Enjoy a craft cocktail with your Pad Thai at this Macomb restaurant

Dec 20, 2023

Michelle Oliver, Multimedia Journalist, Live in the D, Detroit

With indulgent dishes like lobster fried rice, and specialty cocktails that they light on fire, you are in for one special night at Khom Fai Thai Dining Experience in Macomb.

"When you think about opening a restaurant, you don't think about the food or the drinks... You think about guests enjoying themselves," says Chef and Owner Isaiah Sonjeow.

This concept is something Sonjeow and his brother have been thinking about for a long time. They come from a long line of Thai chefs. Their Grandma had a restaurant back in Thailand, and their father opened up one of the first Thai restaurants in the area about 30 years ago.

"I don't know why Thai food and a lot of Asain food hasn't been seen as elevated or upscale, and this was an opportunity for us to take that idea, and really put it into motion," says Sonjeow.

They started off small, opening a small 8-table restaurant in 2010. There, they gained a loyal following with the tiny place becoming packed on the weekends. It wasn't, however, the place they had envisioned for themselves to really showcase the quality of food and hospitality they wanted to deliver. So, they worked on opening a bigger place. In early 2020, they opened at their current location on the corner of Romeo Plank Road and 22 Mile in Macomb.

The restaurant is very clean in design, with a large greenery wall, tall ceilings, and lots of rich wood tones. A long bar lines one of the walls with shelves upon shelves of bottles, and a good bourbon selection. This is where they prepare beautiful craft cocktails like a smoked old fashion or a fiery tiki-inspired drink.

As for the menu, it is comprised of lots of family recipes, as well as some new more modern takes on Asian cuisine. If you are feeling extra indulgent, try their lobster fried rice where both the rice and lobster are cooked in a healthy dose of butter (only available Fridays and Saturdays). You can get very traditional Thai dishes like the refreshing papaya salad or savory Pad Thai.

"I love the food as much as our guests do, and I get to be as much of a fan because this is all my family's recipes," says Sonjeow.

For a more comprehensive look at the menu watch the video above.

Khom Fai Thai Dining Experience is located at 48856 Romeo Plank Road in Macomb.

Copyright 2023 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.