Basic HTML Version
B
ringing beauty, authentic cuisine
and warm hospitality from
Thailand’s “land of smiles,” Thai
Bloomat 3800 S.W. CedarHillsBlvd.
in Beaverton is booming with business. And
General Manager Walter Bowers attributes
the 10-month-old restaurant’s success to
its authentic Thai cuisine. Each plate is
presented as beautifully as the ingredients
working together.
“I love watching the magic,” Bowers said
of watching the accomplished chefs. “Each
dish is a work of art.”
Bowers, a Beaverton resident, has visited
Thailand many times and Head Chef Sayan
Promwongsa is a native of Thailand who
spent more than a decade studying with
accomplished chefs in Bangkok and South
Africa before being awarded the 1998 bronze
metal and 1999 gold medal by the Thailand
Chef Association.
The location — at the corner of Southwest
Cedar Hills Boulevard and Westgate Drive
— has been a Thai restaurant location for 25
years, Bower said. But to open Thai Bloom,
the new owners did an extensive remodel to
the 3,600 sq. ft. space that can accommodate
98 people inside — and more on the patio.
Warm wood floors and wall paneling, a
contemporary bar and enhancements to
the kitchen create a comfortable, modern
environment.
Dishing up smile
Adding to its sense of family is the popular
head server Somphone “Sam” Saisiri who
greets guests with his signature smile.
He recently earned a hospitality award
from Washington County and tends to
impressively call every guest by name.
And while the restaurant has an
impressive following from the Thai
community, serving staff enjoy making
recommendations for those new to the
cuisine.
“We have lots of Thai clients who always
order the Hoi Joh,” Bower said of the seafood
meatballs with crab, prawns, pork, shitake
mushroom and water chestnuts dish served
with a tangy dipping sauce. “And the pink
Yhai Yen Ta Fo is popular.”
That dish consists of rice noodles in a
sweet andsourbrothwithprawns, squid, fish
balls, stuffed tofu, white fungusmushrooms,
spinach leaf, yu choy, topped with garlic oil
and a crispy prawn wanton.
P e r h a p s
more familier to
American palettes
is the Cashew
Chicken,
Beef
Broccoli,
Salad
Rolls,
Drunken
Noodles
and
various Pad Thai
varieties.
“The Drunken
Noodles
are
a
bit
more
experimental
if
you’re
looking
to try something
new,” Bowers said,
“and the curries
are really popular.”
The menu is labeled neatly to differentiate
gluten-free and vegan items, and dishes that
are mild, medium and very spicy.
“Every single dish is made to order,”
Bowers said. “We don’t use one big wok in
the back. We have 16 burners, and every
single dish is specially made. We can make
changes to any dish for you. You can even go
‘Thai spicy,’ if you want.”
A family affair
Bowers said the restaurant staff is a big
family. His wife, Aum, is a chef — and her
uncle is part owner. And the atmosphere
is much different than his former techie
corporate positions; if they want to make a
change at the restaurant, they make it today.
“After dinner, we now serve our guests
a hot lavender-scented towel,” Bowers said.
“And we love customer feedback and read
each review online on Yelp, Google+ and
Urbanspoon.”
The restaurant’s logo — a lotus bloom
— represents “a new beginning.” Prior to
launching Thai Bloom, Bowers was the co-
founder and technical director of a successful
software development and integration
company for retail enterprises. His former
office was located above a Thai restaurant
on Northwest 23rd, where he dined often and
met his wife.
Thai Bloomoffers fine dining, happy hour,
take-out, catering and delivery services.
And in the near future, Bowers hopes, the
restaurant will have an online ordering
service to accommodate the 60 percent of hits
to its website frommobile and tablet devices.
“The restaurant has grown faster than I
imagined,” he said.
The staff is happy, and the restaurant
adheres to high standards for each dish
served and the treatment of all employees.
“We get fresh produce every other day,
and we only use top-of-the-line produce and
ingredients,” Bowers said. “Consistency is
key, and we genuinely care about each dish
6
DOWNTOWN BEAVERTON
|
Thursday, July 18, 2013
NewThai restaurant blooms inBeaverton
FOOD
DOWNTOWN BEAVERTON
Thai Bloom co-owners Syan Promwingsa and Wally Bowers find Beaverton to their liking.
Continued on Page 7 >>
Friendly hospitality and authentic Thai cuisine has put Thai Bloom on the map
Story by
Nicole DeCosta
| Photography by
Jaime Valdez
REGULAR HOURS:
Monday to Thursday
11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; 4 to
9 p.m.
Friday 11 a.m. to 2:30
p.m.; 4 to 10 p.m.
Saturday noon to 10 p.m.
Sunday noon to 9 p.m.
HAPPY HOURS:
Daily 4 to 6 p.m.
Monday to Thursday
8 p.m. to close
Friday to Saturday
9 p.m. to close
All day Sunday