The highlights of Thai food and culture in town

A restaurant named Sawasdee was inaugurated in downtown HCMC over the weekend, serving a wide selection of Thai specialties and displaying a mini-museum featuring the culture of the country in Southeast Asia.

Vietnamese-Thai Kent Trung, general manager of Sawasdee Restaurant describes Sawasdee Restaurant as "a mini-museum of Thai artifacts, where you can dine amid the beauty of a Thai royal palace in a quiet, cozy ambience."

Both traditional and modern foods of Thailand can be found on the menu of Sawasdee Restaurant, which overlooks September 23 Park and is situated about 100 meters from the city's landmark Ben Thanh Market.

Trung told the Daily that the eatery offers a selection of more than 200 traditional Thai dishes during the opening hours from 10am till 11pm daily.

Sawasdee executive chef Viroj Kawesri prepares authentic sour and spicy-flavored foods of Thailand from the spices and ingredients imported from his country every day.

With more than 20 years of experience, the Thai chef is willing to give diners tips of the day on the gastronomy and culture of his country, as he did on the opening day.

Thu Cuc Group, which runs the Sawasdee Restaurant, brought many carvings and objects from Thailand to decorate the walls and columns of the 300-seat eatery, both inside and outside. The decorations feature dancing ladies and typical scenes from Thailand.

Thai music is played during opening hours to further whet the appetite of Thai food lovers. "The harmonious design of Sawasdee creates a relaxed atmosphere. The traditional Thai music and lyrics will make you feel as though you are in Thailand, right in the heart of HCMC," Trung says.

Trung says he hopes that locals and visitors to HCMC will explore Thai culture and relive their memories of the Land of Smiles at the Sawasdee, which means "hello" in English.

Sawasdee is the second Thai restaurant owned by the Thu Cuc Group. The group's chairwoman Nguyen Thu Cuc says that the group has expanded its Thai dining outlets in HCMC following the success of the award-winning Bangkok Hanoi Restaurant at 52 Ly Thuong Kiet Street in the capital city.

Cuc announced that the group will open Sawasdee restaurants in Nha Trang, Can Tho and other cities across Vietnam.

Address: 102-104 Le Lai Street, District 1, HCMC. Tel: (08) 952 7777. Email: sawasdee.thucuc@gmail.com.