Pukk

FUCKING YUM! I can’t believe they’re closed, I will definitely miss their mock duck and green curry. *tears* Come back by popular demand? or new location by popular demand?

So sad to see that this is closed!
Pukk was definitely one of the better vegan restaurants around, I don’t know where else you would have found mock duck. They had excellent thai flavors and very on-​point mock meats (as I am not vegetarian, I can vouch for the accuracy). I have heard that Pukk was owned by the same people who own Sea Thai in Williamsburg, but don’t quote me on that… so at least the proprietors are still out there making spot on thai cuisine.

All good things do in fact come to an end. they closed. Pukk was probably THE BEST vegetarian restaurant I’ve been to yet. They created Thai dishes with a unique concept and the flavors spoke for themselves-​sans the fish sauce too! I hope their parent company, Spice, creates another Pukk-​like restaurant using the same chef. Thank you for 11 years of deliciously memorable but affordable dinners in the EV.

Being a vegetarian seems like a curse at a lot of restaurants because they have so little to offer vegetarians but not at this place! I went frenzy just looking at their menu! This place has so much to offer vegetarians and believe me the food is surely gonna blow your mind … what’s more, the dishes are reasonably priced and the servings are mammoth! :)
Me and my friends had the mushroom puffs and fresh rolls for starters. While the mushroom rolls were a perfect 10, the fresh rolls were loaded with fresh veggies but a little tough to eat… so I would say they were an eight.
I had the spicy corn noodles with veggies for the main course and boy, were they delicious! A perfect 10 again.
The staff is really sweet. The place has a pretty good ambience, although I was little unhappy at the distance at which the tables were placed. They were too close. I could hear the couple on the table besides all the time. So one star less for that.
To sum up, perfect place for vegetarians who wanna eat delicious and huge meal that packs power! Go get your dose of fresh veggies.

This place is really top notch. Went here for the third time tonight and received the same great food and service as the previous two times. Consistency is what I notice here and consistency sets the winners apart from the losers.
The food here is flavorful, perfectly seasoned, well presented and super fresh, every time. The pad see ew with the mock duck is killer, as is the «triple crispy» entrée (crispy tofu, carrots and string beans in a perfectly crafted garlic sauce).
This is a very unpretentious and thoughtful establishment. On that note the prices are more than reasonable for the experience. Pukk is officially a Manhattan go-​to in my book.

I’ve been here multiple times and never had an issue with the food. Even this time, the food was fantastic. I’m giving it 3 stars this time because we went for dinner as a party of three and they charged an automatic gratuity of 20% on my bill.
The other thing about this place — for the love of god, your chairs are the most uncomfortable thing ever. Please get better chairs.

Review for delivery:
We ordered the curry noodles and pad Thai with egg and veggies. Curry was just okay. The pad Thai had no flavor at all except for dirty oil. They didn’t include a lime or lemon. Sad. The only saving grace for the whole meal were the spring rolls.
But the real cherry on top was the delivery guy. He tried to refuse to come up the stairs because we were on the 4^th floor.

My friends and I was trying out the vegetarian restaurants in the city and came across this one. This place is a lost gem. highly recommended.
Pro: friendly staff, and delicious food, good price! surprisingly tasty even for someone that’s already accustom to Asian food. A lot of options to choose from.
Con: interesting décor (in a weird way)

Good price, super good! I’m gonna say this is another example of a Thai restaurant that looks like the set of a sci fi movie.
Definitely recommend!

Good food! Not greasy, not bland. It’s a rare day when you’re eating and don’t even realize that your food is vegetarian or vegan. Good service and very low prices. We’re talking under $ 11 for most things. I don’t venture too much into imitation meats, I just get the tofu, I don’t recommend substitute meat if you’re not used to it, it’s a bit interesting. The tofu options are great though.

