Get to Know the Women Behind One of Our Favorite Restaurants
Daughter Thai Kitchen and Bar opened in Denver in 2019, and it is a fantastic spot to eat authentic Thai food with a Denver twist. If you've never been, I definitely recommend you check it out. I recently dined there and had a lovely experience, with absolutely delicious food of course. Daughter Thai is one of those places that makes you want to learn more about the people behind it. We are going to take a look at the three incredibly talented women who own and operate Daughter Thai.
*Bios are of the women from left to right in the photo*
Dueanphen Rungrueang
Known as "Pom" by most people, she was born and raised in Northern Thailand in a family of 3 siblings. Pom is passionate about food (of course!), travel, and fashion. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Chiang Mai and went on to work as an accountant for 2 years. After that, Pom moved to San Francisco for additional schooling. During her first year in San Franciso, Pom found that she missed her local Thai street food tremendously. She said that she never forgot how Thai food tasted in Thailand. Pom met Ounjit while working in a restaurant in San Francisco, and they became friend soulmates. The two had always dreamed of opening a restaurant so they could share their love of Thai food and culture. They decided to open up Daughter Thai Kitchen, with the goal of creating simple and traditional Thai dishes, just like they grew up eating in Thailand.
Orrapan Bottaisong
Orra earned her undergraduate degree in Information Systems from Naresuan University in Bangkok. Following that, she moved to Colorado to pursue her Master's degree in IT project management, in addition to an MBA from the University of Denver. She then worked in marketing and advertising for an international import/export company. Orra worked in the family business as an entrepreneur in Thailand, where she says she learned the lessons of hard work while combining both her passion and her business experience. This provided the foundation for Orra to develop her culinary vision, as well as experience running both front and back of the house operations in a top restaurant.
Ounjit Hardacre
Ounjit is a country girl, as she grew up in a small town called Kanchanaburi province on the west side of Thailand. Her family had owned a local grocery store where she grew up and gained the skills she needed to run a business. Ounjit received her BS in Applied Science from King Mongkut's University of Technology in North Bangkok. After moving to the U.S., she earned her MBA from Lincoln University in Oakland. During this time, she worked at a Thai restaurant in San Francisco as a server. It was there where she met Pom, and the two became fast friends!
The women behind Daughter Thai have both the experience and passion that makes their business so great! Because they all grew up in Thailand, they have an excellent understanding of the cuisine that restaurants in America serving food from other cultures may not always have. They are committed to creating authentic Thai cuisine while allowing room for experimenting. When they combine the traditions and flavors of their cultures with Colorado-style elements, the result is magic.
You will see that the menu has both "Classic Thai Kitchen" and "Daughter's Kitchen" sections. The menu is a clear indicator of the owners' experiences living in Thailand and the United States.
We are so happy that they brought us Daughter Thai! Have you dined at Daughter Thai? If so, what are your favorite dishes? Comment below.
