Today we’d like to introduce you to Natathaporn Singthong.
Hi Natathaporn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Our story began on October 18, 2022, when we opened Nice Thai Cuisine in Chesapeake, Virginia.
We started with a simple dream — to share delicious, authentic Thai food with our community and create a place where everyone feels welcome.
Our chef graduated with a degree in International Culinary Arts. Before coming to the U.S., he worked in five-star hotels in Thailand and had the chance to work with some well-known Thai chefs, as well as Michelin-starred chefs from Germany and France.With his experience and passion for cooking, we decided to follow our dream of opening our own Thai restaurant.
Opening a restaurant was exciting, but it definitely came with challenges. There were long days, hard work, and plenty of things to learn along the way. But seeing our customers enjoy our food and come back again has made it all worth it.
Over the years, we’ve met so many wonderful people. Some of our customers have been with us since day one, and many have become familiar faces that we always look forward to seeing. That’s one of our favorite parts of running this restaurant.
We recently celebrated our fourth anniversary, and looking back, we’re really proud of how far we’ve come. We’re so thankful for all the love and support from the Chesapeake community.
At the end of the day, we’re just happy to do what we love — cooking good Thai food, meeting great people, and making our customers feel at home.
We hope to keep doing that for many more years to come!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Honestly, it hasn’t always been an easy journey. I’ll never forget our second day in business. We made only $17 in sales for the entire day! As a first-time business owner, that was probably one of the most discouraging moments for me.
But looking back, that $17 day was actually a turning point. Instead of giving up, we took it as motivation to work harder, learn from our mistakes, and keep improving. We focused on making our food better, improving our service, and creating a better experience for our customers.
Of course, running a restaurant still comes with challenges, and we’re learning something new every day. But seeing how far we’ve come from that $17 day makes us appreciate this journey even more.
That day taught me something I’ll always remember — a rough start doesn’t mean you can’t have a great future. You just have to keep going!
We’ve been impressed with Nice Thai Cuisine, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Nice Thai Cuisine is a family-friendly Thai restaurant located in Chesapeake, Virginia. We serve a variety of traditional Thai dishes, from popular favorites like Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles to flavorful curries, soups, and many other dishes that bring the taste of Thailand to our community.
What makes our restaurant special is the love and care we put into everything we do. We believe that good food doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about fresh ingredients, great flavors, and making every meal enjoyable.
One of the things we really enjoy doing is creating our Weekly Specials. Every week, we introduce special dishes that aren’t on our regular menu. We love keeping things fun and giving our customers a little surprise, so they can look forward to seeing what’s new each week. It’s also a great way for us to share more unique and traditional Thai dishes that people might not have tried before. The response has been amazing over the past four years, and it’s become one of our favorite things to do!
One thing we’re really proud of is the relationship we’ve built with our customers. We want Nice Thai Cuisine to feel like more than just a place to grab a meal. We want people to feel comfortable, welcomed, and excited to come back.
We’re not trying to be the fanciest restaurant in town. We just want to serve delicious Thai food, treat people well, and give our customers a reason to smile.
That’s what Nice Thai Cuisine is all about!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
One of my favorite things to do is explore different kinds of food with my family. We love going out and trying restaurants from different cultures. I enjoy tasting new flavors, seeing how dishes are presented, and discovering new ideas.
Even when I’m out enjoying a meal with my family, I often find myself thinking about what I could bring back to improve or create something new at Nice Thai Cuisine. It’s something I really enjoy!
I also spend time on social media, keeping up with food trends, new ideas, and what’s popular. I love seeing how creative people can be with food, and it always inspires me to try something different.
For me, inspiration can come from anywhere — a great meal, a new experience, or even something I come across online. I think the key is to stay curious, keep learning, and never stop looking for ways to improve.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nicethaicuisineva.com
- Instagram: @nicethaicuisine
- Facebook: Nice Thai Cuisine – Chesapeake, VA
