Saratoga News

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Att and Annie Young are the owners of the new Bangkok Palace in Saratoga.

Saratoga's Bangkok Palace offers favorite Thai dishes

By Suzanne Cristallo

Att Young's father once told him, "You don't make money sleeping."

Att and his wife, Annie, allow themselves at the most five hours of sleep each day. They deal cards at the Bay 101 Club in San Jose from 1 to 9 a.m., then rush to their new Bangkok Palace restaurant in Saratoga in time to start lunch. They remain for dinner cleanup until after 10 p.m.

Opened just one month ago, the Thai restaurant in the spot formerly occupied by Brandon's on Big Basin Way is at its second location. The original operated for a year in downtown San Jose but closed because of access problems caused by long-term street construction.

Diners are greeted at the door by a life-size figure of a Thai woman traditionally attired and posed with her hands in the steeple position, eyes downcast. Her attitude suggests she is saying, "Sa wat dee," or "Hello." Oil paintings commissioned in Thailand by the Youngs and imported teakwood carvings sent by relatives decorate the walls. Chairs and tables are done in rich rose tones.

"This is the real thing," says Att, referring to the decor and the food, which reflect both his and Annie's homeland. "We use fresh everything, and our spicy dishes are geared to Asian tastes."

Annie's aunt P-Aar is the chef. The menu--encased in a carved teak cover--offers luncheon specials such as khow kra braow ta-lay, which is composed of stir-fried prawns, squid, scallops and mussels with basil leaves, garlic, baby corn, mushrooms and bell peppers.

Customers' all-time favorite dish, according to the Youngs, is pad thai--stir-fried noodles with eggs, fresh bean sprouts and prawns in a secret sauce, accompanied by a small salad of carrots, celery and cabbage.

"Our seafood is fabulous," Att says, "and when mangos are in season, we make a wonderful dessert with sticky rice sweetened with coconut.

"We chose Saratoga with all of its fabulous restaurants so we can compete with quality. Our prices represent what we spend on the best ingredients," he adds. Entrees are $6.95-$8.95.

Annie, who oversees the kitchen, and Att, who runs the front, work long hours at two jobs so their dream of having several restaurants can come true. Their teen-age sons help in the kitchen on weekends.

The Youngs can be found catching a quick nap in their van between lunch and dinner. This makes up for the time spent on the nighttime commute to and from their Morgan Hill home.

"I grew up poor," Att says, recalling his childhood spent in the San Joaquin Valley town of Atwater. He was brought there as a 4-year-old by an American G.I. who adopted him while on leave in Bangkok, Thailand. As an Asian, he was different from most of his classmates.

"I used to get beat up daily by the other kids," he recalls. "But my dad was wise. He said, 'You want love? You give it. You want respect? You give it. And acknowledge who you want to be your friends.' "

Bangkok Palace, 14515 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. Open for lunch Tue.-Sun., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner daily, 5-10 p.m. 872-1319. Call for weekend reservations.

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