Long Lai was only open for two years on Knickerbocker Avenue, before being shut down by the City for health violations. Photo by Jonathan Mena for BushwickBK
Bushwick’s only Thai restaurant was forced to shut down after multiple health violations were discovered by the NYC Dept. of Health.
For nearly two years Long Lai was a neighborhood staple near the corner of Knickerbocker Avenue and Troutman Street. Today the Thai restaurant remains closed and will probably not reopen, after Health inspectors shut it in December.
Long Lai’s owner Rosie N. Bravo accused the Health Officials of being "unfair" and "vindictive and threatening" in an email she sent BushwickBK. As of last week the voicemail greeting on the restaurant’s main line has been removed. Calls to the owners for further information have not been returned.
In March of 2010, Health Officials cited the restaurant seven times for violations such as having a facility that was not vermin-proof and evidence of roaches and rats in the kitchen.
The Health Dept. created a violation point system for restaurants; as of March Long Lai has a total of 26 points. The average for city restaurants is 13 and anything over 28 points is deemed "critical," requiring further inspections.
The building itself also had a litany of violations and complaints issued against the owners, ranging from illegal apartment conversions to construction work done without permits. As of 2010 the building had been fined over $10,000 by the Dept. of Buildings.
The owner of the botánica next door to the restaurant said he saw the owners arrive over the weekend and remove equipment. A the bodega next door, the owner told BushwickBK he saw inspectors arrive in December and shut the place. He called it a "shame" that the restaurant, which had a small staff of about four people, had to shut its doors.
Fortunately for Bushwickers, they won’t be without Thai for long. Bedford Avenue restaurant Thai Tai is rumored to be opening a new outpost on Morgan Avenue, and it enjoys a whole star more than Long Lai (three out of five) on review site Yelp.
Matt January 12th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Will anyone miss this half assed, if not fully assed, thai food? It’s hard to feel bad for a place that never rose above mediocre at best.
sweetser January 13th, 2011 at 11:28 am
Was Long Lai amazing? No. Will I miss the only Thai restaurant that delivered to my apartment building? Absolutely. I hope this Morgan Ave Thai spot materializes soon.
Jesse January 13th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
There’s alway Note Thai on Bushwick and . . . Siegel?
Brandon January 13th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Thai Village in Ridgewood is pretty good.
BushwickDill January 13th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Ridgewood??? Damn.
Patrick January 14th, 2011 at 1:01 am
Had healthy food, and a clean place, was a place you could get an inexpensive meal, for you vegan freinds too.
Perhaps thats why they closed it, and the community looses another one of a kind.
drr January 14th, 2011 at 11:52 am
I was home sick from work with a cold and I ordered from this place and got food poisoning.
Armstrong January 19th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
It sucked. Buh bye!
Dresden January 20th, 2011 at 10:12 am
I met the owner of this place after he put about 12 menus in the slot of the two-family building where I live. I didn’t want to shake his hand, much less eat something he cooked. I handed him back his menus and wondered when he had last showered.
Lisa January 23rd, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Not at all surprised. I found a cockroach floating in my green curry when I was there last year.