than anything around, but if you want a true taste of the heat that started it all, you have to get to Jackson Heights. Along with turning out incredibly flavorful food, this hole-in-the-wall hotspot recently snagged a Michelin star for 2015, making it the first time a Thai restaurant has received the honors.