Again, all the credit go to www.thaitradeusa.com

Galanga  (Kha) is the most popular type of ginger for Thai cooks. Stronger in flavor than common ginger, with an almost peppery flavor, fresh  kha is a magical ingredient when finely slivered into hot-and-sour seafood salads or soups. Galangal is essential for creating the popular, coconut milk-based sweet and-sour soup, Tom Kha.  This rhizome, used fresh, dried, or powdered, helps mask the “fishiness” of seafood and the heaviness of red meats, making them taste cleaner, more delicate, and more succulent.

Galanga Root

Kaffir lime (Bai Magroot. Both the fruit and leaves of the kaffir lime, for which there is no true substitute, lend Thai cuisine a distinctive taste.  Leaves are added whole to curries and soups as an aromatic, astringent ingredient. When sliced into fine, edible slivers and sprinkled over salads, they impart a luscious, flower-like fragrance. The fruit’s zest is widely used in Creole cooking and the rind used to make curry. The leaves sometimes are added to 3rum, vodka, beer, or other alcoholic drinks. Since the lime’s leaves slightly resemble an insect, some theorize the word “kaffir” is derived from the German word for bug, “käfer.”

Kaffir Lime

Lemon Grass (Takhrai) is one of the most commonly used herbs in Thai cuisine. It adds a tangy, lemony flavor and aroma without acidity or sharpness.  While fine slices are eaten in total, larger pieces are used just for flavor and aroma. Lemon grass also is pounded into curry pastes and, in dried form, infused in beverages. In traditional Thai medicine, lemon grass long has been used to treat colds and stomach ailments and has been found to act as an analgesic and sedative.  Lemon grass added to cold water, with honey and salt, makes a refreshing drink. Most Americans probably have eaten a form of lemon grass without realizing it, since citral, one of its key chemicals, is found in a variety of beverages and foods, including candies, puddings, baked goods, meat products, and even in certain fats and oils.

Lemon Grass

Thai Hot Chilies (Phrik Khee Nu) are among the world’s hottest varieties.  Tiny, about one inch in length, the chilies are green or red. Thin-sliced or pounded, Thai hot chilies are used liberally in curries, soups, sauces, and salads (such as  Som Tam, green papaya salad, or  Yam Nuea, spicy Thai beef salad), as well as a table condiment. Thais use a variety of chilies, fresh or dried in powdered form, or fried to accompany various dishes. Add chilies to any ethnic dish that needs some fire, including your favorite chili recipe , or sprinkle on a chili dog.

Thai Chili Pepper

Shallots (Hawm Daeng) are the preferred onions for Thai cooking and, like garlic, are essential ingredients for cuisine from Thailand.  Purplish-red in color, they are smaller and drier than the orange brown variety commonly sold in the United States. When chopped and pounded to make curry and chili pastes, shallots add a depth of flavor.  Served raw in salads, they are sweet and mild, with little aftertaste.  Roasted shallots impart a smoky dimension to Thai foods.  Packages of crispy, fried shallots, available in many Asian markets, make excellent garnishes for salads and other dishes.

Shallot

Garlic (Khratiam), a member of the onion family, is found in almost every savory Thai dish, serving as a rich backdrop for

other flavors. It is crushed, chopped, and minced for stir-fried dishes; pounded to paste for curries, hot-and-sour sauces, and salad dressings; roasted and mashed to impart a mild, sweet taste and smoky dimension to chili sauces; and sliced, chopped, and fried to make crispy garlic and garlic oil to flavor soups, salads, and noodle dishes. Sold in jars in Asian markets, Thai pickled garlic has a pleasant sweet-and-sour taste.  Like shallots, Thai garlic is smaller and sweeter than Western varieties but more pungent, giving Thai dishes more flavor.

