Thank you to Brock Swinson of The Rogue Valley Messenger and the kind review of our Bistro as well as visiting us and enjoying your experience with us!

I walked by the sign for a new Thai restaurant a dozen times before I chose to quit hitting the same handful of locations and try something new. The sign outside always caught my attention but it seemed I was always headed somewhere else with some sort of predetermined agenda to meet or manage. I’m glad I finally stopped. Located in the Underground Market Place, Anya’s Thai Bistro is down the stairs at 33 N. Third Street in Ashland.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, patrons will notice the hollowed out Underground that is begging for new shops as “For Rent” signs sit in all the windows like pets waiting to be adopted. Walking through what feels like a 1920s train depot, customers will see Anya’s Thai Bistro as the oasis it is in the Underground Market Place.

Chatter is heard from the humble restaurant in an instance as the three-week-old business is already packed with customers. Seating myself, I picked up the single-sheet menu and ordered a Diet Coke and the (medium spicy) Drunken Noodles from the waitress with the kind smile.

In a few minutes, I was rehearsing my chopstick skills while enjoying a great bowl of noodles and veggies. A handful of shrimp were cooked to perfection and sprinkled over pan-friend noodles with spicy chili garlic sauce as onions, carrots, broccoli and bell peppers hid in the noodles and Thai Basil sauce.

Growing up in a family of four sisters, Anya’s family struggled after her father passed when she was only eight. “With no money, we just had the promise of tomorrow,” recalls Anya. Her mother took the reins after she lost her husband and ran a fleet of 7 ships and a 150-man crew. Anya learned how to cook and feed a crew of hungry men and never looked back. “All I ever heard was about food. To us, it’s not just a meal, it is all about how you live your life and how you treat your loved ones with good food.”

Her cooking style comes from the Central part of Thailand. Methodology and food prep is often different despite which part of Thailand the food originated. “The Thai people in the Central Plain prefer food with smooth and lasting taste with a touch of sweetness,” says Anya. Not having had too many Thai dishes myself, the meal was a treat for me and the two asterisk spicy note on the menu was no joke.

Anya’s Thai Bistro began as a food cart in Portland and we’re excited to have them in Ashland. Anya’s is open Tuesday-Sunday and they take reservations and to-go orders by calling (541) 488-0281.

Source : The Rogue Valley Messenger • Article by Brock Swinson