CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Less than a decade ago Immm Rice & Beyond owner Dew Suriyawan was working on a master’s degree in network engineering at DePaul University. He had only recently come to the United States from Thailand with the intention of learning English.
While studying at DePaul, he had to choose between being a server, a driver, or a cook at a Thai restaurant. He chose to be a cook. It was a job to make ends meet that, just before graduation, would lead to a major pivot in his choice of careers.
“I had an opportunity, my friend wanted to sell Spoon Thai,” he said.
That was it. Picking up Spoon Thai in Lincoln Square, Suriyawan was officially in the restaurant business.
“I chose to be a restaurant owner,” he proudly shared.
He lamented that the terms of the sale however prevented him from altering the recipes in any way, adding that much of the Thai food served in the U.S. has been altered by previous generations of Thai Americans, banking their financial survival on delicate American taste buds.
“Thai people, back in the day, put more sweet, more salty to make white people love the food,” he said.
Suriyawan is part of a new generation of young Asian American entrepreneurs who are building on the footing of their predecessors but are now in a good position to take some chances.
He had been operating Spoon Thai for a few years when he spotted a restaurant for sale near the corner of Broadway and Argyle in Uptown, an area where the storefronts are predominantly occupied by small business owners of Southeast Asian descent.
“So, I just bought it, changed the name, started from scratch”, he said.
Choosing the name Immm Rice & Beyond, all the dishes at this restaurant are Suriyawan’s own recipes.
“Awesome! He said excitedly. “Because every single item that’s on the menu, I approve. Because, I love it, I cook it myself.”
In Thai, Immm means “I’m full” or “I’m stuffed.” Further explained on the restaurant’s website, if you want to do it like the Thai’s do, say “immm” when you’re done eating, followed by “arroy,” if it’s delicious.
What’s Suriyawan’s favorite dish at Immm?
“It’s a dish from my hometown, called ‘Khao Soi,’ the curry noodle. That’s egg noodles with bone in chicken. I really do put bone in chicken, with the crispy noodles on top,” Suryiawan said.
Immm Rice & Beyond’s most popular dish, has the nickname “boat noodles,” thin rice noodles in spiced pork broth with choice of pork, pork meatball, or slow cooked beef and beef meatball.
“The most, really good feedback came from people who used to live in Thailand for like 5 years, or a white guy with a Thai wife, something like that. I get really good feedback from them,” he said.
Suriyawan has also just added a bar inside his establishment called Mao Bar.
“I wanted to put the concept of an Asian bar in the community. Immm has been here for six or seven years already with the good food,” he said as he began to chuckle. “I wanted to expand more experiences for the customer.”
Suggesting an experience for a hypothetical customer he continued, “How about you get Thai food and Thai beer or a cocktail program inspired by Asian ingredients?”
He told WBBM that with the help of a friend he even created a coconut curry vermouth. The beer choices at Mao Bar include the only 3 Thai beers available in the U.S.
Authentic Thai food that’s made in Chicago, Suriyawan added that he is pleased American’s tastes have evolved now to the point where being authentic isn’t taking a chance anymore. In his mind, it’s necessary to remain authentic these days in order to stay in business.
“I love the word ‘authentic.’ We always say that we serve the food you get in Thailand,” said Suriyawan.
He added that what you find on Immm’s lengthy menu is what you might find at the food stalls and carts in the streets of Thailand.
Dew Suriyawan serves as host, cook, bartender, and owner at Immm Rice & Beyond in Uptown, located at 4949 N. Broadway.
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