Good food! Lots of options! Good for vegans and vegetarians and they even have a gluten free menu for people with Celiac’s.
The curry thai pancake was good. It reminds me of a roti canai at Malaysia restaurants. You get about 8 small pieces of what resembles scallion pancake with a curry dip (this is the part that’s like roti canai). It has a nice flavor and a couple pieces of mock meat (tempeh).
The drunkman spinach noodle had a lot of flavor. I liked it but maybe a little too sweet. Less sugar? The seven grain fried rice was decent but not memorable. You can get each main course with egg or no egg (vegan).
The lychee rice pudding brule reminded me of mango sticky rice in Thailand. It’s basically sweetened sticky rice but instead of mango and coconut milk, you have two pieces of canned lychee. I thought it was way too sweet and I wouldn’t order this again.
Would come back to try some other foods.

Stopped by with my friends for a quick dinner on a Friday. It wasn’t very busy for a Friday night in comparison to other places around the area.
I had the PAPAYA SALAD ($ 6), which I really enjoyed. Light and refreshing, and very flavorful! The string beans were unexpected, but the vinaigrette was the right amount of sweet, acidic and spicy. Good portion size for the price too.
My friends ordered the pad thai and some sort of «meat» entrée, and enjoyed both. Surprisingly good for a vegan place.

Cute vegan thai spot, friendly staff, and delicious food = add to my bookmark list for next time.
I had the black pepper chicken; the seasoning was on point! Not too salty, not too sweet, not too spicy, but just right! The veggies used seemed very fresh so that was appreciated. The tofu chicken was also quite good.
My friends had the pad thai and the … Forgot the name but pic is attached! Both raved about their dishes as well.
What’s thai food without thai iced tea? It’s incomplete. get it! It’s delicious !!

The fresh spring rolls were delicious, but a little tough probably due to the contents as well as the rather thick rice wrapper.
The Pad See Ew, as other Unilocalers have mentioned, is really the best dish they have on the menu. However, I would refrain from any faux-​chicken or other questionable meat since the texture is totally off. Tofu is the way to go here. However, if meat substitutes are your thing, you will love these offerings.
The drinks were reasonably priced, but not very strong. Overall, I feel that the food really doesn’t reach the level of other vegan/​vegetarian restaurants out there, but I definitely commend the effort and concept.

I was looking for a great Thai spot in the East Village and stumbled upon this place. It’s chic and modern on the inside, looks pretty tiny from the outside but there is plenty of room once you get in. Pukk is all vegan, which is great, but the fake chicken weirded me out and I felt my Pad Thai would have been better with actual chicken. The dish itself was amazing though and I loved every bite! Exactly what I was looking for.
The only downside I would say is that they charge you for refills on soda. Other than that, no complaints!

SO SO SO GOOD!
The atmosphere is great, it’s an adorable place, and the food is wonderful!!! The stuffed tofu was amazing. The peanut sauce here is the best I have ever had! Loved it here, good prices, even better food!!!

I had a hankering for tofu and came here w/​a friend. Lots of vegetarian options!
Décor is a bit odd of green lights and small tiles reminiscent of a pool like another reviewer had said. Some tables were built into the wall! Small place but Still a great place to have a convo w/​a few friends.
Service was great measured by how often they refilled our waters. As for appetizers, we order the spinach toast w/​sweet chili sauce and curry thai pancake. The spinach toast didn’t just have spinach, it has some edamame beans and corn in it as well. Both were overall on the sweeter side due to the sauce/​curry but pretty good. I’d still recommend both.
As for main dishes, portion sizes for dinner were fairly large and averaging $ 10/​main dish — I took half of mine home. I ordered the Pad See Ew w/​tofu and egg. The noodle texture was done perfectly — not overly soft or hard, but just enough wok taste to get the slight crisp char. The tofu is the soft pan fried variety and came in large triangle chunks and the dish had some al dente chinese broccoli which could have been cut a bit smaller but still a darn good dish.
Dessert of the lychee brulee sticky rice was warm, soft and fresh as it should be! The lychee gave the dessert an added refreshing cool texture to the warm sticky rice. The brulee part provided the crunchy aspect that was not overly burnt.
They have $ 8.50 lunch specials w/​an appetizer — such a great deal I’d def eat/​order here again if i’m nearby during lunch hours. Def a great value for the $ and options here!

