A Note From the Kitchen:Summer 2000


May every day of our lives birng us fresh hope for tomorrow becuase hope gives all of us the true reason for trying.

I remember starting to work on the construction of D-Thai restaurant (from an empty shell) last January.  It was one of those Dark, Dim, and Depressing times of the year.  Oh! That's NOT how we came up with the name "D-Thai."  D-Thai is not a restaurant chain.  A Mom and Pop like us can't afford to hire somebody else to build us a restaurant.  My dear wife, who came from the same high school back in Thailand, has put up with me for years through the up and down roller coaster of our lives. Our daughter hepls out when she can, and I myself cook in the kitchen.

...I though about the last three years, having had five brain surgeries. I guess the doctors couldn't find anything else left in my head.  Sick of being sick, I called my brother Tom, a retired engineer from Idaho, to drive me from my recovery place in Southern California back North to make my home in Bothell again.  I found myself counting Pot Stickers to get to sleep, and dreaming of cooking Pad Thai , Screamer, Satay, Curry...until the sound of the alarm clock woke me up to HARSH REALITY.

During the day I took Dayquil, during the night I took Nyquil...my last shot of alcohol before a journey into dreamland.  Speaking of dreams, "Some Dream in Color, Some Dream in Black and White, Some Dream of a Cash Register Ringing Through the Night."  I guess it is okay to dream, but don't forget to wake up and make those dreams come true.
Of course life is not easy as it seems to be.  You'll meet many poeple and may you treat each individual with kindness and respect, just as you want to be treated.  You will make mistakes.  May you learn from them so that you can grow and move on as a stronger and wiser person in the future.  You will face many problems.  May you come to accept that life is not easy.  Be strong and do the best that you can do.  And remember: Solving Problems is like Exercising, No Pain No Gain! ...Our past was painful, the present is bearable, the future is still Unknown.  How about yours?

Being a second-generation chef I try to match what Mom and Dad have done with their restaurant in Thailand.  Mom used to warn me, "Tito, if you keep playing with fire you'll get burned!"  Dad used to say, "Hard work makes luck possible, Boy! But so far nothing has happened!"  They also said no matter how good the packaging job is, you still can't take it with you.  So, I keep on spending!
Tired of looking like a FOB (Fresh Off the Boat!)...I pretty much
have to behave a certain way and try to blend in so the Bothell
police won't come looking for me as a mistake of identity!  Guess
you can't spot me in Chinatown because...we all look alike!

Besides the regular Thai selections like Pad Thai, Chicken Satay,
Floating Rama, Cashew Chicken, etc., I have come up with some new
dishes like Hurry Curry, Hustle Mussels, Screamer Salmon, Kow Soi,
Thai Beef Salad, and our D-Thai Fried Rice with pineapples and fresh
basil leaves.  They're all delicious!

Top Ten Rejected Names for our Restaurant:

1. Thai One On
2. Thai Me Up, Thai Me Down
3. If I Could Catch Thai in a Bottle
4. "Thai" lenol - "A relief for your cooking headache"
5. Not Thai Like the Present
6. Thai the Knot
7. Thai it, You'll Like it
8. Thai "R" Us
9. F-Thai - "Fantastic Thai Cuisine"
     10. B-Thai - "Bothell's Best Thai Cuisine"

We truely appreciate the warm welcome we felt coming back to Bothell.  Many thanks to my brothers Tom, Kurt, Jeff, Goffe and other who helped out with the restaurant throughout the construction.  Our family is sincerely greatful for your continued support.  Thank you for visiting D-Thai.


Bon Appetite!





Our Progress Since 2000:Fall 2009

Nearly a decade later and we're still here!  Nearly a decade later and we have finally learned to make ourselves a website!  Thank you to all our fans in the Seattle area for encouraging us to be more internet savvy.  We even had a fan take a photo
of our take-out menu and upload it to a local food site.
Since the opening of D-Thai Chef Tito underwent two more brain surgeries.  Both operations were successful and he has fully recovered.

The D-Thai Family

Photo Credit: www.lilyhopephotography.com