New to Boise from San Francisco, sisters born in Thailand open restaurant. Recipes? Mom’s
Don’t look now, but Boise is on a Thai-fueled tear.
Four notable restaurants have materialized since 2022: Nahm Thai & Burmese Cuisine, Krung Thai Restaurant and Sushi Bar, Thai Bistro, and Maggie Thai Kitchen.
A fifth newcomer recently debuted and will hold its grand opening Saturday, Jan. 20: Be Thai Restaurant at the Boise Spectrum. And if you’re a fan of real-deal Thai food, prepare to get stoked about the family-driven backstory.
Be Thai, which has taken over the former Guang Zhou space at 7609 W. Overland Road, is run by fresh Boise transplants Atiwan and Suchewin Songkamilin. The recipes? Their mom’s.
The sisters moved to Idaho from San Francisco last June, Atiwan said in an email. Both were born in Bangkok, where their mother and younger brother still live.
Atiwan is a former “partner owner” at San Francisco’s Lapisara Eatery, she said, a breakfast restaurant with a Thai twist. Think tom yum burritos and Holy Chili Bomb basil omelettes. With nearly 1,500 reviews on Google (4.7 out of 5.0 stars) and Yelp (4.6 out of 5.0), Lapisara is still going strong.
Be Thai isn’t a Thai-American fusion concept. It will be more traditional.
Suchewin will be the chef. Atiwan will work the front of the house. If they have any last-minute cooking questions? They can always reach out to Mom, Somjai Songkamilin, 8,000 miles away.
Be Thai has launched with a temporary menu, but it’s substantial. (And everything is 20% off during grand opening day.) There are eight entrees to pick from on the lunch special ($11.99). It also comes with a pork pot sticker or vegetarian crispy roll, and the soup of the day (tom yum or tom kha veggie).
The main menu offers an array of options: appetizers, soups, salads, rice plates, and traditional dishes such as stir-fry noodles ($13) ranging from pad Thai and pad see ew to spaghetti pad kee mao (drunken noodles).
Be Thai’s menu “favorites” include barbecue plates (marinated chicken or pork, $18; beef $20) served with fried rice and a mixed green salad. The barbecue dishes are “flavorful and tasty,” Atiwan said.
Love spicy food? She recommends the “thick and rich” coconut curries. They’re $14, served with tofu, chicken or pork (add $3 for beef or shrimp) and jasmine rice. The curries come in three heat levels.
Did you choose the most blazing option? Cool off with beverages ranging from Thai iced tea ($5) and iced coffee ($5) to traditional soft drinks such as Pepsi and root beer.
Don’t forget dessert: ice cream ($5), fried banana with ice cream ($9), a banana split ($9) or mango with sweet sticky rice ($10) — when it’s in season.
After a run of nearly 15 years, Guang Zhou will be missed by regulars who appreciated Chinese food. But Be Thai Restaurant makes the news easier — and delicious — to swallow.
The reason Atiwan and Suchewin are opening their restaurant is simple: “... We want to do authentic Thai food,” Atiwan said. “We are confident in Thai flavor.”
▪ Be Thai’s hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Phone: (208) 807-5996.
