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Manayunk's — and much of Philly's — favorite Thai restaurant, Chabaa Thai, is scheduled to finally re-open its doors next Tuesday, August 23.
If you can think back to this past March, Eater Philly told you all about the return of Moon Krapugthong's Thai bistro to Main Street (4343-45 Main Street), plus the addition of a new fast-casual market, Binto, next door. After a few constructional set-backs (the restaurants were supposed to open in May), the renovations are finally complete, as are the menus (below), and Krapugthong is as ready as ever to reclaim her place in Manayunk's dining scene.
Chabaa Thai's new space will feature a refreshed, new look: "We've definitely used the extra square-footage to capture and share more of Thailand's vast culture," said Krapugthong. "Re:Vision Architecture, has done a wonderful job bringing my vision to life." The vision includes a new lower-level, too, which will get used as a community space/kitchen venue/private dining room.
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As for Binto, Krapugthong thought Manayunk was itching for "a place where people can go to enjoy quick, delicious and healthy Asian food", so she came up with a market/cafe concept, where guests can order pan-Asian snacks or buy prepared foods, curry pastes, pad thai sauces, salad dressings, and hot sauces to-go. For home cooks, Binto will also offer pre-prepped meals with finishing instructions included, plus any Thai cooking ingredients and tools you might need to do up your own Southeast Asian feast at home (a great move for a St. Joseph's University student body in need of an alternative to dining hall food).
Binto will open at 10 a.m. daily, and close at 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends. Chabaa Thai will be open at 5 p.m. every day, with a Thai-style brunch coming a few weeks later. If you dine at Chabaa within its first week open, you'll receive a free dessert (coconut ice cream or mango with sticky rice).
Something to keep on your radar: Binto will be one of the few places in Philly serving Thai sausages, including the hard-to-find sai ua, or as it's listed on Binto's menu, "Northern Thai-style Pork & Herbs" sausage (shown here on the right).
