I went to Wayla, a Thai restaurant in New York, on a Saturday night with a group of friends before meeting up with more people at a bar.
Is Wayla Worth It?
Go, but skip Saturday nights. The food is legitimately excellent. That fried branzino alone is worth the trip. However, the weekend crowd turns the whole experience into a chaotic numbers game that undercuts what could otherwise be a really special meal.
Wayla’s Saturday Night Chaos
Wayla is down a flight of stairs, and the second you descend, you are hit with how packed it is. Dark and narrow with servers sprinting between tables, plus a frazzled host trying to manage a bottleneck at the entrance because some group ahead of us forgot to make a reservation. I gave my name and got shuffled through the main dining room, which is actually quite nice. It is cozy and railroad style while stretching way back through half the block. But that is not where I ended up.
Emergency Tent Patio Setup
They walked me outside to the patio where they have set up these plastic emergency tents. I am talking the kind you see at a marathon finish line for race EMTs. They are just randomly scattered around with no real cohesion to the layout. It felt like they were jamming in as many people as possible rather than creating an actual dining environment. I was not getting “charming outdoor seating” but rather “overflow holding area.” Not cozy. Not what you want when you are paying good money for Thai food.
Attentive Service at Wayla
The server was attentive from the jump. They took my drink order immediately and walked us through the menu while happily answering questions. That mattered because Wayla’s menu is extensive. There are lots of spicy options and lots of non spicy options, which I appreciate. Thai food can be intimidating if you are not used to the heat levels, and they have clearly thought about accessibility without dumbing anything down.
The Whole Fried Branzino (Larb Pla Tod)
I had looked it up on Perplexity beforehand, and everything pointed to the whole branzino (larb pla tod). I am usually skeptical of whole fish in restaurants because it is so easy to overcook, and you end up with dry, flaky nonsense. But this one is fried, and frying is more forgiving because the batter insulates the protein and keeps it juicy.
When it arrived, the presentation was wild. The fish is arranged in this spiral, almost like it is protecting the meat. The bones are already removed, which is a huge relief because picking through bones mid meal is always annoying. The execution was spot on:
- Light, crispy batter that was not heavy or greasy
- Meaty, substantial fish with more texture than your typical fried cod or fish and chips haddock
- Perfectly seasoned, still juicy and tender
- Chunked into nuggets for easy eating
But the real genius is the lime vinaigrette pooled at the bottom of the plate. You dip the fried fish into it, and it cuts right through the richness of the batter. Fresh, aromatic, and quintessentially Thai. That balance of crispy, fatty fish meeting bright, acidic dressing is what makes the dish special.
Wayla’s Menu Quality and Price
Food came out fast. Everyone liked what they ordered. The quality is undeniable, and you can taste where your money is going. This is not cheap, but it is not a rip off either.
Best Times to Visit Wayla
I would go back. I liked it. But I would be strategic about timing. Saturday night Wayla is too much. It is that specific New York restaurant feeling where you are just a reservation number rather than a guest. The chaos, the tent city patio, and the harried staff all add up to an experience that is more stressful than enjoyable, even when the food delivers.
For a group of four heading out to meet more people afterward? It worked. It was a solid pre bar dinner. But I am not rushing back. That said, I can absolutely see myself craving that branzino in six months and making a Tuesday or Wednesday reservation to get the full experience without the weekend circus.
The Wayla Experience
There is this specific sensation at overpacked New York restaurants where the energy tips from “buzzy” into “suffocating,” and Saturday night Wayla lives right on that edge. You are sitting under a plastic tent that feels temporary and almost apologetic while servers sprint past and voices blend into a low roar. It is not unpleasant, exactly. It is just relentless. You are aware the whole time that the restaurant is operating at maximum capacity and that you are part of a tightly choreographed rotation designed to turn tables.
But then the food arrives, and for a few minutes, none of that matters. That first bite of the branzino is crispy, hot, and perfectly seasoned. When paired with the sharp lime vinaigrette, you suddenly understand why people put up with the chaos. It is a reminder that even when the experience around the meal is compromised, the meal itself can still be worth showing up for. The memory I am left with is not the tent or the crowd or the stairs. It is the taste of that fish and the quiet satisfaction of knowing I had found something genuinely good in the middle of all the noise.
Jack Maguire 