Charm Thai

The new Charm Thai Restaurant in Parma fuses the hip and happening of today with a decidedly retro vibe from yesteryear. Find out how owner and executive chef Tom Hongsamat created a menu that combines authentic family recipes with American appeal.

By: Beth Newcomb
Date: 08/04/2008
If your idea of an authentic Thai meal includes more than five different curry dishes made with homemade curry paste, two types of Pad Thai and a huge selection of citrus infused entrées that come directly from the chef’s grandmother, then, darling, you’ll be charmed by the new Charm Thai Restaurant in Parma.
Opened just a few short months ago, executive chef and owner Tom Hongsamat likes to describe his outstanding new restaurant’s theme as “ Asian fusion.”

And that’s before you even get to the menu.

A quick glance around the stunning interior brings you up close and personal with a trendy, funky, mod blend of 70’s retro and Danish-modern contemporary accents. Stylish touches abound—from the cocoa, tan and coral walls accented by mod Asian green toile wallpaper on the back wall to the forest green and tan booths that sit atop a black and cream checkerboard floor. No less than three different styles of light fixtures lend to the layed-back vibe. If it weren’t for the kitschy touches, like the vintage poster-sized black and white photo of the King and Queen of Thailand, you might not realize you’re in a Thai restaurant at all.

And here’s the biggest shocker. The manager designed the whole place.

“No, we didn’t use a professional designer,” Tom laughs. “Sak, my manager, has a lot of experience working in restaurants and he knew exactly how to translate the look I was going for. He scouted for all of the materials and the result is a fusion of funkiness and contemporary design, mixed with traditional Asian accents. I didn’t know if it would work, but I had to trust him.”

You could almost pay a visit to Charm Thai just to soak up the atmosphere, but then you’d be missing out on the best part—the food.

Tom has put together a menu that artfully combines traditional Thai food—courtesy of recipes from his grandmother and aunt—with more Americanized Thai dishes that will appeal to anyone. “I love to cook,” explains the Massachusetts transplant. “I do it well. When I moved to the area with my family, I immediately saw the need for an authentic Thai experience.”

Thai food differs from Chinese or Japanese in that many of the dishes feature citrus and exotic fruit flavors. The curry sauce is made from coconut milk and because dishes aren’t buried in sauces, the true flavors of ingredients come out.

The Papaya Salad is an excellent example. Priced at just $7.95, it’s a popular spicy Thai dish. Papaya, green beans, tomatoes and peanuts are tossed in fresh limejuice and chilies. The whole thing is topped with grilled lemongrass chicken.

Seafood is another Thai staple and the Seafood Delight blends the flavors of stir-fried shrimp, squid, scallops and mussels, with lots of fresh vegetables. Enjoy this entrée for $14.95—but don’t expect to take home cartons of leftovers.

Tom believes that in order for his guests to enjoy the purest Thai experience at Charm, portions should be generous enough to finish in one meal. “This is food that’s best enjoyed when it’s fresh from the kitchen,” he describes.

One of Charm Thai’s specialty dishes is the Thai Style Basil. “In Thailand, this is our version of pizza,” Tom provides. “You can get it from street vendors everywhere.” The dish features ground chicken with onion, bell pepper, mushroom and basil leaf in hot chili sauce for $11.95.

The Charm Thai vegetarian corner lists a number of delicious choices. Tom recommends the Spicy String Beans with your choice of side. Sautéed tofu is mixed with green beans, cashew nuts, bell peppers, snow peas and ground peanuts, in a spicy curry sauce for just $9.95.

Sides include Jasmine Rice, Udon Noodles, Buckwheat Noodles, Brown Rice, Rice Noodles, Corn on the Cob, Sticky Rice and Angel Hair Pasta. Add them to any meal they aren’t included for just $1.50 each.

“Any of our dishes can be ordered without the spicy heat,” he offers.

Tom also likes to feature creative dishes that aren’t on the menu and he changes those each month. His favorite right now is the Sake Soy Sea Bass for $18.95. Steamed Chilean sea bass is perfectly cooked then served in a sake soybean sauce with pink ginger, spinach and a helping of buckwheat noodles.

Drink specials are offered Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. at the bar. Enjoy $1 off well drinks, bottled beer and wine by the glass. The bar is also where you’ll find Charm’s quaint sushi bar—a tribute to Tom’s years spent as chef in a Japanese restaurant.

Of course, his sushi can be enjoyed at the comfort of your table as well. Try the Rainbow Makimono (rolled sushi). For $12.00 you get about 10 pieces of sushi, including fresh yellow fin tuna, white fish, regular tuna and salmon. “It’s a beautiful combination of flavors with nice color,” he says.

The Broadview Maki has been created especially for the Parma area. Shrimp tempura, cream cheese, eel and avocado are present in this roll—also priced at $12.00. “I developed this because I was getting a lot of requests for a sushi roll with cream cheese,” Tom shares.

The Mexican roll combines shrimp tempura and avocado, and is listed for just $6.50. Or, you could go with the Sushi Appetizer for just $7.00 and enjoy five pieces of the chef’s choice for the night.

Enjoy a charming lunch or dinner at Charm Thai Restaurant. Find it at 7426 Broadview Road in Parma. Hours for lunch are Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and on weekends from noon-3 p.m. Dinner is served Monday-Thursday from 4 p.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday from 3 p.m.-9 p.m. They can be reached at 216-642-0301, or visit the website at www.CharmThaiOhio.com.

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