CHEF’S TABLE

A RESTAURANT HOLLY SPRINGS CAN CALL ITS OWN

OSHA THAI KITCHEN & SUSHI FILLS A MUCH-NEEDED NICHE IN WESTERN WAKE

BY ELLIOT ACOSTA PHOTOS BY MASH PHOTOGRAPHY

Just a few decades ago, Holly Springs could be more accurately described by what the town didn’t have, than by what it did. There weren’t many residential subdivisions, shopping areas or places to eat. But then the sleepy town at the southern edge of Wake County that had just shy of 1,400 residents in 1990, exploded to more than 40,000 in 2020. Fujiflim broke ground in Holly Springs that same year, continuing the momentum.

Despite this growth, Holly Springs still didn’t have a neighborhood restaurant where residents could go for a nice meal. Tired of driving to the Triangle’s marquee cities for a quality dining experience, North Carolina natives and longtime Holly Springs residents Blake and Katie Zalcberg knew the town of Holly Springs was ready for an acclaimed restaurant of its own—and it just so happened they knew a pair who would help them bring such a restaurant to life.

UNIFIED ASPIRATIONS

The Zalcbergs met Leo Chotitaveesaksri when he was their charismatic and attentive server at Wasabi, a longtime fixture in Cary’s Japanese scene. Eventually, their conversations diverged from culinary options to a deeper discussion of aspirations, namely Chotitaveesaksri’s desire to open a Thai restaurant that reflected the taste and flavors of his life in Thailand. The Zalcbergs also learned of Chotitaveesaksri’s wife, Wiyada “Tuk” Sorkeaw, and her desire to lead a kitchen. Thanks to the Zalcbergs’ connection to developing Holly Springs’ Town Hall Commons, the team collaborated and made Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi a reality.

For Blake, the partnership goes beyond just business. “We’re like family,” Blake says. “Four people running in parallel, serving authentic Thai food, sushi and cocktails to Holly Springs.”

Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi opened in late 2019. At that time, its creators were getting their feet underneath them, trying to figure out how to consistently provide an authentic experience for guests. During those early days, Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi didn’t even offer takeout. But then the pandemic and shelter-in-place orders came to North Carolina. Within a day, the restaurant pivoted and offered online ordering.

The chaos created by the pandemic over the last two years gave the restaurant an opportunity to define itself. And through the midst of this mayhem, Holly Springs carried them. “My expectations were far exceeded with how important you can become to a community” Blake says.

AUTHENTIC THAI TASTE

Among the menu offerings crafted by Leo and Tuk is Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi’s most beloved dish: pad thai. It has earned praise and attention in large part due to its unique fishnet cooked eggs laid over stir fry noodles. But the restaurant’s menu goes beyond its headlining dish. Paying homage to Thai cuisine, dishes like the Som Tum Thai—which features shaved green papaya, grilled shrimp and Thai chiles—offer diners an authentic taste of Thailand.

The biggest misconception associated with Thai cuisine is that all Thai dishes are intolerably spicy. But Blake is quick to point out that Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi dishes like the Tom Yum soup stretch across the flavor spectrum. He also mentions, quite often, that Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi provides a range of heat levels—from mild to infamous Thai hot. If diners do find themselves engulfed in heat, Blake recommends cooling down with the restaurant’s Thai Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice (see the recipe below), whether on the side or in the restaurant’s Mango and Sticky Rice dessert.

A CADILLAC IN HOLLY SPRINGS

The restaurant’s sushi offerings depart from a marketplace heavily skewed toward providing diners high consumption of all-you-can-eat and buy-one-get-one deals. Under the direction of Richard Fong, who previously headed other prestigious kitchens—like O-Ku Sushi in Raleigh—the sushi at Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi focuses on the art of the craft. Its sushi menu pays tribute to the skillful work of the chefs’ knives, quality of the fish and aesthetic beauty of the plate.

One of the restaurant’s most popular sushi items is the Tuna Tower, a stacked cylinder of crispy rice, avocado and spicy tuna. For Blake, who advocated for including sushi as part of the restaurant’s vision, the Hamachi Kama, a grilled yellowtail collar served with ponzu sauce, showcases the talent of Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi’s chefs.

While the restaurant was being constructed, a curious construction worker asked Blake, “You sure you want to build a Cadillac in Holly Springs?” Blake’s response: “Holly Springs needs a Cadillac.”

The Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi team knew from the start that Holly Springs was ready for its own celebrated restaurant, and they are grateful that the community allowed Osha Thai & Sushi to be that place.

PICTURED AT LEFT: WIYADA “TUK” SORKEAW, OWNER AND HEAD OF THE KITCHEN; LEO CHOTITAVEESAKSRI, OWNER AND FRONT OF HOUSE EXPERIENCE MANAGER; AND KOI MOONTRIPAKDEE, HEAD CHEF.

THAI SWEET COCONUT STICKY RICE

INGREDIENTS 3 cups of sweet sticky rice 2 13½ ounce cans of coconut milk 1 cup of sugar ½ teaspoon of salt

DIRECTIONS Put 3 cups of dry, sweet sticky rice in a container and fill it with water to completely cover the rice. Let it soak for 6 hours. Put the rice in a rice net or seasoning bag and place it in a stovetop steamer. Boil water underneath it for 30 minutes, then take the rice out and let it cool in a bowl. In a pot on the stove, add 2 cans of coconut milk, 1 cup of sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt, then boil it together until the sugar and salt has dissolved. Pour the liquid over the rice, mix it together and let it cool. Enjoy the rice with cut-up ripe mango or any fruit for a delicious snack or dessert.