After working in restaurants for many years in both New York and New Jersey, Tora Uttarapong wanted to open his own place where he could offer the best in authentic Thai food. “I started working in restaurants in New York when I was a student at NYU, and then in 2003, I moved to New Jersey to work for my friend's Thai restaurant, Summit Thai,” he says. “I’ve also worked in a Thai restaurant in Millburn, and at Roots Steak House in Summit.”
Along with business partner Pat Srithong, Tora decided to start small, opening Proud Thai Cookery in Berkeley Heights in 2016. Here, customers can dine at the six to eight tables, take out, or have food delivered. “My aunt, Dana, a great chef from New York, prepares the food and recipes.”
The restaurant was so successful that they decided to open a bigger place, focused on dine-in, with a welcoming ambience and plenty of seating. Times Thai Streatery in Summit had its soft opening in May, followed by its grand opening this September. “A lot of people came, and we even had Mayor Fagan of Summit join us in leading the ribbon-cutting ceremony,” says Tora. Like Proud Thai, Times Thai also offers take-out and delivery, as well as catering services.
Both restaurants offer many of the same dishes, with some differences and unique dishes accordingly. Among customers' favorites are the Drunken Noodles. These sautéed flat rice noodles are flavored with Thai holy basil, crushed chili, onion, garlic, egg, and red bell peppers. Their Thai curries, such as their Massaman Curry, with onion, potato, and peanuts in coconut milk, are quite popular as well.
Another fan favorite is the Boat Noodle Soup. In Thailand, it’s traditionally sold on boats sailing among the floating markets, hence the name.
Since much authentic Thai street food stems from the offerings of the sea, the restaurants also offer a variety of seafood dishes, including whole fish—such as red snapper—and soft-shell crabs.
In addition, the menu features unique Southeast Asian beverages beloved by Thai people, such as Thai Iced Tea, Thai Iced Coffee, fresh Lychee Juice, and Bubble Tea.
Dessert choices include the Thai classic, Mango Sticky Rice, a pandan leaf-infused sweet sticky rice served alongside fresh sliced mangoes and topped with sweet coconut milk. This version is a special family recipe crafted by Tora’s wife, Lek.
Tora ensures that many of the ingredients used in the restaurants are fresh and authentic, as they are imported from Thailand. “That’s important to keep the original, authentic taste.” Protein, vegetables, and other ingredients are sourced locally.
He wants the restaurants’ dishes to replicate the street food of Thailand. “These dishes are intended to be comfort food, and people in Bangkok can find this type of food in the abundant street markets.”
Tora dreams of paying homage to the street-market atmosphere in the future, perhaps on the second floor of Times Thai Streatery. In fact, the word “Streatery” (coined by Tora himself) reflects his mission and is what he strives to offer his customers. “It's not an incorrect spelling—it’s my combination of the words ‘Street’ and ‘Eatery’. I want customers to feel like they’re walking down the streets of Bangkok.”
Visit ProudThaiCookery.com and TimesThaiStreateryNJ.com to learn more.