Peppercorns (Phrik Thai). Brined Thai green peppercorns, sold in jars in U.S. markets, are added in minute amounts to relatively spicy dishes at the very end of the cooking process. They also are used to make the tangy Thai chili paste that accompanies vegetables, rice, and meat.  Chewing young, green peppercorns provides a refreshing burst of flavor, and these highly aromatic, mildly hot berries are tossed whole into Southeast Asian spicy stir-fries, dry curries, dipping sauces, and intensely flavored soups. As green berries mature, they may be picked and dried in the sun to become black peppercorns, or allowed to fully ripen on the vine, then bleached and sold as white peppercorns.  Both black and white peppercorns are used widely in traditional dishes around the world.

Peppercorns

Thai Basil.  Fresh basil leaves are used extensively in Thai cooking, including stir-fried meat dishes and curries.  Among the basils Thais most commonly use are lemon basil or hoary basil  (Maenglak) often sprinkled over soups and salads to impart a light, sweet, lemon flavor and aroma; Thai sweet basil  (Horapha), which is added at the last minute to salads, curries, seafood, and sautéed chicken dishes to provide a mildly anise taste; and the strongest variety, Thai holy basil  (Kahrao), frequently inserted into chicken, beef, or pork stirfries (such as Kai Phat Bai Kraprao, stir-fried chicken with holy basil), to provide a slightly hotter, sweet, clove-like flavor. Combined with garlic, fresh chilies, and fish sauce, holy basil infuses meat and seafood with considerable flavor.  Basil’s medicinal uses include treating indigestion and stimulating the appetite.

Thai Basil

Thai Mint Leaves (Saranae) are used as a garnish and to provide an invigorating fragrance to vegetables, beef salad, and other dishes. Mint leaves also balance the fire of chilies, with which they often are combined. Rich in vitamin C, mint leaves have been found to reduce perspiration and cure flatulence.

Mint

Scallions (Ton Hom), also known as spring onions and green onions, are members of the allium family. Milder than larger onion varieties, they are steamed, grilled, or fried; added raw to salads; or diced into stir fries and rice dishes. Whether sliced or whole, scallions appear in countless recipes from around the world.

Scallion

Hope you enjoy reading these content. All these little veggie(fruit) give Thai food unique flavor & taste that no other can do. Give all of them the credits to make Thai food stand out.

If this is the first article you read in our blog, there is the first part of this article that you can follow here.

Tastes of Thailand – Thai Herbs and Spices 

All the credit of this article go to www.thaitradeusa.com.

Tastes of Thailand – Thai Herbs and Spices.

Thai cuisine is unique for its rich textures and aromatic flavors.  The liberal use of spices and herbs infuses every Thai dish with savory or sweet tastes and  fragrances, uniting an array of characteristics in each dish.  An assortment of  Thai spices and herbs can add zest and color to everyday cooking.  If your local grocery store or Asian market does not carry fresh herbs from Thailand, which are more potent and flavorful than their milder American cousins, look for frozen Thai herbs, or buy canned or bottled mixed pastes and other condiments to use as a base for making sauces, soups, or curries.

Following are a few examples of commonly used ingredients that work as well in regular American fare as in traditional Thai cuisine.

Coriander  (Phak Chi), a member of the carrot family, has delicate leaves, deep roots, and seeds, all of which are used in Thai cooking.  Added to curries and vegetables, coriander seeds provide a mild taste and fragrance.  The roots are crushed with garlic to flavor meat and often are included in soup. The leaves, also known as cilantro, are used extensively as a garnish, chopped in curries, or added to soup, such as Tom Yam Kung, hot and sour shrimp soup.  In other parts of the world, the slightly bitter cilantro leaves season salsas, guacamole, and salads.

Coriander

Thai coriander seeds (luk pak chee) have a sweeter, more fragrant flavor than their larger, Western counterparts. Ground or dry-roasted to bring out their flavor, coriander seeds are added to marinades and dipping sauces and mixed with cumin and turmeric into curry pastes.  A mixture of pounded garlic and Thai pepper makes a tasty rub for roast pork and other meats. Coriander seeds are found in a variety of ethnic dishes around the world.

