Neung Thai Kitchen mural and interior. Photo by Nga Reyes
Enjoy the flavors of homestyle Thai cooking at Neung Thai Kitchen, where a first-time restaurateur gives locals “a true Thai experience.”
Step inside the new Neung Thai Kitchen, nestled in a tiny strip mall just outside downtown Ardsley, and you’ll be greeted by a sweeping statement mural featuring a collection of noteworthy landmarks in Thailand. Your host will lead you to your seat and hand you a laminated menu. What serves as a placemat doubles as a guide for your palate, full of images of the different herbs and spices that could be in your meal.
Neung’s Thai Kitchen is the concept of first-time restaurateur Chalermravee Yamsiriwong, who goes by the nickname, Neung, which translates to “number one,” because she is her parents’ first child.
A teacher by trade in Thailand, when an opportunity to chase the American dream came knocking, Neung grabbed it and began a new chapter in Westchester. After a little traveling and some time getting to know her new home, Neung began to scope out places to offer Westchester foodies what she calls “a true Thai experience.”
To Neung, that means good food with real, authentic ingredients. “You can judge a good Thai meal by the balance of different proportions of sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy.” That could translate to the curry paste in your favorite red, green, or massaman curry, or the fragrant herbs in your favorite pad Thai, pad see ew, or drunken noodle dish.
However, finding those ingredients can sometimes be a challenge. Due to a recent sriracha shortage, Neung traveled to Queens and Manhattan and linked up with vendors in California and Florida, where certain ingredients are more prevalent. So, to those who love lemon water, you may have to settle for lime, which is also a primary ingredient in Thai cooking.
Neung is proud that all dishes — from the apps to the entrées — are made in-house with a menu curated from a collection of recipes from Neung’s closest family and friends. “We’re not trying to be fancy,” Neung says. “We just want to give people real, homestyle food, and we hope they like it.”
Oh, and that eye-catching wall mural that welcomed you in? It was painted by Neung’s brother.
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