Thamnak Thai

Restaurant merges Eastern, Western flavors

Anchalee Tantaksinanukij started cooking when she was 7 years old, helping make different foods with her family to sell in a market in Thailand. About six years ago, she took a job making her family's style of cuisine at Thamnak Thai in Cedar Park, and within a few years, she bought the restaurant.

Tantaksinanukij said the food in her home country differs from what she serves at Thamnak Thai. She adapts the flavors for her local customers, who can order dishes on a one-star to 10-star scale of spiciness.

"Original Thai food is spicy, and Americans cannot eat it, but I make a balance [between] Thai and American," she said. "But if someone wants a lot of spice, I can make it Thai spicy for them."

Many traditional Thai dishes come in lunch and dinner portions and can be made with the customer's choice of protein, including chicken, beef, pork, shrimp or tofu. Tantaksinanukij said she takes customers' dietary restrictions seriously and can customize any dish.