The Cupertino Courier

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Thai Basil owner Jua Rattanapsun opened his restaurant in 1995.

Thai Basil owner makes headlines

By LESTER CHANG

Jua Rattanapsun jumps between two worlds every week.

He owns the Thai Basil restaurant, one of four Thai restaurants in Sunnyvale, and Prachachon, a community newspaper based in the same city.

"I love people, and I love to communicate with them ... to find out about them," says Rattanapsun, who moved to the United States 11 years ago. "I get to learn a lot about American society from both professions."But because his newspaper is published only twice a month, he spends most of his time at the restaurant, where traditional Thai instruments hang on the wall, along with paintings and photos of his homeland.

After meals, Rattanapsun is known to pop out of the kitchen for a talk with patrons, often asking how to improve the dishes.

His restaurant offers 42 dishes in all, including vegetables and soups. Some of his more popular offerings are kai ka prow, a chicken dish, Panang salmon and traditional curry meals made with beef, chicken, shrimp or squid.

With $35,000, Rattanapsun and his wife, Evelyn, who acts as the hostess, opened Thai Basil in January 1995. Rattanapsun says they found a niche in downtown Sunnyvale.

"There were no Thai restaurants here, and we said 'Let's go for it,'" he adds. "We have been very fortunate so far. We are busy: Friday and Saturday night, the place is filled. We are planning to expand."

Rattanapsun, 40, learned how to cook from his sister 30 years ago, when he lived in southern Thailand as a child. In the early 1980s, he moved to Bangkok and opened a restaurant.

At about the same time, he found work as a reporter for the Ban Moung, a daily newspaper in the same city. He also dabbled in law, studying that discipline at Ramkhamhang University.

In 1987 he moved to Sunnyvale and opened his newspaper.

Rattanapsun has seen his paper's circulation rise to about 5,000, but he has had to work occasionally as a waiter to make ends meet, he says.

"You don't make a lot of money at this level, but I love this work," he adds. "As much as I love owning a restaurant."

Thai Basil, 101 S. Murphy Ave., Sunnyvale. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m.; open Sundays from 5 to 9:30 p.m. For reservations, call 773-1098.