With change comes opportunity. About 17 years ago, when Pawn Houmphavong’s husband lost his job, an opportunity came knocking. She decided to open a restaurant.

“They said, in Waterloo, they didn’t have a real Thai restaurant yet. Somebody offered this space to my son. That’s why we came,” says Houmphavong, owner of UpTown Waterloo’s Thai Sun. “I never cooked (professionally) before in my life, but I experimented at home. I studied what North Americans like in Thai food. They like it to be fresh. They like it to be honest food.”

For six months, she worked with her sister, Bonavone Sisombath, chef-owner of Cambridge’s Thai Coconut Island. There, she learned how professional kitchens are run as well as the business side of restaurants. She worked on her menu, taking advice from family, working on adapting well-practised familiar favourites in her home kitchen.

Thai Sun is very much a family run restaurant with Pawn in the kitchen, assisted by relatives, and her husband, Sam, assisting guests. That sense of family extends to their servers, a small team of university students working their way through school.

“We want to be able to support them — it’s too expensive for them. We’ve never put a post up for staff. When (a staff member) said a friend needs a job, I said, ‘OK, bring them in.’ You don’t expect them (to know everything), but you can teach them.”

Originally from Loei, in northeastern Thailand, Houmphavong’s menu features proven favourites from across the Southeast Asian nation. Here, flavours are complex, aromas are heady, textures encompass everything from lusciously soft to crispy, and palettes range from placidly soft to joyously bright. Generous dishes feature Ontario-grown produce; some ingredients are imported from Thailand.

Heat levels can be adjusted, but the medium isn’t taxing. For those of us who like heat, their fiery chili sauce, made every few days from pickled garlic and chilies, hits the spot. No, it’s not for sale (I asked: it’s that good), but you can get thimble-sized pots with your meal. Just remember, potent things come in small containers.

Sam’s Beef Jerky ($10) is a house-made treat that deliciously combines sweet, garlicky and salty flavours. The slices are fried, which gives them an almost translucently russet hue. Accompanied by slivers of pickled carrots, crushed peanuts and house dipping sauce — palm sugar and fish sauce — I can see why a friend recommended it.

The same accompaniments are served with the tumble of Fried Dumplings ($9). The two-bite blistered parcels are filled with a mild, juicy mix of minced pork and shrimp. They make a good accompaniment with the Mango Salad ($13). Dressed in a sweet and tangy tamarind dressing, the colourful refreshing salad mixes firm, just-ripe mango with pickled carrots, mint, baby lettuce and thin slices of lemon grass.

To start, the Red Curry ($17, with chicken) house-made paste is fried in coconut cream, creating a rich floral gravy. It boasts toothsome chunks of eggplant, bamboo shoots, onion petals, long beans and tender slices of chicken. Spooned over jasmine rice, it’s a good meal.

Tossed in a Thai basil-infused sauce, the Phad Kee Mao ($17, with chicken and shrimp) is a tasty tangle of wide rice noodles with tender-crisp vegetables, and nicely cooked chicken and shrimp. A dollop of chili flakes adds a tingle.

It’s pandan leaves that tint the Mango Sticky Rice ($13) a lovely shade of jade and infuses the dessert with a grassy vanilla flavour. Its sticky firm grains play well with sweet, soft ripe mango slices.

Since opening, Thai Sun has quietly attracted a loyal customer base, returning time and time again for well-made, delicious dishes, by people who’ve become friends.

“During COVID, we were missing people. Now I can see them and visit. When they come, they laugh, and I can see they are OK. Sometimes they ask me to sit with them. I never thought I’d have (such) amazing customers.”

Thai Sun

75 King St. S., Unit 61-62, Waterloo

519-747-9006

thaisun.ca

Facebook: @thaisunwaterloo

Instagram: @thaisunwaterloo

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: noon to 8 p.m. Monday: closed.

Menu: Thai restaurant featuring favourite dishes made from home recipes. Scratch-made dishes using house-made spice pastes and sauces. Menu includes soups, salads, rice dishes, noodle dishes, entrees and desserts. Vegetarian, nonvegetarian, gluten-free options. Wheat flour products and peanuts are in the kitchen. Not all menu items are available for takeout. Alcoholic drinks, including cocktails, are for dine-in guests only.

Payment: Cash, debit, Mastercard, Visa

How to get your food: Patio and dine-in. Preordered and curbside pickup. Walk-up.

Accessibility: Limited. The main and washroom doors don’t have automatic openers. Grab rails in the bathrooms. Some tables are wheelchair accessible. Some may find the menu’s font size difficult to read.

The Bill: $87.58 for three starters, two mains, one dessert

Ordering food in the time of coronavirus: As restaurants are making decisions on a day-to-day basis, please check their social media or call them for updates. Lists of restaurants operating while dining rooms are closed can be found at bit.ly/3d2JV74 and wilmotstrongertogether.ca; a crowdsourced list is on Facebook’s Food In The Waterloo Region at bit.ly/3d1cKAX.