Sammy Thai Kitchen has exactly one parking spot designated for takeout orders, and on a Tuesday evening it’s occupied for about forty-five seconds before another car slides right in. That’s not a boast — it’s just what happens when a neighborhood figures out something good is going on.
I found the place about two years ago through my neighbor, who had worked alongside the owner, Sammee Saengkheo, at another Thai spot that closed during the pandemic. Sammee, she told me, was the one who actually knew how to cook. When he finally opened his own place on East State Street — a small, undecorated room that used to be a sandwich shop — she texted me the address and said, just go.
So I went. I’ve been going back ever since.
Sammee runs the kitchen almost entirely by himself during the lunch shift. He’s soft-spoken, maybe mid-forties, and when he comes out from behind the counter to drop off food or check in on a table, he does it with this mild, slightly distracted energy, like he’s already mentally back at the stove. I asked him once what he thought his best dish was. He thought about it for a second and said, the curry. But people order the pad see ew more.
I’ve tried both. He’s right on both counts.
The pad see ew uses wide rice noodles that get a proper char — you can see the color on them, smell it a little. The beef version is the one to get. It doesn’t taste like it was cooked in a rush, which is saying something for a one-man operation during the noon hour. The Panang curry is quieter, coconut-forward, with a slow heat that builds after a few bites. Get it with tofu if you want the sauce to be the whole point; the tofu stays out of the way.
Portions are generous without being absurd. Most entrees run between $12 and $16, and a lunch special with soup and a spring roll knocks a couple dollars off. The spring rolls are handmade and come with a peanut sauce that I’d drink straight if that were a socially acceptable thing to do.
The room seats maybe twenty people, and the decor is minimal — a few framed prints, a chalkboard with daily specials, fluorescent lighting that nobody has gotten around to replacing with something warmer. None of that matters once the food arrives. I’ve brought people here who walked in skeptical and left asking when we were coming back.
Sammee told me he considered opening somewhere bigger, maybe with a full bar. He decided against it. I want to cook good food, he said. More space means more things I can’t control. You can taste that philosophy in every plate — nothing’s overreached, nothing’s distracted.
Go for dinner on a weeknight if you want a relaxed pace. Friday lunch gets crowded fast. Cash is preferred but cards are accepted. Park on the street or behind the building and don’t be surprised if there’s a short wait even for takeout. It’s worth it.