Coriander Seed

Chinese celery is a smaller version of the celery sold in Western markets, but its flavor is much stronger. Indispensable to many Thai soups and stews, both the leaves and green or white stalks add flavor to vegetables, meat soups, and stir-fries. Cloves. In addition to adding flavor to curries, this pungent, aromatic spice brings zest to tomatoes, salty vegetables, ham, rice dishes, cheese, and pickles.  In Thailand, cloves traditionally have been chewed with betel leaves. Thais believe cloves kill bacteria and act as an antispasmodic, and some chew cloves after meals to aid digestion.

Chinese Celery

Ginger (Khing) is used in various forms as a flavoring and spice. Usually peeled and crushed before used, ginger can be eaten raw or incorporated into curries. Pounded with a little salt, pepper, and garlic, ginger makes a delicious marinade for chicken or beef. Ginger’s carminative, anti-nausea, and anti-flatulence properties are acknowledged to improve digestion and to counteract nausea and vomiting.  Europeans and Americans traditionally use dried ginger in sweets such as gingerbread, spice cookies, and fruit compotes, as well as a sprightly addition to soups and meat dishes.

Ginger

Turmeric (Khamin). Unlike other members of the ginger family used in Thai cooking, fresh turmeric is pleasantly mild.  Despite its bright orange color, turmeric imparts a surprisingly brilliant yellow hue to foods with which it is cooked  Fresh turmeric is popular in southern Thailand for curries, soups, stir-fried dishes, fried foods, snacks, and desserts. In other cultures, turmeric is used to flavor and color a variety of foods, including butter, cheese, and pickles.  Through the ages, turmeric has served as a medicinal herb, known for its stimulant and tonic properties. Its juice is used as an internal antiseptic and antidote to blood poisoning.

Turmeric

Continue to Tastes of Thailand – Thai Herbs and Spices Part 2

I wish I were in Thailand this week to celebrate Thai New Year or what we call “Songkran”. This is the most important and grandest festival of the year. April 13^th  marks the celebration of the Thai New Year. The festival, and of course a long holiday!, occurs between April 13th -15th.

Why is it on April 13th, not Jan 1st? Here is a little history of it….Thailand adopted this tradition from the ancient Brahmins in India who believed that the sun re-entered Aries and finished its orbit round the earth on April 13. The Songkran is in fact the celebration of the vernal equinox similar to Festival of Easter.

Since this is one of the longest holiday in Thailand, many people who work outside their hometowns will come back to visit their families. This is definitely a time of family reunion. April 14^th  is also considered as our National Family Day.  The highlight of the celebration will include the younger Thais paying respect to their parents and elders by sprinkling their hands with scented water and also they will go to a temple to pray and cleanse Buddha images by gently pouring water mixed with a Thai fragrance over them. It is believed that doing this will bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year.

All that said, you haven’t heard anything fun yet, right?

Here is the fun part. In Songkran festival, we also do some fun and crazy activities to celebrate our New Year. You might have heard about splashing water war. Here is what happens…anyone who ventures out on the streets is likely to get a thorough dousing of water, all in good fun. Many of us will go out on the back of pick-up trucks armed with buckets of water and water guns. Others will station themselves on strategic intersections in order to douse motorcyclists or any motorist with their windows wind down. Or they may roam the street with containers of water and water guns. To take it a little further, many people put cold water with some ice in their basket or very cold ice in water gun. Yes, it’s definitely make you feel something when someone thrown you or shot you with that kind of water. No-one complained about getting wet as if they are outside, they expect to have some fun anyway. Reason why we are doing that? Just because April is the hottest month in Thailand, so it is good to relieve the heat with water.

Songkran 1

Lot of time I think we should have this festival in Texas as well considering what kind of heat we have in summer. Maybe we should have it in July, not April.  And, maybe I should start it somewhere in Allen. Oop, we are still in  stage 3 of water restriction. Well, maybe I should just forget about it.

