Thai-Curious

OK, so this woman walks into a gay underage nightclub and says she wants to start a Thai restaurant.

That might sound like the setup for a dirty joke, but it's what Siri Supich told Zig Tognetti when she walked through the door of Klub Z.

Last winter, Tognetti, the owner of Klub Z--a downtown haven for queer teens--was looking for a burger joint or coffee shop to rent the storefront of his club during the day. What he got was Z Zone Cuisine, a downtown Far East outpost manned by a 31-year-old ex-waitress from Bangkok and her mysterious 63-year-old neighbor, who's known only as Lek.

This Thai restaurant by day/youth rave by night hasn't quite cracked the American coconut just yet. The bistro, which has been in business since May, is still usually deserted. That's a shame, because Z Zone serves up delicious, funky Asian grub. That old favorite, green curry ($8.95), here is transformed into a jade explosion of tender chicken chunks, sweet basil, peppers and soft Thai eggplant. And then there's pumpkin stir-fry and Love Triangle (minced chicken and shrimp wrapped in a crispy tortilla), to name just a few of the unusual dishes from the varied menu.

Thailand-transplant Supich says she was just looking for a downtown location--nothing kinky or trendy--when she walked into Klub Z, a joint famed for its gay beauty pageants and foam parties.

To open her restaurant, Supich went all-out, investing four months and $40,000 in an extensive remodeling job. She even flew back home to collect her secret weapon: chef Lek, who's cooked in Bangkok kitchens for more than 40 years. Now the restaurant's dressed in melon and purple shades, with mini blinds that disguise the black-and-white Klub Z logo at the entrance to the back-room club.

But authentic Tom Kah soup and Korean-style grilled pork tenderloin might not be the first choice of Z Zone's biggest market--the Roxy-breakfast lovin' Klub set. "A lot of the kids would rather eat different stuff--American-style food," says Zognetti of his picky patrons.

They're not the only ones who initially turned up their noses. "I felt uncomfortable with them at first," says Supich about the glossed-up Goths and teenage punks that populate Klub. "But they are very accepting. They have good hearts."

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Now, Miss Dish may have first-classed her ass to a corner table in the Big Apple, but we're still here, Gentle Readers, gathering up Portland's gossipy crumbs.

Want to know who's growing your mixed greens? Reserve a table at three local farms this month for Plate and Pitchfork (295-4225, plateandpitchfork.com). A series of three al fresco dinners catered by chefs including Tabla's Adam Berger and Matt Johnson, this $70 field trip includes a four-course, family-style meal, Willamette Valley wines and a garden tour from the head MacGregor himself.

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By summer's end, Siri Supich plans to open her Thai restaurant after hours--3 to 7 am--as a safe haven for club kids waiting for early-morning MAX runs.

WWeek 2015