Red Orchid Restaurant - Formerly Jae Restaurant
Thai Cusine? No, Laotian Cusine at its best.
by Susan Le Pord
photos by Oliver Le Pord


“Good food” and “strip mall” aren’t commonly mentioned in the same sentence, but the Red Orchid in the Westgate shopping center in West Asheville is an astounding exception. Tucked away next to Earth Fare, this spacious and relaxed venue offers heaping portions of delicious, fresh Thai cuisine at a fair price. The eatery advertises itself as a Thai restaurant, but the owner is actually from Laos. “We eat the same things as Thai people and use the same ingredients,” says Mina Chanthapheng, “but I don’t think many people would know what Laotian food is, so it’s just easier to say Thai.”

What she also means is that her restaurant offers up a new take on traditional curry dishes, for example, by offering a variety of healthy accompaniments and a good choice of brilliant sauces. All noodle, curry and rice plates are made to order; you can pick from a variety of meats or tofu to add to your dish.

Mina and her family were raised in central Laos, not far from the border with Thailand. She and her family of five brothers and one sister came to the Kings Mountain, outside of Charlotte, in 1981. While in school at UNC-Charlotte earning a business degree, Mina worked in a few different restaurants in between studies. Her entire family has always cooked big meals, she explains, so cooking was just a way of life for her and nothing that required any formal training. “We cook here [at the restaurant] like we would at home,” she says of her simple philosophy of providing an eatery where she, herself, would dine.

Her four chefs are not classically trained either; Mina and her husband Vang Kue, have trained each one to their specifications over the several years that they have all worked together. Before Red Orchid, the couple owned two other Asian-inspired restaurants in Asheville, but at the time couldn’t find a balance between the demanding hours at a restaurant and the needs of their young children. They took a break, and now Vang works in marketing and Mina oversees Red Orchid.

Mina bought the restaurant in 2006 when it was still called Jae Restaurant & Bar, but has not yet changed the sign out front. Her original plans were to continue with the name Jae, which means “vegetarian” in Thai, and as an eatery had also earned the status of being the third “certified organic” restaurant in the country (the first two being in New York and California, respectively.). But the costs of providing certified organic food outweighed business, and in addition, she simply wanted to provide the food that she knows best. Delivered a few times a week, she special orders her vegetables and ingredients such as gagalanka (ginger) and kuffer leaf from a couple of different Thai food distributors in High Point which also provide her with fresh meats and fish. Her ultra-special ingredient? “My grandparents live in a region in Laos where it is good to grow a special kind of pepper. Each year, they send me a couple of boxes of it.”

When you walk into the restaurant, you will most likely be met by Mina at the hostess’ perch near the front door. In all the times we have eaten there, we have never had to wait long before being seated. Usually, you can even choose where to sit, and there are a few options: four-tops in the middle of main room, booths by the window, or booths along the interior wall which are separated by bamboo shades for a sense of privacy (there seemed to be a lot of sweethearts in those seats!). The polished floors, streakless glass tabletops, fanned out napkins, fine glassware and assortment of cutlery exuded a sense of elegance and calm. Serene, Asian-inspired décor, the soft sounds of a sitar being plucked, and the faux waterfall near the back of the restaurant really set the mood.Not long after we were seated, a waitress came to take our order of drinks and appetizers. Replete with satiny red shirts, Mina’s wait staff consists of 5 college students. The restaurant offers a substantive list of wines—ranging from a fruity Pinot Grigio to an organic Australian Merlot, not to mention a fine choice of domestic and imported beer, and sake. We wanted to keep it light, so when we asked for something that goes well with spicy food, our waitress told us that most of the wine menu was hand-picked for that specific purpose. She brought us a 2006 Chenin Blanc, which the menu explained to be “light, crisp, citrusy.” In fact, most of the wines were categorized by easily-recognizable traits such as “zesty” or “medium-bodied” or “delicate” for all of us non-oenophiles.

Wines are served by the glass ($6) or bottle ($24 - $79). They serve plenty of non-alcoholic beverages as well.

We counted them all: 20 appetizers and expanding. With whimsical names such as “Buddha Money Bags” and “Tofu Jewel,” we knew we were in for a treat. We shared orders of spring rolls and pork dumplings. The problem with appetizers, we all know, is that if you’re not careful you’ll fill up before the main course arrives. This is especially true with spring rolls as thick as a banana, and enough dumplings to constitute a meal in its own right. With the batter ever so light, and filled with delicate crisp vegetables and spicy meat, the spring rolls weren’t the least bit greasy. You could see the little thumbprints on each of the dumplings to indicate that they were hand-pinched before being steamed to a firm, but light texture. They were served with soy sauce and a delicious in-house sweet hot sauce that made my eyes water. I barely put my fork down before the young lady whisked away our dishes and refilled our glasses with water.

While we were waiting for our entrees, I walked over to the partitioned bar on the other side of the room. It was quiet and dim, and reminded me a little of a beach-side tiki bar with thatched roofing, surrounded by high bamboo bar chairs and small tables with burning votive candles. Couples and friends chatted softly. When asked about the bar aspect of her restaurant business, Mina replied, “People don’t usually come here just to drink. They might have a beer and then go to their table.” She said she had no plans for bolstering that side of her business.

When I got back to our table, our dinner had already arrived and I could tell by the look in my husband’s eyes that he was eager to dive in. On our table were two massive, square white plates which set off the separate entrees of neatly organized, colorful food. We ordered Gingered Chicken and the Spicy Thai Basil with salmon. Both were delectable. The chicken dish was a work of art and was sliced atop stir-fried, piping hot vegetables such as baby corn, zucchini, sweet onions, bok choy, peppers and snow peas, next to a mound of fluffy brown rice. Garnishes of serrated cucumbers and carrots and an edible orchid were carefully placed on the edge of the plate. One should note that this place doesn’t kid around with spices—ask for spicy and you shall receive! They even offer a scale from two to five stars on the menu.

I practically had to pry my husband’s salmon dish away from him in order to get a bite. The fish was grilled, yet so tender and moist that it was difficult to lift a forkful; “scoop” might be a better explanation of how I got it to my mouth. The fish was served on a bed of sautéed, wide noodles and mixed vegetables similar to the ones in the chicken dish, but with the addition of Thai basil and cilantro. It was like a symphony of ingredients in each bite.

Despite being stuffed (with “to-go” boxes already in a bag), we couldn’t leave without trying their Sticky Mango Rice. This dessert is made with steamed coconut milk which makes the rice sticky, and is topped with melt-in-your-mouth ripened mango. It made for a great after-dinner kiss and topped off our experience there with an exclamation point.

Make the trip to Asheville to eat at this lovely gem. Don’t be fooled by the strip mall surroundings. This is a classy place.

The Red Orchid Thai Restaurant is located in the Westgate Shopping Center next to Earth Fare in West Asheville.

Appetizers: $1.75 - $12
Entrees: $13 - $21
Open Monday – Thursday
Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Dinner 5 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday
Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Dinner 5 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sunday
Lunch 12 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Dinner 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.