Northampton Neighbor Article: Aloy Aloy Thai Cafe

This article first appeared in the Northampton Neighbor February 2019 edition

Angie Apiromyanont, her brother Robert Apiromyanont, and her husband Warakorn Rungchao recently opened the Aloy Aloy Thai Café near the corner of Kuykendall and Dowdell.  The restaurant serves a delicious selection of traditional and “street food” Thai cuisine.  They have been open since December 1, 2018 and it’s already gotten quite busy.

Angie and her brother were born in Thailand and came to the United States when she was 12.  The family settled in the Sugarland area.  Angie started her working life as a medical lab technician, and her husband works in oil and gas, but they always knew they wanted to be in the food business.  Angie loves to eat out and try new foods (a kindred spirit!).  Robert has been in the restaurant business for many years.  The recipes come from their mother, who also worked in a Thai restaurant for 10 years.  They operated a Thai and sushi restaurant back in 2011, then took some time to regroup before trying their current venture.

Robert and Angie each have their favorites on the menu.  Robert is proud of the curries, especially the pineapple curry.  Angie recommends the street food—grilled pork and spicy wings.  I’ve had the All Day Kee Mow chicken and can say it’s an excellent choice, spicy but with plenty of flavor, no need to add anything to it. 

Authentic Thai cuisine often combines sweet and spicy flavors.  If you want to take a virtual trip to Thailand, they recommend the papaya salad or the chicken basil.  They will substitute proteins on most any dish.  Reviews vary widely in the reported spice level.  The Kee Mow All Day chicken is a spicy item, and I ordered it mild.  I am somewhat more sensitive than average to spice, and I found it as spicy as I could handle.  Make your preference clear and they’ll honor it. 

You very much need to save room for dessert here.  I had the fried ice cream, a green tea ice cream surrounded with chocolate pound cake and a thin, crisp crust.  The flavors combine beautifully, it’s the best fried ice cream I’ve ever had.  The coconut ice cream is also highly recommended.  It’s made with 100% coconut milk, not watered down, and is served over sticky rice with mango jelly.

They have the usual sodas and iced tea, but you really should have a Thai tea with your meal.  The black tea with milk is very good, sweet but not too sweet with just a little black tea bite.  They also have a selection of Matcha drinks, green tea lattes in various flavors.

The décor in the restaurant is mostly neutral, geared toward making customers feel relaxed.  A Japanese cooking channel plays on one of their three TVs.  It’s a great way to spend some time enjoying a good meal.