On the morning of Sept. 9, a serene ceremony took place at the newest Sala Thai Restaurant in Tempe, which opened last year as the third location for the Pluemjit family. This branch is owned and managed by Aniwat "Ming" Pluemjit, and his siblings, who own the other restaurants, were also present for the special Monday gathering.
Amid the soft hum of chants, seven Thai monks in vibrant orange robes blessed the restaurant with prayers and holy water. In a gesture of gratitude, Pluemjit presented the monks with an alms donation.
The ceremony symbolized the continuation of a legacy. Ming Pluemjit not only upholds a family tradition but also breathes new life into the culinary legacy his parents began with their first Valley restaurant nearly two decades ago.
Pluemjit's journey to continue the business in Tempe is rooted in a deep respect for his family's history and an enduring passion for authentic Thai cuisine — with a twist. Located about a mile from the Arizona State University campus, the eatery stays true to Thailand's late-night culinary culture. Open until midnight on Thursdays through Saturdays, it offers students and locals a taste of Thai street food.
"Thai street food is a culmination of different spices — the true tonality of Thai food," Pluemjit explains. "It’s a quick meal, but we try to make it accessible to everybody here."
The menu at Sala Thai in Tempe reflects this balance, offering both beloved classics like pad Thai and green curry, alongside more adventurous street food items such as Spicy Ladyboy Wings, Yumm Mama ramen salad and Gai Yaang.
Pluemjit's decision to open the Tempe location was a personal one.
"I’ve worked in restaurants most of my life, and like my parents, I was always frustrated by the lack of late-night food options," he says. "So, if I couldn't find what I wanted, I decided to create it."
On Sept. 8, a day before the blessing, the Tempe location celebrated its first anniversary, marking a year of bringing the chaotic, flavorful world of Thai street food to the community.
Continuing a family legacy
This journey into the world of Thai cuisine started long before Pluemjit’s frequent trips back to his parents' homeland. It began with his upbringing, helping his mother and father set up at metro Phoenix street fairs at the turn of the century. "My parents were familiar faces at local Asian festivals, selling smoothies, egg rolls, spring rolls and pad Thai," Pluemjit recalls. His parents, the late Samroeng "Sam" and Somsaun Pluemjit, opened their first Sala Thai brick-and-mortar location in North Phoenix in 2005.
The restaurant quickly gained recognition, including a quirky accolade from Phoenix New Times for offering the "Best Way to Burn Your Tongue."
The Pluemjit children played an active role in helping run the bustling Thai restaurant. Around 2008, then-teen Ming Pluemjit moved beyond dishwashing and busing tables to help out in the kitchen. It was here that he learned many of the culinary techniques passed down through generations in Thailand.
"Pad Thai was one of the first dishes my mom taught me to make," he says, adding that it has since become a customer favorite. The $15 plate of small rice noodles in tamarind sauce with eggs, green onion, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts is often praised for its tamarind-forward flavor.
As the family's recipes became the talk of the town, the Pluemjits expanded their business across the Valley, with locations in Avondale, Glendale, Peoria, Phoenix and now Tempe. Although the Avondale restaurant is no longer operating and the Glendale location is under different ownership, his brother still runs the Peoria spot and his sister manages the original Phoenix location.
"For over ten years, customers at the Phoenix location have been asking us to come to the East Valley," Pluemjit explains. "My dad always resisted, thinking there were already too many Thai restaurants in the area."
However, when an opportunity arose, Pluemjit decided it was time to bring their authentic Thai street food to Tempe.
The Goong Satay features skewered shrimp marinated with white pepper, paprika, coconut milk and turmeric.
Mike Madriaga
What to try at Sala Thai in Tempe
One standout menu item at the Tempe location is the Khao Soi, a northern Thai curry noodle dish that Pluemjit is particularly proud of.
"It took me quite a while to figure out the recipe," he admits, describing his culinary pilgrimage from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to Bangkok. During the trek, he learned and noted ingredients and cooking methods, many of which now influence his restaurant's Khao Soi recipe.
"The Khao Soi is probably one of our top sellers," Pluemjit explains. "Everybody who tries it is truly amazed. I’m so confident in it that if someone doesn't like it, I'll refund their money."The braised chicken and egg noodles are creamy, spicy and robust. Egg noodles are used because they have "a nice snap" and don't get soggy like rice noodles, the chef explains.
Pluemjit has also introduced other street food staples to late-night diners, like spicy basil leaves with fried eggs and barbecued pork skewers with sticky rice.
"In Thailand, the nightlife is bustling, and street food is everywhere," he says. "So, offering that type of food at that hour in Tempe, especially with so many international students who are used to that scene, was a no-brainer."
Pluemjit’s commitment to bringing an authentic Thai experience to Tempe is apparent in everything from the atmosphere to the recipes.
"We're not trying to embellish or create different names for things," he insists. "You go to Thailand, and you order Khao Soi, which is exactly how you would order it here. I want to bring the life of the Thai street scene to the East Valley, so if you ever go to Thailand, you'll have the exact same experience."
And one year in, he's just getting started. One of Pluemjit’s most cherished memories is of his grandmother’s Thai beef jerky.
"It’s sun-dried beef marinated with oyster sauce, fish sauce, black pepper, white pepper, garlic and other spices," he says. "She would make that for me when I was little, serving it with sticky rice. I’d run around, grab a piece, and come back for more."
This dish will soon be featured in the next revision of the Tempe menu.
"Some of the items we offer here in Tempe aren’t available at our other restaurants," Pluemjit notes. "And some of what they sell there, we don’t make here in Tempe."
As Pluemjit continues to blend his culinary experiences from Thailand with his family’s restaurant legacy, Sala Thai Tempe stands as a testament to his passion for sharing a taste of Thailand with Phoenix.
Sala Thai Restaurant
1740 E. Broadway Road, #106, Tempe
10880 N. 32nd St.
8278 W. Lake Pleasant Pkwy., Peoria
8278 W. Lake Pleasant Pkwy., Peoria
