Kao Sook Serves Up Authentic Thai Cuisine

Being the owner of Kao Sook, the new Thai restaurant in Scotts Valley, doesn’t stop Wanlop Kachinthorn from helping out with all aspects of the restaurant, including bussing tables. But his love of cooking is what inspired him to enter into the restaurant business and eventually open his own establishment.

 Kachinthorn left his home in Thailand 24 years ago for what he thought would be a temporary visit to the Berkeley Buddhist Temple. He decided to stay and was there for five years. Then serendipity came knocking in the form of a friend who owned a restaurant in Santa Cruz.“My friend brought me from Berkeley to work at the Thai House on Ocean Street,” Kachinthorn explained.

He quickly worked his way up from bussing tables and kitchen work to manager, working at Thai House for a total of five years. He learned the ropes of running a restaurant, and was soon ready to venture out on his own. Kachinthorn opened Sabieng Thai Cuisinein Santa Cruz, but even then he had his eye on Scotts Valley.

“I wanted to open in Scotts Valley,” he said. “But there was no space available.”

Still, customers came to Sabieng from Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley, giving Kachinthorn even more reason to have a second restaurant here.

When Bruno’s BBQ relocated, and their old space became available, Kachinthorn knew he had found the place he’d been looking for. He and his partner, Chamreon (Champ) Kunthee—who worked for Kachinthorn at Sabieng for six years—snapped it up.They transformed the interior into a casually elegant restaurant accented with Thai arts and crafts, polished wood tables and artfully folded napkins.

You’ll always find smiles on the faces of the friendly servers. And if you’re looking for authentic Thai cuisine and a menu with plenty of choices, you won’t be disappointed at Kao Sook.

You have your choice of 16 appetizers, which include the popular chicken, pork or beef satay, fresh spring rolls and a variety of deep-fried items including fish cakes, which I love and aren’t found on all Thai restaurant menus. Salads include such delicious ingredients as grilled sirloin or prawns, squid, green papaya and one loaded with seafood. Soups, curries, noodles, rice, main dishes and barbecued chicken, pork loin and duck round out the extensive menu.

The difficulty here is deciding what to order. Prices at Kao Sook are very reasonable, and they offer some great lunch specials. Kachinthorn said they are still waiting for their beer and wine license, which should be approved in a few weeks. For now, Thai iced tea or coffee, coconut juice or longan juice, a sweet fruit drink, should be tasty accompaniments to the Thai food—especially if you ask for it extra spicy!