Though they have worked in the restaurant industry for years, the owners of Krung Tep Thai Bistro decided to set up shop in Great Neck because they saw a lack of “Thai by Thai” restaurants.
“We would come on Saturdays to Great Neck as a family day, but we realized no authentic Thai places were here to eat at,” said Andy Hamill, husband of Krung Tep co-owner Duk Saejung. “That’s when we considered coming out here.”
Krung Tep, located at 23 South Middle Neck Road, had a soft opening on Nov. 22, but their grand opening was Monday.
Hamill said his wife and co-owner Pei Sirikanya, both of whom are Thai, have worked in Thai restaurants in Manhattan and Bayside, and both Hamill and his wife had owned a catering business previously in Iceland.
Hamill said that while there are many Thai restaurants in the U.S., many aren’t totally authentic Thai, which is what he said Krung Tep aims to be.
He said the restaurant’s name literally means “Bangkok” in Thai, where, Hamill said, is where all the different regional dishes of Thailand meet and intermingle with each other.
“Thai by Thai” is the central thesis of Krung Tep, but Hamill said it is less of an ethnic predisposition to cooking, but rather being able to recognize the authenticity of a dish’s flavors as that of traditional Thai cooking.
“Our management has the eye to what is Thai and what isn’t,” Hamill said. “If someone who has been to Thailand compliments us on our food and someone who has never eaten Thai compliments us on our food – it’s a different feeling.”
Hamill said that when one goes to a Thai restaurant, one can judge both the authenticity and the quality of the restaurant by sampling just a few dishes, including Pad Thai and tom yum soup, both of which are on Krung Tep’s menu, along with other dishes such as Pla Mamuang – a crispy red snapper – and multiple different curries.
While some of the common ingredients found in Thai dishes include lemongrass and Thai basil, it is not just the ingredient that makes a dish “Thai,” Hamill said.
“It’s all about the texture,” Hamill said. “You have that strong flavor of the meat, along with a crunch.”
Hamill said that the restaurant did alter some of its dishes to accommodate to the tastes of Great Neck, such as not including as many pork dishes on their menu.
He also said that many of the traditional Thai dishes they serve are naturally gluten free, which will serve the growing number of people who are cutting gluten out of their diet.
Members of the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Great Neck Plaza Board of Trustees attended the grand opening Monday to assist in cutting the ribbon and enjoying the food.
“I don’t usually like ethnic food but this is delicious,” Trustee Jerry Schneiderman said.
Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender said she loved both the food and what the owners have done to the building.
“It’s beautiful and elegant, warm and inviting,” Celender said. “This place is a complement to the other elegant cuisines you can find in the Plaza.”
Krung Tep is also BYOB, Hamill said. The restaurant is open every day of the week from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.
