New spot serving authentic Thai street food opens in SLO. Check out what’s on the menu
Searching for authentic Thai dishes in San Luis Obispo?
A new restaurant is selling meals that you might typically find on the streets of Bangkok or Chiang Mai in Thailand.
Thai Easy Bowl at 13 Santa Rosa St. in San Luis Obispo opened its doors Oct. 20 with a vision to provide fast, easy and genuine Thai food to locals and college students alike.
The eatery’s concept is simple and encapsulated in its name — tasty, basic meals served in a bowl.
“Over here, (there’s) more flavor than another Thai restaurant because I want people to try pretty close to real food from Thailand,” owner Anek Thammuenyong told The Tribune.
Established Thai restaurateur opens new spot
Thammuenyong grew up in northern Thailand and has spent the past two decades serving and perfecting Thai cuisine.
Before opening Thai Easy Bowl, he owned and operated five restaurants across SLO County.
Thammuenyong launched his first venture, Thai Elephant in Atascadero, 16 years ago. He went on to open more locations under the same name in Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay, along with Thai BBQ in Paso Robles.
In the past few years, he sold his restaurants in SLO, Pismo Beach and Paso Robles to simplify his life as he inches closer to retirement, Thammuenyong said.
However, he decided to open Thai Easy Bowl because it was designed to be a more straightforward business to run.
Unlike Thai Elephant, which offers full service and 65 food options, his new restaurant has a smaller menu, featuring grab-and-go Thai bowls that people can order online, over the phone or at the counter.
“It’s easier,” he said. “That’s why I called it Easy Bowl.”
At the new spot, people can order take-away bowls or they can sit down for a meal if they prefer to eat at the restaurant.
So far, the restaurant has had a slow start, Thammuenyong said, but he hopes its Cal Poly-adjacent location will soon bring in more college students looking for a tasty Thai lunch or dinner.
Serving up authentic Thai street food in SLO
The new eatery focuses on bringing Thai street food to Cal Poly palettes.
Thai Easy Bowl serves several authentic dishes that are outside of the typical fare offered at local Thai restaurants, the owner said.
Thammuenyong suggested new customers taste his special Khao Man Gai, which features steamed chicken and rice infused with ginger, garlic and butter, topped with cucumber and a Thai chili sauce.
“This kind (of meal) is popular in Thailand, but no one has it here except in LA,” he said.
He also recommended Khao Man Gai Tod, a deep-fried chicken version of the same dish.
Visitors can set their own spice level for each dish, choosing between medium, hot or very hot.
People searching for classic Thai dishes, like pad Thai and fried rice, will also find those on the menu at Thai Easy Bowl, according to Thammuenyong.
The menu contains about two dozen appetizers and entrees. Customers can also order desserts like sticky coconut rice with fresh mango and Thai shaved ice topped with jellies and drizzled with Thai syrup and condensed milk.
Open hours at new Thai restaurant
You can visit Thai Easy Bowl at 13 Santa Rosa St. in San Luis Obispo.
The new restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday. It’s open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner is served from 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Looking for a discount? On Wednesdays, you can get a bowl for just $7 with any drink purchase.
