Today Siam Noodles and Food opened in a new location in Soldotna. Housed in the building formerly occupied by The Moose Is Loose, the biggest difference after renting their previous location for five years is that owners Phatcharin Apaipak and Suwannasa Piwon now own the building from which they operate operate.
“It means all our dreams are coming true,” Apaipak said last week.
Apaipak and Piwon said they are grateful for the support they have received from the local community – for keeping them open and empowered during the COVID-19 pandemic and empowering them to grow and take the big step.
A grand opening event taking place today will feature free food to give guests a chance to sample the expanded menu but also to thank the community for their support, Piwon said.
Sitting in the newly renovated restaurant a week before the grand opening, Apaipak attributed the success and community support to their authenticity.
The food, she said, should “taste like I eat it at home.” She said the food she serves at Siam is the same food she used to cook with her grandmother.
“Real Thai food,” she said.
In that regard, Piwon says they import ingredients from Thailand to ensure they meet their own quality standards.
Besides the food, Piwon said, they make an impression on their guests by remembering them, offering them a greeting and serving them food of their liking. For example, Piwon said, they work hard to remember their customers — for example, who wants spicy food and who can’t stomach it.
Piwon said they’ve been eyeing the new location for a few years. When it went up for sale again, it conveniently coincided with the end of their lease across the street.
She said the new location gives them more parking, a newer kitchen, and most importantly, the freedom to make whatever changes they want. She said at their previous location they were even limited in the amount of electricity and gas they could use.
Now free to upgrade their kitchen however they wish, the pair have redecorated the entire interior with artwork by a Thai artist and gold-toned metalwork. They said the renovation turned out to be much more extensive than they anticipated, as they ended up having to replace much of the plumbing and electrical work in the old building. Piwon said they worked on the building for five months.
During the renovations, they hired local contractor Ed Beddow from Northern Pacific Specialty Construction. He said he became close to Piwon and Apaipak while working. He said their history, culture and hard work inspired him.
“In a place like Soldotna we are very fortunate to have good people who have worked so hard to save their money to be able to buy this location,” he said. “They’re now transitioning from renting to owning, and that’s part of the American dream.”
Their story, he said, exemplified ambition and opportunity as they started a business and developed it into success and growth and are now taking a big step into its future.
The history of Apaipak on the central Kenai Peninsula began more than a decade before Siam Noodles and Food opened. She used to work in Kenai’s Thai Town and spent 10 years there, first with her mother.
Piwon said after those 10 years, Apaipak left the state to become a better chef, live in San Francisco and learn new techniques. She took what she learned after two years in San Francisco and brought it back to Thailand – where she continued to develop her craft with desserts and baking.
After years of training, Apaipak wanted to open her own restaurant. Despite the time she’s been away, she said the Central Peninsula is still her home, and her past experiences with the community left her with an understanding of her tastes. Seeing a lack of Thai cuisine in Soldotna, she opened Siam Noodles and Food.
Five years later, sitting at the redesigned and relocated Siam Noodles and Food, Apaipak said she looked forward to seeing how their business might develop in the future.
“More food and more successful,” she said. “To our lives and also to this community.”
For more information on Siam Noodles and Food, visit facebook.com/siamnoodlesandfood. There will be a grand opening at 11 a.m. today
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
Suwannasa Piwon stands at the counter and greets diners during a soft opening on Friday, April 7, 2023 at Siam Noodles and Food in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Clarion Peninsula)
Water is delivered to a table during a soft opening on Friday, April 7, 2023 at Siam Noodles and Food in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Clarion Peninsula)
Tables will be filled with guests for the first time during a soft opening on Friday, April 7, 2023 at Siam Noodles and Food in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Clarion Peninsula)
Owners Suwannasa Piwon and Phatcharin Apaipak sit for a photo at the new location of their Siam Noodles and Food in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo provided by Siam Noodles and Food)
Suwannasa Piwon, right, stands at the counter and greets diners during a soft opening Friday, April 7, 2023 at Siam Noodles and Food in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Clarion Peninsula)
