In nearby Brookline Village, street food-focused Thai restaurant Mahaniyom had the bad luck to open in February 2020—and has used its bar program to further differentiate itself from the status quo. “The Thai food scene in Boston is only takeout style—it’s like Thai comfort food,” says co-owner Boong Boonnak. To mix things up and complement the house-made crab curries and salt-and-pepper beef cheek, Boonnak devised a cocktail list that incorporates Thai ingredients into classic cocktails; a Mahaniyom Sazerac made with Thai tea-infused rye as well as a Malai Daiquiri with pandan syrup and rum flavored with Thailand’s famed “Eleven Tigers” spice mix.

In a landscape of Thai restaurants that try to squeeze every popular dish from the entire country onto their menus, Mahaniyom stands out. There’s no filler on the tight menu, but we particularly love the kang puu, a flush-inducing red curry over delicate vermicelli noodles with enough crab that you won’t mind sharing. Speaking of sharing, the best way to approach this spot is with a group of friends who appreciate grazing and fill the table with dishes like the bite size jor puu, a mix of crab, shrimp, and pork, as well as the beef massaman, with slow-cooked beef that melts like butter.

This might be a bold pick, but we’re calling Mahaniyom’s wings some of the best you can get in Greater Boston. The lauded restaurant makes Thai-style ones from Cornish hen, which is brined in Southeast Asian spices, fried to form a thin and crispy crust, and then sprinkled with shallots.

Before Thai childhood friends Chompon Boonnak and Smuch Saikamthorn opened Mahaniyom, Bostonians had few spots to sample dishes like nang kai (deep-fried chicken skin) and plaa hed (an herbaceous grilled mushroom salad) were out of luck—but not anymore. Eschewing the choose-your-protein format and customizable spice level common in Thai American restaurants, this joint focuses instead on shareable small plates with unapologetically bold flavors. Start the night with a Deasy Lemonade—a mocktail made with butterfly pea tea—and don’t skip the steamed bread dipped in pandan custard for dessert.

ThisThai tapas bar in Brookline Village, isn’t like other Boston Thai food spots: Mahaniyom deals in homestyle, less-seen regional dishes like Kang Pu (crab curry) and Yum Ngoh (a rambutan salad with fried shrimp, toasted coconut, cashew, fried shallot and garlic, chili jam, and dried shrimp) that hit all the textures and tastes as designed; there’s no mixing-and-matching proteins here. We don’t think you’ll mind giving up your standard Drunken Noodles. There’s something truly welcoming about the dining experience at this intimate, 30-seat restaurant.

A group of Thai expats comes to Boston to study, then gets drawn in to the world of hospitality. That’s how we come by Mahaniyom, with its bright, spicy, flavorful dishes and cleverly concocted cocktails to match. The rambutan salad, crab curry, and beef massaman with flaky roti will win you over; if you’re already a convert but haven’t yet had the pla lui suan, a deep-fried whole fish loaded with chiles and herbs, there’s your next order.

This Thai tapas bar was open in Brookline Village for less than a month before the pandemic impact. Beginning Thursday, April 23, it’s back in action with street food-style dishes like had yai fried chicken, served with a side of sticky rice; crab curry; and ba mee hang moo dang, or barbecue and crispy pork with egg noodles. Beer, wine, sake, and soju are also available for pickup, via phone or online order.

Or perhaps you have a favorite shareable plate from Mahaniyom‘s menu in Brookline. If nothing compares to the coconut soup at Brown Sugar Cafe in Allston, tell us about it. Wherever you go when you’re craving Thai food, we want to hear about the dish, and what makes the restaurant so special.

The handcrafted cocktails include creative options like the Mahaniyom Sazerac, made with Thai tea infused rye, house bitters, and absinthe. Diners can also order online. One visit and you’ll see why the Boston Globe recently awarded Mahaniyom a five-star ranking.

Thai tapas restaurant Mahaniyom opened three weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Brookline Village spot has since become one of the best Thai restaurants in town.