Our story

Every Morning, our six-year-old daughter, Alice, asks us the same question.

“Mom, are we going to the restaurant today?”

To most children, a restaurant is a place to eat.

To Alice…

it’s home.

She has grown up between the dining room and the kitchen. She greets familiar guests with a smile, draws pictures at her favorite table, peeks into the kitchen to hug Mom and Dad, and somehow knows every employee by name.

Many of our regular guests met Alice when she was only a few weeks old.

Today, they ask about her before they ask about the restaurant.

Watching Alice grow has become part of Chiang Mai Thai Cookhouse’s story.

A Dream That Started Thousands of Miles Away

Our journey began in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Chef Tee came to the United States in 2009 on a student visa, carrying a dream and a passion for cooking.

In 2012, Kete arrived on a work visa and began her career as an accountant. She spent six years working in an office, grateful for the opportunity to build a new life in America.

But every weekend looked different.

Friends gathered around our dining table.

The kitchen was always busy.

Food was always at the center of every celebration.

Kete loved cooking for friends, hosting dinner parties, and creating the kind of meals that brought people together.

Over time, one thing became clear.

The happiest moments weren’t happening in an office.

They were happening in the kitchen.

Following Our Hearts

In 2018, we made the biggest decision of our lives.

We left the comfort of stable careers and opened a small restaurant in McLean with one simple dream:

To share the authentic flavors of Northern Thailand with our new community.

People often ask why we chose Northern Thai cuisine instead of the dishes that are already well known.

The answer is simple.

Because we’re both from Chiang Mai.

These are the flavors we grew up with.

The meals we missed the most after moving away from home.

The dishes we could happily eat every single day without ever getting tired of them.

We weren’t trying to follow trends.

We were simply sharing the food we love.

Our Philosophy

Long before we opened our doors, we made one promise to ourselves.

If we wouldn’t proudly serve it to our own parents, we wouldn’t serve it to our guests.

Every ingredient matters.

Every recipe is prepared with care.

Every dish is cooked as if we were welcoming family into our home.

Because to us…

food is one of the purest ways to show love.

The Hardest Chapter

In January 2020, our daughter Alice was born.

Only weeks later, COVID-19 changed the world.

Like many small businesses, we faced uncertainty every single day.

Some days, the restaurant brought in only $200 in sales.

We had a newborn baby.

Employees depending on us.

Bills waiting to be paid.

And no idea what tomorrow would bring.

Giving up wasn’t an option.

So Alice came to work with us every day.

Guests would often see small signs around the restaurant that read:

“Baby Sleeping.”

While we cooked, packed takeout orders, answered phones, and served customers, our baby slept just a few steps away.

Looking back, those signs represented much more than a sleeping baby.

They represented hope.

Growing Together

People often think we expanded because business became successful.

The truth is much more personal.

We wanted a bigger restaurant so Alice would have a comfortable place to sleep, play, and simply be a child while Mom and Dad worked long hours.

As Alice grew…

so did Chiang Mai Thai Cookhouse.

Today, after school, she still comes to the restaurant almost every day.

She runs through the dining room.

She draws pictures at her favorite table.

She checks on Mom and Dad in the kitchen.

She laughs with our staff.

And she reminds us every day why we started this journey.

Many restaurants tell stories through recipes.

Ours tells the story of a little girl who grew up between the dining room and the kitchen.

Welcome Home

People often ask us what our secret ingredient is.

Some expect us to say it’s a family recipe.

Others think it’s a special spice.

The truth is much simpler.

Our secret ingredient has never been in the recipe.

It’s the love and care we put into every meal.

The belief that every dish should be good enough for the people we love most.

Because that’s exactly how we see our guests.

Not just as customers.

But as family.

Whether you’re joining us for your very first bowl of Khao Soi or you’ve been dining with us for years…

Welcome to Chiang Mai Thai Cookhouse.

Welcome to our home.