Greenpoint’s Shanghai Lee (157 Franklin St.) has officially closed after being on the market for several months. However, the space will not be empty for long. Chinta Thai, a new Thai restaurant, will take it over, aiming to open in June.
Chinta Thai will be run by Pim Tongchai and Joseph Caraballo in Strategy and Marketing; Sasiwimon Thongchai, Arunrat Thanadinopat, and Thippawan Phromsiri in Operations; and Kunakron Khamyod who is an interior designer. Not only do they all work in North Brooklyn, but they also call it home. Tongchai has previously worked the now-closed Hungry (77 Norman Ave.), and other partners have a long-standing presence in the area through Wanpaku (621 Manhattan Ave.).
“We’ve chosen Greenpoint because we absolutely adore the neighborhood, its people, and the environment,” Tongchai told Greenpointers.
Tongchai and her partners have been in the restaurant industry for a long time. “Each of us has spent over five years honing our skills in various areas from being a chef, bartending, restaurant’s operation, and restaurant PR, Tongchai explained.
“With our diverse backgrounds from all corners of Thailand, we bring a unique blend of traditions and creativity to the table,” Tongchai said.
Chinta’s menu will include “creative Thai flavors.” The team said they want to celebrate the culinary diversity of Thailand with authentic traditional recipes that have inventive twists.
Chef Treerawat Rachakeaw crafted the menu. Chef Rachakeaw studied food science and inherited the family recipes from his grandmother, who is of Thai and Chinese heritage. Executive chef Weeraphol Chairat, who is self-taught, will run the kitchen at Chinta Thai when it opens. Both chefs hail from the same region of Thailand, and live and work in North Brooklyn.
“In Thai, Chinta means familiarity which speaks to our overall concept,” explained Tongchai. “We seek to present traditional Thai cuisine through the lens of a New York lifestyle.”
I wish them luck. The previous owners were great people. Wish them luck too.