YUM Spotlight: Ronnarong Thai Tapas

Ronnarong Thai Tapas Thai, Union Square www.ronnarongthai.com (617) 625-9296 M-Th, 11:30am-10:00pm F-Sa, 11:30am-10:30pm

Ronnarong Saksua has been the chef at 255 Washington Street for over a decade. In 2009, The Great Thai Chef restaurant was revitalized and reopened to the public with a new look, a new menu, and a new name: Ronnarong Thai Tapas.

Owner Henry Patterson is passionate about supporting Somerville’s local economy and helped Chef Ronnie take on the task of revamping his business. Patterson describes Ronnie’s food as a means of “personal expression” for the chef, while Ronnie himself claims “creativity is the most important thing a chef must have.” Each dish is infused with Ronnie’s personality and stays true to the traditional flavor profile of Thai cuisine, which focuses on balancing five tastes: sweet, spicy, sour, salty, and bitter.

With culinary influences from surrounding countries including Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia and Burma, Thai food is quite complex. Fortunately, Ronnarong is unique among Thai restaurants offering small plates, borrowing the concept of “tapas” from Spanish cuisine, so lucky diners are able to sample multiple menu items inexpensively and without overindulging.

Inside the restaurant you’ll find a relaxing atmosphere complete with soft lighting, and optional bench seating with bright throw pillows for comfort. The small space is the perfect environment to sit down for a long, romantic evening, or with group of close friends to take your time and experience a delicious culinary journey with chef Ronnie as your guide.

Customers will find traditional Thai ingredients not only on their plates, but in their glasses as well. Ronnarong’s menu offers both cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages that feature some of Thailand’s favorite flavors, including lemongrass, which Ronnie says “smells like home”, tamarind, basil, and ginger.

The Thaimosa, for example features tamarind and guava topped with fizzy champagne. Any drink you choose, like the flavored, house-made sodas with ingredients like basil, ginger and chili, will be the perfect starting point to perk up your palate for the dishes to come.

Check out Ronnarong Thai Tapas at 255 Washington St, Union Square: