Thai touch at Tilghman Square
Thai Origin offers authentic cuisine in South Whitehall Township. Also new to that shopping center: Young Chefs Academy and Dollar Tree.
Like turkey and mistletoe, pineapple fried rice and other vibrant dishes are helping make the season bright at a new Thai restaurant in South Whitehall Township.
Thai Origin, which opened in midNovember at 4686 Broadway in the Tilghman Square shopping center, serves a wide array of authentic Thai cuisine — from massaman curry, tom yum soup and crispy vegetable spring rolls to pad Thai, seafood salad and roasted duck in tamarind sauce — cooked to your spice preference.
“The number one seller is our pad Thai, but our pad kraprow, which is a stir-fried dish with basil, also is very popular,” co-owner Ngamjit “Jass” Charoenpote said.
Customers can choose from several curry, fried rice and noodle dishes, $12.99-$23.99, including crab meat fried rice, udon basil and red and green curries, available with your choice of beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, mixed seafood, tofu or vegetable.
Chef's specials, $20.99-$26.99, include salmon ginger, three-flavor shrimp and lobster pad pong karee (sauteed 8-ounce lobster tail, shrimp, scallops and more), among other items.
The 50-seat, BYOB restaurant also offers appetizers such as chicken satay, curry puffs and steamed dumplings; desserts such as green tea ice cream, Thai coconut custard and sweet sticky rice with mango ice cream; and specialty beverages such as jasmine tea, Thai iced coffee and coconut juice.
Charoenpote and her business partners — Worakij Kittiyayose, Narucha Noyvimol, Mimi Hozlock and head chef Charoen Inngam — overhauled the former Benny’s Cafe space to include blue wall paint, pendant lighting and more.
Thai Origin, which offers catering and takeout, supplements several other area Thai restaurants, including 1001 Thai in Easton, Kow Thai Take Out in Allentown, Swadee Thai House in Emmaus, Thai Diner in Coplay, Thai on Main in Northampton, Thai Thai II in Bethlehem and Thai Avenue, across the street from Thai Origin, in South Whitehall.
Lunch is served 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Dinner hours are 4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Info: 610-351-5151. craft supplies, dinnerware, food, teaching and school necessities, health and beauty essentials, toys, books and much more,” Painter said.
The discount variety store chain, headquartered in Chesapeake, Va., will fill the 4632 Broadway space recently vacated by Petco. an all-vegan dinner restaurant that opened Dec. 7 at 22 W. Fourth St.
Operator Mary Lopresti is running the restaurant 5-9 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the same space as popular breakfast and lunch spot Roasted, which remains operational 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
Large plates, $8-$12, include plantbased alternatives to meat-centric dishes, including a cheesesteak comprised of house-made seitan, grilled green peppers, onions and cheese sauce on a hoagie roll.
Other free-of-animal-product options include additional large plates such as a Reuben, pesto grilled cheese and an “Impossible Burger”; small plates such as vegan nachos, Buffalo chickpea dip and a kale Caesar salad; and sides such as baked mac and cheese, purple cabbage slaw and rotating soups.
Sandwiches are served with dark russet potato chips and diners can upgrade to potato wedges for $2. Info: instagram.com/vegout.lv.
Even more mouthwatering news from Bethlehem's South Side:
Zest bar+grille, the highly anticipated restaurant from the creators of the 16-year-old Grille 3501 in South Whitehall Township, will host a New Year's Eve party, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the rooftop floor of the new Gateway at Greenway Park building at 306 S. New St.
The $150 event, featuring an open bar, unlimited tastings of menu items and great views of the midnight fireworks, will be a precursor to the restaurant's official opening in early January, manager Anthony Trapani said.
Guests will be able to enjoy co-owner and executive chef John “JP” Pukanecz's newest creations included in “a progressive menu that highlights the best of New American cuisine.” Info: zestbethlehem.com.
Another sweet expansion is happening in Allentown.
The Udder Bar, an ice cream shop that debuted 1½ years ago at 1852 Allen St. in Allentown's West End, will open a second location within the next couple weeks a few blocks away at the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market, according to Mike DeLong, who operates the business with his wife, Hayley.
“We thought it'd be a good idea to market our store and also grab a whole new clientele,” Mike DeLong said.
The stand, near New York Pickle in the center of the market, will offer a condensed version of the shop's menu, he said.
Offerings will include eight flavors of premium hard ice cream, make-yourown sundaes, milkshakes, ice cream cakes and waffle sandwiches, sundaes and sticks. Info: theudderbar.com.