Simply Thai

Simply Thai Restaurant in Ajijic

Simply Thai Restaurant has the only authentic Thai cuisine in the entire lakeside area. It is conveniently located in the heart of Ajijic, diagonally across the street from the entrance to the Lake Chapala Society. They also have takeout and delivery. They do catering. Call for more information.

Their contact information is:

• Ramon Corona #11.
• Telephone number: 376-766-5665
• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 11:30am – 9:00 pm
• Friday & Saturday  11:30am -9:00 pm
• Closed Thursday.
• Sunday from 11:30am -7:00

Many local groups have their meetings at Simply Thai. The surroundings are elegant. It is a great place for birthday parties and other celebrations. There is an outside patio and inside seating, both upstairs and downstairs. No smoking is allowed.

They have 17 tables and 60 seats, plenty of room for groups. At the same time, it has an intimate feel. The tables are spaced far apart and there are many flowers in the patio area. During the low season they serve from 200 to 300 people a week. During the high season it goes up to $300 to 400 people a week.

There is great deal of attention paid to every detail; from the menus to the beautiful hand woven Thai table cloths and napkins.

The owners are Jim McMahon and Thip Phonsavath. Unfortunately, I couldn’t photograph Jim because he wasn’t there the day I visited.

Ten people run Simply Thai, including the owners and Thip’s parents. Thip’s father is Bounlack Phonsavath and her mother is Thongchanh Oudomlith. They do the cooking. They are from Thailand. They owned a successful Thai restaurant 20 years ago in Ontario.

When they first opened, Thip only wanted to work 4 days a week but her father wanted to work 6 days. He got his way. He seems to be a tireless ball of energy. His cooking is excellent.

Arrived in Ajijic from Ontario

There was a lot of work done on the restaurant before they opened. They arrived in Ajijic from Ontario in January of 2010 and opened the restaurant on March 3rd, 2010. Every since they opened their doors, they have done a booming business. This is one of the most popular restaurants in town.

Their hours are Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. After their two-month holiday they will also be open on Sundays. They all work many hours. Their vacation is well deserved.

They grow some of their own lemongrass, basil and coriander but they also have to buy more of these staples in the Thai Cuisine. They buy from Toyo in Guadalajara. They can also special order ingredients from Toyo.

Pricing Drinks and Food

They have a bar. Two of the favorite drinks are the Bloody Marys and Mojito, which is a Cuban drink. They have a limited wine list. House wine is Conchay Toro from Chili. It is $45 pesos a glass and $195 pesos a bottle.

There is an extensive lunch menu with 14 different items. Prices range from $85 pesos to $95 pesos. There are over 20 items on the dinner menu, including seafood. Prices ranges from $110 pesos to $140 pesos. The appetizer menu has 7 items, including Chicken Satay, Tom Yum Soup with Shrimp, Crispy Spring rolls and Fresh Spring Rolls. Prices are from $35 to $80 pesos.  The meals can be ordered to your liking, from mild to hot.

They serve Thai iced tea for $30 pesos a glass. The house tea is Lemongrass and ginger. Price is $20 pesos. You can get it either hot or cold.

Some of the favorites are Pad Thai, Emerald Chicken Curry with green sauce, and the House Special Fried Rice with Shrimp, Chicken and Cashew Nuts. Spring rolls are also very popular.

They have a delicious dessert menu, including sticky rice with coconut and mango for 40 pesos and tapioca and banana in coconut milk for $35 pesos. They also have soups. The Thai Coconut Noodle Soup is delicious.

NOTE: Pricing may change, the prices listed here might become outdated. Call Simply Thai for current pricing

I had lunch at Simply Thai and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the experience, from the beautiful décor to the gracious hosts and the delicious food. I would recommend it to anyone visiting this area. It is not to be missed. It could compete with the finest restaurants anywhere else in the world.

By, Evelyn Walker
AccessLakeChapala.com Team
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