Inside Love Thai just off S. Main St., every dish is crafted from start to finish by Sarika Tollett, a woman whose journey from rural Thailand to entrepreneurial success in the Hill Country is as rich and memorable as the food she serves. At the heart of her Boerne restaurant, Sarika brings both the bold, comforting flavors of her homeland and all the best parts of small-town Texas: warmth, hospitality, grit, and a slow way of life rooted in community.
Born in upcountry Thailand, Sarika’s mother taught her to cook at age six, though she admits she didn’t enjoy it at the time. “I was upset that she made me cook, but I didn't know that she just didn’t want me to work in the fields,” Sarika recalls. “She'd tell me to cook rice, and then when I was about ten years old, she said I had to cook the other food to go with the rice.” Little did Sarika know that these childhood chores would spark a lifelong passion and successful career on the other side of the world.
In 1987, Sarika came to the United States after marrying her husband, Jeff, a laid-back Texan she met at a Thai barber shop when he came in for a haircut. Jeff and his new bride first settled in Sri Lanka, where he was working, and then in his hometown of Amarillo, a far cry from her dream of glamorous, exciting cities she had seen in American movies. “We were in north Texas, and there were tumbleweeds, and it was so dry!” she laughs.
Later, the couple moved to San Antonio, and Sarika, determined to build a new life for herself, learned to drive and connected with a temple community. It was there that she was invited to help out at a local Thai restaurant “just for a week.” That turned into eight years in the restaurant industry. “I learned everything from A to Z. I would waitress. I would cook. I would clean,” she says. “And then something came into my heart… I want to do it on my own. I can do this.”
And she did. Today, Sarika’s restaurant, Love Thai, is a true family-run business where she preps and cooks every dish herself while Jeff and two waitresses help manage the front of house. Open for just a few hours for lunch and dinner six days a week, the hours are short by design. “People ask, ‘Why do you close so early?’” she says with a smile. “‘Because I’m tired! I need to rest!’ But really, it’s because we’re just family working.”
Sarika’s food is made with care and intention—nothing rushed, nothing compromised. Her love for what she does shines through in each dish. “I just love to cook,” she says sincerely. “I cook all day for customers, and then when I come home, I want to make a cake or cook something for us.”
While Pad Thai is the most requested dish (she makes it 30 to 40 times a day), Sarika encourages guests to explore beyond the familiar and try something new, like green or yellow curry or drunken noodles. The people of Boerne, she says, have embraced her food wholeheartedly. “I love customers in Boerne. I mean it—of all ages. Families come in and they’re happy.”
It might not be anything like the image she had in her mind of the United States, but after 19 years in Boerne, Sarika has found her forever home and a deep sense of belonging. “I love this country. I love this place. And I always say, ‘Well, I'll be dying over here, but this is what I enjoy.’ I don't need any more. I’m content.”
Love Thai is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.
Dining Room 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Carryout 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location 109 Waterview Pkwy., Ste. 101
Phone 830-249-1070
Online lovethaitx.com | facebook.com/LOVETHAIRESTAURANT
Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Ingredients
Protein of choice
8 ounces extra-wide rice noodles
1 egg
½ white onion, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
⅓ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
Directions
1. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 30–40 minutes until pliable, or cook per package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Combine soy, oyster, and sriracha sauces in a bowl. Adjust sriracha to taste and desired spice level.
2. Prepare protein as desired and set aside.
3. Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add a bit of oil, then crack in the eggs. Scramble gently until just set. Remove and set aside.
4. Add a little more oil to the heated wok. Sauté garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Add onion, bell pepper, and tomato. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until slightly tender but still crisp.
5. Add the drained noodles, protein, and scrambled eggs back to the pan. Pour in the sauce and toss everything together to coat. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until the noodles soak up the sauce and caramelize slightly.
6. Remove from the heat and fold in the fresh basil, letting it wilt from the residual heat.
7. Serve hot with lime wedges and red chili or a side of Thai chili vinegar, if desired.