Bangkok Cuisine: Vineyarders get a taste of Thailand

By Kay Goldstein - July 19, 2007

Bangkok Cuisine, imported from Cape Cod to the Vineyard, is the Island’s only Thai restaurant. Occupying a warmly lit Circuit Avenue storefront, the 50-seat Oak Bluffs restaurant opened last August, and immediately became an in-demand, year-round attraction for both Islanders and vacationers. Diners will find a cozy seat by the window or a long table tucked along the rail that divides the cozy, amber-colored room decorated with imported Asian art.

From both the management and the patrons aspect, it is a family affair. Guests are greeted by either manager Pissamai (Mai) Laothong, or by one of her seven Thai cousins. Sam Sangwan, Mai’s brother, and her sister-in law, Tanapon Bounsyhawong own the restaurant. They live in Hyannis and own three other Thai restaurants on Cape Cod.

Although shy about speaking in English, Mai, who worked as a nurse when she lived in Siskatet, a small town in central Thailand, is smiling, energetic, and unmistakably warm and thoughtful.

Mai explains how she came to the Island: "One of our Cape Cod customers is a resident and landlord in Oak Bluffs, and he asked my brother to open a restaurant in Oak Bluffs. We had a meeting in my family with my brother and my sister-in-law.” They discussed all the reasons they should not open on the Island, but for every hurdle they found a solution, says Mai, and the discussion concluded, "Okay. We open!”

Modestly priced, Bangkok Cuisine has developed a loyal following of year-rounders. Having several restaurants in the family portfolio helps make the Oak Bluffs establishment successful.

"It is not just a business for us,” Mai says. "People come to talk. Especially when we are not too busy we talk about Thai food. You smile and help people feel happy. Customers go out to dinner and you want them to go home happy. If you want people to treat you a certain way, you should treat them that way.”

For Mai, it comes naturally. She lives above the restaurant, something that feels familiar to her. "I was born to cook like my mother did when I was born. We had a little restaurant on the side of the road. My father and mother and brother, it was their job to run it. My brother taught me everything when I came here to work in his restaurants in 2001.”

Of her new home, Mai says, "Neighbors are kind and welcoming. The first time I came, it felt like home to me. My brother asked, ‘Do you like it?’ I said ‘I’m back home.’ I am very happy here. Every day when you wake up you say, ‘I have a good day today and thank God that I have this day.’”

Mai smiles and adds, "I came here to stay 10 months, but it looks like I will stay here a long, long time.”

The food at Bangkok Cuisine is complex, drawing upon the skill of the chef to create a balance of flavors — hot, sweet, sour, and salty. The fresh vegetables and herbs such as ginger, cilantro, lemon grass, lime and hot peppers accent the sauces.

At Bangkok Cuisine, the authentic dishes from Central Thailand can be prepared as mild or spicy as you like. Mai reports there are many requests for three-alarm sauces.

A sampling of dishes one night included a classic Tom Yum Soup ($4.95), a staple of Thai cuisine in a rich perfectly balanced broth that floated succulent fresh shrimp, mushrooms and cilantro. Sampler Platter for appetizers (advertised for two at $17.95) actually gives almost a half-dozen diners a great chance to try a lot of different flavors and sauces ranging from sweet and sour to honey soy and peanut sauce. The platter includes spring rolls, chicken satay, vegetable stuffed shrimp dumplings, tofu and fish cakes and more.

Bangkok Duck with Tamarind Sauce ($22.95) is not only a specialty of the house but its secret preparation is done only by Mai or her brother. Generous duck pieces, battered and deep-fried, nestle in a sweet-tangy walnut colored sauce amid pineapple and red bell pepper. The dish is beautifully garnished with crisp kale and lemon wedges and carrot. A simple Tofu with ginger sauce ($9.95) delights with tofu that is surprisingly creamy and sweet. Thai Spaghetti ($13.95), unlike its more familiar relative Pad Thai ($13.95), takes a bow to American palates with its moderately spicy, hardy tomato sauce with shrimp and basil. The Choo Chee sauces, creamy red curry served either with duck, which is deep-fried instead of braised in the sauce ($20.95), or shrimp ($15.95), leaves the diner tempted to zealously slurp it loudly from a spoon. A choice of nutty brown or white rice is another plus. Save room for dessert specials or refreshing Thai specialty drinks.

Bangkok Cuisine (outdoor sign reads "Thai Cuisine”), 67 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-6322

Freelance writer Kay Goldstein is a cookbook author and poet who divides her time between Chilmark and North Carolina.