WEBB CITY, Mo. — Aithit Worrathong says the great thing about Thai food is the cuisine offers a little something for everyone.    Like foods with a bit of heat? There’s a Thai dish for you. Maybe you like a bit of sweetness in your food. There’s a Thai dish for you. Or perhaps you crave a mix of heat and sweet. Thai food has got you covered.

Worrathong, who took ownership of the Thai Spice restaurant, located at 209 N. Main in Webb City, in May 2010, points to the yellow curry served at his restaurant as an example of what he means. The curry dish made with potato and carrots in yellow curry sauce has a distinct sweetness to it.

“But we can also make it spicy for you by adding chili sauce,” he said.

Worrathong worked as a graphic artist in television and print in his native Thailand until he moved to the United States about a decade ago. It was while he was living in Savannah, Ga., that he began to learn the restaurant business, working at all levels in a Thai restaurant. Savannah was also where Worrathong met Kewalin Panyakam, who is now the chef at Thai Spice. Also from Thailand, Kewalin has extensive experience as a chef in both Thailand and the United States.

In almost two years, Worrathong and Kewalin have managed to build a steady, loyal customer base. Worrathong said while some of his first-time customers were familiar with Thai food, many were not Ñ which meant he had to do a little educating.

To help people ease into Thai food, Worrathong offers a buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursdays to allow customers to try a variety of dishes. Worrathong also includes photos of most of the dishes offered on the menu.

“We had some people who spoke Spanish but when they saw the picture of tom po tak they pointed to it and that’s what they ordered,” Worrathong said.

Tom po tak, by the way, is a hot and spicy soup served with a variety of seafood as well as mushrooms, basil and onion.

While Worrathong talked about the joys of Thai food, Panyakam was busy in the restaurant’s small, but extremely efficient kitchen putting Worrathong’s words into action. She peeled and sliced a fresh mango, and stir fried it in one of the two large woks on the gas stove along with shrimp, basil leaves, onion, bell peppers and chili jam. The dish served with a generous serving of rice was deliciously sweet.

The Thai Thai fried rice, Panyakam prepared with shrimp, chicken, egg, onion, raisins, pineapple and cashew. As an added touch the rice dish was elegantly served in a hollowed pineapple.

Panyakam’s pad po tak, is stir-fried shrimp, mussels, scallops, calamari, fish, bell peppers and basil leaves served with rice.

The pad po tak was spicy with a bit of heat that sort of sneaks up on you. But, if you’re not a fan of hot foods, the pad po tak, as well as any dish on the menu, can be prepared to your own personal preference.



“We will ask you: ‘How hot do you like it?’” Worrathong said. “And then we will fix it the way you want.”

A favorite of many customers, Worrathong said, are the two duck dishes served at the restaurant. The crispy duck is topped with a spicy basil sauce while the honey duck is topped with a sweeter honey and ginger sauce.

Thai Spice is opened from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. For take out or delivery you may call 417-673-8884.

If you would like to try your hand at preparing Thai food at home, we have included two fairly simple Thai recipes from allrecipes.com.



Curried coconut chicken

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook one minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.

Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Source: allrecipes.com



Spicy garlic and pepper shrimp

2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 tablespoon minced garlic

8 large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons sliced onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Heat one tablespoon oil in a skillet over high heat. Add cabbage and one tablespoon water stir fry for 30 seconds. Remove cabbage from skillet and place on a serving platter.

Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over high heat. Place the garlic and shrimp in the skillet and stir until garlic is lightly browned and shrimp turns pink. Add pepper, onion, cilantro, soy sauce and remaining water to the skillet. Stir fry for 10 seconds. Pour the hot mixture onto the cabbage.

Source: allrecipes.com