Thai Village will help with those curry cravings in dishes like massaman curry shown here, a dish made with peanuts, coconut milk, curry, potatoes, carrots, chicken and nuts. (Photo by Natalie Stoker.)
Thai Village, located on University Avenue south of BYU campus, has been serving authentic Thai food to BYU students and faculty since its opening.
'We have been open for two years and it will be three years in January,' said Derek Mathavongsy, son of the restaurant's owner.
Mathavongsy said his parents were originally from Thailand and came to America in 1999. His mother was a chef in Thailand, which gave them the practice to start a family restaurant.
The restaurant was originally a KFC, but one would never know by looking at it. It has been transformed into a mini Thailand, with elephants, Thai dancers and gold and red wall paper. Thai Village has a decent amount of seating with tables of two to four chairs throughout the restaurant.
'Let's face its, 90 percent of people that eat Thai food go for the curry,' said Zack Woodmansee, a computer science major. 'Thai Village is the closest place to home, so it is usually where I go.'
Some of the well-known Thai dishes served at the restaurant include cashew chicken, massaman curry, red curry, panang curry and pad thai. Dishes come with a choice of chicken, beef, pork, tofu or vegetables. Shrimp or salmon come at an extra price. All dishes come with rice, unless they are a noodle dish, like pad thai. The prices of appetizers, meals and desserts range from $5 to$11 per person.
Thai Village also does a lunch special that gives large food portions, with a spring roll and a side salad with a peanut dressing. Call-in orders and to-go boxes are also available. Thai Village is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed Sunday.
'Whenever I go to Thai Village I love to get the massaman curry. It has such unexpected flavors that blend so well in my mouth,' said Kathryn Arbon, a nursing major. 'I also like the cozy environment. It is so quaint. It is a great place for a date or a roommate date.'
Thai food is known for its peanut flavors, coconut milk bases and its curries. Its foods can also be very spicy, so menus at many Thai restaurants, such as Thai Village, make sure to point out the spicy dishes.
BYU students and faculty wanting Thai food will find Thai Village to be a fun place for a quick lunch, dinner date or simply an opportunity to try new food flavors with friends.