Paul Pisutewongse and Packy Pisutvong were both experienced in the restaurant business when they opened Zen Thai and Japanese Cuisine to showcase the cuisine of their native Thailand, as well as the Japanese dishes that Paul mastered after arriving in the U.S.
In 2023, their popular restaurant, now operated by their daughter Kanita Pisutewongse, relocated to a larger space a couple of miles away (403 Watson Plaza) during renovations at its original home in a Crestwood strip mall (9250 Watson). But the family retained the lease, and now that the rehab is complete, they’re returning with Zen Me, a fast-casual restaurant where Paul and Packy will showcase the hard-to-find Thai and Japanese dishes they love the most.
Zen Me opens on an auspicious date: November 6, which is 19 years and a day after Zen Thai launched in 2006. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Menu
The compact menu includes seven noodle dishes and five crepes, with more to be added over time.
One of the signature dishes is Yong Tau Foo Noodles, a Hakka-style Chinese recipe with Thai influences that’s available both fried and steamed. “My mom’s background is Chinese, but she grew up in Thailand,” explains manager Pun Pisutvong, one of Zen Thai’s children. “When she was younger, she would always go to this one noodle shop in Chinatown for pork and fish balls and stuffed tofu.” She learned to make the dish from her parents, who passed down the traditional family recipe from their home region in China. “I don’t think you can find any noodle shop in St. Louis with this dish,” Pun says.
Another family recipe is her father’s Beef Noodle Soup, loaded with beef brisket, tendon, and shank that are gently simmered for hours to bring out their rich, deep flavor. The soup is served over rice noodles with plenty of broth.
A third menu highlight is the barbecue pork with egg noodles. “It’s so good because my dad makes the barbecue himself,” Pun says. “Everything at Zen Me is handcrafted.”
When crepes come to mind for Americans, we often think of the soft, pliant French or Japanese versions. Pun is quick point out that Thai crepes have a distinct crunch. “To get the texture of the crepes to be crispy, you have to perfect your batter,” she explains.
Packy perfected her version in her cafés in Thailand, and at Zen Me, she serves it in sweet and savory variations that are sometimes traditional and sometimes trendy.
Pun recommends trying the savory crepe filled with Thai chili paste. “People might ask how this combination works together, but it’s one of my favorites,” Pun says. “You can add ham, pork floss, or sausage.” (Pork floss is a light, fluffy, umami-packed delicacy made by stewing and then drying pork.)
A second savory crepe has a spring lettuce leaf mix plus a light spread of mayo and ketchup, also available with a selection of meats.
On the sweet side, Pun says Zen Me will offer chocolate, pistachio with bananas or strawberries, and a kid-friendly filling of strawberry or blueberry jam. They’ve also jumped on the Dubai chocolate trend with strawberries and pistachio cream adorning the crispy crepe standing in for phyllo.
Like its sister restaurant, Zen Me will serve an ample assortment of hot teas—green, oolong, and jasmine—as well as Thai iced tea and iced coffee and pink drinks, all freshly homemade. It will not serve alcohol.
The Atmosphere
Zen Me will have the same footprint as Zen Thai did when it occupied the space, with the counter and kitchen on one side and a dining room on the other. But customers will notice a softer, more home-like feel, complete with greenery and even some of Pun’s favorite books from her youth.
“It will be a nice place to hang out and eat crepes or enjoy noodles in a warm soup,” Pun says. “We like to learn about our customers and connect and form relationships. That’s why we’ve made it this far, because of our customers’ support.”
To simplify operations, the owners decided to have customers order at the counter and do self-service for cold drinks.
The Team
Pun’s enthusiasm for the Zen Me menu stems partly from the joy it brings her parents to offer their favorite dishes—and partly from her own happy childhood memories. For instance, she remembers eagerly waiting for her mom to make crispy Thai crepes at home.
“My parents are quote-unquote retired, but they still want to work, because that’s how we grew up. They still want to make things for people,” Pun says. “My mom wanted to open a crepe place, and my dad is really in love with noodles. So I said, ‘Why don’t you do both?’”
There is a poignancy about the dual menu that balances Paul and Packy’s specialties. For Packy, it is a return to her culinary roots; she honed her expertise at creperies in Thailand in the 1990s. (The photo, taken in 1996, shows one of her newly opened cafés, where she invited Thai celebrities to dine.)
Paul and Pun workshopped the dishes he was most enthusiastic about, exploring their shared love of Thai noodles as well as other styles like ramen and udon. “I’m a foodie, and I love all Asian restaurants,” says Pun, who spent her childhood in Thailand and moved to the St. Louis metro area in 2013 to attend high school and college.
Pun credits her siblings for taking time out from their own endeavors to help behind the scenes with Zen Me. Kanita lent a hand with paperwork and permits while their brother Paan—who, like their father, is talented in Japanese cuisine—advised on décor and design.
The goal is for customers to linger over their meals and make themselves at home, just as they do at Zen Thai. “I really appreciate all the customers that have been supporting Zen Thai,” Pun says. “It’s like a family.”
📍 9250 Watson, Crestwood
📞 314-270-3139
⏰ 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Saturday
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