What was once a popular Downtown Easton eatery for two decades before abruptly closing in 2020 now has plans to reopen in Lehigh County.

Touch of Thai, 123 N. Second St., closed just before the coronavirus pandemic in January 2020. The closure, however, was not due to the pandemic and instead was the result of health concerns by its then co-owner, Bangon Boswell, her son and current owner Noppharat “Pepe” Sawaengphon told lehighvalleylive.com Wednesday.

The popular Asian-inspired restaurant now plans to open at 1044 Trexlertown Road in Upper Macungie Township. It’s moving into space that previously occupied Mi’s Korean Kitchen at the Waterside Shoppes shopping center. Mi’s Korean closed May 20 with its owner recently taking to the business’ Facebook page to thank loyal customers for their patronage.

“It has been a great pleasure to meet and serve you,” the posting states. “Hope to see you someday and somewhere. Wish you the best!”

Touch of Thai is expected to open its doors at the new site sometime in late June, Sawaengphon, of Palmer Township, said.

Sawaengphon said he chose the Waterside Shoppes for the new venture due to its proximity to the Route 222 and Interstate 78. It’s also near several other major retail corridors. Other tenants at the shopping center include Mama’s Italian Grille, a cigar shop and an Indian food grocer, according to a LoopNet listing, which features commercial real estate.

“There’s also a lot of nearby residents and warehouses,” Sawaengphon said.

On the move

Sawaengphon’s mother and her husband, Wallace Boswell, were the original owners of the Touch of Thai eatery in Easton, as well as its attached apartment house. They opened in 2001.

Developer Borko Milosev in January 2020 went on to close on the purchase of the property at 123 N. Second St. with plans to renovate the building into apartments. The plan at the time also was for Sawaengphon to reopen the restaurant in the space the family previously owned.

However, Bangon Boswell was then battling significant health issues and succumbed to cancer a year later, Sawaengphon told lehighvalleylive.com. He wanted to take care of his mother and eventually reopen the family business when the timing was right.

Over three years later, Sawaengphon sought out a bustling strip mall for the new venture and stumbled upon the Upper Macungie building. He plans to operate the new restaurant with his girlfriend, Tika Reid, along with some of the eatery’s original staff workers.

The menu will be serving up all the same Thai favorites loyal patrons of the Easton site were accustomed to. Sawaengphon is a Thailand native, moving to the United States in 2001. He’ll be leading the restaurant’s culinary team in crafting all the authentic specialties.

Recipes have been passed down from his mother and other dishes Sawaengphon learned while working at a Bethlehem-based Thai eatery.

There’ll be such appetizers as chicken satay, spring rolls, chicken wings and crispy shrimp. Entrees include choice of chicken, tofu, beef, vegetable or shrimp sauteed and stir-fried. For example, Pad King includes a protein in a ginger sauce with mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, scallions and fresh ginger, while Pad Krapow includes a protein in a chili-garlic sauce with fresh basil, onions and long, hot chilis.

There’ll also be such traditional noodle dishes as Pad Thai, which is a thin rice noodle stir-fried with bean sprouts, eggs and ground peanut, as well as Pad See Ewe, which are wider rice noodles, stir-fried with garlic, Chinese broccoli, and Thai sweet black soy sauce. Fried rice dishes include Bangkok, with onions, scallions, tomatoes and egg; and Pineapple, with cashew nut, pineapple, scallion, curry and egg.

There’ll also be a wide variety of salads and such soups as “Tom Yum,” which is a hot-and-spicy broth flavored with cilantro, lemon grass, fresh chilis, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and lime.

Touch of Thai also is known for its desserts. Some favorites to adorn the Easton menu and that will be on the Upper Macungie menu include Thailand mango and sticky rice and fried banana topped with mango ice cream.

It all gets washed down with choice of Thai iced tea, Thai iced coffee, freshly-squeezed fruit juices, or soft drinks. Guests in Upper Macungie also are encouraged to BYOB.

Sawaengphon additionally teased he’ll be adding some new selections to the mix, such as fish dishes and at least two new noodle entrees. There’ll be indoor seating for upward of 30 people with a couple seasonal outdoor dining tables also available.

Hours for Touch of Thai will be from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. The eatery will be closed on Mondays.

2nd overseas location

A touch of the Lehigh Valley also is headed overseas.

Touch of Thai is launching a second location in Tarragona, Spain. That eatery will be owned by Noppharat “Pepe” Sawaengphon’s sister, Waengphing Sawaengphon, when it opens in mid-July.

The European eatery will have the exact menu of what’s being featured in Upper Macungie. All the recipes were taught to Waengphing Sawaengphon by her brother for the second venture. Waengphing moved to Spain in 2010 from Thailand, Noppharat “Pepe” Sawaengphon said.

Noppharat “Pepe” Sawaengphon also isn’t ruling out a third regional location and hopes it happens sometime next year. He’s currently scoping out other locations with Reid.

“We’d really enjoy opening up again in Easton,” he said.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.