Bintoh Thai a labor of love for owner-chef Kitapan

SUSAN HILAND SHILAND@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

Bintoh Thai is one of the newest Thai restaurants in Fairfield. It features recipes that owner June Kitapan brought from her home in Thailand – along with ones added by her husband.

“So the tastes are a little different than people are expecting,” she said. “I have my own dishes that are different from other Asian food.”

Kitapan is also the chef and cooks all the meals.

Bintoh Thai opened the doors May 1, 2020, just as the Covid-19 pandemic business closures were ramping up. It was a challenge but the restaurant sur- vived by adapting to the new normal with deliveries and by retaining the staff.

“I didn’t want to let anyone go,” she said. “They still had bills to pay.”

Kitapan comes from family that worked in the food industry, and when she left her home, it was not with the idea of running her own place. But she changed her mind and opened her first restaurant many years ago: The Bird & Bee Fusion Thai Cuisine.

Kitapan sold it in 2010 and then opened Bintoh Thai in the old Denny’s location right next to Interstate 80 and Travis Boulevard.

Some people think Thai food is spicy, but she assures everyone there are plenty of different spice levels to choose from at her restaurant.

Kitapan wants to cook like she would for her family, so she uses all fresh food and a variety of flavors.

“Everything I cook with is with love,” she said.

Her favorite dish, which also happens to be the customers’ favorite, is Koong Fai Dang, which is prawns and green beans sautéed in lobster sauce. Another crowd favorite is the spicy fried catfish, which is a crispy fried catfish fillet with spicy sweet curry sauce and green beans.

Kitapan’s goal is to bring customers in with good authentic food so they keep coming back for more.