Portland Fast Casual Thai Restaurant Phaya Will Open on Hawthorne | Eater Portland

"Recreating the khao gaeng format from Thailand, this new Hawthorne restaurant aims to replicate the convenience of classic rice-and-curry shops with a fast-casual, cafeteria-style setup: customers pick a base (rice, noodles, veggies, or split servings) and choose from a hot table of about 16 dishes — including larb, pad kra pao, moo palo (braised pork belly and egg), massaman curry, and spicy catfish filets — with premium add-ons like crispy garlic prawns. Diners will move up a food line where a server builds meals in front of them, and a grab-and-go cooler will stock pre-packed bowls (discounted toward the end of the night) as well as Thai desserts like sticky rice with banana made by Chaison’s mom. Designed to be economical and to let solo diners sample multiple dishes for roughly the price of one entree, the menu will accommodate vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diners and will feature community collaborations and limited-run items (for example, TJ Cruz’s lechon kawali). The team includes Chaison’s brother Boss Phimmanon and Nudichef Tudtue Asawa running the kitchen, Tonia Ponlakhan and Prae Nobnorb handling design and management, and Chaison herself crafting cocktails with house-made syrups and Thai ingredients like galangal, lemongrass, and hibiscus." - Janey Wong