DANBURY - For much of his life, Eric Horsa watched his father Val and his wife Taew Robinson devoted countless hours and boundless energy to their Danbury restaurant Bangkok Thai.bangkokrestaurant.com, reminds visitors that when Bangkok Thai opened in 1986, it was the first and remains the oldest operating Thai eatery in Connecticut.Bangkok Thai's website to learn more.

The payoff for them was something more important than cash, he said during a recent visit to the eatery in Nutmeg Square at 72 Newtown Road - it was the glowing reputation they earned from customers who flocked to Bangkok Thai from across the region and as far away as Long Island and New Jersey.

So while Eric and his wife Portia each work established full-time jobs elsewhere, they became committed to seeing the popular eatery reopen after the tragic death of Val and Taew in a small plane crash on November 19, 2015. According to reports, the couple was returning from a trip to Mississippi with Val, an experienced pilot of more than 30 years, at the controls when their plane went down near North Salem, N.Y.

"We were both already working, so at first we really weren't sure what we should do about the restaurant," Mr Horsa said as he sat beside Portia under a large photo of Val and Taew draped in lavish traditional Thai costumes at a rear corner booth his father commandeered as an impromptu office.

"My dad would always sit here, he'd eat here, and he'd watch for customers as they were coming to the door. And I remember how whether they were longtime regulars or first-time customers, he would greet them and make them feel at home," Mr Horsa recalled. "Then they'd bring out the food."

The recently inducted restaurateur said that it was the combination of Bangkok Thai's homey and intimate atmosphere, the incomparable traditionally prepared dishes, and the charming spirit that Val and Taew brought to the place that made most first-timers customers for life. And it was a parade of those customers contacting Eric and Portia following the tragic news about the crash that helped the younger couple find the willingness and the energy to reopen.

"We had people coming here after the funerals when we were still closed, knocking on the door, or waiting for us when we arrived or left, and telling us that they missed the place - and that they just couldn't find Thai cuisine like Dad and Taew used to serve," Mr Horsa said. "So along with our manager and several of our original staff, we come in here virtually every day after work and run the restaurant."

And after a couple of months, the couple realized that despite the hectic and draining regiment, they had done the right thing.

very ecstatic about the food," Mr Horsa said.

"People are still coming back, many with wonderful stories and memories - and they're still

The restaurant website,

"The heart of the business is Taew, the owner and main chef," the site notation states. "Taew was born in Thailand and received her training there as well. The dishes served at Bangkok exemplify traditional Thai cuisine and are based on family recipes. Those customers who have visited Thailand would be happy to see their favorite dishes on our menu. All of our dishes are authentic in every way."

"Except for retaining a chef who is loyal to preparing those authentic dishes and family recipes, everything said on the website remains true today," Mr Horsa said.

Bangkok Thai's lunch menu features most dishes at $9.50, along with traditional soups and hot or cold beverages. Appetizers start at just $6 for the Pak Sot, vegetarian rolls with delicious dipping sauce; or the BO-PIT TOD, bite-size spring rolls, stuffed with ground pork, bamboo shoots, crystal noodles, bean sprouts and Thai spices.

Taew's home-style cooking is still very much evident in the Ka Por Pla, her very special Thai-style hot & sour soup for $3.95, or in a pot for three for $9.

Seven Thai salads are available, including Yum Pla Mouk - a must for squid lovers, featuring tender, sliced squid served with lemon grass, lemon sauce, ground green chili and Thai spices; or Yum Goon Chang with its imported Thai sausage, sliced and combined with tomato, onion, cucumber, lettuce, pepper, Thai sauce, and a dash of fresh lime juice - each for $13.95.

It wouldn't be authentic Thai without a variety of noodle and rice dishes to compliment the popular main courses like house special Ho Mook Talay, a superb combination of mussels, shrimp, scallops, and squid delicately spiced with curry and steamed in a clay pot for $25.95.

More than two dozen recipes make up,Bangkok Thai's beef, chicken and pork offerings, all priced at either $13.95 or $14.95 - and start or finish with a sweet, creamy Thai iced tea, a handcrafted bottle of soda, or a cold Singha or Chang Thai beer.

Desserts include lychee ($3), or a mango and sticky rice specialty when in season for $6.

Bangkok Thai, which is closed on Monday, is open Tuesday thru Friday for lunch from 11:30 am to 2 pm; Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday for dinner from 5 to 9 pm; as well as Friday and Saturday for dinner from 5 to 9:30 pm. Reservations are recommended for Fridays and Saturdays - take-out is available anytime.

Call 203-791-0640 or visit

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