In his 2005 review for the Tallahassee Democrat, the late food critic Ashby Stiff used the catch-all word "nice" to describe Reangthai Restaurant, a gem on Capital Circle. The description emphasized the agreeable goodness of the spot's ambience, food and service.
Upon my own visit, 19 years later, I share the same sentiment after an intimate conversation with owner Nipada Mulsing, or "Chef Donna" as many adoringly call her. And after a few bites of her signature Thai-fused dish, I'd even add a few more words to the list to describe the entire package of the restaurant as a delight, a lovely place in many ways.
"My restaurant means everything," Mulsing said in an interview. "What else can I do besides this?"
The restaurant wedged between a handful of shops in the Festival Shopping Center on Capital Circle Northeast for nearly three decades exudes its own personality, much aligned with its operator – warm and expressive.
As guests make their way into the dining room, they are greeted by ivory faux flowers, a gift from Mulsing's sister, that appear to climb the walls. The deep tan walls are accented by knick-knacks, including glass cases filled with porcelain, and statues that sit next to portraits held in gold frames.
Chair covers change with the seasons, while red and purple lanterns hang from the ceiling, casting a mood in the room, all enhanced by enchanting sounds of a piano being played softly through speakers in the background.
Upon entering, guests are greeted by a miniature statue beneath an awning, a smaller version of the one toward the back, where the host eagerly awaits the arrival of guests.
Mulsing operates the restaurant seven days a week with a heart of gratitude, fueled by her passion for cooking. "I love to cook," she repeats throughout the interview, her face lighting up every time she says it.
Every day she opens the store, first making the list of homemade ice creams, then moving on to prep chili sauces. Each dish is handmade with hopes to fill customers' tummies, which in return fills her heart, an exchange she looks forward to daily.
"I'm so happy when I see that, I'm very happy," she says clutching her hands to her chest. Although traffic is slow some days, one can tell from the way she talks about the feeling she gets when customers do come in to try her culinary creations, she doesn't mind the wait.
You won't find another cook touching the stove, as she handles it all with a level of patience honed over the years.
One of her favorite parts is taking a moment to take a spell from kitchen duties to greet guests at every table with a big smile and ask about their lives. Her maternal nature is reflected as she checks on my table, catering to my every need, as if I was sitting at my grandma's dining table.
How it all started
Growing up in Phuket, Thailand, the apprentice-turned-chef watched as her grandmother transformed their backyard into a kitchen pantry. Using baskets and garden tools, she would pick her ingredients to compose supper.
"I'd always see that she was happy when she cooked. I remember she'd have scissors; she'd have a knife and then she'd have all her baskets. In the morning, she'd go into the garden and cut all the herbs and then come in. She'd still be smiling," Mulsing said.
Dressed in her white, hard-pressed chef's jacket lined with red trimming, the gentle but mighty owner gets expressive with hand gestures and facial expressions as she recounts those childhood memories of trailing her grandmother from the garden to the kitchen, gladly following commands.
"I think that's special," she said, adding that this was the seed that planted the roots of her passions.
The Thai-fused restaurant pridefully offers a mix of her grandma's traditional recipes and Mulsing's personal flair with the use of locally sourced ingredients.
Mulsing moved to the states in the '80s, starting in New York, and then to Miami before landing in Tallahassee to join a friend.
She later opened a larger-scale restaurant, Bangkok City, on Mahan Drive, which seated up to 120 guests. Running the buffet at $3.99 per person with a monthly rent of $3,000 proved to be more challenging than expected.
She admits she jumped at the opportunity without much business knowledge. She only knew that she loved to cook and she was confident in her ability to do it well.
The restaurant was eventually closed and Mulsing relocated to her current location in the '90s, looking to establish a name for her establishment as the "heart of Thailand."
She placed a "welcome back" sign with her name on display facing Capital Circle to distinguish herself from the only other long-standing Thai restaurant at the time, Bahn Thai, now on Apalachee Parkway.
"I got a lot of customer support. The line was very packed," she said .
This direct approach to reach customers continues to be a solid marketing tactic for the entrepreneur who has found vulnerability as a genuine way to connect with guests. Instead of roadway signs, she now finds herself making candid Facebook posts reminding people to dine in because she doesn't want to have to close her business.
Many other restaurateurs have shared the same sentiment that this summer has been one of the hardest, some struggling to make ends meet.
Mulsing attributes the inconsistency of customers to a few factors: her heavier offerings, which may be less appealing in scorching weather; the natural slowdown during the summer when students leave town; rising supply costs; and her location, which can be less favorable on major game days — a time when many Tallahassee restaurants typically thrive.
Mulsing says she's not looking to get rich, but with a steady flow of customers, "I'll be fine." She employs a couple of students as servers. She said some staff had to leave because they weren't making enough in tips some days.
Highlights of the Reangthai Restaurant Menu
- The restaurant offers an extensive menu broken down into several sections. On it you'll find dishes packed with flavor. Soups, salads, appetizers, along with noodle, fried rice and stir fry centric dishes are offered. Thai curry, a generous handful of vegetarian dishes and 10 different signature entrees occupy the menu as well.
- Popular entrees include the hefty plate of "Pork Rib Pad Thai" made with tender pork ribs that fall off the bone, topped with a mountain of rice noodles stir fried with peanut sauce, ground peanuts that add a crunch and shredded cabbage (starting at $18.99).
- Trendy bubble and milk teas and mango sticky rice are also on the menu. Beer and wine is also available.
- As its slogan says, from its elaborate snapper dish dressed in cilantro, carrots, tomatoes, onions and bell pepper (market price), to mango curries and whatever else chef decides to whip up for the day's specials, you're ensured to get a "taste of Thai without a passport."
If you go
When:
- Monday: 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
- Tuesday to Friday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m-9 p.m.
- Saturday: 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
- Sunday: 4 p.m.-8 p.m.
Where: 2740 Capital Circle NE
Kyla A Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurant opening up, special deals, or events coming up? Let me know at ksanford@tallahassee.com. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: TLH Eats: Reangthai Restaurant on Capital Circle serves comforting taste of Thai cuisine
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