A true taste of Thai food has a multitude of flavors in a single bite, said Mary Saipetch, who owns the restaurant Taste of Thai with her husband Anan. The restaurant is located at 1105 E. Grand River Ave.
Unlike Chinese or American cuisine, a Thai dish has the ability to be sweet, sour, salty and even spicy all at once, Saipetch said.
"You can find different tastes in the same dish," she said.
Saipetch said many colors appear in her cooking. She uses basil leaves, green peas and Thai curry paste, which can be red, yellow or green, to make the food bright.
"Every dish is color," she said.
Inside the restaurant sit eight tables with green checkered tablecloths and chairs — furniture which might not be used in a traditional dinner in Thailand. Thai families usually eat on the floor, Saipetch said. Men sit cross-legged while women fold their legs under them while they eat at a shorter table.
Steamed rice is an important part of the Thai diet. People often eat it for three meals a day, Saipetch said.
Three hundred years ago, Thais ate with their fingers and placed a bowl of water on the table to wash their hands, Saipetch said.
Now the Thai eat with silverware instead of chopsticks like the Chinese, Saipetch said, although there are some chopsticks in the restaurant in case customers request them.
Saipetch said she began cooking Thai food in East Lansing 20 years ago because she wanted to introduce people to the ethnic food. There are only two Thai restaurants in the city compared to nearly 10 Chinese restaurants.
Up to 100 people come into Taste of Thai each day, Saipetch said, adding she's received positive feedback for her cooking.
Students are the restaurant's biggest customers, and many have found a favorite with the Pad Kee Mao, or the "drunken noodles," she said.
The dish, which contains sautéed rice noodles, meat, bean sprouts, green onion and basil in a basil-chili paste earns the nickname "drunken noodles" because the spiciness makes customers squirm as if they were intoxicated, Saipetch said.
"When they come in, they always order that one," she said.
Name: Mary Saipetch
Years owning the business: Eight
Family: Saipetch is a native of Thailand. She has two sons who both graduated from MSU. Her husband, Anan, also graduated from MSU.
Prices: Pad Kee Mao, or "drunken noodles," costs $6.50 with chicken, beef or pork and $7.75 with shrimp. Taste of Thai also features seafood, vegetarian and fried rice dishes ranging in price from $6.50 to $9.50.
Hours: Taste of Thai is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
