At the new Thai House, the food is exotic and elegantly showcased in a venue awash in muted color, exposed brick and imported furniture. But there is something beyond the ambiance. Perhaps it's the warmth of the proprietors or the comfort of a steaming cup of Tomkha, but in the midst of spicy food, Eastern music and hand-carved teakwood, the Thai House offers the familiarity of a diner, but the cuisine is almost certainly better than that local greasy-spoon.
"I learned to cook from my mother," Buranee "Tim" Bunniran, the Thai House matriarch, says. "My mother is the best cook."
Bunniran came to Jackson in 1978 to complete a master's of education at Jackson State University. Her original plan was to return to Thailand with her degree, but while in school, she met her husband, Prawat, and she was soon raising a family.
While her husband worked, Tim cared for their children. In 1992, their youngest son, Toon, entered elementary school, and the Bunnirans opened the Thai House off McDowell Road. "We wanted people in the South to know about Thailand," Tim says. "It was difficult at first. People didn't want to try anything different. They wanted fried chicken. But after they tried once, customers came back."
Now 22, Toon works as a Thai House chef. He grew up in the restaurant, doing homework, folding menus and, as he got older, helping out during busy times. "It seemed normal to me. We didn't do anything special, we were just there," he says. "We made friends with the regulars. We knew their names—they'd ask about school."
"When it was slow, I would sit down with the kids and go over spelling words," Tim says. "I have to give my family credit. They've been a big help."
Even now, the two older Bunniran siblings sometimes help out on weekends, although Suvapun, 27, is pursuing a doctorate in a rigorous pharmacy program at Ole Miss, and at 23, Chawanpon, a recent Mississippi State graduate, has just begun a civil engineering job in Memphis.
The three kids have strong ties to their Thai heritage; they speak Thai with their parents and understand the complexities of sustaining a culture. Their very presence within the restaurant speaks of Eastern society's more collective perspective. But Toon speaks English with a Southern accent, and he and his siblings have adopted "grandparents," who introduced them to American experiences before they even started school.
"I like Thailand," he says. "It's easy to find good food there, fast." He describes roadside restaurants and buildings that house businesses on the bottom floor and families on the top floors.
Tim chimes in, extolling the beautiful Thai countryside and the country's unique architecture. Her pride is evident. "Thailand has never been colonized," she says. "The architecture is old because it's never been destroyed by war."
When asked what she misses most, she flashes a warm grin, well-known among Thai House regulars. "Everything," she replies.
But at least Tim doesn't have to miss her country's food, since her own restaurant serves a larb and red curry—a spicy ground meat dish—that's about as authentic as any you'll find. "In Thailand there are no special 'types' of food," for breakfast, lunch or dinner, she explains. "You cook, and then you eat."
She demonstrates the Thai method of using silverware. Holding a fork in her left hand, she scoops her favorite paht Thai rice noodles onto the spoon in her right hand. Paht Thai comes in four flavors—mild, moderate, hot and Thai (very hot). The Thai House version seamlessly blends sweet, nutty flavors with a subtle salty base. It is Tim's favorite menu item, though Toon prefers Tomkha, where meat or veggies swim in seasoned coconut milk.
The trademark of Thai fare is blending hot, sour, sweet, salty and bitter tastes—calling all taste buds to utmost attention, even in a single bite. A host of herbs is needed to achieve these sensations. Because many of them are unavailable in Mississippi, Tim grows them herself.
"Lemon grass, galanga, kieffer lime," she recites. She disappears in the back and returns with a few leaves of kieffer lime and a long stalk of lemon grass. When she breaks the herbs, their fragrant citrus tang permeates the air.
"At the old restaurant, we grew them out front," she says, "but now we grow them at home."
The new Thai House has occupied its larger, more upscale location off I-55 near Northside Drive since May 15. "We moved because our customers are mostly from this area. They were having to come far," she says. Since the reopening was launched without official advertising, Tim was unprepared for the public response.
"The first three weeks, so many people came. I felt bad, because we couldn't take care of customers well. New customers didn't understand that everything is made by order, so it takes time. They were unhappy in those first three weeks, but I hope they come back, give us a second chance." After tasting the food, I am certain they will.
Thai House, 1405 Old Square Rd., Jackson. Open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday. 601-982-9991.
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