If you have a chance to go to Thailand, I do recommend to visit Thailand during this time. Songkarn is super fun. It will definitely bring you a brand new experience you can’t have from anywhere else. I have seen more and more international tourists in Thailand each year during this time. Not to mention, this is the best time of the year for all kind of fruits in Thailand too. Or if you want to have similar experiences nearby, Thai temple in Dallas has Songkran festival as well on this coming Sunday. You will find a lot of Thai street food there. Don’t’ forget to prepare to get wet on the way to temple though.

1.       Maximum Achievement   by Brian Tracy

I consider this book is my starting point. I remember it was recommended by a Structural Engineering magazine for any engineers who might want to start their own firms. I did not want to own an engineer firm but I think I am going to read the book anyway. The book turned out to be a very good one. I believe it is the very first book by Brian Tracy. (he wrote several after the success of this book) The book mentioned several aspect in life that we  should take to maximize our own achievement, not only in business but our own health, relationship, and etc. One from several things from the book that I took in my business decision is that to be able to success, I need to increase the rate of failure. I should not hold back my passion and dream because of my fear. To follow that advise, I really need to jump in and start doing something!

2.       Success: One Day At a Time by John C Maxwell

This little book is definitely the book I have read the most. This little one is full with several inspired stories, short quotes, poems, advises and etc. I have this book at my desk and read it a few pages almost every day. It is a very short book that you can definitely finish in a flight from Dallas to Houston. Several examples in the book will give you a good courage and motivation.

If you haven’t heard about the books, I do recommend these two to you. I think it will take only a short afternoon to finish each one. Who know? You might find it useful just like me. If you don’t know where to get it, I do recommend using www.addall.com. I get every hard copy book using this website. Also, please feel free to share any of your favorite books. I try to read one book a week this year and always search for good ones.

Nate

1. Walmart/Kroger/Tom Thumb

I put all these US based grocery together as the number one. The reason is that I believe you can find one of these groceries very close to your home. It’s more convenient when you can grab a few ingredients when you do your weekly grocery shopping. Most of these groceries carry a few asian ingredient items in store. You can find fish sauce, oyster sauce or few types of asian veggie in these stores. Walmart might carry less but also cost less. Kroger and Tom Thumb might have more and ,of course, cost a little more. I think I even saw that Kroger carries basil leaf too. But it costs a lot more compare to other stores listed below.

Pro:

Easy to locate the store.

Con:

Carry only few general items

Most items are more expensive compare to other Asian store.

2. Asian World

Asian World is located only 0.5 miles on the west side of US 75 on Legacy Drive. Asian world is a go-to place for Asians looking for their ingredients in Allen/Plano area. Basically, you can find almost everything you could possibly need. The store also offers variety of the brand selection. For example, you may find 5-6 brand from Thailand, China, or Vietnam fish sauce in Asian world. The store is also located in Asian shopping mall that you can stop by several Asian restaurants after grocery shopping. Pho’, Dim Sum, or Yogurt are a few shops out of my mind when mentioned Asian world.

Pro:

Carry almost every necessary ingredient.

Bargain price

Very clean store

Lot of Asian restaurants around store

Con:

Crowd on the weekend

Parking could be difficult to find

3. Ranch99

This Chinese based store is just right at the corner of  US75 and Springcreek PKWY, across the street from Walmart. The store is the newest store in our area and just opened up last year. Similar to Asian World, the store offers variety of brand selection and located in Asian shopping mall. Other than a bakery shop, a yogurt shop and several restaurants in the same shopping mall, RANCH99 also offers food court and bakery inside the store.

