New Thai restaurant opens in the old Kay’s (but you’ll still get ice cream!)
When word got out on social media last month that a new Thai restaurant was opening, it was some of the biggest news to hit South Knoxville. The owners of Thai Time restaurant are none other than Srichan (Gina) and Samarn (Sam) Chakpuang, the family that opened Jai Dee Thai and Japanese on the University of Tennessee campus back in October 2012.
Things really accelerated after the pandemic, according to their son Juthinart (Jay) Pomanee, who is helping his family run their new eatery. “We lost a lot of the workforce and ended up working with minimal staff,” Jay said. “It took a toll on my parents’ health, and in order to take care of their health they had to sell the restaurant.”
The family lives in South Knoxville, so when they heard that Scott’s Deli, in the former Kay’s Ice Cream shop at 6200 Chapman Highway, was closing, they decided to open Thai Time Restaurant.
“My Dad had retired, but my mother hadn’t and they did not know what else they could do,” Jay said. “We saw this place and thought it was a great location. It is a very well-known landmark restaurant and Kay’s had so much history. Since there are no other Thai restaurants, it is pretty exciting to see so much interest in the restaurant.”
At Jai Dee the capacity was 70-80; Thai Time has a more manageable maximum of 35.
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“We wanted to provide the same food and taste and reduce the workload and hardships that come with a bigger restaurant,” Jay said. The kitchen is not as big either, so the family has zeroed in on their favorite dishes.
“We have a smaller menu with Thai staples: Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, a yellow curry and a fried rice that is everyone’s go-to,” Jay said. “At a lot of Thai places you usually get the same things. We are featuring some different dishes. We have a roast duck, a steamed chicken in a homemade ginger garlic sauce – it’s a simple dish and pretty healthy.”
Jai Dee had over 100 items, so they discounted some Northern Thai dishes and opted for just one of their curries.
“As far as the Japanese side, we no longer have sushi or seafood-related cuisines or ramen,” Jay said. “It may be available in the future. We are willing to offer rotating specials on seafood, ramen or Thai noodle soup dishes.”
Starters included vegetable spring rolls and crab rangoons that are made in-house with a touch of turmeric curry powder and served with sweet and tangy sauce.
“Marinated garlic pork with sticky rice is a common street food in Thailand so it is a small-plate experience,” Jay said. There are four soups and a choice of eight entrees.
Thai Time is going to continue the Kay’s Ice Cream tradition with scoops of ice cream available in a cup or cone as well as more traditional desserts.
“We do local and street food, so we have our version of mango and sticky rice, fried cheesecake and ice cream to make dessert as enticing as possible,” added Jay.
Drinks include bottled sodas and water, and seven bubble tea flavors made with fruit and tapioca pearls.“My father is the one who comes up with the recipe and makes the ingredients and sauces,” Jay said. “My mom handles front of house and accounting. It’s family teamwork, and this is what we do best.”
Thai Time Restaurant is open every day except Mondays and serves its menu all day. Takeout orders can be placed online at https://www.thaitimenow.com/ or over the phone at 865-253-7185. Eventually, they will offer delivery through a third party such as DoorDash or Uber Eats.
Hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-8 p.m. Saturday, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: New Thai restaurant opens in South Knoxville Kay’s ice cream location
