She owned multiple restaurants in Thailand. Now she opened one in Johnson County
Bunnuch Benberg has been serving Thai dishes in busy dining rooms for 22 years.
She knows how long to let pad thai noodles simmer, bathing them in a not-too-sour tangy sauce, stir-fried with bean sprouts, scrambled eggs and peanuts. When customers want their dish extra spicy, she knows how to turn up the heat.
And she ought to. Benberg owned two restaurants (and one coffee shop) in Thailand for 15 years.
When she moved to the Kansas City area seven years ago, she went right back to what she does best: cooking Thai food. She worked for KC Thai, Lemongrass and other local favorites.
But on Nov. 19, Benberg opened a restaurant of her own: Thai Chili Cuisine, at 8611 Hauser Court in Lenexa. Her ex-husband, Niels, is a partner in the business.
Their restaurant is open every day but Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Benberg sells Thai dishes from mild, like the cool papaya salad, to extra spicy, like the flaming gang phed ped yang (spicy duck curry). Her menu offers a wider variety of Thai food than other places, she said, including lesser-known dishes like gaeng som, a spicy fish curry with veggies that she’s especially proud of.
“I make my curry every day,” she said.
For dessert, Benberg offers sweet rice balls or water chestnuts coated in tapioca gel, floating in coconut syrup and ice.
She’s gotten used to running a Thai restaurant overseas. Now, she loves encouraging American customers to try something they’ve never tasted before.
She recommends the boat noodle soup — and said it rarely disappoints.
