Photo and story by By AMY STRAUSS

Most Thai restaurants must appeal to a largely American clientele, which leads many of them to compromise their traditional tastes by adding sweetness and toning down the long, slow buildup of chili heat that is a Thai cuisine characteristic. At Thai L’Elephant, a sophisticated, darling restaurant found nestled in the Kimberton Square Shopping Center on the edge of Phoenixville, the compromises are not always obvious.

The owners Nui Kullanna and Sakesun Supasri say their restaurant can tone down the heat for the supposedly tender American palate, but your palate will revel in the kitchen’s sure-handed spicing, and will allow, if your ordering desires, to sample the authenticity of curries by maximizing your star-rating spice requests to the highest level (seven stars is the spiciest).

“Our main thing is to serve authentic Thai food from a friendly staff in a place that is comfortable and inviting,” said Supasri, who was raised in Thailand around a household who operated their own traditional restaurant and of course, requested that he’d assist in dinnertime preparations beginning at the ripe age of six.

Supasri and Kullanna, age 33 and age 30, like brother and sister to one another, worked throughout the restaurant business for many years, both gaining experience doing all that encompasses such an occupation, from serving tables to cooking entrees until one day, about three years ago, Kullanna heard that the original owners of Thai L’Elephant were looking to sell.

Embracing the opportunity, the duo dared to open their own eatery, continuing the already coined name of Thai L’Elephant, which encompasses their mission of a Thai restaurant that has a French flair (thus the use of L’) and continuing with the use of the word “elephant” helps promote good luck, which is what Kullana reveals the animal symbolizes in the Thai culture.

With two years in the making, the two entrepreneurs balance sweet, sour, salty and hot in a praise-worthy, blissful harmony. By perfectly allowing the traditional Thai spices of lemon grass, galangal, basil, mint, cilantro, chili and kaffir lime leaves to sing clearly, identifiable voices that desirably form careful, calibrated roles in a broader symphony of flavors, Thai L’Elephant executes its made-to-order, all from scratch entrees with utmost skill in conventional and unconventional ways.

Thai L’Elephant dutifully performs the requisite paces for a Thai restaurant by offering beautifully prepared dishes that anyone could dream for, including a multi-day marinated chicken satay and crispy basil leaf peppercorn catfish. Offering an assortment of ideally cooked seafood in many varieties, including their beloved Phucket Fantasy platter — a combination of delicate seafood paired with a gorgeous lobster tail dosed with a garlic chili basil sauce, Supasri’s cooking reaches victorious borders by capturing the sheer beauty of the cuisine while still offering his own individual flair.

For the full story click here.