A blog about our Brooklyn neighborhood.
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Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
The temperature got above 50 degrees today and flowers have been in bloom for weeks, so it seems almost okay to start choosing iced drinks over hot ones. The Thai iced coffee at the new Am Thai Bistro (1003 Church Ave, between E 10th and Stratford) is as sweet and tasty as it is pretty. It’s available in any weather, but it would make a nice treat after a walk around the neighborhood on a warm day like today.
Friday, January 27th, 2012
It’s opening day for Am Thai Bistro, the new restaurant on Church Avenue at Stratford, and if you’re not there right now, you should head over. What began this morning with a blessing from three monks from a monastery in Queens continues this evening, and the women behind the operation–Boonnum “Num” Thongngoen and Karnchana “Amy” Sasook–hope you will all stop by tonight to meet them, and taste samples from the menu.
“We’re doing more traditional Thai dishes here,” said Num, explaining that Am Thai Kitchen on McDonald Avenue in Kensington will continue to focus on a more Americanized Thai menu. Though there is an extensive menu already printed (see it HERE and HERE), she told us that they’ll continue to work on it for the first few months, to see what works and adjust what doesn’t.
Amy explained they’ll also have daily specials, such as the curried lobster that was one of many dishes shared this morning during a ceremony that not only involved monks blessing the restaurant, but also a wedding ceremony.
“Two for one,” as one of the monks happily explained.
Somsak Sakdanuphap, a chef at Am Thai Kitchen, and Hathaichanok Chamnarnkong had a twin crown called a “mongkhon faet” placed on their heads for good luck, with a thread connecting the two. The monks led several rituals and chants, and the ceremony, which Num explained would bring luck to the couple and to the restaurant, ended with a monk splashing holy water on all the guests and the restaurant, inside and out.
If there’s luck to be had, then really we’re the lucky ones. What they’ve done with the space, which was formerly the roti place In Between, is really nice, and this should give a good boost to an otherwise quiet stretch of Church Ave. Welcome to the neighborhood!
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