As I walked up to All Thai’d Up, a Thai restaurant off of Brownsboro Road, I was greeted with a quaint little building nestled among other small shops with a bright red door and a couple tables outside. Stepping through the door, I was welcomed with dim lighting, which set an atmosphere that was inviting yet elegant. Pictures of Thailand hung on the wall and around a dozen tables filled the room, set with black tablecloths, along with a few small tables in the front and a long table in the back for big groups. A few of the tables were inside a model of a house in Thailand, with a grass roof and lights throughout. The space was cheery with sunshine yellow walls and a candle adorning each table.
We sat down at around 5:30 p.m. at a table near the back of the restaurant. First, we ordered the vegetarian fried spring rolls ($5), a cluster of seasoned vegetables blanketed with multiple layers of crispy dough that turned to butter in my mouth. Next, we ordered the pad see eew moo (see eew pork noodles,$19), a warm melody of flavors with thick egg noodles and tender pork. I ate a heaping portion of the dish and still had plenty for lunch the next day, which I was very excited about. Finally, we ordered the pad king moo (ginger pork stir fry) and substituted the pork for tofu at no additional charge ($19). The pad king moo came as a small bowl of veggies and tofu, with a side of rice to incorporate. It had a strong ginger flavor and felt light yet filling.
After enjoying our dinner, we ordered the coconut ice cream and mango sticky rice for dessert. The coconut ice cream ($5) was dairy free and served with an accent of crushed peanuts on top in a glass, reminding me of a sundae straight out of a 50s style diner. The mango sticky rice ($9) came with the best display — a fresh cut mango, warm, sticky coconut rice with sesame seeds on top and a dark magenta purple flower to garnish it. The rice was warm and had a sweet coconut flavor that paired perfectly with the tang of the mango.
The staff was kind and helped us whenever we needed. Katherine Aphaivongs-Harrod, the chef and founder of All Thai’d Up, traveled to each table and made friendly conversation to ensure that every guest felt welcome. We sat down with her after dinner to talk about her and the restaurant.
As young as seven years old she had a knack for the cooking business — even if she was too young to do the cooking. Growing up in Thailand, it was common for middle class families to hire maids, and it was from them that she originally learned the art of enterprise.
“I remember I didn’t personally cook, but I had my maids make me a big batch of pad see eew,” Aphaivongs-Harrod said. “So I had them make it, and then I put up a sign that said ‘pad see eew for lunch.’”
She would then sell it to her family for the equivalent of a U.S. quarter – five baht.
Despite her passion for food and business, it was expected that she held a corporate job, so she worked in medical insurance for 16 years — although she continued cooking on the side.
However, she never felt truly happy in the corporate workspace, so one day she threw caution to the wind and opened an American diner in Thailand. Immediately she knew she wanted to dedicate her life to sharing her love of cooking.
“But, given the societal hierarchy in Thailand and all that, I was seen as a failure because I wasn’t in corporate anymore,” Aphaivongs-Harrod said. “So I kind of decided it was time for a change of pace.”
She moved to Louisville in 2017 and opened up a food truck centered around Thai-American fusion.
“I kind of looked around and went to different restaurants and didn’t find any good Thai food, so I said, ‘alright, if I’m going to have to cook it every day for myself, then might as well make that my living,’” Aphaivongs-Harrod said.
However, while running her food truck, she found that people wanted even more.
“People kept asking for just the legit, authentic Thai food: the pad Thai, the curries, the fried rice and things like that,” Aphaivongs-Harrod said. “So once I evolved to that concept of just straight up authentic Thai food, it kind of skyrocketed.”
In 2023, she added a brick-and-mortar location, which has now been open for just over a year.
One of the All Thai’d Up specialties that has stuck since the food truck is the spring rolls. When Aphaivongs-Harrod still worked her corporate job, there was a woman in the lobby who would always sell spring rolls with dipping sauce and fresh herbs.
“One day I said, ‘can I have your recipe?’ She goes, ‘absolutely not,” Aphaivongs-Harrod said as she mimicked the vendor pushing her cart away.
She came back before leaving the country and asked again: “I said, ‘can I have your recipe? I’m leaving the country. You know, there’s no competition.’ She goes, ‘absolutely not.’ So the only way I could have those spring rolls again was to make it.”
Aphaivongs-Harrod spent three years crafting the recipe for the rolls and finding the perfect sauce that makes it the delicious spring roll many love today.
“I had this guy come up, and he says, ‘I want 16 spring rolls.’ I’m like, ‘excuse me?’ He goes, ‘I have a very pregnant wife, and all she wants are your spring rolls. And I drove all the way from Charlestown, Indiana to get them,’” Aphaivongs-Harrod said.
Aphaivongs-Harrod shared her passion for food and restaurants across the globe, and it shows in the atmosphere of elegance and love served with every dish. We loved All Thai’d Up and will definitely be returning.
Hours:
Mon 4p – 9p
Tues CLOSED
Wed-Thurs 4p – 9p
Fri-Sat 11a – 9:30p
Sun 11a-8p
Address: 4812 Brownsboro Center, Louisville, KY 40207
Phone: (502)-653-7437
