Jackie Mercandetti
Family affair: The Sala Thai team, from left: Chef Somsaun Pluemjit, server Kwang Tannoy, Pluemjit's son Arnit, his brother Aniwat, and Pluemjit's husband/partner Samroeng. Up front, the Pluemjits' daughter Arleena.
Location Info
Details
Beef salad: $6.49
Thai omelet: $5.49
Son-in-law egg: $4.89
Mussaman curry: $6.79
602-971-1293.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 7 p.m. (Reservations suggested for parties of five or more.)
10880 North 32nd Street, one-quarter-mile north of Shea Boulevard
Related Content
More About
Pluemjit's Thai bistro is pleasant enough for small parties to dine in, with colorful Thai fabrics on the walls. But Sala Thai is doing such a booming business in takeout that Pluemjit can hardly print menus fast enough, so many people want one. It's a family enterprise, with dad Samroeng and their 21-year-old son Arnit helping out, and a younger son and daughter are often on the premises. Interesting tidbit: "Sala" refers to the open pavilions common to Thai architecture, a place where people may rest, seek shelter, or, in the case of a Thai temple, hear a sermon.
Pluemjit spent a decade working on an assembly line for Corning in Gilbert before she and her husband, who still works there six days a week, saved enough to open their own place, one much needed in a neighborhood hungry for ethnic dining options. They came to this country 13 years ago so their children would be able to go to American schools, and though they are still working hard, they practically embody the American dream. That and they rustle up some damn fine Thai vittles -- the reason I'll be stuffing my face there as often as I can.
