New York City’s roster of Thai restaurants continues to expand. Where once diners endured what was basically a Bangkok menu of basil stir-fries and curries, with the advent of Sripraphai 20 years ago and its Queens contemporaries like Chao Thai and Ayada, New York has since experienced the cuisines of Isan and Chiang Mai. As the floodgates swung open, other geographic areas became the subject of culinary exploration, and now the five regions of the country are ably represented, plus further fascinating food from the capital itself.

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Let’s be honest: This hasn’t been a terribly interesting year for eating out in New York, at least not at new restaurants. The reason for this reality is simple: The city’s most high-profile operators are spending much of their time and money trying to rethink their business models amid skyrocketing rents and labor costs. With certain possible exceptions — I can’t speak too much about sushi spots where dinner for two runs $700 — this has not been the year of the great restaurant; this has been the year of the fast-casual spot, of the all-day restaurant, of making sure people keep eating out as the cost of everything goes up.

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