Celebration of Balance

By Hannah Howard
| Photography by Miana Jun
| March 17, 2025

BY HANNAH HOWARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIANA JUN

Pru Thai creates community with its satisfying flavors and genuine warmth

Pru Thai’s co-owner Korn Wongsarochana’s culinary journey began at just 8 years old, when he learned to cook alongside his mother in her Long Island restaurant. He loved the fragrant, flavorful food inspired by his family’s roots in Chantaburi, Thailand, but he envisioned a different future for himself. His parents worked incredibly hard, especially when the rest of the world was taking a break.

“When I finished school, I swore I would never work in the restaurant industry,” Wongsarochana says.

We were sitting in his third and latest restaurant, Pru Thai in Lambertville, in cushy booths on a cold day with his wife and business partner, Chayanee Wongsarochana. The walls are a calming sage, and vintage posters lend a cozy, modern vibe. Above us hung a painting that says ART in bold typeface, a nod to the building’s former life as an art gallery. (The landlord has been a fan of their food for many years, so he was excited to sign a deal with the couple.)

Like her husband, Chayanee never planned a career in restaurants. The couple met at a party in New York City more than two decades ago. At the time, Chayanee was finishing a master’s degree in PR and marketing, and Korn was running a jewelry business in Manhattan.

“I lived in an apartment in Queens, took the subway to work, and never saw daylight,” Korn remembers. “I woke up one morning burnt out. It wasn’t for me anymore. And the only thing I really knew besides accounting was restaurants.”

Chayanee had been waiting tables to support herself during graduate school. She was planning to head back to Bangkok, where she was born and raised, after graduation, but shifted gears to open a restaurant with Korn. They weren’t yet a couple, but Chayanee had fallen in love with the United States, and the thought of embarking on a new adventure in her new home felt right.

“WHEN WE SERVE FOOD, WE EXPECT PEOPLE TO BE HAPPY … WE SERVE HAPPINESS.”

From Business Partners to Life Partners

The two teamed up to explore potential spaces, from SoHo to Hoboken. They fell in love with Clinton, NJ. As city folks, the town felt like “deep in the country,” Korn says, but “immediately we loved it; the vibe was so good.”

In 2004, they opened their doors. Pru Thai was an instant success. “We would wake up at 5[am], buy groceries, go to the market, prepare food, and finally sleep at 1[am],” says Chayanee. Korn’s mom, aunt, and uncle all came to help. Sometime in that heady, exhausting blur, Chayanee and Korn fell in love. “There was something there,” she reflects. “Plus, we were stuck with each other.”

Now, they have a big life together: an 11-year-old daughter and three thriving restaurants. In 2017, after a longtime booming business in Clinton, Pru Thai opened its second location in Pennington, and the spot on Bridge Street in Lambertville opened in October of last year.

New Jersey, New Beginnings

Pru Thai is the kind of place that immediately pulls you in with its warmth—both in atmosphere and flavors. Walking through its doors, you’re greeted with the vibrant hum of a bustling kitchen, where the air is thick with the comforting scents of lemongrass, garlic, and chili.

Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to try their Pad Sen Jan, which they launched to celebrate their 20^th anniversary. The Chanthaburi-style noodles in coconut milk and red curry, topped with fresh crab meat, crunchy bean sprouts, and scallions, is a tribute to Korn’s mother’s hometown, a quiet fishing village. Korn said the traditional dish was made with whole crab, but he thought guests would find that experience quite messy.

Chayanee and Korn’s restaurants have become like second homes, and guests feel that sense of family. They live in Clinton, and Chayanee’s mom has joined them from Bangkok. (When Korn’s parents retired, they moved home to Thailand.) “We know everybody here, every single face,” says Korn. “We see people on their first dates, get married, choose the name of their kids—and then we see the kids grow up. We’ve seen good times and bad times of our friends and neighbors.”

When the couple moved to New Jersey more than 20 years ago, “it was just pizza shops, American-Italian spots, and diners,” says Korn. “Now, there’s much more ethnic cuisine.” Pru has played a part in the state’s culinary renaissance.

Spicy Dishes for a Sweet Story

I’ve been lucky to eat at their Lambertville and Clinton locations a few times. On my list of favorites are their Kanom Jeeb, steamed or fried chicken dumplings (I suggest steamed, for the tender wrapper) in wonton packages that are served with sweet, dark soy for dipping. I love how the richness of the chicken contrasts with crunchy water chestnuts. Another must-try is TomKha, rich coconut milk and galangal soup with translucent onions and earthy mushrooms.

Pru Thai has a way with spice. “People are addicted,” says Chayanee. Guests can specify mild, medium, spicy, or “Thai spicy,” which is not for the faint of heart. Their Crying Tiger—sliced beef tenderloin marinated with roasted chili sauce—made my whole face burn, and still I kept going back for more.

The dishes here are a celebration of balance—spicy, savory, sour, and sweet all playing alongside each other in harmony. You can taste the care that goes into each dish: the fragrant green curry, or the refreshing papaya salad that’s as much about texture as it is about taste. Every bite feels like a little love letter to Thai cuisine’s complexity and beauty, served up with a side of real, unpretentious hospitality. It’s not just a meal; it’s an experience of community and kindness that lingers long after the last bite.