Nestled in among others along "restaurant row" in East Grand Forks is Little Bangkok and its vivacious, dedicated operator-Dow Storey.
She came to this area from Thailand with her love of preparing foods of her homeland and Japan. She was manager of Little Bangkok when it first was located at 302 DeMers Ave. in East Grand Forks. She is one of the owners that of the restaurant that relocated three years ago.
"I think people like sushi," she said. "At first it was only the younger people. Now it is also the older people. This is the only Thai food in town."
She makes curry from coconut milk and wants to keep the Thai style. She says it is smoother than half-and-half cream.
Her menu features a seaweed salad served with her ginger dressing. And there is a signature Broken Heart Roll.
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Storey has been showing up at Saturday farmer's markets in downtown Grand Forks with a ginger dressing she markets in this area. She holds dollar sushi nights beginning at 4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
The restaurant has Thai sushi chefs. The décor changes, but there are remnants of Thailand-such as elephants. There are rich, warm colors of gold and silver.
Dow is married to David Storey of Grand Forks, and they have a son, Derek, 5.
She depends on Food Dudes to deliver orders, and she says they are important to her business. One of her basic rolls and combos is called DeMers Avenue. It has spicy tuna, shrimp, asparagus topped with salmon, avocado and spicy mayo ($14.75). Another tempura-fried roll called Broken Heart ($14.75) is described as stuffed with spicy tuna, cream cheese and jalapeno, drizzled with spicy mayo.
Then there's the Drunken Noodle entrée for $12.75. It's made with wide rice noodles along with egg, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos and Thai basil in a medium spicy, caramel-like oyster sauce.
The restaurant draws from the area. As I was entering, I met Judy and Lynn Schroeder of Langdon leaving after their meal. He runs the newspaper there. Among their favorites is green curry or Gaeng Kiew Wan. It's a combination of bell peppers, bamboo shoots, peas and carrots, zucchini and Thai basil-all in a spicy green coconut curry sauce.
Dow Storey says, "I love to cook. My idol is my mother who has now passed away."
She has two sisters and three brothers in Thailand. And she tries to get back every year. In the past year, she has added another opening for her food at Grand Forks Air Force Base.
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Report card: With its unique menu and sushi bar, Little Bangkok brings different tastes to restaurant row along the Red River in East Grand Forks. The Broken Heart roll is a signature item on the menu. It is a tempura-fried roll, stuffed with spicy tuna, cream cheese and jalapeno and drizzled with spicy mayo ($14.75).
Reach Marilyn Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or by telephone at (701) 772-1055.
