Thai food is back on the Plateau — but only during some days of the week.
The Khun 9 Thai food truck started visiting Enumclaw and Buckley when the coronavirus pandemic began, forcing owners Mananchaya “Nong” Thakwang and Buncha “Talk” Buasin to leave the normally-busy Seattle to find business in the surrounding suburbs.
Thakwang wasn’t always a cook — hailing from Chiangmai in northern Thailand, she was a car saleswoman with Toyota before moving to the U.S. in 2001 to start a family. It was around that time she discovered a love for cooking, so she decided to start her new life working at various Thai restaurants around the country, including Washington, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and North Carolina.
She eventually settled in Washington and started her first food truck business, Maroom Thaim, in 2015. Thakwang sold the food truck in 2018, and decided to start Khun 9 a year later.
“Khun nine” means madam or lady in Thai, Thakwang said in a recent interview, speaking through her friend and business associate Toon Vinyuwonge, as she speaks little English. The name of the food truck is also a pun, as the number 9 (“kao”) is a lucky number in Thailand, given that it sounds a lot like “moving forward” in Thai.
Thakwang tries to stay traditional with her food, though she admitted she Americanizes her recipes a bit, as some ingredients in her meals can be hard to come by. Her favorite food to make is Phad Thai, but she also makes everything from pot stickers and chive dumplings to Thai basil stir fry and red curry. A full menu can be found at www.khun9thaitruck.com.
To catch up with Thakwang and Buasin, customers can find them at Enumclaw’s Dwight Garrett Park (2222 Porter St.) on Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. for the remainder of the month. The food truck will then start coming by on Thursdays at the same time and place starting in February.
You can also visit the food truck in Buckley at the playground across from 1497 Couls Ave. on Sundays from 4 to 7 p.m.
The food truck’s schedule can also be found on its website or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Khun-9-Thai-Truck-2364653156919210/.
