The Chart Online

Only Thai restaurant in Joplin offers many hot, spicy dishes
Mandi Steele

International Editor

Thai Cuisine offers customers a taste unique to Joplin - Thai food.

Most of its dishes are spicy and can include chicken, beef, pork or seafood. Thai Cuisine is located at 2526 E. 7th St. and opened in December 2001.

Owner Paul Kantaros said he moved from Kansas City to Joplin to open his restaurant because there was no other Thai place in town.

I would like the people in Joplin to try some Thai food, he said.

Many people confuse Thai food with Chinese food, but Kantaros aims to show them how Thai food is completely different.

Some of his most popular dishes are Phad Thai, a mix of chicken, shrimp and noodles, and Khau Soy, a soup with yellow noodles, chicken, dried hot chili and coconut curry.

Joe Labadie, Joplin resident, said he s been to Thai Cuisine three or four times and always tries to find the spiciest dish available. Labadie s friend, Aaron Phillips, stared at Labadie s plate full of food and said just the smell of it was really powerful.

It s puckerlicious, Labadie said, referring to the dish in front of him. It s good.

He said spicy food is great and filling.

It awakens you; it alerts you, Labadie said.

Getting to know repeat customers is part of the fun of owning a restaurant, Kantaros said.

The sad thing, Kantaros said, is when someone will come in, try one dish, decide they don t like it and never come back.

They re supposed to come and try something different, he said.

Diners need to try a variety of items until they find what they like, he said.

Kantaros came to the United States 17 years ago from Chiaug Mai, Thailand. He said all his employees are from Thailand, and they started calling him and asking for work when they found out he was opening a Thai restaurant.

Menu items range from $3.95-6.95. Kantaros said he used to offer more expensive seafood items. The dishes didn t sell well, and he changed his menu to cater to the customers.

I want people to try international food, he said.