Mahaniyom is Eater Boston’s Best New Restaurant

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Here are the other restaurants that made the 2021 Eater Awards list.

Six new restaurants were honored as 2021’s Eater Awards Winners for Boston, an annual list that returned after taking a hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eater Boston announced the winners on Wednesday, noting that restaurants that opened in 2020 and most of 2021 were considered for this year’s list.

“While pandemic-related challenges continue to plague the industry — from staffing shortages to supply chain issues to the simple fact that New England weather isn’t friendly to year-round outdoor dining — local restaurants and industry workers have shown incredible resilience and creativity over the last two years,” wrote Rachel Leah Blumenthal, editor for Eater Boston.

Brookline’s Mahaniyom was named Best New Restaurant. Specializing in Thai tapas, the restaurant has made a name for itself serving dishes like beef panang and crab fried rice. It’s also known for having a creative bar program, with Blumenthal calling out a sazerac with Thai tea-infused rye and a daiquiri with pandan syrup.

The Best New Pop-Up award went to Comfort Kitchen, which has been operating out of Jamaica Plain’s Little Dipper in preparation for an early 2022 brick-and-mortar opening in Dorchester. Founded by Biplaw Rai, Nyacko Pearl Perry, and Kwasi Kwaa, Comfort Kitchen celebrates the “flavors and ingredients of the African diaspora, touching cuisines from Asia to the Americas.”

Barra, another pre-pandemic newcomer, received the award for Best New Bar. The compact Somerville spot opened in February 2020, serving contemporary Mexico City-inspired cuisine alongside innovative cocktails, like an Oaxacan whiskey sour and an espresso martini made with Rumchata.

Check out the complete list of winners, including the restaurants named Best New Cafe, Best New Bakery, and Best New Casual Restaurant.