Tucked away amidst the selection of dining options of Union Hall on Franklin Avenue sits one of Waco’s only Thai restaurants. As you round the corner, you’ll catch the sounds of a busy kitchen as fresh dishes are prepared.
“When you walk up to Curry Up, you will hear the sound of the wok. It throws you [into] the experience of the streets of Thailand. Wherever you go, you will hear this noise — people woking some food,” explained Pimpisa “Ning” Garsee, co-owner of Curry Up & Wok This Way.
Ning, alongside her husband Chef Wuttipong “Bank” Garsee, opened the restaurant with a desire to share their culture with Waco.
Ning and Bank Garsee both came from Thailand to the U.S., where they met in San Francisco. Ning moved as a student while Bank was adopted by an American missionary family as a young child.
Bank entered the restaurant world as a bus boy, but the owner noticed his potential and pushed him into the kitchen where he began prep work and learning for a few months before returning to Thailand for about seven months.
“When I [came] back, I [was] like, ‘I need to not just be a bus boy anymore. I want to cook,’” he said. “Actually, [Ning] found a restaurant for me. That’s when I start learning how to cook Thai food in San Francisco.”
From San Francisco, the couple made their way to Waco where Bank began sharing his Thai dishes with friends and family, leading to their start at the Waco Downtown Farmers Market in 2020. Despite setbacks from Covid and the historic 2021 winter storm, Ning fondly remembers the joy from Curry Up’s beginnings.
“I would wear the mask, and it’s like rain, snow, storm, everything is happening once, and we just have a pop-up tent,” she said. “But we were having so much fun doing this, and then almost a year later, we were offered to be inside Union Hall.”
And it has been a staple since.
Curry Up & Wok This Way first draws you in with its fun play on words (who doesn’t love to say the name?) but once you catch one of the intoxicating scents wafting from the eatery, your mouth starts watering.
The menu boasts three different styles of Thai food: curry, noodle dishes and rice dishes. Ning kindly provided a few serving plates from her personal collection to illustrate what dining in a Thai home is like. The silver bowl is called a “Khan ngern” and is typically used for drinks to keep them cool, but they served as a beautiful presentation for the photos of the rice here.
A staple in Thai cuisine, rice symbolizes community and prosperity and is often served “Kub khao” — “with rice” — in a family-style setting with shared dishes alongside on the table.
“Each bite is meant to create a sense of balance between flavors and textures,” Ning explained.
First up, of course, is curry! The strong, spicy flavor of the Panang Curry brings a hard-hitting first bite rounded out by the subtlety of the coconut milk. With crunchy bell peppers, it’s a bold and creamy curry. On the other end of the spectrum, the Green Curry has a sweet and complex flavor profile. From the first bite, the basil’s hint of mint hit my tastebuds. With each additional spoonful, other elements of the dish came to life — the lime, the coconut, the earthiness of the eggplant and bamboo shoots.
“The beauty of Thai food, to me, is in one bite, [you] taste more than two flavors inside,” said Bank. “You taste sweetness, saltiness, but also spiciness in one dish, one bite. Learning how to find ingredients to match with that to make it taste that way, it’s a little fun.”
Ning and Bank explained the flavors of Curry Up as very rooted in southern Thai recipes.
“Southern Thailand will eat this kind of flavors,” Bank said.
Ning expanded on this, saying that in southern Thailand, the food is cooked deeper into the flavors.
Something that is evident in both Ning and Bank’s favorite dish — and one that happens to be my favorite dish as well — the Pad Kra Pow. Though not photographed, they were kind enough to make a plate in the traditional Thai way with a fried egg over the meat, which I had yet to try.
“The Pad Kra Pow is a dish that I would say 99% of Thai people will say the same thing,” Bank said when I asked what his favorite dish on the menu was. “It’s a go-to dish. You can’t think of anything, that’s what you get.”
Packed with flavor (and spice, as Bank and I both agree that spicy is the way to go), the egg added a creamy and buttery taste to an already perfect dish.
Of course, I had to enjoy a serving of Thai street food — and the most recognizable of Thai food: the Pad Thai.
I’ll admit, this was a new one for me. The rice noodles are topped with fried tofu, shrimp, protein of choice (which was chicken for our experience) and bean sprouts. This dish starts out milder than the previous selections, as it’s meant to be flavored to your preference. Sugar, chili pepper, lime and peanuts are on the side for you to add over the dish to make it your perfect combination.
This was a pleasant change from the spicier options of the curries. The different textures came together for a delicious dish that doesn’t feel overindulgent.
Of course, be sure to save room for dessert. Curry Up offers two selections: the Banoffee Pie Cup and “Fruit Sando.”
Think tiramisu as you dive into the Banoffee Pie Cup, but with banana and rich cocoa over Biscoff cookie crumbs. This dessert is super creamy but not as rich and indulgent as you would expect. It has just the right amount of sweetness that won’t overpower your palate.
Similarly, the “Fruit Sando” is almost like an angel food cake. This sweet treat actually originates from Japan and is made with sweet bread, whipped cream and stuffed with strawberries. It’s gone viral for good reason and is absolutely worth ending your meal on.
For both Bank and Ning Garsee, Curry Up is more than just sharing a meal, it’s sharing their culture with Waco.
“I would describe [Thai food as] a culture,” Ning explained. “It is a community, it is a love that people do, cooking here. Food united us and gathered people together. Thai food, it’s about the family style. In Thai culture, we don’t usually ask ‘How are you?’ Instead, we say ‘Gin khao rue yang? which means ‘Have you eaten yet?’ It’s our way of showing care since food is such a big part of how we express love and connection.”
On Good Friday, the Garsees found themselves with a surplus of food following the sudden closure of Union Grove and decided to extend the table to Salvation Army, donating 50 meals alongside King’s Chicken Wings and Zuke’s Tea Bar.
But as one door closes, another one soon opens. While Bank prepared our dishes, Ning excitedly shared photos and video of the new building they just signed for that is planned to open toward the end of the year.
“It’s time for us to have a brick-and-mortar on our own — stand on our feet,” she said. “Curry Up is going to be at the Riverfront. It’s gonna be a full concept Thai restaurant and we’re so excited to bring all the unique food people never seen, to bring Thai experience to Waco.”
With plans for a full bar and patio seating, Ning already has several ideas in the works, with style boards that expand on the sedge pendant lamps and greenery lining the outer wall of Curry Up’s stall.
“We are very pleased to have Curry Up moving into Riverfront,” said Paris Rutherford, principal of Catalyst Urban Development. “Its amazing cuisine and quality service will combine with its fresh interior design and outdoor dining to deliver an anchor in “eater-tainment” for the city to enjoy for years to come.”
The menu will also be expanded to include more northern dishes and some from Laos, Thailand’s neighboring country to the east. You can already try the Fried Pork Belly, Isaan Sausages or the Fried Pork Wonton at Curry Up’s stall at the Waco Downtown Farmers Market on Saturdays.
So, hurry on over and eat Thai food like Thai people do.
