80 Morristown Rd.
Bernardsville, NJ 07924
908-502-5795
Rickysthai.com
By Kaylynn Ebner
Ricky’s Thai, a Somerset County favorite for authentic Thai food, has opened a third location in Bernardsville (80 Morristown Road). This new fine dining and takeout restaurant will offer the same award-winning menu as the existing Skillman (1378 Route 206) and Hillsborough (649 Route 206) locations.
“I am happy to have this new location to serve the Bernardsville and Basking Ridge communities,” says Ricky Chai, owner. “Like our other locations, the new restaurant has beautiful decor and a sophisticated ambiance. We completely refurbished the space to make a unique, fine dining experience.”
Ricky adds that he wants the new location to be a place that helps his staff achieve their goals and dreams—much like how the restaurant business has helped him pursue the American dream.
About 30 years ago, Ricky came to the United States from Malaysia in pursuit of the American dream. He was twenty-four and was fortunate to get the opportunity to work as a waiter in a restaurant. There, he learned the restaurant business from the inside out, with a focus on offering fantastic food and top-notch customer service. Within a few years, he began managing his first restaurant and in 2004, he opened his business, Ricky’s Thai, in Hillsborough. Ten years later, after much success, he launched the Montgomery location. He runs the businesses with his wife, Leng.
Ricky credits his talented executive chef, Chai Yo Thongpanich, with creating the restaurant’s incredible menu, which is featured in all three locations. “I am so grateful to be working with him. I wouldn’t be here without him,” says Ricky. “Everything he makes is fresh and delicious.”
Chai came to the United States from Southeast Asia in 1981 and spent 15 years as an executive chef at a high-end Manhattan restaurant. In 1996, he relocated to New Jersey and worked as a chef at a Thai restaurant in Somerville. But since 2004, his menu and cooking as the executive chef have been the heart and soul of Ricky’s Thai.
Chai has trained the chefs at all locations and has created two signature dishes: the unique Honey Puff appetizer and the crispy, yet tender, Tamarind Duck entrée.
What else can you find on the menu? Ricky says all three restaurants feature a mix of traditional and popular items. Ricky recommends guests try the Pad Thai, which he feels serves as a bellwether for the quality of a Thai restaurant. He also loves the green, yellow, and red curry dishes, the seafood combination plates with jumbo scallops and jumbo shrimp, and the various noodle dishes, which are made fresh daily. The restaurants also offer many great appetizers like Thai egg rolls, chicken skewers, and shrimp dumplings. And, there are daily specials to keep the menu exciting. Catering is also available.
Ricky’s Thai has been recognized as the best Southeast Asian restaurant from 2014 to 2019 by New Jersey Monthly magazine. The restaurant has also gotten excellent reviews from the Montgomery News, Trenton Times, and the Princeton Packet.
To see the full menu, visit rickysthai.com.