Writer / Melissa Gibson
When two Thailand natives found each other in Hendricks County, an authentic Thai restaurant was born.
Saowalux “Pooky” Fary had been living in Indianapolis for more than three decades and noticed the lack of Thai options in the area.
Siri “June” Fiedeldey has lived in Brownsburg for the past 10 years and met Fary as an employee at one of her restaurants.
“I used to work for Pooky and she taught me everything about the restaurant industry. I asked her if we could partner and open a location in Brownsburg,” Fiedeldey said.
For Fary, it was an easy choice. She currently owns 15 Thai restaurants in the Indianapolis area and could see the need in Brownsburg, too.
“People from Brownsburg came to my Indianapolis locations all the time. They would ask me to open one in Brownsburg because there wasn’t a good Thai restaurant in the area. I knew it was a good idea,” Fary said.
Thai District in Brownsburg opened in 2019 and still serves as one of the only authentic Thai cuisine options in Hendricks County.
If guests haven’t ever visited Thailand and experienced the culture, food and décor, Thai District aims to give you a taste.
“We would get homesick a lot and we’d make the food we used to eat in Thailand,” Fiedeldey said. “We try to bring back those memories from home. We’re using many of the recipes from Pooky’s family, we bring décor back from Thailand every time we visit and we want to offer it to our customers.”
According to Fary, it’s more than a restaurant. It’s an experience. They use original family recipes and never cut corners, ordering the majority of their ingredients directly from Thailand.
Aside from flavor, the presentation is something to see as well.
“Thai food has many different flavors. We mix sweet and sour, salty and spicy. We want all of these flavors to come together and I think that’s what makes Thai food different from other cultures. We use a lot of different herbs and spices in the cooking,” Fiedeldey said. “We also take our time in the cooking and how we serve the food. Everything has to come together.”
Most importantly, the co-owners of Thai District hope customers find a place to gather and enjoy friends and family, just like they would in their own home.
“I love my customers. We opened in 2019, right before the pandemic hit, and we survived all that time because of the support from our local community. We have so many regular customers that came to us on day one and they continue to come. We know their orders by heart,” Fiedeldey said. “We are watching their families grow up.”
Fary agreed.
“It’s really special to offer this culture and experience to the people of Brownsburg. We want everyone who walks through our door to feel happy and welcome and to try a new dish from Thailand,” Fary said. “We’re grateful they continue to come and see us. It means a lot.”
As the restaurant manager and co-owner, Fiedeldey is thankful for the staff, too.
“We have an excellent chef and the team is my family. I couldn’t do all of this without them,” Fiedeldey said. “We’re going to continue doing what we love and we’ll keep our menu exciting and unique.”
For more information, visit thaidistrictbrownsburg.com.
