This restaurant is a quaint, cozy little place to go for a meal. Upon first entering, you will be greeted by a single hostess, who is also the only waitress on duty. When I went, on a cold rainy Tuesday night, we were seated immediately, and given a complimentary cup of steaming black tea. I do not know if this is an everyday gesture, or just because of the weather that night, but that simple movement gave the sense that we were welcome and she wanted us to feel this way. The next detail you will notice once you are seated and settled in is the red wall paper with intricate gold Buddha designs repeated every few inches. Between the intense red walls, and the warm tea, the restaurant has an intimate vibe. The service is quick, given the small size and few patrons. The appetizer is just enough to spark your hunger, but nothing too filling to ruin your appetite. Finally, the main meal leaves you satisfied but not so full that you’re uncomfortable. I ordered the chicken stir fry, which came with a side of white rice, and for my first time ever having Thai food, I loved it. I would definitely recommend Taste of Thai to anyone, and I plan on coming back again.

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While many people have dined at Taste of Thai, critiqued the food and the service, not many of these people were likely to actually wonder what brought the owners to this specific place, Lexington, Kentucky. While I have done some research and introduced a new place for you to go to for some lunch or dinner, my main objective is to open the eyes of those living in Lexington to the diversity around them in this city. So, I have also done research about Thailand specifically, and learned about their culture and even when immigration from Thailand into the United States began.

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This immigration process began around 1960 during the Vietnam war, and was “nearly nonexistent” before then (Ratner). After that, starting in the 1980’s, it is reported that about 6,500 Thais immigrated into the United States per year, the attraction being a “wide array of opportunities and higher wages” (Ratner). The attraction of living in the United States does not seem to change the values of those immigrants living here, however. It is apparent that Thais are “close knit” and keep to their comfort zone, “[mimicking] the social networks of their native land” (Ratner). Knowing this makes me curious of how living in America, more specifically Lexington, has impacted the life of the owner of Taste of Thai. Has the American culture influenced or changed his or her values, or how he or she conducts business here in Lexington? Does he or she feel that the Thai culture has in any way impacted the citizens of Lexington?

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I planned on answering these questions by having an interview with the manager of Taste of Thai. However, when I visited the restaurant and asked about conducting this interview, I was told that the manager is not always there, and his visits are sporatic. As far as an interview, the only hostess/waitress admitted to not speaking much English and felt that she would not be able to understand my questions and/or would not be able to know the English to answer accurately. Although my visit did not go exactly as I had planned, I believe that this says something about the culture that I found in my research. In the paragraph above, I mentioned how Thais are "close knit" within their families and friends, and have a comfort zone that they do not typically branch out of (Ratner). I witnessed this first hand at my visit. The inability of the workers to speak much English, the fact that there were no workers that were not Thai, and the restaurant itself, from the decorations and their generous gestures (complimentary hot tea, rice with every meal, quick effiecent service) supports this statement in Ratner's article.

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Bibliography

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​Bentram, Charles. Taste of Thai Restaurant. 2011. Photograph. S Limestone, West Main Street, Lexington, KY.

Ratner, Megan. "Countries and Their Cultures." Thai Americans. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. <http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Sr-Z/Thai-Americans.html>.

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​"Taste of Thai Restaurant - About - Google." Taste of Thai Restaurant - About - Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. <https://plus.google.com/110110431433468657480/about?gl=us>.

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