works in the kitchen. His daughters are ages 10 and 15 and attend Bentonville schools.
The menu is especially friendly to vegetarians and vegans, and brown rice is always available.
Mr. Phouma’s father, who was born in Thailand, had a rice farm. He taught his son to grow the tomatoes, lemon grass, Thai basil and many other herbs and vegetables that Mr. Phouma now cultivates for use in his recipes.
Mr. Phouma said he finds his life in the U.S. to be satisfying, and he is happy to honor his family traditions and share the food of his native land in America. He aims to work with the individual dietary needs of his customers and has a loyal following.
Mr. Phouma also has lemon and lime trees, which he winters in a greenhouse. He grows the tiny red and green Thai and Mexican chilies that are used to spice his recipes; he cooks and grinds them into a powder. Diners choose between 1 and 5 stars (5 being the spiciest, the equivalent of a scant teaspoon) for their meals when they order, although Mr. Phouma said traditional Thai food would use the equivalent of about 7 stars.
“It is fun for me to work with different recipes; all the ingredients are easy to adjust for customers,” he said.
Each day, Mr. Phouma offers his regular, diverse menu—along with specials and off-the-menu options. A dish will be listed on the menu by its traditional name. For instance, Pad Phet Kong Pla Muk will be given with the translation of Prawns and Calamari with sweet basil. Customer favorites include Kai Yang, or Thai BBQ chicken; avocado and mango curries; and a sweet sticky rice topped with fresh mango. Seasonal dishes are rotated, and dishes can be prepared interchangeably with tofu, chicken, beef, pork and seafood such as prawns, scallops and fish.
Monday through Saturday lunch hours are from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday dinner is served from 4:30 – 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday dinner is served from 4:30 – 9:30 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Sundays. Take out meals are very popular and the service is quick. They are located at: 104 N. 12th Street Rogers, AR 72756 (479) 636-2250 Thai meals are customarily served family style, seated on the floor on a mat or carpet. Traditionally, one holds a spoon in the right hand, and a fork in the left hand is used to push food onto the spoon.
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