September 30, 2009
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The Elephant Trail ( Formerly Viengthong Thai Cuisine )
860-677-0065 | 39 East Main St in Old Avon village, Avon, Ct. 06001
We recently changed our name to The Elephant Trail, but we are the same owners, same chef, same family who ran. We have a new name, but still the same great food and service. Viengthing Thai Cuisine opened in 2004 in Old Avon Village. Celebrating their 5th anniversary!
The Elephant Trail is a family owned and operated business, and the only place to get authentic classical Thai food in the area, as well as the most cutting edge in modern Southeast Asian cuisine.
Our vision is to bring the exotic flavors of the tropics of Asia to Connecticut, where the sweetness and spice of Thai dishes can help make our cold winters a little more bearable. We use only the best ingredients and spices like fresh pineapple, star anise, and sweet first crop jasmine rice.
We pride ourselves on offering the most authentic Thai food in the area, so you can feel good about what you put into your body, knowing we use the same ingredients that have been the cornerstones of Thai cuisine for thousands of years.
Our family in Connecticut has grown over the years, with more than 20 people spanning four generations. We're offering our best to our community here, and you can expect nothing but the absolute best.
We are proud that all our dishes can now be ordered GLUTEN-FREE!
OUR STAFF
Soden Tek, Owner/Executive Chef
Soden arrived from a Thai refugee camp in the States with his family as a young boy, the 4th of five children. He spent every night at his mother and grandmother’s elbows in the kitchen, watching them expertly cook Thai and Cambodian dishes – both traditional and updated for their new homeland. He dreamed of one day being able to share his passion for Southeast Asian cuisine with the country that he now called home.
He majored in Diet & Nutrition at UMass-Amherst, but always kept his family’s kitchen close in his heart. Now Soden uses his experiences as a student of both his family and his college to inform his cooking. He prepares traditional Thai dishes with flair and authenticity that is so hard to find, but he never stops innovating, adding new dishes to his repertoire all the time.
Sohors Tek-Tan, Manager
Sohors is the oldest sibling in the Tek family, and has been helping Soden as manager from Day One. A real “people person,” Sohors is a welcome sight for sore eyes and hungry stomachs!
Sohors holds an MBA in Finance from Salve Regina University, and also has four children – who all can’t wait to grow up and work at the restaurant too!
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