TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa is saying goodbye to the first restaurant to bring Thai food to the city more than four decades ago — but you may still have one more chance to get a taste.
Since it opened its doors on Dale Mabry Highway in 1979, Thailand Restaurant has become a South Tampa staple.
Between the smell of home-grown Thai basil and the wall art handmade by the Thambundit family, you can feel the passion and authenticity behind the operation as soon as you walk in the door.
For years, it’s been the go-to spot for families craving the bright flavors of traditional Thai food, made from scratch daily. But what many may not know is that it all started with a love story.
Amnuay Thambundit and his college friends opened Kilin Thai-Chinese restaurant in the 70s, opting for a menu mostly made up of Chinese takeout dishes that the locals would be more familiar with.
Moo, a nurse working in Tampa, came in for lunch one day after hearing there was a local restaurant serving Thai food. Although she wasn’t impressed by the dark, straw decor and huge, tacky dragon painted on the wall, the restaurant’s owner kept her coming back for more.
Moo cooked Thai food for Amnuay on their first date — and the rest was history.
The couple got married in 1982, Moo brought in her family recipes, and Kilin became Thailand Restaurant.
“I changed the menu from Chinese to Thai. I knew they didn’t have Thai because they didn’t know how to explain it to the customers,” she said. “I was really tough. It’s why my husband was afraid to make it a full Thai menu.”
But it didn’t take long for her food to win people over.
With traditional food from her home country and new dishes she’s invented using Thai flavors, Chef Moo has served the same loyal customers for decades — using a personal touch you won’t find anywhere else.
“I have about 120 dishes on the menu, and I guarantee until the day we’re gonna close, all the dishes - I’ve never said, ‘I don’t have it,’” she said.
She even grows Thai basil in her own garden to make sure she never runs out.
Thailand Restaurant over the years
And as the restaurant grew over the years, taking over the entire plaza, those loyal customers became family.
“They’re just a part of me. It’s my life. I love them all,” Moo said through tears. “Each table is a memory, you know. I can tell you the story of each table.”
That special bond is why Thailand is still open for takeout until July 28.
“We already closed a month ago, but too many customers called. So I told my daughter we’re gonna make it takeout for a bit,” Moo said.
Her daughter, C Thambundit, is a content planning producer at 10 Tampa Bay.
Dishes you have to try
Pad Thai
Did you know that authentic pad Thai doesn’t have that reddish-brown color you typically see? According to Moo, that comes from restaurants using paprika or even ketchup.
This pad thai is a light brown color and packs a sweet and savory peanut flavor without being too sticky or saucy.
Fun fact: At Thailand, this dish was originally called “village noodles” because pad Thai wasn’t commonly known in the area. Some of the original customers still call it that.
Papaya salad
This dish is made with shredded green papaya, tomatoes, ground peanuts and lemon juice. Traditionally this is a spicy dish, but Moo put her own twist on it by making it light and refreshing.
Spring rolls
Spring rolls are a pretty common dish stuffed with vegetables and vermicelli noodles and deep-fried. But these once have something special.
“We roll it different from the other places because you know how sometimes they have a lot of oil that can seep into the spring roll? We have this middle part to seal up both sides so the oil cannot come in,” Moo said. “This is the secret to keep it fresh and crunchy and not greasy.”
Watching Moo make spring rolls is like watching a machine at work. With no measurements, she cranks out hundreds of identical spring rolls every week.
“It’s gonna be perfect every time,” she said.
While Thailand may be closing, Chef Moo's cooking remains in high demand. She's already been asked to write a cookbook, sell her sauces and host a cooking class.
“Maybe when I retire I’ll have time," she laughed. “I can be a fun cook, not a serious one."
But for now, she's ready to enjoy retirement while looking back at 45 successful years serving the people of Tampa.
“My life is good. I have three successful children. It’s complete," Moo said.
