Talking about Buddha Thai Bistro

6. Who's the audience for your restaurant?

Our main audience is the local community in Jacksonville Beach. There's not a big Thai community in Jacksonville Beach but we try to bring them together and also introduce some Thai culture to the local community. We mainly do this by celebrating Thai holidays, including the Thai New Year. We've also done things like having a monk come in to bless the restaurant.

7. Can you recommend something to someone new to Buddha Thai Bistro who wants to get an idea of what your restaurant is all about?

I would start with the Papaya Salad - it's one of the most famous Thai dishes around the world. It's a raw type salad. We use fresh green papaya that is shredded to keep it crunchy. We add green beans, carrots, and a spicy lamb dressing, which gives it that "yum" combination of salty, sweet, spicy and sour. It's light and fresh.

…is that salad typically eaten as an appetizer, or a main meal?

Most Thai people would eat it as a meal, but they'd add barbecue chicken.

…can you recommend another dish?

Yes, I'd also recommend a green curry dish. Green curry is one of my favorites and I use it a lot. It's made up of green curry paste, mixed with creamy coconut milk, egg plant, Thai holy basil, carrots and peas. The curry paste combined with the coconut milk gives you a wonderful creamy, spicy taste.

Many times people shy away from curry because they think it will be strong. Thai curry isn't that way. With the coconut milk mixed in it is very smooth and creamy.



8. Can you recommend something a little more adventurous?

I'd recommend trying some of our spicy noodle dishes. There's one called Drunk Man Noodles. It's a spicier, stir fried noodle dish with a light brown, spicy sauce. You can add your choice of meat or protein, such as chicken, beef, shrimp or scallops. We also offer tofu and soy meat, such as soy chicken, soy shrimp or soy fish if you want a vegan protein option.

9. Are there any dishes you really like that may be less popular but that you think people would like if they gave it a try?

There's always something like that. Brown fried rice is really good. People are often afraid to try brown rice because they think it'll be dry and a little tougher. We mix together brown rice and weeddy rice (also known as red rice), then stir fry it with vegetables. It's healthy, filling, and comes with a lot of nutrition that's good for you