About us : From Chef Tong

How did I come up with “Siam Umami”?

Until 1939, Thailand was called Siam. Umami means “flavor” in Japanese. The reason I combined these two together is that I wanted to bring back my country’s old-time royal cuisine to introduce it to the customer who has never seen or tasted it before, combined with new or local ingredients available here in the Northwest. Making my own twist on it. We bring some Thai royal cuisine (Chor Muang and La Tiang for example) with a twist to it, or keep it as is. Our Massaman curry with jackfruit and coconut whipped potatoes -- its flavor is authentic, not overly sweet, and well balanced. Thai cuisine is all about a lot of flavors but everything has to be balanced. In the future we are looking to create more twists on Thai cuisine.

Starting my own restaurant has been in my mind for a very long time. Why Thai? – It’s what I know best in my heart, and most of the Thai food I eat here is too Americanized for me. I want to bring real, authentic flavor, but not as spicy as Thai cuisine. This is my only compromise for the American palate. Everything else is as authentic as possible. When people taste my food and compare it to other Thai restaurants’, they will recognize the difference.

After Tong finished at St. Louis' Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, he worked at Nathaniel Ried’s bakery and at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in St. Louis. He was the only chef on staff who was trained and worked in every kitchen in the hotel. After six years Tong moved to Portland to start something new. Initially he worked for a casino for a few months, then got a job at Pok Pok, starting as assistant kitchen manager, then became kitchen manager at Pok Pok’s NW location. After Pok Pok he worked for Sesame Collective for two years.

Our menu will be seasonal.