wine & culinary arts festival

chefs

Nong Charassri Saeng-On
The creative and innovative Nong Charassri Saeng-On was born in the northern region of Thailand in Chang Mai. In 1980, Nong came to the United States sponsored by her sister. She spoke no English and received her first job with Luby's as a cart girl. A few months later a Chinese family noticed her and offered her a job which she accepted, continually saving to one day open her own restaurant. In 1991 Nong finally opened her own restaurant Tong's Thai, using her own recipes and creative touch from her childhood. Nong's mother created a garden for Nong's new restaurant where the vegetables and spices are used daily for meals prepared at Tong's Thai. Nong and her entire family continue to work in the restaurant to this day, seven days a week and as a special thanks for the blessings bestowed upon their family, Tong's Thai provides lunch for the monks of the local Buddhist Temple each Thursday.