An award-winning Thai restaurant from Reston is laying the groundwork for a new location in Crystal City.
Tiki Thai has signed a lease on the ground floor of Reva at 244 19th Court S. and plans to fill one of the apartment’s empty retail bays within a year, owner and chef Porntipa Pattanamekar told ARLnow.
“I can say it’s about 10 to 12 months from now,” Pattanamekar, owner of Pattana Restaurant Group, said. “We want our every single location, every single brand, every single restaurant to be the neighborhood’s second kitchen.”
Thai ‘fine dining’ will share space with a fast-casual spot
- Tiki Thai plans to open in a 4,700-square-foot retail bay across from Bar Chinois.
- Sibling restaurant Bird’s Eye Thai, which sells fast-casual Thai meals, plans to close its Water Park kiosk and relocate to Tiki Thai after it opens.
- “We’re gonna do two concepts,” she said. “One is gonna be Tiki Thai, [with] fine dining, the lively bar and nice live entertainment, late night life. At the another corner of the space, we’re going to have around 400 square feet for Bird’s Eye Thai.”
Tiki Thai serves Southern Thai cuisine
- In Reston, Tiki Thai offers wok noodles, soups, salads and curries, as well as three variations of fusion-inspired “tiki tacos” in a tropical, Polynesian-inspired atmosphere.
- “The priority is to create a genuine Thai dining experience,” Pattanamekar said. “The tiki theme will enhance, not overshadow, the beauty and richness of Thai culture.”
- Tiki Thai has received acclaim in Northern Virginia Magazine and captured second place among FFXnow readers for “Best Thai Restaurant” earlier this year.
Photos 7-8 via Tiki Thai Reston/Facebook.
