Two veterans of the restaurant group that includes Houston's have announced plans to open a Thai-Vietnamese restaurant in West Village.
Braden Wages -- who most recently served as general manager of R+D Kitchen -- and Yasmin Wages, his wife and former assistant general manager at Park, will debut Malai in early December. According to a press release, the restaurant will offer "gastronomically creative renditions of traditional Thai and Vietnamese dishes" in a casual atmosphere. In addition to the food, the release touts bamboo tabletops, locally designed light fixtures and specialty cocktails.
As for the cuisine, the release insists the ingredients will be fresh and local, although seasonality's apparently of secondary importance: Rice paper-wrapped summer rolls, typically associated with their namesake season, will be a year-round signature offering, along with pad Thai and pho.
Malai will take over the restaurant space vacated by Tom Tom Noodle House.