Ugly Baby Returns to NYC With a New Williamsburg Restaurant

Beloved Thai restaurant Ugly Baby is making its return to New York City with a new location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The restaurant is scheduled to reopen on Thursday, August 27, at 364 Grand Street.

Chef Sirichai Sreparplarn, who founded Ugly Baby in Carroll Gardens in 2017, is leading the revival alongside business partner Som Kharazmi. The restaurant closed in late 2024 after Sreparplarn stepped away from the restaurant industry for a break. During that time, he eventually regained the desire to return and continue developing the concept.

A Larger Williamsburg Location

The new Ugly Baby is located in the former Emmy Square Pizza space at 364 Grand Street, between Havemeyer Street and Marcy Avenue.

The Williamsburg restaurant is roughly twice the size of the original Carroll Gardens location and will seat about 70 guests across two floors. The space includes a bar and a waiting area and has a full liquor license, allowing the restaurant to serve cocktails alongside wine and beer.

Broader Thai Menu

Ugly Baby became known for intensely spicy regional Thai dishes, including spicy duck salad and kua kling. For the reopening, Sreparplarn plans to expand the menu beyond the dishes that made the original restaurant popular.

The new restaurant will feature a broader range of Thai cooking while retaining the bold flavors and heat associated with Ugly Baby. The goal is to offer longtime customers familiar favorites while introducing dishes that can surprise them.

Return of the Ugly Baby Team

Sreparplarn’s return follows a period away from the restaurant business after Ugly Baby closed in late 2024. His decision to reopen came after his passion for cooking and restaurant work returned.

The Williamsburg location represents a new chapter for the restaurant, with a larger dining room, expanded beverage options and a broader culinary direction while maintaining the identity that established Ugly Baby as a celebrated Thai restaurant in Brooklyn.