Monroe Welcomes the Thai Berry Kitchen

Monroe residents will no longer have to drive far and wide to get their Pad Thai fix. Foodies can now experience the light, fresh, exotic taste of authentic Thai fare right in their own hometown.

Thai Berry Kitchen, Monroe’s only Thai restaurant, opened on July 18. The menu features ingredients like garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, basil, and chili peppers, which give Thai food its distinctive taste.

Thai Berry is the new tenant at 440 Main Street, replacing local foods restaurant Stepney Kitchen, which was there for a year before closing in January.

Whether taking out or dining in, guests can choose from a variety of appetizers, salads, soups, fried rice and noodle dishes, curries, and stir-fried meats and vegetables.

Thai Berry serves up old favorites like Pad See Ew, chicken satay, Pad Pak, and Thai fried rice, as well as specials like roasted duck curry and Crispy Pad Thai.

Chef and owner Thawatchai Bwnyalai arrived from Thailand in 2008 and went to work at Taste of Thai in Milford before opening his own restaurant in Woodbridge, which he called Thai Stories, in the summer of 2010.

“With the first restaurant we had a lot of good feedback, and now with my partner in the kitchen, I was inspired to open another,’ said Bwnyalai.

Bwnyalai’s business partner, Chef Pen Vongtaweesap, cooks in the kitchen with his wife Muay, making Thai Berry a real mom and pop joint. The couple recently moved here from Oregon, where they worked in a Thai restaurant for five years.

Muay said the most popular meal that people order, at least in these first two weeks, has been the Drunken Lemongrass Chicken, chicken breast grilled in garlic and lemongrass and served with drunken noodles, which are spicy, stir-fried flat noodles.

Hostess J. Vilay said that time is the key element when it comes to made-to-order gourmet meals. Vilay originally worked at Thai Stories and now shuttles back and forth between the two restaurants.

“When people call for takeout, they say they want it fast, but we don’t take five minutes. We always say around 25 minutes. This is a home cooked meal and every ingredient is fresh, not mass-produced,” said Vilay. Nothing at Thai Berry is ever heated up in a microwave, she added.

Appetizers range from $5.95 for veggie tempura and spring rolls to $6.95 for deep fried squid, and entrees run from $8.95 to $12.95 for all stir fry, curry, and noodle dishes.

Beef, chicken, pork, seafood, or vegetarian variations are available for any entree, and each can be cooked to the desired level of spiciness.

Owner Bwnyalai said he chose Monroe because there are no Thai restaurants in the area, and because he felt drawn to the town itself.

“I did a survey before I chose which town. Monroe is a nice town and the people are very nice. Everything is perfect here for a Thai restaurant,” said Bwnyalai.

Chef Muay said that the dish she enjoys cooking most is the sizzling seafood special, an assortment of stir-fried seafood with Thai basil and red curry paste served with bean thread noodles and topped with Chef Pen’s secret herb-crushed sauce.

“Everything here is cooked with love,” she said.

Thai Berry Kitchen is open for lunch Monday through Friday and for dinner seven days a week. Call (203) 261-6611 or go to thaiberrykitchen.com for more information.