Third Thai's the Charm at New Newton Eatery

There are Thai restaurants in Newton, and there are sushi restaurants in Newton but in Four Corners is the only local restaurant that combines the two popular types of Asian cuisine.

And it does so seamlessly, thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of owner Tom Daranuwat and his family, all of whom are involved in the business in some way.

“I do the management,” explains Daranuwat. “My mom and my wife do the cooking, my dad helps with delivery, with driving. And even my brother and sister help out!”

The Newton branch of the small chain is actually the third of Daranuwat’s restaurant holdings, which is pretty impressive considering he came to this country just over a decade ago.

Daranuwat has always been around food, as evidenced by his family’s ongoing involvement in his culinary undertakings. He even owned a noodle shop in his native Thailand.

When he first moved here in 2001, though, he did delivery for several restaurants in Cambridge, Somerville and Medford and didn’t open his first American restaurant until 2005. in Medford has a mostly take-out business, as opposed to the 50 seat Arlington Tom Yum Koong II (opened in 2009) that caters mostly to a sit-down clientele. The Newton Tom Yum Koong III balances the two models with about 20 seats and a thriving take-out and delivery service.

Daranuwat would like to have the opportunity to meet more of his patrons face-to-face, which was part of the motivation for his running a recent Groupon.

“We do delivery, sure,” Daranuwat says. “But we want people to come in to the restaurant, even just for take out. And the Groupon has helped- we sold more than 900!”

One of the main attractions of Tom Yum Koong III, which is named after the very popular Thai hot-and-sour shrimp soup, is its amazing selection of sushi. Chef Billy Li has been crafting the fish-and-rice creations for over ten years, and he has a particular philosophy that is manifested in his beautiful presentation.

“My master told me ‘The eyes eat first,’” Li explains, recalling his training as a sushi chef.  “And with the cucumber decorations, sometimes we have a little bit (of cucumber) left over. We don’t want to waste it, so it becomes a flower.”

The tempura maki (check the pictures to the right) is just one of Li’s artistic and tasty sushi creations. Another is the unusual “strawberry maki” which contains tuna, cucumber, and cream cheese topped with fresh strawberries and a sweet strawberry sauce. There’s even a “Newton maki” with a more traditional combo of salmon, cucumber, scallion and spicy mayo topped with avocado sauce and shrimp roe.

Tom Yum Koong III also offers traditional Thai dishes, of course. Daranuwat says that the same-named soup (pictured to the right) is their most popular dish, but a close second is the delicious Crispy Chicken Basil (also pictured to the right).

For those seeking a selection more associated with other Asian cuisines, Tom Yum Koong III has crab rangoon (Chinese-American fare) and gyoza (Japanese dumplings), among other choices.

But there is no question that Tom Yum Koong III is a Thai restaurant and that its owner is very proud of his heritage and background. Statues of several deities decorate the sunny storefront, and on my visit Daranuwat pointed out the plate of food left as an offering to the Buddha. Comprised of a crab rangoon, some rice and chicken gra pow (diced chicken with peppers, string beans and basil in a chili sauce), the plate made it clear that the god who oversaw the restaurant would be as pleased as Daranuwat’s customers no doubt are.

And Daranuwat is pleased right back. He is excited about being in Newton and eager to meet more patrons and members of the community.

“Newton is a big town, it’s a good town,” he beams. “The customers are so nice, and we have the colleges and universities. This location is not too big, so I can see people when they come in.”