Hometown Eats: The Beat Bangkok in Blacksburg

BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - A popular Thai restaurant in Blacksburg is under new management and with it comes a new name, new menu and new twists on traditional Thai dishes.

Jay Peungarsai and his wife, New Tubpasuth, are the new owners of Café de Bangkok, now called The Beat Bangkok.

“I know exactly what Thai food should be,” Peungarsai said. “That’s why I opened the Thai restaurant.”

Peungarsai spent years cooking in Australia and Boston before moving his family to Blacksburg in March.

“I like it here and I think my daughter loves this town, too,” Tubpasuth said.

You can’t go to a Thai restaurant and not order a traditional Pad Thai with all the eggs, shrimp, rice noodles, sauce, spice, bean sprouts and onions. It’s cooked over a hot wok, which can take years to master.

“The wok requires you to flip the entire time and its very, very hard,” Amp Dickinson, who is in charge of the business side of the restaurant, explained.

“That looks so good,” WDBJ7′s Katey Roshetko said, inhaling the freshly plated Pad Thai. “Smells good too.”

Peungarsai also has his own original recipe that puts a twist to this classic dish, substituting rice noodles for fried wontons.

“I don’t know if you guys can hear my stomach or not, but it is rumbling,” Roshetko laughed.

Before she could sit down to eat, though, Roshetko also got to see how Peungarsai and his curry chef, Kai Baisden, make Vegetable Stir-Fry, Chicken Satay, Green Chicken Curry and Beef Massaman Curry.

“With the Massaman slow-cooked beef, it’s basically first come, first served,” Dickinson said. “We make a certain amount and if it’s gone, that’s it for the week.”

One bite in and Roshetko could see why this is one of their top sellers.

“Wow! That is very good!” She said.

“Thai curry is coconut milk-based, so it’s not over-powering,” Dickinson said.

“Not at all,” Roshetko agreed. “And you can taste the peanuts, which I absolutely love.”

Dickinson walked her through the rest of the dishes, including one of their newest entrées- the Green Curry Chicken.

“We serve it with rice, fried chicken and eggplant. Do you like eggplant?” Dickinson asked.

“Oh, I love eggplant, yes!”

Roshetko took a bite of the savory dish.

“That eggplant is definitely my favorite part of this,” she said. “Oh! And now my mouth is a little bit on fire. It’s got that little bit of a kick that I love.”

Next up, Tubpasuth served Roshetko the Chicken Satay and peanut sauce, which is great as an appetizer or even a main dish.

“What do you think?” Dickinson asked.

“Absolutely, yes!” Roshetko said.

And remember those Pad Thai dishes? The Wonton Pad Thai was incredibly delicious!

“All right, let’s try the regular Pad Thai now so you can see the difference between the two,” Dickinson suggested.

“And Chef Jay over here said shrimp was his favorite,” Roshetko said. “It’s my favorite, too, so I’m excited to try it.”

“So between the two, which one do you like?” Dickinson asked after Roshetko took a big mouthful of the Pad Thai.

“I don’t even know how you would choose!” Roshetko said. “What I think I’d have to do is have my husband order one, I’ll order the other and we’ll split them both.”

And for those of you like Roshetko who have a second stomach just for dessert, Tubpasuth is the baker who brings amazing Thai flavors to different types of cakes. First up, toffee cake with macadamia nut glaze.

“This one is my recipe,” Tubpasuth said.

“Okay, so you can’t get this anywhere else, only here,” Roshetko laughed.

Paired with Thai coffee, this is the perfect afternoon sugar rush.

“I don’t know if I’m going to share this. This is mine,” Roshetko joked.

She selfishly wanted all of the Thai Tea Bubble Cake for herself too.

“Now you’ve got to choose what cake you like more,” Dickinson said.

“I don’t think I can!” Roshetko exclaimed.

And she really couldn’t. Everything she ate is something she’d order again which means The Beat Bangkok is the place to beat.

“Now I’m ready for seconds!” Roshetko laughed.

The Beat Bangkok features a variety of alcoholic beverages, appetizers and entrées. They also plan to offer new menu items monthly. You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Or go to their website to browse the menu.

Copyright 2021 WDBJ. All rights reserved.