Pro:

Newest Asian store in our area

Carry almost every necessary ingredient

Across the street from Walmart

Con:

In my opinion, several items are a little more expensive compare to the near by store

4. H Mart 

H Mart is a Korean based store located right at corner of George Bush Turnpike toll way and Old Denton road. Since this store is from Korea, it’s the best place to find Korean ingredient. You may find several ingredient from South east and East Asian as well there. I believe H Mart is the biggest Asian grocery store in Dallas area. The store also carry a great variety of fresh veggie and fruit.

Pro:

Great restaurants around the store.

Offer best selection for Asian veggie and fruit.

Nice & Clean store

Con:

Quite far from Allen and toll fee to get to the store.

5. Hiep Thai 

Hiep Thai is a Vietnamese based grocery store located at the corner of  Walnut Street and Jupiter road in Garland. Hiep Thai is the last I have it on my list, but it offers a very wide selection in term of brand selection from Thailand. It’s also offer a great price for bulk sale. I could secretly tell you that Hiep Thai is where most of Thai restaurants shop.

Pro:

Deep selection in term of Thai ingredient.

Con: 

Far from Allen.

My recommendation?

I believe Asian world would be the best option for many of you who live in Allen or Plano area. You can find almost all ingredients you might need for cooking Thai food or any east or south east asian food. Asian World is a very clean market and also offers very good bargain in term of pricing. We, at Thai Cafe, are also a good customer of Asian World. Veggie is always fresh there. If you make your first visit there, don’t forget to let me know what you think.

There have been countless people who I’ve come across that wished they could have tried Thai food earlier, they were just very apprehensive, and ended up loving it.  To help eliminate some of those apprehensions, I put together a few items to help make your first Thai food an enjoyable one.

1. A warm and welcoming greeting is always a good start.

Since you are basically about to walk into the new culture and try this new style of food, you can really impress the waiter and chef by learning how we greet each other. We say Sawasdee Krup/Ka (Krup is used by a man and Ka is used by woman)

2. Sesame Chicken or Beef Broccoli?

Now you are sitting at the table and looking into the menu, about 60 items. To play it safe, you’re looking at either sesame chicken or broccoli beef. Well rookie, how about neither of them?  Step outside your comfort zone and get something decidedly Thai.  Although most of Thai restaurants would carry these two items, both of these are Chinese and you’d never get a taste of Thai if you stayed in the Chinese comfort zone…Here is what I always recommend for the first time customers.

Appetizer: Chicken Satay: Typically the favorite appetizer in any Thai restaurant. It’s grilled chicken marinated with yellow curry powder and is a great way to start offf your meal.

Soup: Tom Yum Shrimp. This hot and sour Thai style soup was ranked as the eighth most delicious food in the world by CNN in 2011.

Entrees: Try Pad Kra Prow Chicken or Pad Thai Shrimp. For you who love rice dishes, I recommend Pad Kra Paow–It’s stir fried chicken in a  spicy and flavorful basil sauce. Or you might like the most famous Thai noodle dish, Pad Thai. These traditional thin noodles are stir-fried with shrimp (or chicken) egg, scallions, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts in Thai style sauce and is always a great choice for first time customers.

Pad Kra Paow Chicken

3. How about Spice Level? 

Every dish can be cooked with a different level of spiciness. Most dishes can be cooked very, very mildly. Curry dishes are typically your most mild dishes. If you are not familiar with spicy food, I would recommend you start mild and see how it affects you. I’ve had a lot of first time customers think that they can handle hot and they leave with their mouth on fire, not getting a chance to even enjoy their meal. Thai spicy is different than Mexican spicy. It might be better if you start with lower level than what you anticipate and ask the chef to provide a little heat from chillis on the side.

4. Family Style.

Thai folks typically eat similar to how Americans eat on Thanksgiving, family style. We all sit together and have food in the middle to share. This is a good way to get exposed to a lot of different dishes on your first try, you may like more than you think.