Met a friend here on a weekend night for dinner and it was a good choice for several reasons:
1. Not too crowded at 7pm on Saturday night
2. You can make a reservation if you need to
3. Very good prices
4. Tom Yum soup $ 5 (spicy, decent, but nothing fancy)
5. Mock duck salad $ 7 (tasty but oh so salty)
6. Everything is vegetarian so get the mock duck
7. Good ambiance, good for a date or special dinner with friends
Reasons why it ain’t 5 stars:
1. Service was a bit off
2. Food was decent, but not the best Thai I have ever had (try Ayada out in Queens)
Def a solid spot for vegetarians. Will be back again!

I really wanted to love Pukk — it’s one block from my apartment, it’s veghead-​friendly and my roommates rave about the place, but I thought it was just average.
The service is great and the atmosphere is pretty different. I felt like I was either in a warm igloo with windows of neon green or I felt like I was in the undercarriage of a plane. It’s definitely different and pretty cool. It was also pretty quiet for a Thursday night dinner.
I had the Spicy Corn & Noodle, which I thought was pretty good until I ate a bite of the mock chicken. The mock chicken, which I sometimes experience at other veggie restaurants, was way too chewy and bland. I much rather get tofu or not get any protein next time. My friend ordered the Orange Panang Curry and we were both disappointed by it. It was way too sweet and did not have an authentic panang taste — we would definitely not get this ever again.
I might go back sometime and switch up my order, but I don’t think I’ll be too eager to return.

I’m not a vegetarian, but I am a pretty conscious eater and trying to be even more so. And I love my veggies. Hubby and I decided to check out Pukk this weekend, before heading over to see a film at the Tribeca Film Festival.
We stopped in around 8PM on a Sunday night. The place was crowded and there was only one waitress working and one food runner. The inside is very modern and futuristic, silver and sterile. It reminds me of The Fifth Element meets dentist office. I’m not really crazy about the décor and am not sure how it matches the cuisine, but it was still fun. The seating is not the most comfortable though, and the proximity to other tables makes it feel less private and kind of cramped.
I got wine to start and hubby got beer. The alcohol menu is short but sweet, with 3 red and 3 white wine choices, a list of 5 beers like Sapporo or Tsing Tao, and Sangria. Our waitress was friendly, but definitely seemed overwhelmed with waiting on the entire restaurant and a large group by herself.
For our appetizers, we got the Oriental Chive Dumpling and the Spinach Toast. Spinach Toast was DELISH! Super crispy and filled with greens, the chili-​lime sauce was sweet and spicy and addictive. I wasn’t really a fan of the Chive Dumpling. It did have a strong onion flavor, but I couldn’t taste the corn or peas at all. It came with a chili-​fruit vinaigrette, or so it said, but it just tasted like soy sauce. Maybe the fruit addition came from the small slimey sliver of lychee atop the dumplings.
For my entrée, I got the Drunkman Spinach Noodle and hubby got the Pad See Ew. You can get the noodle and rice entrees with either fake duck or chicken, tofu or vegetables (with or without egg). The Pad See Ew (with vegetable and egg) was delicious, and full of fresh vegetables. I wasn’t as much of a fan of the Drunkman Noodle. The spinach noodles were very good, but both entrees came with a sweet black bean sauce, and my entrée was dosed in it. It was swimming in sauce, and while the sauce was delicious, it was also incredibly salty. I think I would have had a much better experience if my entrée was balanced and prepared better, with about half as much sauce.
I would still definitely return because I thought the Pad See Ew and Spinach Toast were fantastic, and it’s a great spot to get affordable, flavorful vegetarian fare.