When Dallas businessman Visit Wongsuwan traveled to Houston in the early 2000s, he drove through Humble, where he said he saw potential for growth. He decided to close his faltering fast-food Thai restaurant in Dallas and take over a Thai eatery on West Lake Houston Parkway called Nara, which he said sounded similar to his daughter’s name. “The name was an auspicious sign,” said Neal Parisawan, Wongsuwan’s son who helps run the restaurant. Wongsuwan launched Nara Thai Dining in 2007 with a focus on food quality. He said early success prompted him to open additional locations over the years, including iterations in Baytown and midtown Houston in 2014 and one on FM 1960 in 2016. Traditional Thai staples anchor the menu, such as the Thod Mun—fried minced-fish patties—and Thai papaya salad, which consists of shredded green papaya, roasted peanuts, green beans, tomato and grilled shrimp on lettuce seasoned with spicy lime dressing. Pad Thai makes up about one-fourth of the restaurant’s orders, Parisawan said. The key to keeping authentic Thai food appealing to the customer is to mix traditional recipes with Houston tastes, Parisawan said. Chefs are experimenting with new ingredients in curry dishes such as lamb, roasted duck and different cuts of beef, he said. Parisawan said he also cooks at home, experimenting with new recipes for his friends to try. He said he might introduce a slow-cooked masaman curry recipe to the menu this year. At work, however, Parisawan said he stays out of the kitchen, leaving the cooking to his Thai cooks, who can prepare Northern Thai and Central Thai specialties if customers ask in advance. “Our No. 1 priority is our food,” Parisawan said. “We want to make sure the food is consistently delicious and fresh.”