Patrons of Thai Siam in downtown Bangor for the past few weeks may have noticed some construction going on in the restaurant, and a note in their menus, informing them that in mid-September the Thai eatery would be closing.
Fans of the longtime Asian restaurant in Bangor need not worry, however — owners Chinda Rustana Vivul and Wirawan Vivul and their son, Jira Rustana, will be consolidating Thai Siam with their other restaurant, Zen Asian Bistro, located just a few hundred feet up the road at 128 Main St.
“It just makes sense for us,” said Jira Rustana, 27. “We offer many of the same menu items, and this way, we can offer everything in once place. Plus, there’s parking, which is definitely a bonus for a lot of people.”
In the place of Thai Siam in the 1 Main St. location will be Rustana’s newest venture: a Thai-style noodle bar, as yet unnamed but expected to open in October, after a few weeks of renovations. The new eatery will be opened with Rustana’s business partner, designer Jeremy Abbott.
“We wanted to open something that was fast, easy and complimentary to what’s already in downtown,” said Rustana. “We already have plenty of sandwiches and burritos, and there’s lots of stuff that’s sit-down dinner that’ll keep you there for a long time, but there’s not much that’s fast and sit-down and inexpensive.”
Rustana was inspired by the countless noodle stalls on the streets he sees when he goes to Thailand to visit friends and family.
“There are literally millions of these tiny little stalls, and all that they serve are noodles,” said Rustana. “It’s super fast and really easy and it’s so delicious.”
Customers will walk into the restaurant and go up to the bar, where they’ll be prompted to pick a broth, either Thai-style, miso, curry, vegetarian or a house broth, and a noodle, either Thai-style noodles, Japanese noodles like udon or soba, ramen noodles or buckwheat noodles. Then they’ll pick a protein (chicken, pork, pork belly, tofu or other specials) and a variety of toppings, from corn or pea pods to egg or shiitake mushrooms.
From there, customers can add whatever spices or sauces they want, and voila — fast, quick noodle bowls, made to the customers’ specifications.
“I think it’s something Bangor has never seen before, and it’s something that will offer people a lot of freedom to have what they want,” said Abbott. “In the end, it’s all about the broth. If you’ve got a good broth, it all falls into place.”
The unnamed eatery will offer a small handful of appetizers and desserts, as well as a full coffee and tea bar. The small space next door to 1 Main St. will house a newly redesigned bar, featuring cocktails and a beer and wine selection, and will stay open late.
Rustana and Abbott hope to open their new eatery by mid-October.
