As first reported by Faiyaz Kara for Orlando Weekly, a new Thai restaurant rooted in family recipes from Phuket is set to open in the former Dragon King space at 3333 S. Orange Avenue [GMap], next to Palm Beach Meats, in SoDo. Sabai Thai Street Food (Instagram), expected to open the third week of March, is a family venture from Viradee Pissara and her husband Bill Spradlin.
“We want to bring dishes to Orlando that you don’t often see,” Spradlin said.
The menu draws from recipes passed down through Pssara’s grandmother, mother, and elder sisters, alongside staples like pad thai, pad see ew, and pad kee mao. According to Kara’s article, the standout dish of Sabai is expected to be a tom yum noodle soup, a dish Pissara learned from her older sister’s street stall in Thailand.
The name Sabai translates roughly to “relaxed” or “chill vibes,” which the couple says captures both the spirit of the food and the hospitality they want to offer. If you’re feeling extra casual when hanging out in Thailand, you can ask someone, “Sabai di mai?” which is a chill way to ask if someone’s feeling chill. Throw a little surfer vocal fry on it for some extra cool factor.
