Posted 4/11/01
Bahn Thai Buffet: a little piece of Thailand in downtown North Branch
By Jason Sileo
The Bahn Thai Buffet is now open for dine-in and carry-out business inside the former Dairy Queen building in downtown North Branch, and Thai food lovers are already flocking in.
Matt and Wannaporn (pronounced ìwannah-pawnî) Bougie opened the new Thai restaurant two weeks ago on March 30, and business already is hopping.
ìBusiness is going well,î says Wannaporn, who also goes by ëNattí (pronounced ìknotî), her nickname since childhood. ìWe never expected it to be as busy as it has been,î she said, looking just a bit overwhelmed.
Bahn Thai offers a full-service buffet lunch and dinner, with all dishes made to order from scratch by authentic Thai cooks.
ìAll our food is made from scratch, to keep it authentic,î Matt said, ìto give it that Thai home-cooked taste.î
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Take out may be ordered by calling (651) 674-0039, though patrons are asked to allow 30 to 45 minutes for their dish to be properly prepared from the ground up.
Matt tells the Post Review that he met Natt in her native Thailand while visiting the northeastern city of Nakhon Phanom (1993 pop. 33,175) in 1998.
Matt, a native of Rush City, said he had a particularly rough day one day and thus ìdecided to go to the other side of the world,î apparently to relieve some stress.
He said he met Natt in a real estate office in Nakhon Phanom during one of his 14 various visits to Thailand (ìItís a beautiful place, with the friendliest people,î he said of the country), and the rest is history. The Bougie's returned to the States in February, 1999, with plans already in the works for a new Thai restaurant.
Natt said she had been considering a Thai restaurant for some time when the opportunity to place one in North Branch finally emerged.
When asked about her experience as a Thai chef, Natt said she had been preparing and cooking Thai food for most of her 28 years.
ìI think Iíve gained about 40 pounds since weíve been married,î Matt said with a chuckle. ìHer cookingís good.î
The food at Bahn Thai Buffet is prepared to order and ìThai seasoned,î Matt explained ó though it is generally ëspiced downí a bit in order that customers be allowed to spice their dish to taste. Patrons who want the full effect may simply request the full spice treatment when ordering; but consider a large drink on the side:
ìTypically, Thai food is very spicy,î Matt said, with a hint of a warning. If you like spicy food, donít hesitate to order it that way, he said.
Also, if there is a Thai food item you canít find on the menu, the Bahn Thai cooks are glad to prepare custom orders within their means.
Natt said, without malice, that Thai food is often described as ìmore flavorful, more tastefulî than Chinese cooking, and two customers who sat nearby during our interview agreed with contented nods from behind their emptying plates.
The 36-item Bahn Thai menu includes a wealth of oriental specialties, including curry dishes, Wok-fried dishes, soups, salads, noodle/rice dishes and appetizers.
Natt said the ìPad Thai,î a chicken & noodle dish (No. 19 on the menu), has been particularly popular since the restaurant opened, as have a number of sweet & sour dishes.
So, North Branch area food connoisseurs and lovers of Thai cooking, thereís a new option on the local palette. If youíve got take out in mind, call the Bahn Thai Buffet at 674-0039, or, stop in at 920 Cty. Road 30 in downtown North Branch to pick up a full menu. Enjoy.