The Cupertino Courier

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Barn Thai owner Sansanee Kuntarodjanjun comes from a family of restaurateurs.

Barn Thai owner learned to cook in mom's kitchen

By Steve Enders

When Sansanee Kuntarodjanjun was a girl growing up in Thailand, she was always spending time at her mother's restaurant.

Besides getting a nose full of sweet and spicy smells, she learned how to cook and successfully run a restaurant.

Now it's Sansanee's turn, and she's doing well at it, just as her mother did in Thailand. She's also got the backing of her family, many of whom settled in Sunnyvale from Thailand and have opened other restaurants.

Although her mother doesn't have a part in the restaurant, Kuntarodjanjun said, "I can ask her questions. We're really close to Mom, so it's easy to do that."

She bought Barn Thai restaurant in Sunnyvale three years ago after working in numerous restaurants since she and her family moved to the United States in 1988.

She's done it all--from stocking the salad bar to working as a chef.

Kuntarodjanjun now bashfully acknowledges the high praise she's received for the quality of her restaurant's fare, strictly because of its authenticity and variety.

"I think they like my food," she says, laughing.

Kuntarodjanjun serves as the restaurant's head chef, while her relatives assist in the kitchen and on the restaurant's floor.

Three weeks ago, Barn Thai drew about 2,000 customers over two days at its booth at the second annual Sunnyvale Thai Food Festival.

"I had fun at the Thai Festival with my family," she says. "I liked it--it was good advertising." The festival's organizer and Thai Basil owner, Jua Rattanaphun, is her uncle.

She says customers who experienced her cooking for the first time at the festival have started to drop by her restaurant.

It's lunchtime that draws crowds to Barn Thai, as folks from local businesses dip in for one of the inexpensive lunch specials that go for $5.95.

Dinner is a bit more quiet and private. "It's good for conversation and meetings when we're not as crowded," she says.

The restaurant, which is tucked inside the Fair Oaks Plaza on Duane Avenue, has a calming feel.

Inside, glass-topped tables with dark-green linen cloths and an abundance of plants give it a true Thai ambiance. Ornaments and porcelain figures line the walls and area behind the front counter.

To start a meal, Kuntarodjanjun recommends the One Bite appetizer, which is currently the most popular on the menu, she says. It's dried shrimp dipped in a roasted coconut sauce or an array of other dressings. It goes great with a Thai beer, she said.

On the dinner menu, she recommends the catfish with chili paste and eggplant, one of a variety of seafood choices.

"It's not too spicy. We make it medium, but we can make it hot if you ask," Kuntarodjanjun said, adding that the dessert, a sticky rice dish with fresh mango slices, is sure to sweeten any palate after a spicy meal.

Dinner entrees range from $5.95 to $11.95 for some of the seafood items.

Barn Thai has a bit of an interactive aspect to it. If a customer isn't satisfied with the choices on the menu, Kuntarodjanjun says she'll whip up anything suggested.

Barn Thai, open for lunch and dinner. 921 Duane Ave., Sunnyvale. 732-3319.

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