Local Eats

LOCAL EATS Sunisa Thai

Story and photos by Mabel Suen

Chesterfield-based restaurant Sunisa Chesterfield has reopened with a revamped concept featuring Thai cuisine and veteran chefs (and husband-and-wife duo) Silpakorn “Jeff” Tabtiang and Gunsinee “Nhong” Khotraweera as its new owners.

“We’ve been chefs for a long time,” Tabtiang, a native of Bangkok, Thailand, says. “My wife started her career at her family’s Thai restaurant in Chiang Rai before coming to the U.S. I’ve been a chef at various Japanese and sushi restaurants around St. Louis for over 30 years. We decided that if we ever had the chance, we’d open our own Thai restaurant.”

For the past few years, the duo lived in Cape Girardeau, where they cooked at Bistro Saffron, which is owned by Su Hill of Chiang Mai in Webster Groves. When Sunisa Payne decided to vacate the Chesterfield location of Sunisa’s Thai Restaurant, the couple moved back to St. Louis to pursue the opportunity. Payne’s original location in St. Peters is still in operation. The business is a family affair, with their daughter, Nicha, helping out with front-of-house service.

“We took over here and made our own menu,” Tabtiang says. “These are popular dishes from all over Thailand.”

Tabtiang and Khotraweera shortened the menu to give their customer base a more concise selection from which to choose; it features their own recipes for regional dishes, such as khao soi, a curry noodle dish from Northern Thailand. Their version includes a base of curry paste, curry powder, coconut milk, bay leaf, cumin and coriander with egg noodles, fried shallots, chile oil and pickled mustard greens.

Khao nah gai is another highlight and features chicken in gravy with mushrooms and scallions, served over rice with a sweet and spicy sauce. Sriracha chicken is an additional special offering and is made of fried battered chicken breast pieces, cooked in a sour, spicy and sweet sauce that includes Thai Sriracha, and served with rice and steamed vegetables.

“Thai E-San” dishes from Northeastern Thailand include nam tok beef with grilled and sliced beef, red onion, scallion, cilantro, rice powder and chile flakes, served with a spicy sour sauce. Rotating specials include entrées such as whole red snapper with sweet chile sauce, basil, bell pepper and fried red chiles.

“These dishes are hard to find and have special flavors we’ve learned to cook over time,” Tabtaing says. “Some of them, like the Sriracha chicken, are things we’ve created with the best flavors.” ln Sunisa Chesterfield, 17535 Chesterfield Airport Road, Chesterfield, 636-537-9997, sunisasthairestaurant.com