Republic, New York City

My colleagues and I frequent this place because it's easy to get to and affordable. Also the food is served very fast and it is delicious. I have to admit that I always get the same dish as I am such a fan of the Spicy Coconut Chicken. If you like spicy food (it's not that spicy) and coconut, you'll love, love, love this dish! Republic gets packed fast and you'll occasionally find yourself waiting for a seat. The turn-around with tables is pretty fast so you'll never wait more than 30 minutes. Definitely worth trying! Especially for the low price!

Favorite Dish: Spicy Coconut Chicken is phenomenal!

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I love Republic for its central location right on Union Square West, easily accessible by the 4/5/6 N/R/W/L, and its modern-edged, minimalist decor. You're seated at long tables, so you're sharing tables with strangers. You put your bags and wraps in little baskets under the table. It's a very different dining experience, but I love it. The food is freshly prepared and is always delicious. If you're hungry for Thai but want something a little different, definitely go to Republic.

Also available is outdoor seating, bar scene, dine-at-the-bar, good fo groups, kid-friendly, lunch, delivery, singles scene, take-out, alcohol and full bar.

Favorite Dish: the Pad Thai, the coconut chicken, all of their noodles and the fried wontons with pimiento-plum sauce is amazing! One of their specials is the salmon-sashimi salad, which I have not yet tried, but have photographed, so I can at least say it *looks* amazing! haha

Ten years and still going strong! I've been here a few times and this former noodle bar has a fast turnaround time so you'll never have to wait too long for a table. And the entire menu consists of wholesome Asian dishes that are also very reasonable!

Favorite Dish: Get a whole bunch of starters and share them, dim sum style!

This is a nice place to take people to when you don't want to break the bank, but still want something with a polished look to it. Most of the items on the menu are under 10 dollars. The specialty drinks (alcoholic and non) are pretty cool, too.

Favorite Dish: The menu is fairly limited, but there are no bad choices on it. My favorites are the fried wontons and the duck soup.

I was looking for a place to grab a quick bite on Union Square and remembered that I had read some good reviews of Republic. I was eating by myself so I had a seat at the bar which gave a good view of the open kitchen. The rest of the seating was mostly communal tables, the interior is modern decor, the servers all wearing black.

The service was very quick and the meal inexpensive, entrees run from $6-$9 and are filling.

Only negative-I was a little surprised when they charged me for 2 diet Cokes at $2 a piece, most restaurants in the US don't do that.

Favorite Dish: The menu is Asian with Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Malaysian and Japanese influences.

I tried the spicy coconut chicken noodles and broth, it was a little too spicy for a full meal and I found it a little hard to eat full noodles in broth but it had a good flavor and there were plenty of other dishes that looked and smelled quite good as they were passing.

After a long day of walking or a busy day at work ther eis nothing like trekking to union square with a couple of friend to share some of the amazing appetizers and get a taste or fried rice or seared salmon or grilled beef.

They have there long weird benches where different people sit and mingle while they eat makes you think or a villge or high school or a prison dining room

Favorite Dish: Fried wonton in plum sauce
Grilled Salmon
Vegetable Seafood fried rice
Grilled beef (my friends swear by it!!)

Republic’s a pretty trendy noodle spot right on Union Square: the tone is set by the bar just inside the door, whipping up some unusual cocktails. Inside, it’s a little noisy, but the service is consistently friendly and the food is excellent. Despite being on the fashionable side, they often serve up unusual versions of relatively familiar dishes, so it will suit those that like a little bit of adventure with their dinners, without being quite as ‘exotic’ as a meal in Chinatown. While you may be seated on your own if it’s quiet, the tables are normally communal, so you’ll be rubbing elbows, and sometimes conversations, with your neighbors. The biggest surprise of all is the bill: they might be trendy, but they don’t add on a ‘cool’ tax like some places!

Favorite Dish: The steaming bowls of noodles are great winter-warmers; we tried some with spicy chicken. The yaki soba was excellent too, with all kinds of minced mint.

The Republic menu is unmistakeably Asian, but with a twist. Not emphasizing any specific country, the cuisine combines various ingredients, spices, and cooking methods from Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Thailand, and Japan.

Favorite Dish: These are some of my favorites...

Glass Noodles - With sauteed chicken, vegetables, lime juice, and ginger dipping sauce

Grilled Beef - Thin slices of beef marinated in galanga, wrapped in lettuce and mint, with angel hair rice noodles

Spinach Noodles - With bean sprouts, red pepper, spinach, and soy-lime sauce