5. Can I have some Soy sauce?  

Thai food is typically full of flavor, and it’s rare that you’ll find your food bland. But in the case that you need a little bit more of a salty taste, ask for fish sauce instead of soy sauce.  Thai folks never eat their food with soy sauce.  Fish sauce is the savory and salty sauce that Thai people use to add a little saltiness to their food.  Putting soy sauce on Thai food is the equivalent of putting ketchup on pizza, not terrible, just a little unusual.

I hope this will help you on your first visit. Feel free to leave any questions or comments after your first visit.  We love to make those experiences the best!

Nate

www.thaicafedfw.com

was raised late Saturday while I was working with Allison, our new waitress. We were talking about Thai food and I was explaining to her how most our entrees were made. After quietly listening to me, the first question she asked is whether or not we could prepare our dishes without the use of gluten. Well, I had to be honest with her that I had no clue if we could prepare them completely without gluten. My knowledge about Gluten was minimal, at best. She explained to me that her 2 year old son was severely allergic to Gluten. She also explained 1 in every 133 American has this type of disorder. Well, Allison was not the first one to ask me about gluten, there have also been a few customers who were concerned as well.  So, I decided to dive in deeper and study every ingredient we use, and figure out where we might be about to go gluten free.  So I spent the last few days researching gluten both at the library and online.  I’ll try to simply explain my findings and condense for you.  It’s my goal to not bore you to tears.  I think I’ve accomplished that   

What is gluten?

Gluten  is a special type of protein composite found in foods processed from wheat or anything related to wheat. It gives elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape. If you have any bread products with a chewy texture, there is a good chance that that product contains gluten. 

What kind of food/ingredient contain gluten?

Gluten can be founded in many bread product.

You can follow this link to full unsafe gluten food list.

What gluten does to your body

  The answer is “nothing” for most of us who are lucky enough to be born without gluten-sensitivity. According to Kam’s article WEBMD feature article,there is no prove of benefit of going gluten-free diet at this point. Avoiding gluten will not help you lose weight.  The Celiac disease is characterized by patients who have varying forms of gluten sensitivity and the only way to avoid the effects of this disease is to avoid all gluten.  For Celiacs, gluten reacts with their immune system causing several symptoms; typically stomach aches and skin irritations. etc.  

Gluten and Thai food 

  Now let’s take a look at what Thai dishes might contain gluten; in most cases this information will be helpful when visiting any restaurant. Unless it is specifically mentioned that appetizers are gluten-free, most of wrapped and fried appetizers, such as spring rolls, shrimp rolls, or cream cheese wontons contain wheat product. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of choices we can choose when it comes to wrappers in the Dallas market. All that being said, the gluten free appetizer choices that Thai Cafe provides are both the chicken and the tofu satays. 

Fortunately for our customers, most of our Thai entrees are gluten free as traditional Thai cooking uses very little wheat products. All of our Curry’s and fried rice are gluten free (and we’ll also mention they are delicious).  Rice noodles are typically processed in the same factories as wheat products, so they may contain some wheat or wheat flour but we can offer clear noodles (noodles made of mung bean) or egg noodles. Pad Thai cooked with clear noodles is a traditional favorite, and is gluten free.

Let’s get to the good stuff…What about the dessert? Based on the information I received from our suppliers, there is no known gluten in our ice cream products, both in our own home made ice cream and the Texas favorite Blue Bell. Sweet sticky rice is also safe!     

I hope that my little research can help you to understand more about gluten and what to avoid at Thai restaurants if you have a sensitivity. There is no reason to avoid it if you don’t have the Celiac disease. If you do have a concern about gluten, learn about how it affects you and just ask questions about what goes into your food. And if you actually require gluten free food, you know what to tell or ,at least, what questions to ask to your servers at Thai restaurants.

P.S. I’m pretty sure there are many of you who know a lot more than me over this regard. Feel free to send me email for correction/suggestion.

