UWS Gets New Restaurant 'Pig & Khao' With Bold Southeast Asian Flavors

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The Lower East Side's culinary gem Pig & Khao has officially expanded to Amsterdam Avenue, bringing its good energy and punchy flavors uptown.

The Southeast Asian restaurant concept from Chef Leah Cohen and her husband and partner, Ben Byruch, will have the same good vibes and big flavors as the original location, but offer a fresh, extended menu, the owners said. The new restaurant opened on Dec. 4.

Dishes exclusive to the Upper West Side location include Moo Ping Al Pastor, which is a Thai-style BBQ pork roti taco, and the Claypot Spare Ribs, which are inspired by Vietnamese caramel ribs and cooked in a traditional clay pot sourced from Bangkok, the chef said.

The new menu will also feature Pancit Palabok, a traditional Filipino dish that features rice noodles cooked in a rich pork and lobster sauce, topped with grilled shrimp and a jammy egg. This one is Cohen's favorite, the chef said.

The restaurant also has a curated cocktail menu, with fun complex drinks like the Mezcal Martini with Cocchi Americano, green peppercorn, Thai basil and honey, and cool non-alcoholic options like the Filipino Limeade made with Calamansi lime and sweetened condensed milk.

The whole restaurant, designed by Byruch, includes art, lighting, and dishware from Thailand's antique markets and designers, the owners said.

Pig & Khao is located at 433 Amsterdam Ave. and is open daily from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Soon the restaurateurs say they'll open for weekend brunch as well.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.