Mai Thai | Our Story

From Pattaya to Pacific Grove

Mai Thai Cuisine is a small family run business, but wouldn’t be what it is today without Pinky . She served each of the dishes on her menu in her own restaurant in Pattaya, Thailand and has been serving them for many years here in the United States. In America, Pinky started with a food stand at local farmers markets in Pacific Grove and Marina and after becoming popular enough, was asked to bring her unique food to the hospitals in Salinas. 9 years later, after customers telling us for many years that we should open up a restaurant, we were finally able to make that happen! Her use of quality produce and ingredients really makes her recipes special. You have not enjoyed real Thai food in America until you have tried Mai Thai Cuisine!

Twenty Years in Pattaya

Pinky learned to cook in Thailand — not from a textbook, but from years at the stove running her own restaurant in Pattaya. Those decades of repetition and refinement are baked into every recipe she brought to California.

Nine Years at The Market

In America, Pinky started at the Pacific Grove farmers market and spent nine years feeding loyal regulars — until they all told her the same thing: open a restaurant.

Forest Avenue, 2020

In 2020, Pinky opened Mai Thai Cuisine on Forest Avenue — a family-run spot where every dish still traces back to Pinky's own recipes.

What Goes Into the Food

Fresh Thai basil comes in year-round, vegetables are sourced from the Central Valley, and Manila mangos are imported for the desserts. Pinky cooks the way she always has — with the real ingredients, not the shortcuts.

A Neighborhood Built on Word of Mouth

We've never needed much advertising — the Thai tea with lychee boba does that on its own. Pacific Grove is a small town, and the people who find us usually come back.