Thai restaurant pioneers cuisine in South Elgin
A statue of a beautiful woman dressed in a traditional Thai costume, her hands in a praying position, greets you as soon as you open the door to Thai Town Restaurant.
But owners Sam Ampracha and his wife, Tiffany, say it is their fresh food and hospitality that will make you stay to eat, and bring you back for more.
In November, the family-owned restaurant celebrates its first anniversary in South Elgin.
The owners previously opened Thai restaurants in St. Charles and Batavia called Thai Village and Thai Country, respectively.
They sold those eateries in order to open their South Elgin restaurant, having come to town to be near the community's growth west of Randall Road.
"This town's going to be good for it because nobody's opened a Thai restaurant in South Elgin," Sam Ampracha said.
Thai Town stays true to its name. Photographs of past Thai monarchs, as well as posters of street scenes and landmarks, are found throughout the restaurant, decorating its bright orange walls.
To add to the decor, a fresh carnation decorates each table, each of which is draped in either a gray or purple silk tablecloth.
The Amprachas live in Oswego and are originally from Bangkok, Thailand, having moved to the United States 29 years ago. They have three children -- Tom, Teen and Ten -- who help their parents at the restaurant after school and on the weekends.
Tiffany Ampracha's brother, who worked as a chef in Thailand, taught the couple everything he knows about cooking Thai food.
Sam Ampracha says he buys fresh food every day to prepare the various meals on the menu.
Prices on the menu range from $3.95 for a small bowl of soup to $12.95 for a duck curry dish. Delivery and carry out service also are available.
Pad thai, a stir-fried noodle dish with onions, crushed peanuts and fried egg, is probably the most popular item on the menu, the couple says.
Rather than cooking their dishes "Thai-style," which to Sam Ampracha means very spicy, they cook them according to customers' tastes.
Lately, he said, many patrons have wanted their food super-spicy.
"Most of my customers eat it spicy right now, even more than me," Sam Ampracha said.
The Amprachas hope to open another Thai restaurant eventually, planting their flag in Oswego this time. What'll that one be called" Thai House.
Could an eatery named Thai World be close behind?
• Thai Town Restaurant is located at 574 S. Randall Road within the Prairie View Center. For more information or to order carryout dishes, call (847) 289-8659.