Spicing up Happy Hour at Malai Thai-Vietnamese Kitchen

Where: Malai Thai-Vietnamese Kitchen, 3699 McKinney Ave. #319 When: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday , all day Sunday What: $5 specialty cocktails, $5 selected wines, $3 beers Why: Because the post-work happy hour can go boring quickly, going to the same old pub week after week. Since it's been a minute since we've been to West Village, we decided to look for something new from an old staple. Malai Thai-Vietnamese Kitchen spiced up our happy hour with sophisticated specialty cocktails, Asian import beers and cheap eats in a sleek, modern setting. Inside, an island bar sits in a cool wooden interior, with plant life meshed with wood and metal to create an Asian-esque feel resembling what we've seen of samurai and ninja movies (so it must be accurate). For a patio stay with a break from the heat, the outside area is roofed with ceiling fans, surrounded by palms and other flora, offering a nice spot to watch the shoppers lug their bags to the frozen yogurt shops. On the menu, spicy crispy wings are $5 during happy hour, with cocktails at the same price and all beer priced at $3. As for our stay, panang curry duck, lemon grass soup and satay pleased, especially followed with a Ginger Bird Margarita and a Pomelo Mojito. For the beer lovers, Singha, Hue and Kingfish round out the lager choices, with Ranger IPA and Rahr Ugly Pug on tap for those who like to keep it stateside.