For More Information

Going Gluten-Free by Katherine Kam

Celiac Disease by Peter H.R. Green

The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten-Free: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Jules E. Dowler Shepard

Before becoming an owner of Thai Café, I had been a structural engineer for almost 5 years. Basically, I’ve designed bridges and buildings (simply, my job to is to make sure a building stays up, and will never come down). I came to the US in August of 2002 for my masters degree. My first three years in US were divided in half, between studying and working in a Thai restaurant near campus. I worked in my aunt’s restaurant, one of the best Thai restaurants in Greensboro, North Carolina. I finished my masters degree in Structural Engineering and got a job with DART, here in Dallas in 2005. I was the structural designer of the DART’s orange line for over a year and soon after went from designing bridges to designing buildings.

Here is a few samples of what I’m doing outside the restaurant.

Baylor Medical Office Building at Plano

Austin College Idea Center in 3D Structural Model

After proudly working as a building engineer for another four years, the opportunity to have a business of my very own revealed itself to me. Well, I can’t certainly say the opportunity revealed itself, it just came about as a result of many factors. I was waiting for an opportunity but was also actively seeking them out.  So many things came together at a perfect time for me to begin my entreprenurial journey.  My passion about eating and cooking, my cousin’s decision to leave North Carolina to live with me, and finishing my MBA all came together at about the same time. However, the most inspiring factor that led to me to find my passion was on a visit to a local Thai restaurant.  After eating, I pulled out a Thai Community newspaper and noticed a Thai Restaurant was for sale in Allen.  Stranger yet, the current owner actually graduated from the same high school as me, just a few years before!  At that moment, I knew that creating Thai Cafe was my destiny.  I met with the owner, and within 24 hours, I was the proud owner of Allen’s newest Thai Restaurant.

As some of you may know, I took over Thai Cafe from the original owner in November 2009.  The restaurant industry is not new to me, although being on the ownership and management side of things was a whole new story. Along with my cousin, our main chef, we have almost 20 years  of combined in food service experience, so we were off to a great start. We were well trained to work in every position, from front of house, to dishwasher. Even though food service wasn’t anything new, I was still a rookie business owner.

Since then, a year and a half has gone by so quick.  I have to tell you all that the restaurant business is tough, yet rewarding.  Strangely enough, if there is something tougher than structural engineering, being in the food service industry is up there on the list. It’s hard work, there are a lot of details and restrictions imposed upon us while we try to operate our business. I know all businesses have their ups and downs.  As it was, it seemed like we had much more downs than ups our first year. There were times when I felt like giving up would be easier. What kept me and my cousin in the business was seeing the happy faces of our loyal customers day in and day out. I believe we put a lot of pride into every dish we make. We pay attention to the little details in our restaurant so that you we know you’ll be satisfied every time. I know we are not perfect but we will always put forth our maximum effort to share our authentic Thai dishes with you. Regardless of when you come in, we’ll always have a happy face greeting you, excited and thankful that you, your friends and your family chose Thai Cafe.

If there is anything you might want to know about our head chef, Wimolwon, it’s that you can always make her day by complimenting her cooking or how fast she delivers the food to you.

We look forward to your next visit!

I’ve wanted to write a blog showcasing Thai Cafe but business has been so good that I have never have a had a good chance, until now! I’m sure you can imagine that owning a restaurant along side with being a structural engineer could be quite a juggling act. When we started, I thought I would write a blog so I can share the story of Thai Cafe with you. Waiting for the right moment to start blogging, a year and a half went by so fast. Now I have even more stories to tell, a lot more pictures to show and plenty of things to share. The time to start a blog will never be perfect, so why not start now?

I want to devote this blog to anything and everything about Thai Cafe, Thai food, our team at the restaurant, and interesting topics from Thailand. I consider myself a very good story teller so I promise it will be an interesting blog. Also, as many of you have requested, I will definitely show you just how we create our delicious signature dishes, with an inside look into our kitchen.

This blog belongs to all of you, so feel free to leave comments and ideas in this blog or on our Facebook page!

Nate

№1 Restaurant in Allen