Bai Pai

One of the nice things about dining in Seattle these days is that you don't have to go far to find great places. Most neighborhoods have some really good choices. Ravenna is lucky enough to be home to Bai Pai, a Thai restaurant and lounge. It's not just a casual Thai cafe, it's more upscale, casual fine dining, yet not overly expensive. And the lounge is actually a lounge with cool red lighting around the refrigerated cases behind the bar and very cool jazz in the background.

Toward the end of 2003, owner Jack Kanand was set to retire after a lifetime in the restaurant industry. He had moved to the U.S. from Thailand in 1970, obtaining a job at the original Stuart Anderson restaurant on Elliott Bay, eventually becoming the "broiler man." Moving on to the University Tower Hotel, he worked as the chef and then dining room manager. Accepting a general manager position, he worked for Ivar's at both the Captain's Table and the Salmon House. Over the years, Jack also tended bars in hotels and at one time worked for Gerry Kingen (of Red Robin and Salty's fame) making all the "foo foo" drinks at the Great American Food & Beverage Company.

Ready for his own business, he decided to open a Thai restaurant on Sand Point Way. While getting it ready, he worked for Gerry Kingen again, this time as a part-time bartender at Salty's on Alki. "I read a lot about alcohol, where it comes from, what it's made of," explains Jack. "I understand what works with different types of food." After selling the restaurant, he opened another Thai spot in the Roosevelt neighborhood and kept it until that wonderful goal of retirement was reached.

After two years of retirement, however, Jack realized he's not really the retiring kind. He wanted to create an upscale Thai restaurant. "People wanted to give me the opportunity to open a number of restaurants," says Jack, "but I wanted just one. I want to be the chef and ensure that the food comes out just the way I want it to." His food is always Thai, but there's a little fusion going on as well. His shrimp cocktail has a cilantro, garlic, raw tomato cocktail sauce with a ginger mango relish. He does rack of lamb with a mussaman curry sauce. His basil dressing for greens is different and delicious.

Smilin' Jack in front of one of the many pieces of art in the restaurant

Some recipes are his mom's, like the green curry. "I can't always get exactly what I need to create it the way she did," says Jack. "So I add things here and there and get it as close as possible." Jack is from a family of nine and everyone had to cook. "Families all had their own gardens. There were no food processors—we had to pound the lemongrass, lamb leaf and chilies. That was the kids' job. We picked, sliced and cooked. There's nothing like that taste—so fresh and good."

Bai Pai is small, seating 87, and has limited storage space. That can be difficult, but works out for Jack as he likes things fresh. In the afternoon between lunch and dinner, he's often out hand-picking the unusual items he likes to use in his cooking. He looks for different types of mint like cocomint. He shops around for various types of fresh fish to use with tamarind, curry or tri-flavor Thai-style sauce and for his specials.

"I love wine and how food and wine make each other better. Wine can go with anything and people are less concerned now with the ‘red with meat, white with fish' concept. It's true that the best wine is the one you like. And wine is great with Thai food." He keeps about 150 labels on hand and offers approximately 25 wines by the glass, plus champagne. In the hallway between the dining room and lounge, a temperature-controlled, glass-enclosed wine closet holds customers' wines. "It's a European touch that I like," says Jack. "If someone stores their wine here, I don't charge them a corkage fee when they come in. There's no storage fee either."

Beyond what he envisioned for food and wine, he wanted his restaurant to feel good. "It can't feel inexpensive," he explains. "Tablecloths add a touch of class. Music is important. On weekends, we have live music. It's background music until 9 or 10 p.m., generally Broadway tunes. After that, we do more contemporary jazz." Jack also wanted a sense of neighborhood where everyone knows everyone else. That's part of the reason he chose the Ravenna neighborhood. After 20 years of working in the area, he'd built up quite a customer base.

He caters fairly frequently for the University of Washington and will do events from 30 or 40 people up to 250. "We'll do a large buffet with items ranging from a whole salmon to dim sum, sushi, phad Thai and a barbecue section." He'll also close down the restaurant for private events, like the surprise 60^th birthday party where he made oysters Rockefeller, Châteaubriand and various Thai dishes. His "ice sculpture connection" created Mickey and Minnie Mouse as the centerpiece.

Both of Jack's children have had some involvement in the restaurant although son Christopher, now 23 and a Stanford economics graduate, is living in Palo Alto, California. Daughter Lindy, 21, is at Cornish learning web design. She created the Bai Pai website.

For Bai Pai lovers, there's not much worry about Jack deciding to retire again. He's realized his plans for an outdoor patio with all kinds of fun martinis. And he's tossing around the idea of a second restaurant geared more to a younger crowd—a more contemporary design, fun satay bar, open kitchen where all the action can be viewed--and with just a little more flash. Nothing is set yet, but once Jack gets an idea, we're generally in for a treat.

Connie Adams/August 2007