BELFAST—By early April, Belfast can have a brand new Thai restaurant named Fon’s Kitchen at 132 Excessive Road.
Fon, which suggests falling rain within the Thai language, simply so occurs to be co-owner, Sarunya Rock’s nickname.
Sarunya, who grew up in Bangkok, felt she wanted a change and moved to the U.S. “I discovered a chance to return to the states, working in hospitality for a yr, so I utilized with out realizing the place I find yourself,” she mentioned. “I didn’t even know Maine after I confirmed up. I obtained a job at Natalie’s Restaurant on the Camden Harbour Inn and started my life right here.”
Her household was an enormous affect on her cooking.
“After I was in center faculty, my mother and father had a good-size Thai restaurant on our property—not too fancy, however a spot the place individuals would present up early within the morning and luxuriate in all day,” she mentioned. “My mom was the supervisor, however generally she needed to cook dinner when the chef didn’t present up. I used to be serving to largely within the entrance, working meals, busing tables, serving to prep within the kitchen, doing dishes, and no matter else wanted to be accomplished.”
Sarunya mentioned she loves the restaurant business and at all times had a watch on opening her personal restaurant. “After Natalie’s, I labored on the Waterfront Restaurant as a server for nearly seven years,” she mentioned. “When I discovered the restaurant house in Belfast had turn into accessible, I used to be very . There have been a number of individuals trying on the house, however I consider every part got here collectively on the good time in my life to make this work out for us.”
Her husband, Dan Rock, has been renovating the house for the final three months with a brand new pale inexperienced colour scheme, totally different lighting, and artworks.
The menu is “all Sarunya” mentioned Dan Rock. “She’s an important cook dinner and I name her a ‘curry genius.’ She makes her personal dumplings from scratch utilizing as many native substances as potential from native companies. I’ve but to have any dumplings on this state nearly as good as hers.”
“Effectively, I feel my husband may be a bit of biased,” she mentioned. “As a meals lover, after I got here to Maine, I noticed I might by no means be capable to discover the road meals I loved a lot again residence in Thailand. I began watching YouTube and realized the way to cook dinner the meals I used to be lacking. Dumplings are one among my favourite Thai appetizers that I get pleasure from making and consuming. The key to creating dumpling is to floor your personal meat. We usually get our pork shoulder from native sources, grind and marinate the meat with Thai seasonings and herbs in a single day. I can’t look forward to individuals to return in and take a look at the dumplings for themselves, and see if my husband is biased, or utterly right!”
Fon’s menu is straightforward with appetizers, major dishes, sides, and desserts. She options Thai staples equivalent to Pad Thai, Drunken Noodle, Pad Kra Pow, and two sorts of Curries.
“I feel the stir-fried Sukiyaki will likely be a preferred dish,” she mentioned. “My model is a Thai tackle a standard Japanese dish. Mainly, sukiyaki is a stir-fried bean thread noodle, with a selection of protein and combined greens with Sukiyaki sauce (Crimson bean curd). The Thai model is cooked and served a bit otherwise than the standard Japanese manner, and I feel individuals will like it.”
Saruyna’s dream is to make her restaurant as snug as her household’s house in Bangkok. “All you want is consistency, good meals, good drinks, good service, and a peaceful inviting environment,” she mentioned. “However, a very powerful half is, it’s essential get pleasure from what you doing, then everybody else will get pleasure from it too!”
To see Fon’s Kitchen’s menu and updates on their opening go to their Facebook page
Kay Stephens may be reached at news@penbaypilot.com
