Lung Yai Thai Tapas – a grandfather's recipes in Little Havana

On a block of Little Havana better known for ventanitas and dominoes than for green curry, chef Bas Trisransri has run one of Miami's most argued-over Thai kitchens since 2015, the year his passion project opened as Lung Yai Thai Tapas. What started as his passion project in 2015 became a permanent fixture of the neighbourhood. The space is modest and neutral-toned, a neutral-toned 45-seater that has become a fast favorite. Bas named the restaurant for his grandfather, Yung Lai, who for almost five decades ran a small place in Ayutthaya, about 50 miles north of the Thai capital, and the menu still leans on the recipes the family learned at his side. The restaurant holds a place in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide selection, the latest chapter after three years carrying the Bib Gourmand distinction, in 2022, 2023 and 2025 — recognition for cooking of real quality at a moderate price, served here tapas-style, one small plate after another, in a room where nobody takes reservations.

01The chef

Trisransri was born in Bangkok and moved to Miami in 1994 to work for an uncle who owned South Beach's now-defunct Sushi Rock Café, alongside his older brother Noppadal, known to the city as Bond. For years Bas worked in his brother's shadow, reliably manning the stoves at places like Mr. Yum, Brickell's Bonding, and the now-shuttered 2B Asian Bistro. When he finally struck out on his own, he revived recipes he and Bond had learned as boys working for their grandfather, Yung Lai, who for almost five decades ran a small place in Ayutthaya. Of that grandfather, who raised nine children on a cook's wages, Bas has said: "He was a country chef who taught with a gentle hand."

02The room and the setting

Lung Yai is a tight fit by design: a tight space where part of the charm is sitting at the counter and watching the cooks in action, though there are more tables in the yard outside. The restaurant takes no bookings; diners add their name to a list at the door and wait to be called. Once seated, the house keeps to a one-time-order policy — review the menu, order everything you want in a single round, and let the small kitchen send out dish after dish.

Insider tip

No reservations, one-time ordering, cash only; closed Mondays

03The cooking

The kitchen's register runs wider than most Thai menus in Miami, pairing familiar red, green, panang and massaman curries with harder-to-find dishes from the north. The Northern Thai dishes are a delicacy rarely found in most Thai restaurants, and it is here that Lung Yai separates itself from the city's other Thai kitchens. Sauces and pastes are made from family recipes rather than bought in, built the traditional way around the push and pull of salt, sugar, sourness and chilli heat.

04What to order

Begin with the dumplings, homemade with a pork or shrimp filling, served steamed or fried. The khao soi gai nuar is a standout: fresh egg noodles in a golden curry topped with crispy noodles, coriander and red onions, with a choice of braised beef or chicken breast. Order the palo moo, a chef's recommendation of tender slow-cooked pork and pork belly, and boiled egg, in a house special savoury and sweet aromatic herbal broth. The som tam brings julienned green papaya with tomato, peanut and string beans in a Thai-style lime dressing, while regulars also point to perfectly spiced fried chicken wings and a tender duck salad and, among the Northern specialities, crispy mushroom with sweet chili, duck noodle soup and pork larb muang.

05When to go and booking

The restaurant publishes its hours as lunch from noon to 3pm and dinner from 5 to 10pm, with Sunday service for dinner only, 5 to 10pm, and Monday closed, as read on its own website in October 2026. There is no reservation system, so arriving right at opening — for lunch or at five for dinner — gives the best chance of a short wait. The kitchen does not accept credit cards, so cash is worth carrying.

06The neighbourhood

Little Havana is widely viewed as Miami's cultural epicenter, home to both Cuban exiles and transplants from Central and South America, and the neighbourhood vibrates with natural energy. Lung Yai sits between SW 17th and SW 18th Avenues on SW 8th Street, a short walk from the domino tables and cafecito windows that define Calle Ocho — making a plate of Northern Thai larb one of the strip's more unexpected rewards.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.