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Local restaurateurs and business partners Jeff Resnick and Tora Matsuoka have once again teamed up to bring exotic Asian cuisine to downtown Sag Harbor. The co-owners of Japanese standby Sen have resurrected Phao Thai Kitchen, they said, in order to return “fast, fresh and affordable” Thai food to Main Street.
Originally housed in the space now occupied by Grappa, Phao has reopened in a new location, next door to Sen, after a six-year hiatus.
When Mr. Resnick closed the original Phao in 2003, he was the restaurant’s sole owner. With an eye toward opening a larger restaurant with a different flavor, he debuted seafood spot Jeff and Eddy’s in its place. Though he ultimately sold Jeff and Eddy’s, Mr. Resnick maintained his co-ownership of Sen with Tora’s father, Kazutomo Matsuoka, until Tora took his father’s place in 2005.
“Jeff and I always knew that one day we wanted to bring Thai food back,” Tora said in a recent interview, adding that in 2007, when the two purchased the space next to Sen, formerly Magnolia, they considered reopening a Thai restaurant in its place.
But customers urged the co-owners to try something different.
“Our clientele encouraged us to do a more upscale bar and lounge,” he said. “It was what was missing in Sag Harbor.”
So Mr. Resnick and the younger Mr. Matsuoka opened Sen Lounge in the summer of 2007 and replaced it with Sen Spice, an Indian variation on the lounge theme, in the summer of 2008.
But that didn’t work either.
“(Lounges) are great in the summertime,” he said, “but the year-round clientele is looking for somewhere to eat. After speaking with our client base, we decided we needed to create something that was more affordable with faster service.”
And so the two returned to the concept of Phao.
“We decided we might as well open up Phao again,” Mr. Matsuoka said, adding that since the restaurant’s reopening this April, the two owners have been thrilled with their decision.
“I’m kicking myself for not doing this three years ago,” he laughed. “People are really excited and happy to have Phao back. It’s amazing that after so many years people know it and want to have it.”
“The clientele base is really happy,” he said. “They’re happy about the faster service. They’re happy about the prices. We hit it on all marks.”
Both Mr. Matsuoka and manager Ryan Carrier described the restaurant as “fun and sexy.” Metal chains, rope and pulleys are draped across the bar, and the lighting is kept dim.
Mr. Matsuoka said while he and Mr. Resnick were initially concerned that Phao’s opening would take away from the success of Sen, recent weeks have shown otherwise.
“People are sharing us,” he said. “They come to Sen one night, and Phao the next.”
Clientele loyalty might be related to the fact that Deena Chafetz is the executive chef for both restaurants. Ms. Chafetz, whose resume includes a stint at Jeff and Eddy’s as well as the Ross School, is joined at Phao by chef de cuisine Manit “Nicky” Ratdachot, who has been classically trained in Thai cooking, and likewise brings years of experience to the kitchen.
Longtime Phao fans will be relieved to see that the new menu incorporates many of the original restaurant’s classic dishes.
Appetizers range from wok-charred squid for $7.50 to beef satay for $9.50, while soups include tom yum goong, Thai shrimp soup with lemongrass, chili paste and fresh lime juice, $7.50; and tom kha gai, chicken soup with coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, and mushrooms, $7.
In a recent interview, Mr. Carrier pointed to nuea nam tok, a salad of sliced grilled steak with watercress and young lettuce, red onion and cilantro with a spicy lime dressing, $14, as a popular item.
“The classic” pad thai—stir-fried noodles, egg, scallions, and bean sprouts with tamarind sauce—is priced at $18.50 with shrimp or $16 with chicken or tofu.
Other entrées include three different varieties of curry, including red curry with shrimp, scallops and squid, $21; green curry with chicken and eggplant, $16; and massaman curry with beef and potatoes, $17.
The Phao drunken noodles with shrimp—a dish with rice noodles, onion, bell pepper, sweet basil, garlic, chili and brown sauce, $18.50—are a “house favorite,” Mr. Carrier said.
Desserts include fried banana with coconut ice cream and sweet sticky rice with mango, both for $7.
Head bartender and mixologist Derek Neilson serves up white, red and sparkling wines, as well as a variety of beers and signature cocktails. Phao offers three types of martini—sake, lychee, and XXpresso, as well as “Phao lemonade” with Bull Dog gin and guava juice.
Phao, like Sen, offers its full menu as a pickup, take-out service, perfect for eating now or later, according to Mr. Matsuoka.
“Our cuisines are so good at being transported,” he said. “And pad thais are awesome the next day.”
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