Restaurant remains a Taste of Asia

It’s still Thai food cooked by Asians. In fact, the new owner of Taste of Asia bought the restaurant from his aunt, Sothear Long.

Lu Sun took over the business in December with his wife, Sunisa Chanpromma, as the chef. They’re keeping the basic menu and adding to it.

“We’ll have the same menu but with more appetizers and more desserts,” said Sun, adding that fried banana ice cream and various fruit-flavored custards will satisfy the sweet tooth.

He said his aunt and uncle had opened Taste of Asia, located at 127 E. Taft St. on the east side of Hammer Village, in 1997 or 1998. When they decided to retire, Sun and Chanpromma bought the restaurant, which never closed.

Currently, the couple is sprucing up the place with some needed cleaning and repairs. But Sun said, “We want to do a grand opening at some point.”

Sun was in the food business in Augusta, GA, before coming to North Carolina. Chanpromma gained her experience in Thailand for 10 years and has another five years as the chef in a Greensboro Thai restaurant. 

Both are originally from Thailand but they plan to be in Asheboro for the long haul.

“I want to make friends here because I love this town,” Sun said. “The business is doing well with new customers” who are hearing about Taste of Asia from friends. “We’ve had good reviews.

“My wife always wanted to do a Thai restaurant,” he said. “She loves to cook.”

Taste of Asia is open Tuesday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m and from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, the restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The business takes off Mondays to rest before another tasteful week.

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For those who know Sothear Long, who started Taste of Asia, Sun said her family has gone to Cambodia, her native land, for a wedding. But they plan to return to Asheboro when they’re not traveling during retirement.