Marnee Thai

When Chai Siriyarn opened his celebrated Marnee Thai restaurant in San Francisco in 1986, he hoped to give his patrons a taste of Thai cuisine and culture so transporting that they could enjoy the countrys wonders without ever having to leave the neighborhood. Hisplan worked. And yet more than twenty years on, Chef Chais artistry and balanced hand with Thailands inimitable cuisine may in fact have sent just as many newly minted Thai-food enthusiasts to his homeland as theyve brought through his restaurant door. Perhaps thats because of Chef Chais infectious enthusiasm for Thai cooking, both in its simplest home style, as well as in the tradition of its royal courts. Marnee Thai is a very personal operation, a labor of love thats a capstone to a life lived in celebration of food. Bangkok born and bred, Chef Chai grew up in a culinary family and spent his childhood steeped in the restaurant business. Having learned to cook at his mothers kneeherself a master chef of Central Thai cuisineChef Chai determined not only to continue in his familys craft, but to extend its reach to the United States. Thus was born Marnee Thai. At the time of its opening in 1986, Thai food was just a blip on the radar screen of most diners. But in short orderand in no small part thanks to Marnees regional Thai interpretations the citys denizens developed a love for Thai flavors that reflects Marnees rank as one of the premier places to savor Thai cuisine outside the country itself. Even in San Franciscos crowded restaurant field, Marnee Thai continues to stand out. Its secret ingredients are the forty-plus years of culinary experience that Chef Chai has collected. That experience has given him an instinctual feel for balancing aromas and flavors. Theyve taught him theres no such thing as a minor detail. And most importantly, theyve kindled in him a heartfelt passion that translates into everything he puts on his menu. Chef Chais accolades include winning the Superchef contests both in Los Ang